Can Trigonometry Save Christmas?

Have you ever had a Clark Griswold moment of taking home the perfect Christmas tree only to find that it’s too big for the living room? Math teacher Beth Gilmartin and the Geometry Honors class are here to help.

On Friday, Ms. Gilmartin and her students tested their trigonometry skills by calculating the height of the KUA Christmas tree. If you want to ensure that your star doesn’t hit your ceiling, try the following steps: 
  1. Find a clinometer (a tool that measures a slope angle) and a tape measure.
  2. Measure the distance from a person to the base of the tree.
  3. Measure the angle of elevation to the top of the tree from the person's eyes. 
  4. Measure how high the person's eyes are off the ground. 
  5. Multiply the tangent ratio for the angle of elevation by the distance from the tree and then add the height of the person's eyes. 
In case you’re wondering, the KUA tree measures at 12.8’ high. The official tree lighting takes place Friday, December 13 at 9:30 p.m. on the quad.
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