dia Britannica use a nice phrase to characterize users of their system:The idea is that a very pragmatic need might initially bring users to the Encyclop
dia Britannica, but they often continue to read as they learn that their initial query does not have a simple answer. Imagine that you want the answer to a simple factual query, for example, the height of Mt. Everest. The first couple of paragraphs of the article on Mt. Everest would meet a simple version of this information need quite admirably:
Tibetan CHOMOLUNGMA, Chinese (Wade-Giles) CHU-MU-LANG-MA FENG, (Pinyin) QOMOLANGMA FENG, Nepali SAGARMATHA, peak on the crest of the Great Himalaya Range in Asia, the highest point on Earth. It lies on the border between Nepal and China (Tibet), at 27° 59' N, 86° 56' E.But in fact there are at least three numbers that could legitimately be given as this answer, each associated with a separate expedition at a different point in history! The online version of the Encyclop
Three barren ridges–the Southeast, Northeast, and West–culminate in two summits at 29,028 feet (8,848 m; Everest) and 28,700 feet (8,748 m; South Peak). The mountain can be seen directly from its northeastern side, where it rises about 12,000 feet (3,600 m) above the Plateau of Tibet. The lesser peaks of Changtse (north; 24,803 feet [7,560 m]), Khumbutse (northwest; 21,867 feet [6,665 m]), Nuptse (southwest; 25,791 feet [7,861 m]), and Lhotse (south; 27,890 feet [8,501 m]), which rise around its base, hide the summit from Nepal.
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dia Britannica makes this additional “Research Note”:
The generally accepted figure of 29,028 feet (8,848 m) for the height of Mount Everest was established by the Indian government’s Survey of India in 1952–54. This datum is used by, among others, the (U.S.) National Geographic Society.These sagas make for very interesting reading, but only if you have the additional time and energy available to benefit from such education. Section 8.3.4 will explore this connection between FOA and educational objectives in further detail.
A Chinese survey in 1975 obtained the figure of 29,029 feet, and an Italian survey, using satellite surveying techniques, obtained a value of 29,108 feet (8,872 m) in 1987, but, owing to questions about the methods used, neither of these results is widely accepted. In 1986 a measurement of K2, regarded as the second highest mountain, seemed to indicate that it was higher than Everest, but this was subsequently shown to be an error. In 1992 another Italian survey, using a global satellite positioning system and laser measurement technology, yielded the figure 29,023 feet (8,846 m) by subtracting from the measured height the 6.5 feet (2 m) of ice and snow on the summit; this value has not found general acceptance.
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