RE: So how DOES our solar system work?

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From: Eric Plett (EPlett@serrahs.com)
Date: Fri Dec 17 2004 - 14:11:29 PST 

Subject: RE: So how DOES our solar system work?
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 2004 14:11:29 -0800
Message-ID: <53B3BAA2AAE8164C85E60760022FCC1B0120A61D@serra-exchange.serrahs.com>
From: "Eric Plett" <EPlett@serrahs.com>

Ben,

If we are supposed to be viewing the earth from the typical north-is-up
frame of reference, they were sloppy with the direction of the spin of
the earth and orbit of the moon!

If we are looking from the frame where south-is-up, everything looks
fine.

I didn't count how many earth rotations per revolution (but it seemed to
be far too few - not 365 rotations per year) or how many earth rotations
per lunar orbit (also seemed to be too few - not 28 days per lunar orbit
- nor 13 lunar orbits per year).

Great idea for a unit quiz!

Eric Plett

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In preparing a last-day-before-the-holiday lesson on the solstice I
happened upon the webpage noted below. Perhaps it would make a good
quiz for students after we teach them about the orbital patterns of the
earth and moon.

For your unit grade:

Question 1: How many things can you find that are represented
incorrectly in this animation?
Question 2: How many things can you find that are correctly
represented?

http://www.fearofphysics.com/SunMoon/sunmoon1.html

No wonder the site is called fear of physics.

Ben

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