Difference Between Height and Length

Key Difference – Height vs Length
 

Height and length are important measurements that are used to determine the size of an object. Height is the measurement from the base of an object to its top; it measures how tall something is.  Length is the measurement of the longest side of an object; it measures how long something is. The key difference between height and length is the fact that height is a vertical measurement whereas length is a horizontal measurement.

What is Height?

Height can be defined as the measurement of someone or something from head to foot or from base to top. It is a measure of a vertical distance. In other words, height measures how tall something is or how high up it is. It measures the distance from the base to the top of an object. Height is a measurement that is also used with humans. In humans, the height describes how tall a person is.  We also use this measurement to see how tall trees, buildings, and monuments are.

But, the height of some objects can also describe how high something is from the standard ground level. For example, it can describe how high a mountain top is from the sea level, but this height is often called altitude.

The following image illustrates the approximate heights of various notable statues.

Spring Temple Buddha, Statue of Liberty, The Motherland Calls, Christ the Redeemer, Statue of David 

What is Length?

Length is the measurement or extent of the longest side of an object. It describes how long an object is. In mathematics, the term length can be used to describe the size of a one-dimensional, two-dimensional or three-dimensional object. The length is the only measurement of one-dimensional objects. The measurement of the longest side two-dimensional object can be defined as the length. The short side is known as width or breadth.  In three-dimensional objects, length is the longest horizontal side of the object.

However, if you change the position of an object, these measurements can change; height can become the length and vice versa. The following image will help you to understand the difference between height, length, and breadth.

What is the difference between Height and Length?

Definition:

Height is the measurement of something from base to top.

Length is the measurement or extent of the longest side of an object.

Vertical vs Horizontal:

Height measures a vertical distance.

Length measures a horizontal distance.

One dimensional Objects:

Height is not a term generally used to denote the measurement of one-dimensional objects.

Length is the general term used to denote the measurement of one-dimensional objects.

Function:

Height is used to measure how tall something is.

Length is used to measure how long something is.

Image Courtesy:

“Height comparison of notable statues” By Anna Frodesiak – Own work, CC0) via Commons Wikimedia 

“Height demonstration diagram” By  Dhatfield at en.wikipedia – Transferred from en.wikipedia; transferred to Commons by User:Sreejithk2000 using CommonsHelper.(Public Domain) via Commons Wikimedia 

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