Part 1: The Sun

1. Using a 1 meter stick the shortest shadow was cast at 0.49 m at 13:00.
2. While the shadow was relatively short at 12:00 it was not at its shortest length. The shadow was
shortest after 12:00 at 13:00. This is likely due to the fact that we set our clocks 1 hours back in
April in accord with day light saving time.
3. No, the sun was never directly overhead at any point during the observations. I am confident
because if it were directly overhead the stick would not cast any shadow. However, during the
observations from 10:00 to 14:00 there was always a shadow present. In other words, although
the shadow did decrease in length around 13:00 there was no point in which the shadow
completely disappeared. This indicates that the sun was never directly overhead. This inability
for of the sun to pass overhead is due to the tilt of the earth and my location in the northern
Hemisphere. I would expect the sun to pass overhead if I were to travel south to the tropic of
past the Tropic of Cancer at the summer solstice or the Tropic of Capricorn at the winter
solstice. Alternativley, I would expect to see the sun overhead at any location on the equator at
the spring or autum equinox.
4. No, the sun does not follow the same path everyday as shown by the varying shadow length
over the course of the summer. Based on my observations the shadow lengths appear to
decrease generally from the May 8th to June 10th observations. Despite this, the shadow lengths
appear to increase after the June 23rd observation and this trend continues for the rest of the
observations.
5. Yes this decreasing/increasing trend in shadow length appears to be due to the summer solstice
which occurs on June 21. At this date in the Northern Hemisphere, the sun reaches its highest
point and casts the shortest obseravable shadow. Before June 21st, the sun is increasing in
apparent height and we observe decreasing shadow lengths. However on June 21st, the sun
reaches its highest point and begins to decrease in apparent height in the days following. As a
result the shadows once again increase in lengths as the sun appears lower over the horizon.