Google Earth

You are headed on a dream vacation! Start at Manchester, and zoom around the globe using Google Earth in the North Lab. At least one place must be south of the equator, and place east of London. As you travel (on at least ten stops), keep track of the latitude and longitude for each place, and the vector heading from point to point


Day 2:
Create a scrapbook of activities and interesting highlights (You can print photos, and please write down 2 or 3 observations for each place. Ask other classmates who scrapbook for ideas...

Note the length and the angle of each leg of your trip. You must resolve this into component vectors using a diagram and trig functions.

NOTE: You can take a partner on your trip, but the reflection must be done individually.

REFLECTION QUESTIONS

• When you are finished, determine the net displacement from Manchester to your last location. Include a vector heading. Compare this to the value created by your component vectors. DO THEY MATCH? WHY or WHY NOT? (I will show you how to do this on Day 3)

• Reflection questions that must be answered INDIVIDUALLY on the back of one of the graph sheets.

a) Would Google Earth or the component vector method be better for pilots?
b) Based on the component vectors and the curvature of the earth, could we easily determine a scale where 1cm = _____ miles. Why or why not?
c) How does a GPS use vector determinations as it calculates location? Did this give you any unexpected results? Explain.
d) Give three examples where a vector must be exact to the nearest mm.
e) Give three examples where a vector must be exact to the nearest m.
f) Give three examples where a vector must be exact to the nearest km.
g) Given what you have learned about vectors, when are scale drawings useful? When should you switch from a paper map to a digital device?

h) What did you learn during this project?