Disregard all the new technology we have in this world… how would you measure the height of a tree? With a little bit of clever thinking and a powerful math property, you can calculate the height of a tree!
Materials:
2 people, a pencil, a measuring tool (measuring tape, yardstick, etc.), a tree, or another tall object you’d like to measure
Time Estimated:
10 min
Directions:
Choose a tree or something to measure
Have one person stand near the tree
The other person should hold a pencil and face the tree.
Hold the pencil vertically and walk away from the tree until the pencil top is level with the treetop and the pencil eraser is level with the ground.
Then turn the pencil horizontally so the eraser seems to touch the tree trunk
The pencil holder should direct the person near the tree to walk away until it looks like the top of the pencil is touching the person.
Now measure the distance from the person to the tree
This measurement will be approximately the height of the tree!
Think Like A Scientist:
In your own words, why does this technique work for approximating the height of a tree?
Draw a right triangle and explain what makes it a right triangle.
Draw a triangle that is not a right triangle. What is different about it?
What is the Pythagorean theorem? Label all the sides of the right triangle you drew above.
In the video, the two sides of our paper tree are 7 inches. Calculate the hypotenuse.
How It Works:
In this experiment, the pencil helps you approximate a right triangle that has the same base length as the height of the tree. When you measure the distance between the person standing and the length of the tree, you are essentially measuring the height of the tree, just on the ground!
Looking for more fun at home STEM activities for your young scientist? Check out our workbook full of exciting science experiments and empowering activities!
