Your Name:_____________________________________

Members:____________________________________

Group

CAN WE USE SIMILARITY TO FIND THE HEIGHT OF THE

SCHOOL BUILDING?
YEAH, I SAID ITTHE.HEIGHT.OFOURSCHOOL!
HOW?
Think about the warm up we had in the beginning of class. A mirror placed on the ground
can be used to indirectly measure the height of objects. When the mirror is placed at a
particular distance from the object (Do), then the distance that an observer stands from
the mirror (Du) determines the reflection that the observer will see in the mirror. During
this activity, each group will be measuring various distances OUTSIDE to determine the
height of several objects (Ho). (Hu is the eye-level of the observer.)
Example: Height of a Flagpole

Ho
Hu = 5 ft 6 in
Do = 25 ft Du = 9 ft 2in

(mirror)

BEFORE WE BEGIN, IDENTIFY THE DIFFERENT PARTS IN THE FIGURE ABOVE BUT
FOR OUR SCENARIO.
What does

H0

represent?

What does

D0

represent?

What does

Du

represent?

Height of the ________________________.

What does

Hu

represent?

MATERIALS:
A MIRROR
A METER STICK
CHALK

INSTRUCTIONS:
END PRODUCT:
IN ADDITION TO PUTTING YOUR WORK ON THIS PAPER, YOU WILL DRAW YOUR
WORK ON THE GROUND OR WALL USING THE SUPPLIED CHALK.

Ho
Hu =

Do =

Du =

PROVE WHY THESE TRIANGLES ARE SIMILAR. USE A 2-COLUMN PROOF. Hint:
Label the angles.

1) PLACE THE MIRROR ON THE GROUND. DO NOT PLACE THE MIRROR TOO FAR FROM
THE BUILDING BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MEASURE THE DISTANCE.
2) HAVE SOMEONE IN YOUR GROUP BACK AWAY FROM THE MIRROR UNTIL HE OR SHE
SEES THE TOP OF THE BUILDING IN THE MIRROR. DO NOT MOVE.
3) LETS START MEASURING OUR DISTANCES. MEASURE IN CENTIMETERS (cm).
4) HOW FAR IS THE MIRROR FROM THE BUILDING?
5) HOW FAR IS THE MIRROR FROM THE PERSON IN STEP 2?
6) HOW FAR ARE THE EYES (PERSON FROM STEP 2) FROM THE GROUND?

7) LASTLY, USE THE PROPERTY OF PROPORTIONS TO DETERMINE THE HEIGHT OF THE

BUILDING.

HEIGHT OF THE BUILDING:______________________________________