Depth
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- For other uses, see Depth (disambiguation).
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Depth is a geometrical term referring to the distance between the viewer and a far point or face. For instance, when viewing a prism, depth refers to the distance between the "front" face and the opposing face, which is furthest from our perspective. In marine studies, depth refers to the distance between the sea floor and the surface.
Depth most commonly refers to vertical distance below a body of water, or a distance in to the Earth's crust, although it is also commonly used in geometry and physics. Depth can also be used as a literary term to indicate how intricate or involving a plot is.
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Craters
The depth of an impact crater (or other crater) in a solid planet or moon may be measured from the local surface to the bottom of the crater, or from the rim of the crater to the bottom.
Image:Crater-depth-diagram.gif
The diagram above shows the full (side) view of a typical crater. Depth "A" measures from the surface to the bottom of the crater. Depth "B" measures from the mean height of the rim to the bottom of the crater.
How to find Depth
To find the depth of an object, you have to measure one of the dimensions, depending on which way the object gets thicker, or deeper. You have to find the height from one side of the object to the other side. That way, you will know how high it is from top to bottom, how long it is from one point to the other, or how wide it is from one side to the other, and that is the Depth.
Example
For example, if you wanted to know the depth of a container of water, you would:
1. Find a ruler, or other measuring tool.
2. Put it inside the container, against the side of it and touching the bottom.
3. Record what you measured, that is the Depth.