2023/11/23 by Davide Neri, Neri, Davide
Engineering · Social Sciences · #00A69 #FOS: Physical sciences #Historical Geography and Cartography #Physics Education (physics.ed-ph) #Spatial Cognition and Navigation
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2311.13996
openalex publication_date 2023/11/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
In the Tuscan Archipelago (Italy) it's possible to make an approximate measurement of the Earth's radius from the Elba Island using the Pianosa Island as a ship that appears and disappears on the horizon depending on the observer's height above sea level. The necessary calculations require the mathematical skills of the first two years of high school. The measurement described here refers to a particular geographical location, but it can probably be repeated in similar situations around the world.