Liberty on a pedestal: Solutions for Fermi Questions, March 2026
Abstract
The article focuses on estimating the height of the Yorktown Victory Monument in Virginia, which commemorates the 1781 victory in the American Revolution. Using trigonometric calculations based on angles observed from a specific distance, the total height of the monument is estimated to be approximately 30.7 meters (about 100 feet), while the height of the Liberty statue atop the pedestal is estimated at around 6 meters (approximately 20 feet). The article notes that the actual total height of the monument is 98 feet, with the statue measuring 14 feet, indicating that the initial estimates were inaccurate, particularly for the statue's height. The discrepancies in the estimates are attributed to errors in angle measurement.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Experimental and Theoretical Physics Studies
Mathematics and Applications
Mathematics Education and Pedagogy
Publication details
- Journal / source
- The Physics Teacher
- Volume
- 64
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- A236–A236
- Publication date
- 23 February 2026
- Language
- EN