LIST
FEGURÐ OG VELLÍÐAN
HANDVERK
MENNING OG SAGA
SKEMMTUN
UMHVERFI
MATUR OG DRYKKUR
GRÆN FRAMTÍÐ
ÖFUGVERKFRÆÐI
SCHOOL PROJECTS
VÍSINDI
ÍÞRÓTTIR
TÆKNI
KLÆÐANLEG TÆKNI
Measuring the Circumference of the Earth — Eratosthenes' Shadow Method
Around 240 BC the Greek scholar Eratosthenes, chief librarian at Alexandria, measured the size of the whole Earth with nothing but a vertical stick, its shadow, and a known distance. He knew that at noon on the summer solstice the Sun stood directly over Syene (modern Aswan) — sunlight reached the bottom of a deep well and cast no shadow. At Alexandria, far to the north, a vertical rod at the same moment cast a shadow of about 7.2°. That angle is one-fiftieth of a full circle, so the Earth's circumference had to be fifty times the distance between the two cities. This blueprint reproduces his measurement with a gnomon and a plumb line — and lands within a few percent of the true value, as he did.
Miðlungs
3
Leiðbeiningar
1
1
Understand the principle
Understand the principle
The Sun is so far away that its rays reach Earth effectively parallel. If a vertical rod casts no shadow at one place and a shadow at another at the very same moment, the shadow angle equals the difference in latitude between the two places. Measure that angle and the ground distance, and simple proportion gives the whole circumference.
2
2
Build a vertical gnomon
Build a vertical gnomon
Fix a straight dowel upright at the centre of a flat board — this is the gnomon. Hang a plumb line (a string with a small weight) beside it and adjust until the rod is exactly parallel to the string, so it is truly vertical. Any lean will spoil the angle.
Efni fyrir þetta skref:
Dowel Rod1 piece
Red Alder Board1 pieceNauðsynleg verkfæri:
Cotton Kitchen String3
3
Find true north and the noon line
Find true north and the noon line
Mark the north-south meridian line across the board so you can recognise local solar noon — the instant the shadow is shortest and points due north. A gnomon's shadow swings shortest exactly at midday.
Nauðsynleg verkfæri:
Chalk Line4
4
Measure at solar noon
Measure at solar noon
At local solar noon (ideally on the summer solstice, when the effect is largest and matches Eratosthenes' day), the shadow is at its shortest. This is the single moment when you take your reading.
5
5
Mark and measure the shadow
Mark and measure the shadow
Mark the tip of the shadow with chalk. Measure the shadow's length from the base of the rod to that mark, and measure the height of the rod above the board. Record both lengths carefully in the same units.
Nauðsynleg verkfæri:
Chalk LineCotton Kitchen String6
6
Work out the shadow angle
Work out the shadow angle
The angle of the Sun from vertical equals arctan(shadow length ÷ rod height). Eratosthenes found this angle to be about 7.2°. Because 360° ÷ 7.2° = 50, his shadow angle was exactly one-fiftieth of a full circle.
7
7
Take the north-south distance
Take the north-south distance
You need the distance due north-south to a place where the Sun is overhead (no shadow) at that same moment. Eratosthenes used Syene, about 5,000 stadia — roughly 800 km — south of Alexandria. Use a known map distance between your site and that reference latitude.
Nauðsynleg verkfæri:
Cotton Kitchen String8
8
Compute the circumference
Compute the circumference
Since the shadow angle is one-fiftieth of a circle, the full circumference is fifty times the distance: 50 × 800 km = 40,000 km. Eratosthenes' own figures gave 50 × 5,000 = 250,000 stadia. In general, circumference = distance × (360° ÷ shadow angle).
9
9
Check against the true value
Check against the true value
The Earth's real circumference is about 40,075 km around the equator. A careful reading with a stick and its shadow lands within a few percent — the same accuracy Eratosthenes reached around 240 BC, proving the size of the planet can be found from a shadow and a length of string.
Efni úr tengdum teikningum
You can swap these in
Can't get one of the materials? Swap it for an equivalent — these work just as well.
- Instead of Dowel Rod, try:
Pine Dowel Rod Set (12 Diameters)
Dowel Rod Assortment (12 Sizes) - Instead of Chalk Line, try:
Drying Line
Nylon Monofilament Line (0.3mm, 50m)
Nylon Fret Line
Fishing Line (Monofilament) - Instead of Cotton Kitchen String, try:
Guitar String Set (Acoustic, Phosphor Bronze)
Violin String Set (Full Size, Synthetic Core)
Bow String
Recommended for this build
Products makers often use with builds like this one.
KnifeUsed together and in similar builds
AwlFrequently used with this build's materials
Hand SawUsed together and in similar builds
Sloyd Carving KnifeFrequently used with this build's materials
PVA Wood GlueFrequently used with this build's materials
Hardwood BlockUsed together and in similar builds
Ankle Weight Set (Adjustable, DIY)Used in similar builds
Hemp CordFrequently used with this build's materialsTengd Blueprint
Þessi blueprint deila þekkingu — tækni, efni eða meginreglur
Related blueprints
Other builds that share materials, tools, or techniques with this one.
Measuring the Earth from a Single Mountain — Al-Biruni's Horizon-Dip Method
Measuring How Far the Sun Is Compared to the Moon — Aristarchus' Half-Moon Method
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Understanding Whale Oil from Blubber Rendering — The Fuel That Lit the World Before Petroleumbiology
Peppermint Tea for Digestive Relief — The Cooling Herb That Calms the StomachBiology
Making a Hammerstone — The First Tool in Human Historystoneworking
CC0 opinbert ríki
Þessi teikning er gefin út undir CC0. Þér er frjálst að afrita, breyta, dreifa og nota þetta verk í hvaða tilgangi sem er, án þess að biðja um leyfi.
Studdu smiðinn með því að kaupa vörur í gegnum teikningu hans þar sem hann fær þóknun smiða sem seljendur ákvarða, eða búðu til nýja endurskoðun á þessari teikningu og tengdu hana sem tengingu í þinni eigin teikningu til að deila tekjum.