Height from distance calculator

Calculate the height of an object when you know the distance and the angle of elevation from the observer to the top of the object.

Input Parameters

Calculation Results

Calculation Formula

Height = Distance × tan(Angle)

Where:
Height is the height of the object
Distance is the horizontal distance from the observer to the base of the object
Angle is the angle of elevation from the observer to the top of the object
tan is the tangent function in trigonometry

Result

Height from distance calculator Calculator Usage Guide

Learn how to use the Height from distance calculator calculator and its working principles

How to use the calculator

  1. Enter the horizontal distance from your position to the base of the object in meters.
  2. Enter the angle of elevation from your position to the top of the object in degrees. This is the angle measured from the horizontal ground up to the line of sight to the top of the object.
  3. Click the "Calculate" button to compute the height.
  4. The result will be displayed in meters.

Principle of calculation

This calculator uses trigonometry, specifically the tangent function, to calculate the height of an object. The tangent of an angle in a right triangle is equal to the ratio of the length of the opposite side (height in this case) to the length of the adjacent side (distance).

The formula used is: Height = Distance × tan(Angle)

Example

If you are standing 50 meters away from a tower and measure the angle of elevation to the top of the tower to be 30 degrees, the height of the tower would be:

Height = 50 meters × tan(30°) ≈ 28.87 meters

Applications

This calculator can be used in various real-world scenarios such as:

  • Estimating the height of trees, buildings, or other tall structures
  • Calculating the height of hills or mountains
  • Architectural and engineering calculations
  • Geographic surveys