Broadening your horizons
Stories from Physics
for 11-14
14-16
A straightforward geometrical calculation can determine an approximation for the distance to the horizon given an observer’s height above the surface of the Earth: d= √ 13H km, where d is the distance to the horizon in km and H is the vertical height in metres of the observer above the ground. A person with their eyes 2 m above the ground will see the horizon at a distance of approximately 5 km. A further correction can be made to account for the deviation of the path of light due to refraction.
References
M. Sewell, Mathematics Masterclasses for Young People, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2017. p. 61
A. Young, Distance to the...
