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How to Use a Barometer to Find Out the Height of a Building.

Emily L

Don't leave the toilet seat up, please, HAL.
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I had a physics teacher who once told me that there is actually more than one way to determine the height of a building by using a barometer . . .

Method #1. Go to the top of the building, drop the barometer off the roof and count how many seconds it takes for it to hit the ground. Use the acceleration of gravity to calculate the height of the building.

Method #2. Measure the length of the baromter, then climb up the side of the building as you use the baromter as a measuring stick.

Method #3. While on the ground, tie a string to the barometer and swing it around your head while counting the number of revolutions per minute, then go to the roof with it and do the same thing. The difference in the number of revolutions will indicate the change in air pressure and will enable you to calculate the height of the building.

Method #4. Stand a distance away from the building, close one eye and hold the barometer vertically so that it looks like you are holding it along the side of the building. Using a red crayon, mark on the barometer where the top of the building appears to be. Now, while keeping the bottom tip of the barometer at the base of the building, rotate the barometer--in a direction away from the building--to a horizontal position. Make a note of what part of the ground the red crayon mark seems to touch. Then go and measure the distance from that part of the ground to the base of the building.

Method #5. Go to the owner of the building and say, "I'll give you this barometer if you tell me how tall your building is."

My favorite is #5.

Any other ideas?

( :) )
 
Use the barometer to prop up your phone while you use the height app. Much more up to date method 😉
 
Use the barometer to prop up your phone while you use the height app. Much more up to date method 😉

Hey, that's a great Method #6, Ishm! :) Thanks!
 
Measure the height of the barometer. Put the barometer by the building on a sunny day. Measure the shadow of the barometer, measure the shadow of the building. ..or just go to Emily L's post, find Method #5. Most likely the smartest thing to do.
 
I had a physics teacher who once told me that there is actually more than one way to determine the height of a building by using a barometer . . .

Method #1. Go to the top of the building, drop the barometer off the roof and count how many seconds it takes for it to hit the ground. Use the acceleration of gravity to calculate the height of the building.

Method #2. Measure the length of the baromter, then climb up the side of the building as you use the baromter as a measuring stick.

Method #3. While on the ground, tie a string to the barometer and swing it around your head while counting the number of revolutions per minute, then go to the roof with it and do the same thing. The difference in the number of revolutions will indicate the change in air pressure and will enable you to calculate the height of the building.

Method #4. Stand a distance away from the building, close one eye and hold the barometer vertically so that it looks like you are holding it along the side of the building. Using a red crayon, mark on the barometer where the top of the building appears to be. Now, while keeping the bottom tip of the barometer at the base of the building, rotate the barometer--in a direction away from the building--to a horizontal position. Make a note of what part of the ground the red crayon mark seems to touch. Then go and measure the distance from that part of the ground to the base of the building.

Method #5. Go to the owner of the building and say, "I'll give you this barometer if you tell me how tall your building is."

My favorite is #5.

Any other ideas?

( :) )


Method 3 would be very difficult. Your model would have to accurately account for how much the RPM should increase as a result of less air resistance, compared with how much it should reduce with less oxygen available to the muscles doing the spinning. You would also have to account for the exertion of climbing to the roof, which might also reduce the RPM of the spinning barometer on the roof. Furthermore, winds tend to be strong as you go higher, so it is likely that your spinning environment would be impacted considerably.

For myself, I think I would take a photo of the building, with the barometer in the foreground. I'd measure the barometer and then pull up the photo in fspy. Using the settings of the camera used to take the picture, I'd create a virtual camera, and load it in Blender. Build a 3d model of the barometer according to the measurements of the barometer, and then using the correctly scaled barometer model create a 3d model of the building that aligns with the fspy virtual camera. Take a look at the dimensions of the building in the sidebar and voila! There you have the height of the building.
 
Method 3 would be very difficult. Your model would have to accurately account for how much the RPM should increase as a result of less air resistance, compared with how much it should reduce with less oxygen available to the muscles doing the spinning. You would also have to account for the exertion of climbing to the roof, which might also reduce the RPM of the spinning barometer on the roof. Furthermore, winds tend to be strong as you go higher, so it is likely that your spinning environment would be impacted considerably.

For myself, I think I would take a photo of the building, with the barometer in the foreground. I'd measure the barometer and then pull up the photo in fspy. Using the settings of the camera used to take the picture, I'd create a virtual camera, and load it in Blender. Build a 3d model of the barometer according to the measurements of the barometer, and then using the correctly scaled barometer model create a 3d model of the building that aligns with the fspy virtual camera. Take a look at the dimensions of the building in the sidebar and voila! There you have the height of the building.

Brilliant, Citizen! I used Blender one time to make an object for my Sims game!

Thanks for providing us with Method #7. :)
 
Measure the height of the barometer. Put the barometer by the building on a sunny day. Measure the shadow of the barometer, measure the shadow of the building. ..or just go to Emily L's post, find Method #5. Most likely the smartest thing to do.

Ah HA, Hip! Thanks for Method #8. :)
 
I'd sell the barometer to buy a massively long tape measure.

Then go to the top of the building and lower the tape to a friend at the bottom.
 
Throw the barometer in the trash and check the building permits.
 
Method #3. While on the ground, tie a string to the barometer and swing it around your head while counting the number of revolutions per minute, then go to the roof with it and do the same thing. The difference in the number of revolutions will indicate the change in air pressure and will enable you to calculate the height of the building.

You think you can measure air pressure with a barometer? That's ridiculous.
 
You think you can measure air pressure with a barometer? That's ridiculous.

"A barometer measures atmospheric pressure in units of measurement called atmospheres or bars."

Source:

 
"A barometer measures atmospheric pressure in units of measurement called atmospheres or bars."

Source:

Better fix up your hair after that whoosh
 
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