You
and your partner will estimate the height of hard-to-measure objects using a clinometer
and trigonometry.
Making
a Clinometer
Materials:
string protractor
straw
tape paper
clip
You can make a
clinometer to find the angle of elevation of an object that is too tall to
measure.
1. Tie one end of a piece of string to
the middle of a protractor. Tie the other end of string to a paper clip.
2. Tape a straw to the side of the protractor.
Make sure that the string hangs freely to create a vertical or plumb line.
3. Look through the straw to the top of
the object you are measuring. Find the angle measurement where the string and
protractor intersect. Determine the
angle of elevation by subtracting this measurement from 90°.
Your teacher has selected one or two objects that you will
“measure”.
