Edison Tech Center Pi Day Quiz 2023
1) The Earth does not have a perfectly circular orbit, although we pretend it does by adding leap days to correct for the error in our position in space. In 2023, assuming that the Earth has a perfectly circular orbit with a distance to the Sun of 92956050 miles, how far off in location are we from where we were in 2020 on March 14th? Express your answer using pi.
2) The moon has a diameter of 3476.28 kilometers. The average distance from the Earth to the moon is 384400 km. What angle is formed by someone observing the moon from the Earth? Express your answers using pi.
3) How far away would the moon have to be to appear to completely cover the Sun? The Sun has a diameter of 865000 miles.
4) Assuming a perfect pinhole of sunlight projects sunlight onto a card, how much dimmer does the image get as the spot doubles in diameter?
5) Assuming that a person can view sunlight directly for a second if the sunlight is dimmed by 100000 times, what diameter of a spot would be needed from a pinhole?
6) Instead of using a pinhole, using a diverging lens to spread out the light, what focal length of the lens would be needed to dim the light 100000 times, assuming that all the light gets through the lens?
7) If you build a sundial and look at the shadow on the Spring Equinox, if you are on the equator the Sun should be directly overhead at noon. If you are anywhere else, the angle the Sun will be off will be equal to your location's latitude. If you miss the Equinox by a week, how much will the Sundial be off at noon?
Sources: Edison Tech Center