Find a tall stick. That and one good eye are all the tools you’ll need. With the stick in hand, walk exactly 11 paces from the base of the tree and mark the spot by driving the stick into the ground.

A person can measure their height at home by using an object, such as a pencil, to mark a wall and measure the distance. However, it is often easier to measure height with help from another person.

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Claim: A physics professor gives a final examination that requires his students to explain how to measure the height of a tall building using a barometer. Instead of the expected answer (i.e., measure ...