souper_nerd
New member
My book gives this example:
Eratosthenes observed the sun passed directly overhead in the city of Syene on the summer solstice but on the same day came within only 7 degrees of Alexandria. He concluded Alexandria must be 7 degrees of latitude north of Syene, makind the north-south distance between the two cities 7/360 of Earth's circumference. The distance between Syene and Alexandria he estimated to be about 5000 stadia, so 7/360 *Earth's Cicumference=5000 stadia. 360/7 * 5000 stadia is about 250,000 stadia. Stadia is about 1/6 km each, making his estimate about 250,000/6=42,000km
Then it wants me to solve this problem
You live on a planet called Nearth, a spherical planet with an unknown size. You live in a town called Alectown, and on the equinox the sun is directly overhead in the city of Nyene, located 1000km due north of you. You go outside and observe that the altitude of your sun is 80 degrees. What is the circumference of Nearth by applying the technique Eratosthenes used to measure Earth's cirumference?
I'm a little confused beause the problem gives you km instead of degrees?
Eratosthenes observed the sun passed directly overhead in the city of Syene on the summer solstice but on the same day came within only 7 degrees of Alexandria. He concluded Alexandria must be 7 degrees of latitude north of Syene, makind the north-south distance between the two cities 7/360 of Earth's circumference. The distance between Syene and Alexandria he estimated to be about 5000 stadia, so 7/360 *Earth's Cicumference=5000 stadia. 360/7 * 5000 stadia is about 250,000 stadia. Stadia is about 1/6 km each, making his estimate about 250,000/6=42,000km
Then it wants me to solve this problem
You live on a planet called Nearth, a spherical planet with an unknown size. You live in a town called Alectown, and on the equinox the sun is directly overhead in the city of Nyene, located 1000km due north of you. You go outside and observe that the altitude of your sun is 80 degrees. What is the circumference of Nearth by applying the technique Eratosthenes used to measure Earth's cirumference?
I'm a little confused beause the problem gives you km instead of degrees?