Find a tall stick. That and one good eye are all the tools you’ll need. With the stick in hand, walk exactly 11 paces from the base of the tree and mark the spot by driving the stick into the ground.

A person can measure their height at home by using an object, such as a pencil, to mark a wall and measure the distance. However, it is often easier to measure height with help from another person.

Physicists like to share the legend of a professor who asked students how they might determine the height of a building using a barometer. The story goes on to list some of the ways you might do that.