Parallax Lab Problem Part 1
Artificial Star
Lines of Sight
We are going to do a lab in your PJ (see Parallax Lab Entry) to
determine the distance from a point on your lab table to an
artificial star located at an inaccessible point in the room. You
will sight along the edges of the wooden sticks as shown and take
measurements.
For this HW, find the distance d to the artificial star using similar
triangles. Highlight the triangles you are going to use on the
diagram in different colors. Find d algebraically (no numbers
yet!) in terms of b1, b2 and x. (Please don’t invent your own
variables, you will annoy your classmates and make it hard to
check your findings. Start by making two similar triangles. Show
all steps in your derivation.
d
b2
x
Baseline
b1
d=