Eratosthenes Experiment Report

From: dmacdonald_at_rhs.richford.k12.vt.us
Date: Tue Mar 27 2007 - 14:50:21 PDT


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

School Name:     Richford Jr-Sr High School
School Location: Richford, Vermont, USA

Email Address:   dmacdonald_at_rhs.richford.k12.vt.us
Experimenter:    Doug Mac Donald

Latitude         44 59' 49" N
Longitude:       72 40' 19" W
Distance to Equator: 5000.645 km

Measured shadow angle in degrees: 44.5001
Calculated Earth circumference:   40455 km

Comments:
11 students measured a meter stick's shadow at 12:58:03 EDT (solar noon) on Wed, March 21, 2007.  We then used the mean of those shadow lengths to do the calculation as a class.  Even though the morning temperature stood at -10 degrees Fahrenheit, by the time we went out it was sunny and in the upper 30's - great maple sugaring weather!  We calculated the above result the next day in class.  Could you please adjust the name you have for our school on your website?  It's Richford and not Richmond.  Thanks! Doug Mac Donald


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