Parallax and Uncertainty Worksheet-1-3

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Clemson University *

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1020

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Physics

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Dec 6, 2023

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docx

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Parallax and Uncertainty Worksheet These lab activities have evolved over years of use in Clemson University’s Department of Physics and Astronomy general astronomy laboratory. Contributors include Tom Collins, Mark Leising, Neil Miller, Peter Milne, Grant Williams, Donna Mullenax, Jessica Crist, Keith Davis, Amber Porter, Lea Marcotulli, and David Connick. Please direct all questions, complaints, and corrections to David Connick (dconnic@clemson.edu) who is responsible for all errors and omissions. Student Name: Kenni Medvar Lab Section:__________ II. Measuring by Hand 1) What is the inherent uncertainty of the ruler provided? (use metric units) 0.5 mm 2) Fill in the table with your handmade measurements for the apparent shift in position of Star A and Star B. Star First Measurement Second Measurement Third Measurement Average of Measurements A 5.5 mm 5.5 mm 5.6 mm 5.53 mm B 1.6 mm 1.6 mm 1.5 mm 1.56 mm 3) What is the deviation of your measurements from the average? (this is experimental uncertainty) For star a the deviation would be .07 and for star b the deviation would be . 04 4) Which of your uncertainties is larger (inherent or experimental)? (Denote which method and the value) The uncertainties inherent are larger than experimental. 5) Write your answer for the apparent change in position of each star with uncertainty attached.
(Example: 5.2 +/- 0.2 cm) Star A: 5.6 +/- 0.07 Star B: 1.6 +/- 0.04 6) When measuring distances in the sky we use units of arcseconds to denote changes in position on the celestial sphere. Using the scale provided for the images determine the conversion factor from centimeters to arcseconds. Conversion factor (arcseconds per cm):: .75 cm per arcsecond 7) Using the uncertainties in your measurements, determine the range of possible position change by completing the table. Star Min change (cm) Min change (arcseconds) Max change (cm) Max change (arcseconds) A 5.5 cm 7.3 5.7 7.6 B 1.6 cm 2.1 1.9 2.5 8) Write the change in position with uncertainty attached in units of arcseconds for each star. Star A: 7.45 +/- 0.15 Sar B: 2.3 +/- 0.2 9) Which star has the larger change in position? Star A 10) What is the minimum difference in the change in position between the two stars considering the uncertainties in measurements? The minimum difference was 3.6 cm. 11) What does the change in position of each star tell you about their distance from the Earth? Which star is closer to the Earth?
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