A8: Global Positioning System Activity

A. INTRODUCTION

Global positioning system (GPS) units available for only a couple of hundred dollars can be used effectively in a physics course to accomplish a number of tasks.

B. PROCEDURE

1. Obtain "GPS I: Fundamentals - Global Positioning Systems" (an AAPT/PTRA workshop manual) from the course instructor. Read section 2 in its entirety.
2. Obtain the MAP 330 GPS unit by Magellan from the course instructor, and carefully and completely read the guidebook that comes along with the unit. Familiarize yourself with the unit and its features. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact the course instructor.
3. Use the MAP 330 GPS unit to complete the following tasks:
   • Find and identify for the instructor what campus objects are located at the following coordinates:
     • Latitude = 40 deg, 30.592 min North ; Longitude = 88 deg, 59.483 min West (5-minute WAAS averages)
     • Latitude = 40 deg, 30.473 min North; Longitude = 88 deg, 59.510 min West (5-minute WAAS averages)
   • Using the GPS unit provided, answer the following questions:
     • How far and at what bearing is Celina, Ohio?
     • What is the altitude (above sea level) of the center of the College Avenue bridge at north end of the ISU Quad (connecting the Quad and the plaza between Milner and the Bone Student Center)?
     • How accurate are measures of latitude, longitude, and altitude? Create and conduct an experiment using repeated measures of 5-minute WAS position averages.
   • Conduct from the AAPT/PTRA manual exercise 5.11 (Eratosthene's Experiment). Include in your calculations error measurements derived from the above observations.
     

C. EVALUATION

Project will be scored on basis of expected accuracy.

Return to PHY 302 Syllabus COURSE CONTENT Section