61 ways to measure the height of a building: an introduction to experimental practices

TL;DR

This paper introduces 61 low-cost, practical methods for undergraduate students to measure building height using smartphones and everyday equipment, fostering understanding of measurement uncertainty and model validation.

Contribution

It presents a comprehensive set of 61 experimental methods for measuring building height, emphasizing accessible, low-cost educational practices.

Findings

Most methods successfully measured building height with acceptable accuracy.

Students engaged in hands-on learning about uncertainty and measurement models.

The activity is adaptable to various educational settings with minimal resources.

Abstract

We created an introductory physics activity for undergrad students consisting in measuring by different methods the same physical quantity. It allows to confront students with questions of uncertainty, precision, and model versus theory. The aim was to measure the height of a building using only a smartphone and everyday low-cost equipment. We designed 61 methods to do so and tested most of them. These methods can be implemented in various pedagogical scenarios, engaging students into a concrete task, outside of the lab, easily set up at almost zero cost.