Question

Problem 35

Answer 1

Given information

Given that you are lying on a beach, your eyes are 20 cm above the sand. Just as the Sun sets, fully disappearing over the horizon, you immediately jump up, your eyes now 150 cm above the sand, and you can again just see the top of the Sun.

Step-by-step explanation

Step 1.

To see the Sun disappear, your line of sight to the Sun's zenith must be perpendicular to the Earth's surface. You begin by lying down at point A and witnessing the first sunset. Then you stand up, raising your eyes to h = 130 cm. Your line of sight is tangent to the Earth's surface at point B while you are standing, so that is the direction to the second sunset. The angle is the angle at which the Sun appears to move in relation to the Earth during the measurement period. The distance d is the distance between your eyes and point B when you are standing.