The Sun
THE SUN VIRTUAL TOUR QUESTIONS
-Define:
Sunspots- the darkened speckles on the sun are the cooler parts of the Sun's surfce. The complex magnetic field creates these darkened areas by protecting the spots from heated material from entering them. These sunspots last from a few Earth days to weeks.
Solar Active Region- this is a region of atmosphere consisting of powerful magnetic fields. Events such as solar flares and sunspots occur in this vicinity.
- Define and Temp: Chromosphere- an irregular above the photosphere apparently made up of spiked-shaped structures called "spicules".
Convective Zone- starting from the radiative zone to the sun's surface, the convective zone is the outer layer of the interior of the sun. Made up of the 'boiling' convection cells, that makes up about 66% of the Sun's volume, with more than 2% of its mass.
Radiative Zone- this is the layer that gives off radiation. It takes photons millions of years for it to exit the radiative zone. This level makes up 32% of the Sun's volume, and 48% of the Sun's mass.
Core- the level with the highest temperature and pressure, is where the sun's nuclear fusion (hydrogen and helium) takes place. When those two atoms combine, it creates energy, thus being released outside of the surface of the sun as visible light. The core starts from the center of the Sun, and is a quarter of the way to the surface. Also makes up about 2% of the volume of the sun, though containing 50% of its mass, due to the core's amount of density.
Corona- the Sun's outer most layer, stretches from its surface for more than half a million miles, and reaches an astounding temperature of 2 million degrees Fahrenheit. The corona can only be seen from Earth during solar eclipses while the moon's passage is shielding the Sun's main radiation.
-How old is the sun? 4.6 billion!
-How long will the Sun last in its current state? The Sun owns enough fuel to for it to last another 5 millions years.
-Summarize the Sun's role in Climate Change. Being the Earth's primary source of solar power, it is guessed that the energy being emitted from the Sun, is the reason for Earth's climate changes. The average amount of the Sun's energy has varied since the 1970's due to sunspots while being measured by satellites from NASA, also being used today to keep us updated on the Sun's activity.
-Name two Solar missions and describe their goals.
1)ACRIMAT:
2)SORCE
-What is the Sun made of? (Composition) 92.1% hydrogen and 7.8% helium
-Define:
Sunspots- the darkened speckles on the sun are the cooler parts of the Sun's surfce. The complex magnetic field creates these darkened areas by protecting the spots from heated material from entering them. These sunspots last from a few Earth days to weeks.
Solar Active Region- this is a region of atmosphere consisting of powerful magnetic fields. Events such as solar flares and sunspots occur in this vicinity.
- Define and Temp: Chromosphere- an irregular above the photosphere apparently made up of spiked-shaped structures called "spicules".
Convective Zone- starting from the radiative zone to the sun's surface, the convective zone is the outer layer of the interior of the sun. Made up of the 'boiling' convection cells, that makes up about 66% of the Sun's volume, with more than 2% of its mass.
Radiative Zone- this is the layer that gives off radiation. It takes photons millions of years for it to exit the radiative zone. This level makes up 32% of the Sun's volume, and 48% of the Sun's mass.
Core- the level with the highest temperature and pressure, is where the sun's nuclear fusion (hydrogen and helium) takes place. When those two atoms combine, it creates energy, thus being released outside of the surface of the sun as visible light. The core starts from the center of the Sun, and is a quarter of the way to the surface. Also makes up about 2% of the volume of the sun, though containing 50% of its mass, due to the core's amount of density.
Corona- the Sun's outer most layer, stretches from its surface for more than half a million miles, and reaches an astounding temperature of 2 million degrees Fahrenheit. The corona can only be seen from Earth during solar eclipses while the moon's passage is shielding the Sun's main radiation.
-How old is the sun? 4.6 billion!
-How long will the Sun last in its current state? The Sun owns enough fuel to for it to last another 5 millions years.
-Summarize the Sun's role in Climate Change. Being the Earth's primary source of solar power, it is guessed that the energy being emitted from the Sun, is the reason for Earth's climate changes. The average amount of the Sun's energy has varied since the 1970's due to sunspots while being measured by satellites from NASA, also being used today to keep us updated on the Sun's activity.
-Name two Solar missions and describe their goals.
1)ACRIMAT:
2)SORCE
-What is the Sun made of? (Composition) 92.1% hydrogen and 7.8% helium
The Sun (Notes)
- The sun's diameter is 865,000 miles around
- It's apparent magnitude is -26.5
- The sun's absolute magnitude is 4.7
- The period of rotation is 25 days at the equator and 35 days at the poles
- Its density is the same that of a gas planet's; 1.41 g/cm3
- The temperature is hot enough to melt any substance at 12,000 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The sun is 2% of heavy elements, 22% helium, and 76% hydrogen.
Tides Web Quest
What are Tides?
