Sunrise Over Sofia

Math SL Portfolio Assignment 3

Type II

Elvira Georgieva

3/5/2011

Teacher: Mr. Peter Vassilev

Elvira Georgieva 11IB

SUNRISE OVER SOFIA Portfolio Assignment: 3 Type: II Data Set: February 23, 2011 Due date: March 08, 2011

Criteria against which the assignment will be assessed: A,B,C,D,E and F Method: 1. Use the internet to find times of sunrise over Sofia at 5-days interval during 2007, starting on 1 January. Organize the data in a table. 2. Use a graphing package or spreadsheet to draw a graph of this data.
3. What type of function might be suitable to model this data? Explain what assumptions

you are making. 4. Use your knowledge of the graphs of such functions to find a suitable function that models the behavior. Identify any variables and parameters clearly, and explain how you determined them. Comment on how well your function fits the data.
5. Use a regressoion tool to find the best fit function. Comment on any differences from the

function you found in step 4. 6. Compare the usefulness of the two models to: a) someone planning a daybreak run b) someone programming switching off the street-light 7. How would each of these change if you traveled 1000km: a) north b) south c) west? Use the Internet to find data to support your answers.
8. Repeat steps 1. and 2. for the corresponding times of sunset. Use this information together

with one of the models for sunrise to estimate for: a) the lengths of the shortest day
b) The approximate dates between which the day is more than 12 hours long

Elvira Georgieva 11IB

Introduction
Sunrise is an event of the daily first appearance of the sun above the eastern horizon.

Sunrise over Sofia at 5-days interval during 2007.

January 1st January 5th January 10th January 15th January 20th January 25th January 30th February 4th February 9th February 14th February 19th February 24th March 1st March 5th March 10th March 15th March 20th March 25th March 30th April 4th April 9th April 14th April 19th April 14th April 19th April 24th April 29th May 4th May 9th May 14th May 19th May 24th May 29th June 3rd June 8th June 13th June 18th June 23rd June 28th July 3rd July 8th July 13th July 18th July 23rd July 28th August 2nd August 7th August 12th August 17th August 22nd August 27th September 1st September 6th September 11th September 16th September 21st September 26th 7:57 AM 7:57 AM 7:56 AM 7:55 AM 7:52 AM 7:48 AM 7:44 AM 7:38 AM 7:32 AM 7:26 AM 7:19 AM 7:11 AM 7:03 AM 6:57 AM 6:48 AM 6:40 AM 6:31 AM 7:22 (6:22) AM 7:13 (6:13) AM 7:05 (6:05) AM 6:56 (5:56) AM 6:48 (5:48) AM 6:40 (5:40) AM 6:48 (5:48) AM 6:40 (5:40) AM 6:32 (5:32) AM 6:25 (5:25) AM 6:18 (5:18) AM 6:12 (5:12) AM 6:06 (5:07) AM 6:01 (5:01) AM 5:57 (4:57) AM 5:53 (4:53) AM 5:51 (4:51) AM 5:49 (4:49) AM 5:48 (4:48) AM 5:48 (4:48) AM 5:49 (4:49) AM 5:51 (4:51) AM 5:53 (4:53) AM 5:56 (4:56) AM 6:00 (5:00) AM 6:04 (5:04) AM 6:09 (5:09) AM 6:14 (5:14) AM 6:19 (5:19) AM 6:24 (5:24) AM 6:29 (5:29) AM 6:35 (5:35) AM 6:40 (5:40) AM 6:45 (5:45) AM 6:51 (5:51) AM 6:56 (5:56) AM 7:01 (6:01) AM 7:07 (6:07) AM 7:12 (6:12) AM 7:18 (6:18) AM Elvira Georgieva 11IB

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Elvira Georgieva 11IB

3. Function which might be suitable to model this data is sine function. I assume that the function which describes this data the best is sine function, because of the shape of the function.

4. Sine Function: In our case we can substitute y and x with T and t, because we are talking about time. First I will find the period of the function: Period (B) = 74 Now I will find the amplitude of the function: Amplitude (A) = A=1,54 Then I will find the principle axis: Principle Axis (D) =

Elvira Georgieva 11IB So, the model is However the model is not finished, because I do not know yet the value of C. Now I will find the horizontal translation of the function. Horizontal Translation (C) is the x coordinate of the point M, which lies in the principle axis. Point M is (6;6.02) C=6 The model is