SCI238Assignment2Solutions - SCI 238 Online - Fall 2023

.pdf

School

University of Waterloo *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

238

Subject

Physics

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

pdf

Pages

2

Uploaded by JusticeElectronNarwhal14

Report
© Michel Fich, 2023 SCIENCE 238 Assignment #2 (Requires course material up to and including Module 4) 1) An observer is on the right place on the Earth to see the Moon directly overhead at midnight on a given day. Where does that observer see the Moon in the sky one day later at midnight? (Marks:2) Hints: (i) the Sidereal Periods of the Earth and Moon are 365.25 days and 27.3 days (ii) drawing figures showing the positions of the Earth and the Moon on the two nights can be very useful. In the figure above all of the circles and angles are enlarged by a large amount. The figure shows the Sun in yellow, the Earth is shown in blue on the “given day” (lower circle) and one day later, the Moon is shown on the two days. The blue short-dashed line shows the Moon directly over the midnight point (i.e. the exact opposite of the Earth from the Sun). The long dash line is parallel to the short dash line. The red line marks the position of the Earth one day later and the green line shows the position of the Moon the same one day later. Note that in one day the Earth travels 1/365 o5 of acircle around the Sun and the Moon travels 1/27_3 of a circle around the Earth. (In angle, 360 degrees is full circle, and the Earth will have traveled through an angle of 0.986 degrees in the figure) while the Moon will travel 13.2 degrees (= a + ), both of these relative to the blue lines. The angle between the Moon and directly overhead (midnight on the second day) is f = 13.2 0.986 = 12.2 degrees. 2) A planet is seen at Greatest Eastern Elongation on June 1 in a given year. The next time it is seen in Greatest Eastern Elongation is on June 1 of the following year. What is the Sidereal Period of the planet? (Marks:2) The Synodic Period of the planet is exactly one year (June 1 to June 1) The planet must be an inferior planet since it has Greatest Elongations. The Synodic (S) and Sidereal (P) Periods are related by S +1 = % and for S=1 the Sidereal Period is 1+1=%—>P=0.5years (Marks: 10 out of 60 Assignment Marks for Term)
© Michel Fich, 2023 3) A comet is observed to have an orbit with a perihelion distance of 0.5 A.U. and an eccentricity of 0.980. What is the aphelion distance of the comet’s orbit? (Marks: 2) The perihelion distance is given by 7,,;,;, = a(1 —e) or 0.5 = a(1 0.980) which gives a = 25A.U. Aphelion distance is given by 7,5, = a(1+e) or Tinax = 25(1 + 0.980) = 49.5 A.U. 4) The spectrum of a star is recorded (i.e. observed). The “rest wavelength” of the “Balmer alpha” spectral line of hydrogen is 656.279 nm. If the radial velocity of the star is 40 km/s towards the observer then what wavelength is observed for the Balmer alpha spectral line? (Marks: 4) obs—Arest _ The (non-relativistic) Doppler Shift is given by 2 % . Note that Arest positive velocity, motion of source away from observer, results in a longer wavelength observed (a “redshift”). Putting in the numbers given in the Zops 636279 _ 2014 Agps = 656.191nm roblem: = P 656.279 2.998x105 (Marking: only minus one mark for sign error. No marks off if student interprets 40 (km/s) as only one significant figure and gives final answer as 656.19 nm) (Marks: 10 out of 60 Assignment Marks for Term)
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
  • Access to all documents
  • Unlimited textbook solutions
  • 24/7 expert homework help