Eratosthenes Experiment

The Equinox occurred on 21 March. At the Equinox the sun is exactly above the Earth’s equator and the shadow created by any vertical object can be used to determine the latitude of an object. Conversely by measuring the length of a shadow of a vertical stick between two places, and knowing the distance between these two place the circumference of the Earth can be found. This principle was first used by Eratosthenes in about 240 BC.

Again this year students in Year 7 and 8 carried out this experiment and found that KCC is 34.9 degrees south of the equator. Combining their results with students from a school in Bunsung Middle School Gimhae, South Korea (a distance of 7802 km and 69.1 degrees away from KCC) the circumference of the Earth was found to be 40650 km. The actual circumference of the Earth is 40075 km. The student’s calculations had and error of 1%.

Our results and the results from those around the world will prove that the Earth is indeed round.

You can go the site to find out more: http://eratosthenes.ea.gr/

Therese Young | Mathematics Teacher