Paper moon 02/2/21

 The instructions for this assignment were as follows: 

Measure the diameter of the Sun (and Moon) with a pinhole and a ruler! All you need to know is some simple geometry and the average distance between the Earth and  Moon

An easy way to make a pinhole is to cut a square hole (1 cm across) in the center edge of a piece of cardboard. cut a narrow line  wide enough to slide a ruler through, about 3 cm below the 1 cm notch

Use the 1 cm to encase the moon. Use a ruler to measure the distance from the card to your eye. Use your knowledge of geometry to prove that you can calculate the diameter of the moon using the following proportionality:

Once I constructed the pinhole, by using a note card, scissors, and a ruler I was able to create a measurement tool. My group and I measured out 3 yards of distance from the paper moon using a yard stick. Next we held up our pinholes and began to take note of the distance in centimeters. Once the measurements were complete, we recorded the data and found that our class average determined the distance was 16.7. 

Below are pictures taken during the lab.