science

Vertical position

Vertical position is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vertical position rather than just read about it. In short: Vertical position or vertical location is a position along a vertical direction (the plumb line direction) above or below a given vertical datum (a reference level surface, such as mean sea level). Vertical distance or vertical separation is the distance between two vertical positions.

Key takeaways

Vertical position belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vertical position to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vertical position from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vertical position or vertical location is a position along a vertical direction (the plumb line direction) above or below a given vertical datum (a reference level surface, such as mean sea level). Vertical distance or vertical separation is the distance between two vertical positions. Many vertical coordinates exist for expressing vertical position: depth, height, altitude, elevation, etc. Points lying on an equigeopotential surface are said to be on the same vertical level, as in a water level. A function with domain along the vertical line is called a vertical distribution or vertical profile.

Definitions The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), more specifically ISO 19111, offers the following two definitions:

depth: "distance of a point from a chosen reference surface measured downward along a line perpendicular to that surface." height: "distance of a point from a chosen reference surface measured upward along a line perpendicular to that surface"; ISO 6709 (2008 version) makes the following additional definition:

altitude: "height where the chosen reference surface is mean sea level" The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) offers similar definitions:

altitude: "the vertical distance of a level, a point or an object considered as a point, measured from the mean sea level (MSL);" height: "the vertical distance of a level, a point or an object considered as a point, measured from a specific datum." ICAO further defines:

elevation: "the vertical distance of a point or a level, on or affixed to the surface of the earth, measured from mean sea level." I.e., elevation would be the altitude of an earth-bound feature, such as the ground or a building.

Derived quantities

Several physical quantities may be defined based on the definitions above:

Units Vertical distance quantities, such as orthometric height, may be expressed in various units: metres, feet, etc. Certain vertical coordinates are not based on length, for example, geopotential numbers have units of m2/s2. Normalization by a constant nominal gravity value (units of m/s2) yields units of metre, as in geopotential height (based on standard gravity) or dynamic height (based on normal gravity at 45 degrees latitude). Despite the physical dimension and unit of length, the vertical coordinate does not represent distance in physical space, as would be measured with a ruler or tape measure. Sometimes a geopotential metre (symbol gpm or m') or dynamic metre is introduced for emphasis. However, this practice is not acceptable with the International System of Units (SI). Another non-SI unit is the vertical metre, introduced when there may be confusion between vertical, horizontal, or slant distances. It is used for distance climbed during sports such as mountaineering, skiing, hiking, running or cycling. In German-speaking countries the abbreviation 'Hm' for Höhenmeter ("height metre") is used; if it is preceded by a '±' it refers to the cumulative elevation gain.

Determination Various instruments and techniques may be used for measuring or determining vertical position:

Altimeter Bathymetry Benchmark (surveying) Depth gauge Depth sounding Hypsometer Topography Tide gauge Water level (device)

Phenomena Many physical phenomena are related to vertical position, as driven by gravity:

Hydraulic head Stage (hydrology) Isostasy Mean sea level Geoid Sea surface height Temperature lapse rate Terrain Digital terrain model Topographic prominence Vertical displacement Post-glacial rebound Subsidence Tectonic uplift Vertical pressure variation

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vertical position

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vertical position claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vertical position before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vertical position ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vertical position

In research: Vertical position appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vertical position in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vertical position is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Vertical position, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vertical position outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vertical position in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vertical position means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vertical position out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vertical position in simple terms?

Why does Vertical position matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vertical position?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vertical position.