How did the Greeks estimate the size of the earth?
A)They didn't; everyone thought the world was flat until Columbus' time.
B)They measured the angle of the sun above the horizon at midday in two places with different latitude and used the angle to estimate the circumference of the earth.
C)They used the height of sailing ships as they sailed over the horizon to estimate curvature of the earth,which allowed estimation of the size of the earth.
D)They measured the altitude of mountains in Greece,then used the distance they were lost from sight to estimate the curvature of the earth,which allowed estimation of the size of the earth.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Greeks estimated the size of the earth by measuring the angle of the sun above the horizon at midday in two places with different latitude and used the angle to estimate the circumference of the earth. This method was used by Eratosthenes in approximately 240 BC and his calculation was very close to the actual size of the earth. The notion that everyone thought the world was flat until Columbus' time is a common misconception. The other choices are also incorrect as the height of sailing ships and altitude of mountains cannot provide accurate measurements of the size of the earth.

How Did the Greeks Estimate the Size of the Earth