How do we measure the height of super tall trees, like Hyperion? Do you think someone climbs all the way to the top with a measuring tape? Nearly impossible! Shiran, our board member, explains how trigonometry works to identify the world’s tallest tree!
#STEMvee #STEMinASL #Trigonometry #Hyperion #Redwoods #Tree
ID: Shiran is wearing a black shirt and standing in front of a christmas tree and a colorful curtain. At 0:05, a screenshot of an old video cover appears. at 0:41, Shiran moves to a different location that shows only a white wall background. Captions appear as she signs. At 0:52, the top becomes a white background and Shiran’s video is on the bottom. Images appear as Shiran explains the concept of trigonometry. A tree is on the left side and a black icon of a person is on the right side throughout. A green line indicates 100 feet between the person and tree. At 0:59, a red line appears as the base between the person and the tree, and to indicate the height of the tree (unknown). 90* appears to indicate right triangle. A clinometer appears, and then a protractor appears. At 1:28, another red line is added to indicate the 30* angle. At 1:57, an orange arrow appears to show the height of a tree. An orange box showing “x” later changes to “58′” to show the tree’s height. At 3:26, Shiran is wearing a white blouse standing in the city with buildings and orange blocks behind her. At 4:18, the closing video shows white background with blue text: Enjoyed this video? Black text: Please consider donating; your support will help keep our content & resources FREE! Green button with black text: atomichands.com/donate. Image of an iPhone with Atomic Hands’ menu webpage shows with menu options: ASL STEM Storybooks, ASL STEM Videos, ASL STEM Resources, ASL STEM Dictionaries, ASL STEM News, ASL STEM Events, and Deaf STEMist Network.
Transcript: Remember a video we made a while ago where we talked about Hyperion, the world’s tallest tree in Redwood National Park? Have you ever wondered how they figure out the tree’s height? Do you think someone climbs all the way to the top with a measuring tape? Not quite! The tree can’t support our weight at the top and would likely break if we tried. Instead, we use trigonometry! Trigonometry is a type of math that deals with triangles. But what do trees have to do with triangles? Imagine I stand 100 feet away from a tree and look up at the top. If you draw a line from me to the base of the tree and another to the top, you’ve just formed a right triangle. By using a device called a clinometer (you can even make one at home with a protractor!), I find the angle from the ground to the top of the tree—let’s say it’s 30°. Now, I know two key pieces of information: the angle (30°) and my distance from the tree (100 feet). I can use the tangent formula to find the tree’s height. Remember the mnemonic “SOH CAH TOA”? For tangent: tan(θ) = opposite / adjacent. In this case, tan(30°) = x / 100, where x is the unknown height of the tree. Since tan(30°) is about 0.58, we can multiply 0.58 by 100 to get the height (x): 0.58 × 100 = x. x = 58. So, the tree is 58 feet tall! This method allows us to measure the height of any object that’s hard to reach or climb! Trigonometry for what? What’s the point? It applies to real life! 1. Architecture and Engineering: Trigonometry is used to calculate structural loads, angles, and forces in building design and construction. 2. Computer Graphics: Trigonometry is essential in creating realistic animations and visual effects in video games and movies. 3. Medical Imaging: Techniques like MRI and CT scans use trigonometric principles to create detailed images of the human body. 4. Criminal Forensics: Trigonometry is used in crime scene investigations to determine trajectories and angles of incidents. We don’t realize how much we use trigonometry!
