How to Measure the Circumference of Earth For Yourself
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 21 июн 2024
- Erastosthenes first measured the circumference of Earth over 2,000 years ago, but you can still use the same technique today. Measure the altitude of the Sun (how many degrees above the horizon it is) at Local Noon on the Summer Solstice... do a little math... see how well you can do!
The actual circumference of the Earth is 40,075 km.
Here is the link for NOAA's Lat/Long Distance Calculator: www.nhc.noaa.gov/gccalc.shtml
I hope flat earthers see this.
Kind of hope not :) I always feel like I have to reply to the comments they leave, but that isn't usually very productive.
@@astro151tccc Good point.
@@astro151tccc
Indeed, they are mostly feckless simpletons.
You expect me to belive that you measured the shadow's length to a precision of 1 ten thousandth of an inch with a pencil mark and a ruler ???
This video says you can measure the circumference of the earth, as long as you have access to a calculator/reference which gives you the distance from your location to the Tropic.
You use 4 significant digits for the length of the shadow, but only 1 significant digit for the latitude of the Tropic of Cancer (currently 23.4394 degrees). As a scientist, you sir are not up to scratch.
No, I measured to about 1/64th of an inch. Converted 47/64ths to a fraction and only kept four of the decimals the calculator gave. If you really want to know, going to only two decimals changes the altitude of the Sun by 0.015 degrees. Run the numbers all the way out and it changes the percentage error of the total measurement by 0.05%. Not a big deal. The latitude of the Tropic of Cancer being simplified to 23.5 is common practice (which, by the way, is three sig figs), esp for general audiences - 23.4 or 23.5 is what you'll find in most of the science textbooks. Again, not a big deal. This video is a backyard project to demonstrate the process, not obtain research-grade results. Still, I'm looking forward to trying again in the future.