in Upper School
Precalculus Students Test Engineering Skills
Students in Mrs. Rachel Tisdale's Honors Precalculus class played the role of a structural engineer recently working with a construction company in the measurement and calculation of the heights of physical structures around PCA's campus. Students created their own clinometers, an instrument that engineers and surveyors use to find the height of tall buildings and structures.. creating them from a protractor, straw, string, and a washer. Using the clinometer, students measured the angle of elevation, and then used trigonometry to calculate the height of the SLC, main building, flagpole, and trees on campus. Precalculus student Harper Geiger said, "It's fun to put the math we learn in the classroom to practical use."