What is the Difference Between Length and Height?

The difference between Length and Height is length indicates how long a shape is and height defines how tall a particular shape is. Length is typically a measurement of a shape in a straight line from end to end. Whereas, height measures a particular shape from its base to the top. In geometry, the important parameters used to measure a shape are length, breadth, and height.

What is Length?

Length in general terms measures how long a shape is when it measures from one end to the other. It is like measuring the distance from point A to point B in a straight line. It’s all about the distance of something on a plane of paper. The length or distance measure is expressed in kilometers (km), meters (m), decimeters (dm), centimeters (cm), and millimeters (mm). To convert from one length measurement unit to another, you can use the below table.

Kilometer(km) to Meter(m)

km	m
1	1000
2	2000
5	5000
10	10000
100	100000

Meter(m) to Centimeter(cm)

m	cm
1	100
2	200
10	1000
50	5000
100	10000

Centimeter(cm) to Melimeter(mm)

cm	mm
1	10
2	20
10	100
50	500
100	1000

What is Height?

Height is generally the measurement of a shape in terms of its tallness. To measure the height of a particular shape the distance is measured from base to top. Sometimes, in geometry, it is also known as altitude. The height is generally measured for three-dimensional objects. 

• Height is measured along the vertical axis on a graph.
• Height from the sea level is known as altitude.

There are different tools that can be used to measure the height of a particular object, listed below:

• Stadiometer
• Hypsometer
• Clinometer
• Altimeter
• Tapes 

What is the Difference Between Length and Height?

Length refers to the distance of an object from one end to the other along a straight line. The length can be measured horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Whereas, height is the vertical measurement of an object from its base to the top. Height basically indicates how tall a particular shape is and length indicates how long a particular shape is. 

However, these two can seem to be confusing as both length and height are measured in terms such as meters, inches, feet, and more. Sometimes, there is confusion between these terms, to clear this confusion, you can get the difference between Length and Height in the given table. Have a look at the table below.

Particulars	Length	Height
Definition	Length is a measurement of a shape in a straight line from end to end	Height measures a particular shape from its base to the top
Type of an Object	This can be a one, two, or three-dimensional object	This is typically a three-dimensional object.
What does it measure?	It measures the distance of an object from one end to the other along a straight line.	This measures the distance of an object from its base to the top.
Used to Measure?	It is used to measure how long a shape is.	It is used to measure how tall a shape is.
Examples	Height of a person, tree, or building.	Length of a road, table, or piece of string.

Length and Height Formulas 

There are various length and height formulas that can be used to calculate the length and height of a particular shape. However, you should have other figures of the formulas in that case, i.e. volume, surface area, or total surface area to find out other elements in the formula.

• Volume of a rectangular prism: length x width x height
• Lateral Surface Area of a rectangular prism: 2 [(length x width) + (width x height)]
• Total Surface Area of a rectangular prism: 2 [(length x width) + (width x height) + (length x height)]

Length vs Height Chart

Particulars	Length	Height
Formula	Volume of a rectangular prism: length x width x height	Volume of a rectangular prism: length x width x height
Example	A rectangular prism has a length of 10 meters and a width of 2 meters. If the volume of the prism is 60 cubic meters, what is the height of the prism? If we put these figures in the formula: Volume of a rectangular prism: length x width x height, We will get the result as the height of the prism 3 meters.	A rectangular prism has a width of 5 meters and a height of 3 meters. If the volume of the prism is 45 cubic meters, what is the length of the prism? If we put these figures in the formula: Volume of a rectangular prism: length x width x height, We will get the result as the length of the prism 3 meters.
Practice Question	A rectangular prism has a length of 4 cm, a width of 3 cm, and a volume of 36 cubic centimeters. What is the height of the prism?	A rectangular prism has a height of 6 meters and a width of 2 meters. If the volume of the prism is 36 cubic meters, what is the length of the prism?

Similarities Between Length and Height

Length and height, though not the same, share some key features. Both represent the size of an object, using the same units like meters or inches. Imagine a ruler – it measures both the length (horizontal) and height (vertical) of things. They help us understand how big something is in a specific direction. So, while they tell us different things about the shape, they both speak the language of size and distance

Application of Length and Height in Real Life

The application of length and height in real life is very common. You can use the length to measure how far is your hometown or what is your nearest location. Additionally, the height can be used to ascertain the height of buildings, trees, lighthouses, etc.Here we have stated their additional applications in real life:

Length and height help us figure out if things fit:

• Is that bookshelf long enough for all my books?
• Is this doorway high enough for me to walk through without bumping my head?

We use them to buy things:

• Need 3 meters of fabric for a curtain.
• Ordering lumber a specific length to build a deck.

They help us follow recipes :

• Adding 2 cups of flour.
• Baking a cake in a pan that’s 9 inches wide.

We use them to get around:

• How far is the park? It might be a 2-kilometer walk.
• Checking a map to see how tall a mountain is.

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