Week 4 (Sep. 16 - 20)
Read: The world of Ptolemy (Chap. 5), Measuring the Tropical Year (Chap. 6) and Geometrical Tools (Chap. 7). (Actually, just focus on Chapter 5. If we have time, we'll do the others…)
Quiz: Monday. Covers Aristotle's On the Heavens.
Homework exercises: Shape of the Earth (Ex. 5.2), Measuring the year (Ex. 6.1a), Altitude of the sun (Ex. 7.2). Due noon Saturday week 4.
Laboratory exercises: Building a cross-staff (Ex. 7.5). Your cross-staff will be used later, when you are doing your Planetary observations (Ex. 3.2) and your Lunar observations (Ex. 8.4). Your lab book should include a detailed description of how you built your cross-staff apparatus (including a careful sketch) and also an explanation of how it is used. Also: include an example measurement of the size of an object across the room, such as a window or a standing person. How accurate is your measurement? Scan your lab book pages (minimum 2) and upload them to canvass. Due noon Monday week 5.
The World of Ptolemy (8 videos):
Flat earth!
Measuring the tropical year (no videos…):
Geometrical tools (no videos yet):
Homework exercises: Shape of the Earth (Ex. 5.2), Measuring the year (Ex. 6.1a), Altitude of the sun (Ex. 7.2). Due noon Saturday week 4.
Laboratory exercises: Building a cross-staff (Ex. 7.5). Your cross-staff will be used later, when you are doing your Planetary observations (Ex. 3.2) and your Lunar observations (Ex. 8.4). Your lab book should include a detailed description of how you built your cross-staff apparatus (including a careful sketch) and also an explanation of how it is used. Also: include an example measurement of the size of an object across the room, such as a window or a standing person. How accurate is your measurement? Scan your lab book pages (minimum 2) and upload them to canvass. Due noon Monday week 5.
The World of Ptolemy (8 videos):
Flat earth!
Measuring the tropical year (no videos…):
Geometrical tools (no videos yet):