Eratosthenes Experiment Report: radford college

From: peter.hanisch@radford.act.edu.au
Date: Mon Mar 29 2004 - 21:40:33 PST


Experiment Report for the Eratosthenes Project on http://youth.net/

School Name:     radford college
School Location: canberra australia

Email Address:   peter.hanisch@radford.act.edu.au
Experimenter:    raja chaganti

Latitude         35
Longitude:       149.4
Distance to Equator: 3913km

Measured shadow angle in degrees: 28
Calculated Earth circumference:   50310km

Comments:
we enjoyed doing the experiment and hope to do things like this again. Our calculated circumference is incorrect and this can be explained by the following:
the stick was not vertical 
the angle was inaccurrately measured and the string kept moving
please note.
the value of 28 deg. was an average value and ranged from 31 to 27 deg.
To improve the experiment we should have a part - time stick cemented into the ground and people should read the protractor more accurately.


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