Office Hours:
Office: RGC 332
Messages: 223-3294 (ofice with voicemail) or email to hannigan@austin.cc.tx.us
You may do some or all of this problem for extra credit. It will be evaluated not just on a "correct" answer, but the process and product of your efforts. Points earned from this assignment will be added to one of your exam scores.
PROBLEM: Using the sunrise/sunset data provided (compliments of the US Naval Observatory), find a sine function that reasonably approximates the amount of daylight for any day of the year for Austin and Casper, Wyoming. Let x be the day of the year (1-366) and y be the amount of daylight.
a) Find a sine function that reasonably approximates the amount of daylight for Austin in 1996 (the data is provided here).
b) Find a sine function that reasonably approximate the amount of daylight for Casper, Wyoming in 1996 (the data is provided here).
c) Discuss the similarities and differences in the graphs of the functions. Present a brief argument for why those similarities and differences exist.
You may do any part or all parts of this assignment. It is worth a maximum of 10 points towards a test grade. I will give partial credit for partial work.
Feel free to stop by my office during office hours (or whenever I'm around) or send questions via email to ask about this problem or for hints on getting started (or finished!).
DUE DATE: 22 October 1998