1. What is a basic definition of a tide? Long-period waves that move through the oceans in response due to the forces from by the moon and sun.
2. What is a high tide? What is a low tide? When the highest part, or crest of the wave reaches a particular location. Low tide corresponds to the lowest part of its trough.
3. What is tidal range? The height difference between both the high and low tides.
What Causes Tides?
6. Tides are caused by the gravitational attraction of what two celestial bodies? Both the sun and the moon is the reason for the gravitational attraction.
7. What does Newton’s law of universal gravitational state? His law states that the gravitational attraction between two celestial bodies is directly equal to their masses, and inversely equal to the square of the distance between those two bodies.
8. Which celestial body has a greater effect on tidal forces on Earth? Based on the contrast of those two bodies, the sun is 27 million times larger than our moon, that being said, the sun's gravitational attraction to the Earth is 177+ times greater than that of the moon's gravitational attraction to the Earth.
Gravity, Inertia, and the Two Bulges
9. How does the moon create a bulge?
When gravitational forces act to pull water closer to the moon, inertia tries to keep the water in its place. Though, the gravitational force exceeds it and the water is pulled toward the moon, causing a “bulge”
10. What causes a bulge to be created on the opposite side of the Earth or the “far side” from the moon? Inertia exceeds the gravitational force, then water attempts to keep going in a straight line, moving from the Earth, creating a bulge.
Changing Angles and Changing Tides
11. Describe how changes in the relative positions of the moon and sun change in relation to the Earth? Earth increases and decreases in relation to the equator- or known as "declination". The sun’s relative position to the equator changes over a year as the Earth rotates around it.
12. At what point is the sun at its minimum declination and its maximum declination? The sun’s declination affects both the seasons and the tides. In the vernal (Spring,March 21st) and autumnal (Fall, September 23rd) equinoxes , the sun is at its minimum declination because its positioned right above the equator. During the summer (June 21st) and winter solstices (December 21st), the sun is at the maximum declination- or its greatest angle to the equator.
Frequency of Tides - The Lunar Day
15. Compare and contrast a solar and lunar day. How long is a lunar day? Solar days lasts 24 hours, whereas a lunar days lasts 24 hours and 50 minutes, due to the moon revolving around the Earth in the same direction that the Earth rotates around its axis. But in comparison, a solar day- the time that it takes for a particular site on the Earth for it to spin from an exact point under the sun, to the same point under the it. While a lunar day is the time it takes for a specific place on the Earth to rotate from an specific point under the moon to the same point under the moon.
16. Why do most coastal areas experience two high tides and two low tides?
17. How long does it take for high tide to occur? How long is the time between low and high tide? High tides occur every 12 hours and 25 minutes, which is half of a full lunar day, and low tides occur every 6 hours and 12.5 minutes, to make the water go from high to low and vice versa.
Tidal Variations - The Influence of Position and Distance
18. What causes spring tides? What causes neap tides? How many spring and neap tides occur in a lunar month? When the sun, moon, and Earth are lined up, during the new moon or full moon, the solar tide has an additive effect on the lunar tide, creating very high tides, and very low tides. Neap tides are made when the moon and the sun are at right angles to each other, the solar tide partly cancels out the lunar tide and creates moderate tides. Two sets of both Spring and neap tides occur in every lunar month.
19. How are tide-generating forces affected when the moon is closest to the Earth (or perigee)? When the moon is farthest away from the Earth (or apogee)? How does this affect the tides that are produced? The tide-generating force are higher than usual, producing more ranges in the tides. About 2 weeks later, the lunar tide-generating force is smaller, and the tidal ranges are weaker. It enhances tidal ranges.
20. How are tide-generating forces affected when the Earth is closest to the sun (or perihelion)? When the Earth is farthest from the sun (or aphelion)? How does this affect the tides that are produced? When the Earth is farthest away from the sun (July 2), the tidal ranges are reduced.
What Affects Tides in Addition to the Sun and Moon?
21. How are the magnitudes of tides affected by shorelines? By mid-ocean islands? The size of the tides are increases when tidal bulges hit continental margins. Mid-ocean islands that aren't beside continental margins experience smaller tides than they normally do.
22. How does a funnel-shaped bay compare to a narrow inlet and shallow water? Bays that are funnel-shaped are able to drastically change a tide's magnitude. Waters that are shallow tend to scatter the tides coming in.
23. What is the affect of strong tidal rivers on tides in estuaries?
24. What other abiotic factors affect tides? Compare and contrast wind and weather patterns that affect tides. Winds that are offshore, if strong enough, can blow the water away from the coastline. Onshore winds do the opposite, eliminate shore tides by piling up water on the shore. High pressure systems bring down sea levels, making the day clear and sunny, whereas low pressure systems make tides much higher than they normally are, bringing out precipitation and cloudy weather.
