Learning Goal 1.1- I can measure the passage of time through the motion and appearance of the Sun and Moon.
This past week, we used a pinhole camera to see an image of the sun, casted on to graph paper. We used the camera and the image to determine the angular size of the sun and measure its motion. We started by measuring the diameter of the image (7 mm) and length of the tube (760 mm) to find the angle of the sun, which was approximately 0.538 degrees. With the angle of 0.538 degrees and a time of 98 seconds for the sun to move a full diameter, we set up an equation to find how long it would take the sun to move 360 degrees. Our answer was 18.5 hours, when it should have been 24. This was because our time for the sun to move a diameter was incorrect as we had difficulty aligning our camera properly. From this experiment, I learned how to measure the angular size of the sun as well as how motion is seen through the passing of time. I also found this experiment to be a good refresher on trig functions. Additionally, I learned the importance of accurate measurements.
This past week, we used a pinhole camera to see an image of the sun, casted on to graph paper. We used the camera and the image to determine the angular size of the sun and measure its motion. We started by measuring the diameter of the image (7 mm) and length of the tube (760 mm) to find the angle of the sun, which was approximately 0.538 degrees. With the angle of 0.538 degrees and a time of 98 seconds for the sun to move a full diameter, we set up an equation to find how long it would take the sun to move 360 degrees. Our answer was 18.5 hours, when it should have been 24. This was because our time for the sun to move a diameter was incorrect as we had difficulty aligning our camera properly. From this experiment, I learned how to measure the angular size of the sun as well as how motion is seen through the passing of time. I also found this experiment to be a good refresher on trig functions. Additionally, I learned the importance of accurate measurements.
