The Earth’s Circumference

• Earth’s Equatorial Circumference: 40,075 km

• Earth’s Meridional Circumference: 40,009 km

• Eratosthenes value ≈ 40,000km (disputed)

Eratosthenes: 276–195 BC
 Eratosthenes Circumference - Question
How did he calculate it?
◦ Think about:
◦ Naked-eye observations
◦ Assumptions
◦ Maths
◦ Experimental method
◦ Error
 The time of Eratosthenes (and before)
• Modelled the Earth as Geocentric (Aristotle)
• But had a concept of day and night/time
 Assumptions/Naked-eye Observations
• Earth was a sphere
• Geocentric model
• Concept of day and night
• But Didn’t know size of Earth

Reconstruction of Eratosthenes’s c. 194.BC World map

 Assumptions/Naked-eye Observations
• Heard about a famous well in Syene, Egypt
 Assumptions/Naked-eye Observations
• Once a year in Syene: Sun shined directly down onto water (not on sides)
 Assumptions/Naked-eye Observations
• Syene: Sun shined directly down
• Alexandria: Shadows
 Two Biggest Assumptions - Eratosthenes
• Earth is a sphere
• Sun is far enough that the rays travel parallel
 A Question
• So how did he use this to find the circumference?
 Eratosthenes Calculation
Let’s look at a video:
◦ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw30CgaXiQw
Eratosthenes Calculation
• 1 Stadia ≈ 0.1 miles ≈ 0.16km

• Circumference ≈ 250,000 stadia ≈ 40,000km

 Maths History – Euclid of Alexandria
• The Father of geometry (back then: trig not ‘finalized’)
• Euclid’s Elements (≈ 300BC)
• Utilized in Eratosthenes calculation

Euclid - Born 325 BC (Disputed)

 Eratosthenes Calculation
Does his calculation prove the Earth is round? Could you alter it?
 Flat Earth Model
Not really, but in the Flat Earth Model:
◦ Shadows should vary
◦ Requires a nearby, and small sun
◦ Diverging rays
 Eratosthenes Calculation Refined
• Nowadays, we have satellites, telescopes, probes and better
accuracy!
 A Side Point
The Flat Earth theories are a great example of:
◦Backwards rationalizing
◦Confirmation bias
◦Continually moving goalposts
 Exam Question - Checkpoint
Describe and explain observations and evidence which support the Earth being
a sphere (8 marks)

You can discuss:

• Observations of the ancients
• Naked-eye evidence
• Current-day evidence
 Possible Points in your Answer
• Terminator on moon’s surface (1) during lunar eclipse (1) curved shape, not flat or disc (1)
• Ships disappear over horizon line (1) Bottom first (1)
• Curvature observed in flight (1) NASA photographs (1)
• Different star constellations in different regions (1)
• North star appears to ‘move in sky’ (1)
• Sun not observable during night time (1) No spotlight effect (1) Time zones (1)
•Variation of shadows not linear with distance (1)
• Objects hidden by curvature can become visible with height (1)
• ‘Double’ sunset (1) Other plants are spherical, so ours should be the same (1)
• Gravity pulls objects into most ‘efficient’ shape possible
 Exam Question - Checkpoint
How did Eratosthenes measure the size of the Earth (8 marks)

You can discuss:

• The method
• Assumptions used
• Agreed knowledge of the time
• Values
• Relevant History and notable persons
 Possible Points in your Answer
• Considered Earth as spherical (1) Pythagoras/Aristotle (1)
• But geocentric (1) had a concept of day/night (1)
• Didn’t know size of Earth (1) Sun is far enough that the rays travel parallel (1)
• Syene: Sun shined directly down into a well/sun directly overhead (1)
• Noon on summer solstice (1) Geometry/Alternate interior angles (1)
•Alexandria: Column with shadow at same time (sun not overhead) (1)
• Measure with equivalent of protractor (1)
• 7.2o shadow- column (1) Cities 7.2o apart on Earth’s 360o surface (1)
.
• 800km between the cities (1) = (1) X = 40,000km (1)
• 5,000 stadia (1) Earth circumference 50 times distance between cities (1)
 The Earth’s Shape
Why does it form that sphere shape in the first place?
 Gravity – The Great leveler
• Gravity contracts celestial bodies into the most efficient shape
• Thus, all mass is as equidistant from the center as possible
 Gravity – The Great leveler
• Smallest surface area for an enclosed volume
•Seen in Soap bubbles
 Side Note: Environmental Spheres?
• Billions of dollars a year saved if packaging was spherical
• But highly impractical
 Celestial Spherical Bodies – Group Task
But what about asteroids?
 Celestial Spherical Bodies – Group Task
• Radius larger than ≈ 350km
• Strong enough system of gravitational forces to pull itself into sphere