Thursday, February 23, 2012

The obviously not obvious explained!

Guiding question: How does the tilt of the earth’s axis affect the light and the seasons received by the earth as it revolves around the sun?
Hypothesis: I think the tilt or axis affects the light by making it more directed to one part or in other words stronger and fainter. In the lab I found that in winter the squares would be much fainter and stretched it because it is farther away. This applies to the earth too! But when the ball was placed in a summer position the squares were much clearer and sharper in the middle.

Questions:
1. When it is winter in the Northern hemisphere, the earth is pointed away, and the equator gets the most sunlight also when it is summer. When it is summer in the Northern hemisphere the earth is pointing toward the sun.
2. I saw during winter the square grid was much more un-refined or in other words faint, I think this is because it is farther away. This show how hot and how direct the sunlight is. But at summer, the square were not faint and stretched out on the sides, but were very precise and strong.
3. If the sun is farther away the squares get bigger and more stretched (especially on the side). But at summer they are precise and not stretched.
4. The coolest would be the places far North or far South, in my opinion the Southern places would be colder then the Northern on average because it looks like they show least to the sun. And in summer at the North, the South would be colder and summer in South would be hotter in the North.
5. The toothpick would be longest when it is winter because there is more sunlight hitting it, because it is up-right.
6. If the sun goes to the side, the squares stretch meaning there is more sun on another particular place, so you would have to replace the grid.
7. The seasons are caused by the tilt or as they are known the axis of the earth. This comes into place because when the earth is farther away you get more spread of light and heat, but if closer the heat and light would be more intense and pointed out. ( get a flashlight and pointed at your face, from close it hurt your eyes, but from far it more spread therefore not hurting your eyes as much.

1 comment:

  1. Very good analysis and your conclusion shows your understanding of why we have seasons. Good job. Perhaps an image of the model or of the Earth orbiting the sun on its axis would help your audience to understand what you did.

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