Get Measuring Mountains Mathbits Answers

A process began around 1800 that would ultimately establish Mount Everest as the world's tallest mountain. Started by Englishman William Lambton, this process was referred to as "The Great Trigonometrical Survey," and led to a rigorous mapping of India.

Everest is 27.0134 mi and its angle of elevation is θ = 5.82°.

Mount Everest is a peak in the Himalaya mountain range. It is located between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region of China. At 8,849 meters (29,032 feet), it is considered the tallest point on Earth.

Carrying sea level Based on tradition, mountains are typically measured not from their bases, but from sea level, which is typically considered the average of the low and high tides in an area.

Surveyors spent almost three years using a combination of trigonometric calculations to reach the conclusion that Everest has an elevation of 29,002 feet. This was an amazingly accurate result.

How do you measure the height of a mountain using trigonometry? You measure the shadow of the mountain cast by the sun. You can approximate the angle of the sun above the horizontal. The tangent of that angle is the height of the mountain divided by length of the shadow.

Calculating that number has evolved as our technology has, but the science remains complicated. Back in the 19th century, when Sir George Everest – a Briton – was the Surveyor General of India, under colonial rule, they used trigonometry to measure mountains, with machines called theodolites.

0:19 2:40 How do you measure a mountain? | The Big Question - YouTube YouTube Start of suggested clip End of suggested clip And a point next to it to make a triangle. Then by working out how big the angles are inside theMoreAnd a point next to it to make a triangle. Then by working out how big the angles are inside the triangle. It means they can work out its height. However this method is not super accurate.