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How to Find the Height of a Pyramid

The great pyramids of Egypt, though thousands of years old, are still fascinating to modern humans. Built as tombs for royalty and filled with exotic riches, their existence has been a source of mystery and wonder for generations. But it is not only the treasures and secrets buried within the pyramid that interests us. The clean architectural form of the pyramid has been emulated in many forms, and its mathematical perfection continues to provide geometrical and algebraic puzzles for today's students to solve.

Things You'll Need

Ruler
Caclulator

Instructions

- 1
  Understand the terminology that is used to describe a right square-based pyramid. This is the type of pyramid associated with Egypt and the pharaohs. A "base edge" refers to one ground-level, horizontal edge of a pyramid. The "apex" is the highest point that sits vertically above the square base of the pyramid. The "perpendicular height" refers to the height of the apex. The "slant height" is a measurement of the height of one of the four triangular faces of the pyramid--the distance between the middle of one base edge to the apex.
- 2
  Measure a base edge and divide its length by two. Consider this measurement A.
- 3
  Measure the slant height of one of the pyramid's triangular faces. This is measurement B.
- 4
  Multiply measurement A by measurement B. The result is the perpendicular height (height of the apex) of a pyramid.

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