Measuring the world around us: classic versus modern tools of measuring distances and heights

The teaching unit ‘Measuring the world around us’ shows how distances and heights can easily be measured by means of simple reasoning and clever smartphone-apps when you are outdoors and do not have a ruler or measuring tape with you. Students become acquainted with the principle of parallax before they use special Apps to find out how far is the distance to a certain target. Afterwards they measure the temperature and the air pressure at the base and at the top of the target to find out about its height. On the earth or in space, using mathematical computation or physics formulas – with their Smartphone the students work out various methods of investigation to measure the world around them.

For this teaching unit the students should be at an age between 12 and 19 years, for certain knowledge in physics, maths and ICT are presumed.