Why Is Alaska So Cool?
(When the days are so long?)
Activity 5: Solar Angle and Solar Noon
Guiding Question: |
How high above the horizon does the sun get on the summer solstice? |
Description: |
This activity provides two ways for students to measure the solar angle (the highest angle of the sun above the horizon): by measuring the angle formed by a stick and its shadow using a protractor, or by using the tangent ratio of the angle formed by a stick and its shadow. The students calculate the solar angle every 20 minutes from 11:00 AM until they find the maximum angle. They record the time of the maximum angle as solar noon in their location. The student is then directed to the Naval Observatory website to compare their findings with the data for their latitude and longitude. |
Objective: |
To be able to measure the solar angle; and determine solar noon for your location. |
Teaching Strategies:
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Students should perform this activity in pairs. Method 2, measuring the length of a shadow and finding the value of the tangent of the angle, is probably the easiest and more accurate method to use. However, Method 1, using a protractor to measure the angle directly requires a lower level of math understanding. |
Assessment:
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The student will compare the data they found by experiment with the accepted values found on the Naval Astronomical Applications website. |
Download: |
Answers to Concluding Questions |