Measuring the circumference of the earth

We are measuring the Circumference of the Earth

Eratosthenes measured the circumference of the Earth on the basis of the difference in the latitude of two places located on the same meridian.

We have made a use of the similar method but in order to find the angle α we have applied Google Earth Program:

A: 19° 4'27.70"E B:

1. On the school field we found points A and B which are on the same meridian

2. We read out the latitudes A : 50°19'33.34"N B : - 50°19'31.95"N and then we calculated the angle α = 1,39”

AB=42,1m

AB=41,5 m

3.After that, we went to the football pitch..

and measured the distance between points A and B

AB=42,1m α=1,39"

4. We determined the Circumference of the Earth in the following way:

AB=41,5m α=1,39"

the Earth’sCircumference:l = 38694 km

the Earth’sCircumference:l = 39253 km

* http://lo2.nazwa.pl/obserwatorium/pdf/eratostenesXXI.pdf