Height
For the height of a triangle, see Altitude (triangle).Height is the vertical
measurement of an object. If the measurement is not taken vertically, it is termed the
length (or sometimes, the width). Like length and width, it is measured in
units of length.
In
geodesy, height is the metric distance of a point (usually on the terrain surface, such as a mountain top) vertically above a
reference surface such as mean
sea level. A more precise definition of a reference surface would be the
geoid, the equipotential surface of the
geopotential that coincides in the mean with mean sea level. Such heights are called
orthometric heights.
In
aviation, height is the distance of a point above the surface of the Earth, as compared to
Altitude, which is the distance above mean sea level.
Human height is one of the areas of study within
anthropometry. As pointed out in an article [
1] in
The New Yorker, the average height of human populations appears to be a convenient metric for all the factors that make up a group's well-being. While height variations within a population are largely
genetic, height variations among populations are mostly environmental. The
United Nations uses height (among other
statistics) to monitor
nutritional standards in
developing nations. In human populations, average height can distill down complex data about the group's birth, upbringing, social class, diet, and
health care system.
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*
CGS units
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Imperial units
*
U.S. customary units*
Chinese units
