Embedded Files
Note: Diagram not to scale.
Setup
Setup
In this experiment, the angle of the detector relative to the ground was changed to measure the effect of the angle at which the detector is positioned on the rate of cosmic particle detection.
The detector was run in coincidence mode with an heading of N52W. All tests were run at night in minimal light conditions. Each angle measure was tested for a total of four minutes.
An angle measure of θ = 0 means that the detector is horizontal to the ground, whereas an angle measure of θ = 90 means that the detector is perpendicular to the ground.
As the effect of a changing angle is being measured, it is expected that the graph should have a visible sinusoidal trend.
Results
Results
As predicted, the graph appears to be sinusoidal.
While the margin of error between certain sets of two points may be too high to draw conclusions from, the highest and lowest points on the graph differ enough for the conclusion to be drawn that a more vertical detector orientation yields a higher rate of cosmic particle detection.
This discovery suggests that of the cosmic particles that can be detected at the earth's surface, more of them are traveling at angles closer to a perpendicular orientation relative to the ground than at other angles.
Experiment Setup - Photo
Experiment Setup - Photo
Note: The photo is a reconstruction of the original experiment designed to give viewers a better understanding of the experiment setup. As it is a reconstruction, all and any values displayed in the photo (heading, light level, angle, surroundings, etc.) are not to be considered as true to the original experiment.
Note: The original experiment was conducted at night to minimize light pollution. It was reconstructed during the day for better photo quality. Additionally, the angle at which the detector is rotated is not a representation of any of the angle measures tested in the original experiment.
Google Sites
Report abuse