Earth Curvature Calculator
Accurately calculate the curvature you are supposed to see on the ball Earth. Distance: 0.02476 miles = 130.71 feet
| Distance | Curvature |
|---|---|
| 1 mile | 0.00013 miles = 0.67 feet |
| 2 miles | 0.00051 miles = 2.67 feet |
| 5 miles | 0.00316 miles = 16.67 feet |
| 10 miles | 0.01263 miles = 66.69 feet |
| 20 miles | 0.05052 miles = 266.75 feet |
| 50 miles | 0.31575 miles = 1667.17 feet |
| 100 miles | 1.26296 miles = 6668.41 feet |
| 200 miles | 5.05102 miles = 26669.37 feet |
| 500 miles | 31.5336 miles = 166497.53 feet |
| 1000 miles | 125.632 miles = 663337.65 feet |
Explanation:
The Earth’s radius (r) is 6371 km or 3959 miles, based on numbers from Wikipedia,
which gives a circumference (c)of c = 2 * π * r = 40 030 km
We wish to find the height (h) which is the drop in curvature over the distance (d)
Using the circumference we find that 1 kilometer has the angle360° / 40 030 km = 0.009°. The angle (a) is then a = 0.009° * distance (d)
The derived formula h = r * (1 - cos a) is accurate for any distance (d)
Note: Using the formula 8 times the distance in miles squared is not accurate for long distances but is fine for practical use.