Fun science thought problem

Fun Science Idea

-- Measuring the height of a tree.

two adjacent edges together and fold Fold a corner of a sheet of paper in half to make a 45 degree angle.

creased edge can go against short strip Use that paper to position a straight strip of wood across an end of another piece of wood that is 4 to 6 feet long. Nail the strip in place.

this makes a triangle with 2 equal sides Stand back from the tree at a distance that you think is about equal to the height of the tree. Sight along the strip while keeping the board plumb(straight up and down). This can be determined by hanging a small weight on a string tied to a nail driven into the side of the long board. If the string is parallel(everywhere the same distance away) to the board, then the board is plumb. Move the board closer to or farther away from the tree until the strip of wood is in line with the tip of the tree. Use a tape measure to find the distance from there to the tree. Add to that distance the height of the strip. The total is the height of the tree..

The triangle you have formed has two sides that are the same length. One of those sides is easy to measure because it is along the ground. The other equal side is(you guessed it) the height of the tree. Two of the angles in the triangle are also equal. They are each 45 degrees.

Method 2 - Here is an even simpler way to measure the height of large objects. Stand back from the object a distance that you would guess is about three times the object's height. Don't worry about making an accurate guess. Hold a stick vertically in your hand with your arm fully extended toward the object. Move the stick until its upper end is even with the top of the object. Put the end of your thumb against the stick to mark the position of the base of the object. thumb at ground level

Turn the stick to a horizontal orientation. Line up the position of the end of the thumb and the base of the object. Have a someone walk to where they are in line with the end of the stick. The person should be away from you the same distance as the object is away from you. Use a tape measure to find the distance between the person and the object. That measurement will be the height of the object. thumb at tree trunk center

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	Fold a corner of a sheet of paper in half to make a 45 degree angle.
	Use that paper to position a straight strip of wood across an end of another piece of wood that is 4 to 6 feet long. Nail the strip in place.