1. What is a basic definition of a tide? Long-period waves that move through the oceans in response due to the forces from by the moon and sun.
2. What is a high tide? What is a low tide? When the highest part, or crest of the wave reaches a particular location. Low tide corresponds to the lowest part of its trough.
3. What is tidal range? The height difference between both the high and low tides.
What Causes Tides?
6. Tides are caused by the gravitational attraction of what two celestial bodies? Both the sun and the moon is the reason for the gravitational attraction.
7. What does Newton’s law of universal gravitational state? His law states that the gravitational attraction between two celestial bodies is directly equal to their masses, and inversely equal to the square of the distance between those two bodies.
8. Which celestial body has a greater effect on tidal forces on Earth? Based on the contrast of those two bodies, the sun is 27 million times larger than our moon, that being said, the sun's gravitational attraction to the Earth is 177+ times greater than that of the moon's gravitational attraction to the Earth.
Gravity, Inertia, and the Two Bulges
9. How does the moon create a bulge?
When gravitational forces act to pull water closer to the moon, inertia tries to keep the water in its place. Though, the gravitational force exceeds it and the water is pulled toward the moon, causing a “bulge”
10. What causes a bulge to be created on the opposite side of the Earth or the “far side” from the moon? Inertia exceeds the gravitational force, then water attempts to keep going in a straight line, moving from the Earth, creating a bulge.
Changing Angles and Changing Tides
11. Describe how changes in the relative positions of the moon and sun change in relation to the Earth? Earth increases and decreases in relation to the equator- or known as "declination". The sun’s relative position to the equator changes over a year as the Earth rotates around it.
12. At what point is the sun at its minimum declination and its maximum declination? The sun’s declination affects both the seasons and the tides. In the vernal (Spring,March 21st) and autumnal (Fall, September 23rd) equinoxes , the sun is at its minimum declination because its positioned right above the equator. During the summer (June 21st) and winter solstices (December 21st), the sun is at the maximum declination- or its greatest angle to the equator.
Frequency of Tides - The Lunar Day
15. Compare and contrast a solar and lunar day. How long is a lunar day? Solar days lasts 24 hours, whereas a lunar days lasts 24 hours and 50 minutes, due to the moon revolving around the Earth in the same direction that the Earth rotates around its axis. But in comparison, a solar day- the time that it takes for a particular site on the Earth for it to spin from an exact point under the sun, to the same point under the it. While a lunar day is the time it takes for a specific place on the Earth to rotate from an specific point under the moon to the same point under the moon.
16. Why do most coastal areas experience two high tides and two low tides?
17. How long does it take for high tide to occur? How long is the time between low and high tide? High tides occur every 12 hours and 25 minutes, which is half of a full lunar day, and low tides occur every 6 hours and 12.5 minutes, to make the water go from high to low and vice versa.
Tidal Variations - The Influence of Position and Distance
18. What causes spring tides? What causes neap tides? How many spring and neap tides occur in a lunar month? When the sun, moon, and Earth are lined up, during the new moon or full moon, the solar tide has an additive effect on the lunar tide, creating very high tides, and very low tides. Neap tides are made when the moon and the sun are at right angles to each other, the solar tide partly cancels out the lunar tide and creates moderate tides. Two sets of both Spring and neap tides occur in every lunar month.
19. How are tide-generating forces affected when the moon is closest to the Earth (or perigee)? When the moon is farthest away from the Earth (or apogee)? How does this affect the tides that are produced? The tide-generating force are higher than usual, producing more ranges in the tides. About 2 weeks later, the lunar tide-generating force is smaller, and the tidal ranges are weaker. It enhances tidal ranges.
20. How are tide-generating forces affected when the Earth is closest to the sun (or perihelion)? When the Earth is farthest from the sun (or aphelion)? How does this affect the tides that are produced? When the Earth is farthest away from the sun (July 2), the tidal ranges are reduced.
What Affects Tides in Addition to the Sun and Moon?
21. How are the magnitudes of tides affected by shorelines? By mid-ocean islands? The size of the tides are increases when tidal bulges hit continental margins. Mid-ocean islands that aren't beside continental margins experience smaller tides than they normally do.
22. How does a funnel-shaped bay compare to a narrow inlet and shallow water? Bays that are funnel-shaped are able to drastically change a tide's magnitude. Waters that are shallow tend to scatter the tides coming in.
23. What is the affect of strong tidal rivers on tides in estuaries?
24. What other abiotic factors affect tides? Compare and contrast wind and weather patterns that affect tides. Winds that are offshore, if strong enough, can blow the water away from the coastline. Onshore winds do the opposite, eliminate shore tides by piling up water on the shore. High pressure systems bring down sea levels, making the day clear and sunny, whereas low pressure systems make tides much higher than they normally are, bringing out precipitation and cloudy weather.