MathsProjects

INVESTIGATION on the CURVATURE OF THE EARTH

How high do we need to go in the atmosphere to appreciate that

the Earth is not at?

1.Earth maps are 2D projection of a sphere and this leads to scale distortions of distances, areas, etc.

4.Fill in the table below. It shows the distance between to points on a circle (the Earth) and on a line (a
map). Compare the two measurements for points A and B and for points E and F. What are your
expectations?
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• Using the icons at the top, insert a Circle centered at

the origin and with radius 6. My circumference is called
“c”. Its radius is 6.

• Select a point on your circumference. To do this, Type

E=point(input) where input is the name of your
circumference, “c” in my case.

• De ne point F so that yE = yF and xE = - xF (type

F=(x(E),y(E))

• De ne F1 and E1 on the purple line (Type F1=(x(F),6). Do

the same for E1)

• Calculate the arclenght EF (type arc(circumference name,

E,F) in my case circumference name is “c”)

• Calculate the distance F1 E1 (distance(E1,F1))

• On the spreadsheet, calculate the % di erence between

the two lengths ( (arclength - distance) / arc length )

• Insert the angle EAF

• RESEARCH QUESTION: For what angular separation

between E and F the, % di erence is bigger than 20%?
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 Table 1

Distance Real Distance

on
Geogebra
Genoa- d1 1.23 118.5
Parma
Grenoble- d2 2.92 272.2
Milan
Paris- d3 9.5 847.4
Venice
Tarragona d4 15.6 1428
Prague

Table 1-1
Ratio Geogebra Ratio Real Distance % di erence

D2/d1 2.3739837398374 2.29704641350211 3.24085312987694

D3/d1 7.72357723577236 7.15105485232068 7.41265822784807

D4/d1 12.6829268292683 12.0506329113924 4.98539435248305

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• ANGULAR SEPARATION between cities CALCULATOR:
https://keisan.casio.com/exec/system/1317262499
 Fractals - Box counting
method

• https://arxiv.org/pdf/1804.01038.pdf

• https://youtu.be/zfcVVweWFQI

• Applications -> concept of limits, sequences and series

and convergence,

• REAL LIFE fractals in nature / coastline method