An Introduction to Physical Science
14th Edition
ISBN: 9781305079137
Author: James Shipman, Jerry D. Wilson, Charles A. Higgins, Omar Torres
Publisher: Cengage Learning
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Chapter 16, Problem 8SA
To determine
Whether the Earth is a perfect sphere or not. Explain the reason for the same.
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The earth is approximately spherical, but a much more accurate description is that an oblate spheroid. How will you describe an oblate spheroid?
BACKGROUND
An ingenious solution to the Earth's circumference occured in 230 BC. Eratosthenes, a Greek
geographer, mathematician, music theorist, poet, astronomer, and philosopher, was reading in the
Library of Alexandria when he noticed an account for a deep well near Syene (now Aswan),
some distance to the south (800 km) in which at high noon on the longest day of the year the
bottom of the well was fully illuminated by the Sun. Eratosthenes exclaimed "Ah-ah!" (or
something like that), "I can solve for the circumference of the Earth!". In his mind's eye,
Eratosthenes could see that at Syene, at the moment when the bottom of the well was fully lit, the
Sun must have been at the Zenith (directly overhead). Yet he knew that at the same moment in
Alexandria vertical objects (like a tower, pole) cast shadows.
Here is the experiment perfomed by Eratosthenes (see the picture below).
• He erected a vertical pole at Alexandria (A) and measured the angle of its shadow at the
moment when the…
33. If you are at the top of a tower of height h above the surface
of the earth, show that the distance you can see along the
surface of the earth is approximately s = v2Rh, where R is
the radius of the earth. Hints: See figure. Show that h/R =
sec 0 – 1; find two terms of the series for sec 0 = 1/ cos 0,
and use s = RO. _Thus show that the distance in miles is
approximately v3h/2 with h in feet.
Rİ
Chapter 16 Solutions
An Introduction to Physical Science
Ch. 16.1 - What is the difference between the geocentric...Ch. 16.1 - Prob. 2PQCh. 16.1 - Calculate the period of a planet whose orbit has a...Ch. 16.2 - Prob. 1PQCh. 16.2 - Prob. 2PQCh. 16.3 - Which has the greater albedo, the Earth or the...Ch. 16.3 - Prob. 2PQCh. 16.4 - What makes a planet terrestrial, or pertaining to...Ch. 16.4 - What is the most abundant molecule in the...Ch. 16.5 - Prob. 1PQ
Ch. 16.5 - Prob. 2PQCh. 16.6 - Prob. 1PQCh. 16.6 - Prob. 2PQCh. 16.7 - Prob. 1PQCh. 16.7 - Prob. 2PQCh. 16.8 - Prob. 1PQCh. 16.8 - Prob. 2PQCh. 16 - Prob. AMCh. 16 - Prob. BMCh. 16 - Prob. CMCh. 16 - Prob. DMCh. 16 - Prob. EMCh. 16 - Prob. FMCh. 16 - Prob. GMCh. 16 - Prob. HMCh. 16 - Prob. IMCh. 16 - Prob. JMCh. 16 - Prob. KMCh. 16 - Prob. LMCh. 16 - Prob. MMCh. 16 - Prob. NMCh. 16 - Prob. OMCh. 16 - Prob. PMCh. 16 - Prob. QMCh. 16 - Prob. RMCh. 16 - Prob. SMCh. 16 - Prob. TMCh. 16 - Prob. UMCh. 16 - Prob. VMCh. 16 - Prob. WMCh. 16 - Prob. XMCh. 16 - Prob. 1MCCh. 16 - Which of Keplers laws gives the most direct...Ch. 16 - Which of Keplers laws gives an indication of the...Ch. 16 - Prob. 4MCCh. 16 - Which of the following is abundant on the Earth...Ch. 16 - Prob. 6MCCh. 16 - Prob. 7MCCh. 16 - Which of the following statements concerning the...Ch. 16 - Which of the following is not a physical...Ch. 16 - What are the primary constituents of the Jovian...Ch. 16 - Which of the following is not a physical...Ch. 16 - Which planet has a ring system made of mostly...Ch. 16 - Which Jovian planet revolves on its side and has...Ch. 16 - Which one of the following criteria disqualifies...Ch. 16 - Which statement about the dwarf planet Ceres is...Ch. 16 - Prob. 16MCCh. 16 - Prob. 17MCCh. 16 - Which of the following is not a very useful method...Ch. 16 - ___ is the study of the universe. (Intro)Ch. 16 - Prob. 2FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 3FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 4FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 5FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 6FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 7FIBCh. 16 - The albedo of the Earth is about ___. (16.3)Ch. 16 - Prob. 9FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 10FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 11FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 12FIBCh. 16 - The Jovian planet with retrograde rotation is ___....Ch. 16 - Prob. 14FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 15FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 16FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 17FIBCh. 16 - Prob. 1SACh. 16 - What is the main difference between the...Ch. 16 - Prob. 3SACh. 16 - Prob. 4SACh. 16 - Describe the orientation and the shape of the...Ch. 16 - Prob. 6SACh. 16 - Prob. 7SACh. 16 - Prob. 8SACh. 16 - Prob. 9SACh. 16 - Prob. 10SACh. 16 - Prob. 11SACh. 16 - Prob. 12SACh. 16 - Explain the differences between the Grand Canyon...Ch. 16 - Prob. 14SACh. 16 - Prob. 15SACh. 16 - Which planets axis of rotation is a peculiarity,...Ch. 16 - Prob. 17SACh. 16 - Prob. 18SACh. 16 - Why is Pluto not considered a major planet, and...Ch. 16 - Prob. 20SACh. 16 - Prob. 21SACh. 16 - What was the major influence in the formation of...Ch. 16 - What is astrometry?Ch. 16 - Prob. 24SACh. 16 - Prob. 1VCCh. 16 - Give some reasons our knowledge of the solar...Ch. 16 - A Foucault pendulum suspended from the ceiling of...Ch. 16 - Prob. 3AYKCh. 16 - Explain how the scientific method was used to...Ch. 16 - How does the solar nebula theory explain the...Ch. 16 - Calculate the period T of a planet whose orbit has...Ch. 16 - Calculate the period T of a dwarf planet whose...Ch. 16 - Calculate the length R of the semimajor axis of a...Ch. 16 - Calculate the length R of the semimajor axis of a...Ch. 16 - Determine what the period of revolution of the...Ch. 16 - Determine what the period of revolution of the...Ch. 16 - Asteroids are believed to be material that never...Ch. 16 - Show that the asteroid belt lies between Mars and...Ch. 16 - Use Keplers third law to show that the closer a...Ch. 16 - Prob. 10ECh. 16 - Prob. 11ECh. 16 - List the Jovian planets in order of increasing...
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