how did people figure out elevation before technology using only sticks and string?
In: Engineering
There are 2 good ways to measure elevation. depending on if we are talking about a few dozen feet, or a few thousand feet
If you want to know how tall a tree is for instance, you can measure it’s shadow, Then compare it to a shadow of a known object. The ratio of the shadows will be the same, so with some math you can get the height of the tree.
If you want to know about mountains, you boil water. Water boils at 100°C or whatever scale you use at sea level. The higher you go up, the lower the temperature the water boils. On Everest water boils at 68°C. This method is not perfect, but thermometers are not that hard to make, and it gave a good estimate.
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