Gohlke, Hoisington, Wickenheiser 11B

Gohlke, Hoisington, Wickenheiser 11B

Gohlke, Hoisington, Wickenheiser 11B

Gohlke, Hoisington, Wickenheiser 11B

Gohlke, Hoisington, Wickenheiser 11B

Gohlke, Hoisington, Wickenheiser 11B

Problem 3

Figure 3. Distance Between Two Marked Trees cos(65) = 23 / h h = 23 / cos(65) h = 55.2 ft Using right triangle trigonometry the researchers measured the length from the base of Tree 1 to the perpendicular intersection of Tree 2. Angle T was found using the transom and the other angle was found by adding 90 + 65 and then subtracting it from 180 to get 25, because all the angles in a triangle add up to 180. The greatest distance the researchers calculated was 55.2 ft. Knowing the angles using the transom, they were able to construct a triangle and manipulate the adjacent side over the cosine of theta to find the hypotenuse, or distance between the trees (Figure 3). The true distance between the two trees is 60.2 feet. They were exactly five feet off the exact measurement and is a percent error of -8.3%. The percent error proves that the method used was a fair measurement.

Gohlke, Hoisington, Wickenheiser 11B Problem 4

Figure 4. Circumference of the Earth tan-1(3/3) = 45.0 tan-1(3/3) = 45.00025 2924.0 miles from Warren to equator 2924.02 miles from Warren to Equator 45.00025 - 45.0 = 0.00025 2924.02-2924.0 = 0.0189 miles 0.00025 / 360 = 0.0189 miles / circumference of Earth 360 X 0.0189 miles = circumference of Earth X 18.43 Circumference of Earth = 27,272.7 miles Again, using right triangle trigonometry and ratio methods involving Eratosthenes (Figure 4.) , the circumference of the Earth was found with manipulation. First found the height of the transom and the length of the shadow to get the tangent of the angle, then did the same thing 100 feet north of the first one. Used Google to find the distance from each transom to the equator. Subtracted the largest degree from the smallest degree as well with the distances. Setup the ratio (degrees difference / 360 = (distance difference / the unknown circumference of the

Gohlke, Hoisington, Wickenheiser 11B earth). Solved for unknown variable using simple algebra techniques to get a distance of 27,272.7 miles. In the most part, being off 2, 300 miles is impressive compared to the method used in ancient times. The percent error was 9.5% proving the data was valid for the most part. The Earth was never flat and Eratosthenes knew it before the Kings and Queens of our time were convinced!

Gohlke, Hoisington, Wickenheiser 11B

Conclusion In review, the results of these tests made by the researchers were rather different than other methods of learning the same principles previously experienced, as they offered insight into the topics practical uses by using them in a group setting, not regarding the fact that it was also outside of the typical classroom and opted for a field research approach. With working in groups, many other things can be learned beyond the math, from the people in the groups and their methods for solving the problems, to how they learned these strategies. Seeing as how it was a field research setting, the tools measuring were not as precise as possible, but proved ample for the purposes of these tests, however, the researchers can be taken into account with some minor error, such as slight misreadings and other small amounts of error, and this, while larger due to the lack of a proper testing environment, would still exist in most labs. One point at which the lack of proper testing environment gave the researchers some pause was on Problem 4, where not enough distance was given to make the most accurate readings possible, but even so, the researchers made due with what they could, and came out with rather interesting theories to solve this problem.