Washington College
Physics 100

Home experiment #1: Measurement of height by the shadow method.

On a sunny day measure your height and the length of the shadow you project onto the ground. Now measure the length of the shadow the pole projects onto the ground. Use the relationship (as explained in class):

Height = (shadow length of pole / shadow length of your height) * (your height),

    

to estimate the height of the pole in meters.

Try again using the height of your partner as a reference. Are the two results close? Find the average value = (sum of heights)/n and the error of the average = (largest height- smallest height)/n , where n is the number of measurements. Discuss the advantages and limitations of this method to find heights. Report your final value as Height = average*(1+/- error/average).  The value of (error/average)*100  gives you the percent error.