Science
ademola
assignment_10_motions_in_astronomy1.docxName________________ PSC 1210
Due Tuesday Nov 10, 8 pm Assignment 10: Motions/Tides in Astronomy (32 points total)
1. How fast do we move in space? (2 pts)
a. How fast is earth actually moving when it orbits the sun? Use distance = rate x time. The orbital distance is one circumference of the earth’s orbit = 2 x xradius, where radius in this case is 1 A.U. (The conversion to miles or km given in several of the lecture slides and = 3.14. And time is earth’s orbital period.) For part credit, show your work.
2. View from the Moon: Suppose you lived on the Moon and your home was located near the center (equator, 0o longitude) of the face that we see from earth. Then: (4 pts)
a. During the phase of full moon, what phase would you see for the Earth (e.g. new Earth, full Earth, first-quarter Earth etc). Would it be day or night at your home? Explain. (if you think a drawing might help, feel free)
b. You are now watching a solar eclipse on the Earth (you’re still on the moon). What Earth phase are you now seeing?
3. Based upon everything we’ve covered in class, give two geologic phenomena that might result from tides either on the earth or elsewhere. (4 pts)
4. Lets explore the tides on earth in detail. Go to https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov. (10 pts)
It opens with a map. Click on Maryland. Click on a city (like Washington, or Annapolis etc.) Then on the lower left of what pops up, check the box on the bottom that says “plot data” and scroll down to see the water levels. You should see a graph with a red and blue curve. Important. The y-axis on all tide graphs gives the height of the water level compared with Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW). This is simply the lowest of the two low tides per day.
Assignment 10 Motions in Astronomy Name___________________________
Page 2
4 continued
a. Is there a pattern to either the red or blue curve?
b. How many high tides are predicted to occur in one 24 hour period?
c. Are the high tides the same height each time? What are typical values for the high tide?
d. Do the red and blue curves agree (you might get different answers depending on what city you picked)
e. Pick a 2nd station in Maryland or near the Chesapeake Bay. Again, check the box that says “plot data” and scroll to see the water levels. How do they compare to your first station. Use criteria like height of tides, number in 24 hour period, agreement between red and blue curves.
5. Look at the graph showing tidal variation for Hilo, Hawaii. It covers two months- December 2009 and January 2010. The red and blue lines with the plus symbols is what you should look at. (6 pts)
a. Is there a change in the height of the high tides during the 2 month period of time? Describe the pattern
b. About how many days occur between the absolute peak maximum tides on this graph?
Assignment 10 Motions in Astronomy Name___________________________
Page 3
c. Does this pattern of maximum tides bring to mind a natural cycle you have recently studied? Explain.
6. Excitement over Europa (6 pts)
Watch Charles Cockell’s Life in the Universe Pandemic Series:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBTwJSnAqZZczK7stBaYq5w/videos
Video #9 “Why is everyone so excited about Europa?” Then, answer these two questions
a. What about Europa’s surface first aroused suspicion that something weird was going on?
b. How much more liquid water do they think Europa has compared with Earth? How can that be if Europa is so much smaller than Earth?
Name________________
PSC 1210
Due T
uesday
Nov 1
0
, 8 pm
Assignment 10
:
Motions
/Tides
in Astronomy
(
3
2
points
total
)
1.
How fast do we move in space?
(2 pts)
a. How fast is earth actually moving when it orbits the sun? Use distance = rate x time. The
orbital distance is one circumference of the earth’s orbit = 2 x
p
x
radius, where radius in this case is
1 A.U. (
The
conversion to miles or km given in several o
f the lecture
slides
and
p
= 3.14
. And
time is
earth’s orbital period.)
For part credit, show your work.
2.
View from the Moon: Suppose you lived on the Moon and your h
o
me was located near the center
(equator
, 0
o
longitude
) of the face that we see from e
arth. Then:
(
4
pts)
a.
During the phase of full moon, what phase
would
you
see
for the Earth (e.g. new Earth, full Earth,
first
-
quarter Earth etc). Would
it be day or night at your home?
Explain
.
(if you think a drawing might
help, feel free)
b. You are now watching a solar eclipse on the Earth (you’re still on the moon). What Earth phase are
you now seeing?
3.
Based upon everything
we
’ve covered in class, give two geologic phenomena that might result
from tides
either
on the
earth or elsewhere
.
(4 pts)
4.
Lets explore the tides on earth in detail. Go to
https://tidesandcurrents.
noaa.gov
.
(10 pts)
It opens with a map.
Click on Maryland. Click on a city (like Washington, or Annapolis
etc.)
Then
on the lower left of what pops up, check the box
on the bottom
that says “plot data” and scroll
down to see the water levels. You
should see a graph with a red and blue curve.
Important.
The y
-
axis on all tide graphs gives the height of the water level compared with Mean
Lower Low Water (
MLLW
). This is simply the lowest of the two low
tides
per day
.
Name________________ PSC 1210
Due Tuesday Nov 10, 8 pm
Assignment 10: Motions/Tides in Astronomy (32 points total)
1. How fast do we move in space? (2 pts)
a. How fast is earth actually moving when it orbits the sun? Use distance = rate x time. The
orbital distance is one circumference of the earth’s orbit = 2 x xradius, where radius in this case is
1 A.U. (The conversion to miles or km given in several of the lecture slides and = 3.14. And time is
earth’s orbital period.) For part credit, show your work.
2. View from the Moon: Suppose you lived on the Moon and your home was located near the center
(equator, 0
o
longitude) of the face that we see from earth. Then: (4 pts)
a. During the phase of full moon, what phase would you see for the Earth (e.g. new Earth, full Earth,
first-quarter Earth etc). Would it be day or night at your home? Explain. (if you think a drawing might
help, feel free)
b. You are now watching a solar eclipse on the Earth (you’re still on the moon). What Earth phase are
you now seeing?
3. Based upon everything we’ve covered in class, give two geologic phenomena that might result
from tides either on the earth or elsewhere. (4 pts)
4. Lets explore the tides on earth in detail. Go to https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov.(10 pts)
It opens with a map. Click on Maryland. Click on a city (like Washington, or Annapolis etc.) Then
on the lower left of what pops up, check the box on the bottom that says “plot data” and scroll
down to see the water levels. You should see a graph with a red and blue curve. Important.
The y-axis on all tide graphs gives the height of the water level compared with Mean
Lower Low Water (MLLW). This is simply the lowest of the two low tides per day.
