Determining Hours of Daylight Lab

CP Earth Science 9

Determining Hours of Daylight Lab

PURPOSE: Determine the length of days for various cities during the winter and summer.

MATERIALS:

Figures 1 and 2

Earth Globe

PROCEDURE:

Figures 1 and 2 show the length of day at every 10° of latitude for the winter and summer solstices in the northern hemisphere. On each figure, begin at the equator, which has daylight hours of 12 hours and 0 minutes, and label every 10 degrees north and south of the equator to the 60° latitude north and south.

Mark the final (dashed line) north and south latitude shown 66.5°. From this latitude to the poles, the daylight hours remain the same.

Use Figures 1 and 2 and the globe to answer the following questions.

DATA ANALYSIS:

Which figure shows the summer solstice for the northern hemisphere? How do you know?

If you lived at 50° north latitude, how many hours of daylight would you have during the summer solstice? During the winter solstice?

Which figure shows the summer solstice for the southern hemisphere? How do you know?

If you lived at the north pole, how many daylight hours would you have at the summer solstice? At the winter solstice?

For the following U.S. cities tell the approximate length of the day during the summer solstice:

Augusta, Maine Helena, Montana Phoenix, Arizona

Jefferson City, Missouri New Orleans, Louisiana

Washington, D.C. San Francisco, California

For the following U.S. cities tell the approximate length of the day during the winter solstice:

St. Paul, Minnesota Austin, Texas New York, New York

San Diego, California Indianapolis, Indiana

Portland, Oregon Atlanta, Georgia

For the following world cities tell the approximate length of the day during the summer solstice:

Moscow, Russia Sydney, Australia Cairo, Egypt

For the following world cities tell the approximate length of the day during the summer solstice:

Mexico City, Mexico Buenos Aires, Argentina

Tokyo, Japan