If you grew up in a remote village somewhere on earth totally cut off from civilization how would you prove to the village chief that the earth was round using only the most primitive technology available.
2007-08-28 17:37:17 · 11 answers · asked by ? 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Well, I admit I cannot think of an answer that goes exactly by all the stipulations you put into the question. But, I can think of the way the first known about person did it. He noticed that an obelisk in one town on a certain date at noon cast no shadow while an obelisk [or other tall structure] in a town a distance away DID cast a shadow at the same date and time. The only way this could happen would be if the two obelisks were on a curved surface. So, the surface of the earth must be curved and therefor the earth is round. Can't recall right now whether it was Aristarcus or Aristostenes that did it.
If they're not allowed to have contact with that remote town, can the village be on a shoreline? If so, why does one standing on the shore not see all of a ship approaching shore right away? Why does one see first the topmast, then the sails then the hull? Because it is coming up over horizon of the spherical earth.
2007-08-28 17:56:16 · answer #1 · answered by quntmphys238 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
(1) Departing boats gradually sink below the horizon, as do buildings on the shore from the viewpoint of the sailors. Admittedly this only proves the earth is round right where you are--the frisbee hypothesis.
(2) "The sphericity of the earth is proved by the evidence of ... lunar eclipses," Aristotle says. "For whereas in the monthly phases of the moon the segments are of all sorts--straight, gibbous [convex], crescent--in eclipses the dividing line is always rounded. Consequently, if the eclipse is due to the interposition of the earth, the rounded line results from its spherical shape" Of course a frisbee, properly angled, would make a round shadow too. But if the frisbee rotated while the eclipse was in progress, the curvature of its shadow would change. The earth's does not.
(3) The constellations shift relative to the horizon as you move north and south around the globe, something that could only happen if you were standing on a sphere. (You may have to draw a few diagrams to convince yourself of this.) Given sufficient world travel combined with careful observation on your part, the frisbee hypothesis becomes well-nigh insupportable. I suppose this doesn't qualify as a home experiment, but I never said science would be easy.
And, then to top it off, I'd show 'em my butt.
That's always the clincher...
2007-08-28 17:49:55 · answer #2 · answered by cherrybomber3000 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I got up on my roof and I looked, and I can't see your house.
There I proved it.
All joking aside. Let's say you have a sailing ship with a large flag flying from the very top. As it's approaching land you would be able to see the flag before the rest of the boat because of the curvature of the Earth.
If these people were land locked it would be a simply by talking them a few miles away and show them that there are things beyond the horizon that they could not see from their village be it a mountain or some other Earth feature.
2007-08-28 18:38:00 · answer #3 · answered by ericbryce2 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In a remote village the only way is to wait for a lunar eclipse, where the shadow of the earth upon the moon is round. But i don't think he would be convinced.
2007-08-28 20:44:44 · answer #4 · answered by Dimitrios 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Gee, those old greek guys tried as hard as they could & still weren't believed...this guy has little chance, but i'd take the chief to the top of Mt. Kilamanjaro or other closest highest peak...you can actually see curvature. then to the beach & watch a canoe drop off the edge of the horizon. Hope the poor guy isn't buried in an anthill.
2007-08-28 17:51:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You probably couldn't; even the classic experiment required a long distance between observation points. The experiment determined the diameter of the earth. If it wasn't round, the experiment would have not worked.
2007-08-28 17:48:37 · answer #6 · answered by cattbarf 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Maybe a pair of binoculars could do it. Climb up on the highest point and look towards the horizon. On a clear day you should see an endless distance but you can´t due to the curvature of earth.
2007-08-28 22:06:20 · answer #7 · answered by DrAnders_pHd 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you can't see across the 10mile lake your village is on the earth is round.
2007-08-28 19:03:37 · answer #8 · answered by Andrew 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
by making him to see lunar eclipse ,because earth casts shadow only like a disc on moon during lunar eclipse.
2007-08-28 18:01:26 · answer #9 · answered by sweetmemory 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It's not, it's flat, held up by 4 elephants standing on the back of a sea turtle swimming in space.
2007-08-28 17:49:06 · answer #10 · answered by John S 5 · 2⤊ 4⤋