Name: _________________________________

Knox Grammar
School
Teacher: _______________________________
2022

Year 9 Mathematics
Research Task /30

Work Booklet
Date of Submission: 26 October 2022 (Term 4, Week 3)

Instructions:
• All working and solutions to be completed inside this work booklet
• Hand in to your class teacher
• Refer to the marking rubrics for mark allocations

Outcomes:

MA5.1-1WM uses appropriate terminology, diagrams and symbols in

mathematical contexts
MA5.1-2WM selects and uses appropriate strategies to solve problems
MA5.1-3WM provides reasoning to support conclusions that are appropriate to
the context
MA5.1-10MG applies trigonometry, given diagrams, to solve problems, including
problems involving angles of elevation and depression
MA5.2-13MG applies trigonometry to solve problems, including problems
involving bearings
MA5.3-15MG applies Pythagoras’ theorem, trigonometric relationships, the sine
rule, the cosine rule and the area rule to solve problems, including
problems involving three dimensions

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 Activity 1: Investigating structures.
You are going to do a small investigation looking at the angle between the base
of a building and the tip.

Lets look at the Empire State Building.

a) Using the internet (or otherwise) find the following dimensions of the
Empire State Building.

- Width: _________________

- Base: ____________________

- Height:___________________

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You are now going to use trigonometry to find the angle between the base and
the top of the building. To do this we will use the following formula’s:

height height
Angle = tan −1 ( ) and Angle = tan −1 ( )
half     
of the base half     
of the width

b) In the space below, find the angles (correct to the nearest degree)
between the base and width of the Empire State Building and the height
using the two formula’s above. Show all working.

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 c) Now, choose your own structure. Paste a photo of your structure below
and name your structure. See if you can find a structure with the closest
angle to 90 ° .

Name of structure:

Photo:

d) Using the internet (or otherwise), find the dimensions of your structure
and write them in the spaces below.

Width: _________________

Base: ____________________

Height:___________________

e) In the space below, find the angles between the base and width of the
structure and the height using the two formula’s below. Show all
working.

height height
Angle = tan −1 ( ) and Angle = tan −1 ( )
half     
of the base half     
of the width

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 Activity 2: Tidal Waves
Introduction

The tide is caused by the pull of the sun and the moon, alongside the rotation of the
earth. The pattern of it also depends on the shape of the coast and the sea floor making
calculations of the tide at any given location extremely difficult.

We can however, look at the height of the tide over a period of time and use these
measurements to predict tides in the future.

1. Start by accessing the website as follows: http://tbone.biol.sc.edu/tide/sitesel.html

2. Select ONE of the following regions displayed on the page and then click on it.

3. Then choose a site from the next page.

Do NOT choose a site that ends in “Current”.
Example:
Do NOT choose a basin, bay or river.

a) List the region that you have chosen below:

_________________________________________________________

4. Scroll down to the end of page and select the prompt:

“Make a Prediction Using Options”

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5. Set the following three options:
- Change “Select Presentation Options” to 3 days
- Select tide height units: Click on meters
- Change “Starting Time and Time Display Options” to start sometime between October
1 and December 1, 2022 at 00:00.

6. Click on “Make Prediction Using Options”

7. Screenshot the data (just the first page) that shows the dates, times and tidal heights
and paste it below. Be sure that you have two high tides and two low tides for ALL
THREE days. Ideally, you’ll want the tide to have some variation (at least 2 or 3 metres).

Insert your screenshot in the space below:

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8. For the times of the low and high tides for each of the three days (found in the second
column above), complete the table below by converting all those times (hours and
minutes) into decimal hours by dividing the minutes by 60 and round to 2 decimal
places. Example 02:45 EDT = 2.75

Time Decimal Hours

9. Complete the table below which displays the time and tide height from Day 1 to
Day 3.
Your project begins at “time 00.00 on Day 1 and ends with time 72.00 on Day 3”. You
need to add 24 hours to all your times on Day 2 and 48 hours to all your times on Day 3
before you graph, so that your x-values run from 1 -72.

Fill in the table below.

Day Time (in decimal hours) Tidal Height (in metres)

Day 1
Day 1
Day 1
Day 1
Day 2
Day 2
Day 2
Day 2
Day 3
Day 3
Day 3
Day 3

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10. Enter the second and third column in Excel. Make sure you include the Headings.

Insert your screenshot of your Excel table in the space below:

11. Using Excel, graph the data from your table. Use time for the independent
variable (x-axis) and tide height for the dependent variable (y-axis).
Click on Insert and click on the Scatterplot in the “Charts section”, click the drop down
arrow as indicated below.

Click on the Scatterplot “Scatter with Smooth lines and Markers” as indicated by the
arrow below.

Make sure you write a suitable title for your graph and provide headings for the x and y
axes.

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Copy/Print and paste your graph in the space below.

12. Which trigonometric function does your tidal graph resemble?

13. Briefly describe your tidal graph by commenting on the shape of your graph,
describing two patterns that you see.

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14. Using Desmos, or another equivalent graphing software, copy/paste below the
graph of either:
y = sin ( x ) or y = cos ( x )

You will notice there are similarities between the graph you have plotted and the
Trigonometric functions. This graphs will be explored further as you enter Year 10, but
as you can see, we can model real-life events with the processes we use in Maths.

15. If an event such as a tsunami or other large tidal situation occurs, what impact do
you feel this may have on your graph? (Particularly the peaks and troughs).

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 Activity 1: Investigating structures Marking Rubric

Question Criteria & Marking Allocation

a) Dimensions of the Empire width 1
State Building
base 1

height 1

no dimensions/inaccurate dimensions 0

b) Find the angle between the Angle 1:

base and the top of the empire
state building Substituted into the formula correctly 1

Used a calculator to round to the nearest degree 1

Incorrect answer/ Only answer shown 0

Angle 2:

Substituted into the formula correctly 1

Incorrect answer/ Only answer shown 0

c) Information on your chosen Name of structure 1

structure
Photo pasted 1

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d) Dimensions of own structure width 1

base 1

height 1

no dimensions/inaccurate dimensions 0
e) Find the angle between the Angle 1:
base and the top of your chosen
structure Substituted into the formula correctly 1

Incorrect answer/ Only answer shown 0

Angle 2:

Substituted into the formula correctly 1

Incorrect answer/ Only answer shown 0

*Bonus (found a structure with angle closest to 90°) 1

TOTAL OUT OF 13

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 Activity 2: Tidal Waves Marking Rubric

Question Criteria & Marking Allocation

3a) Name of region
Region chosen was listed 1

Did not list region 0

7) Screenshot of data showing the dates, times and tidal

heights Screenshot pasted and is clear 1

Did not paste screenshot/incorrect data pasted 0

8) Converting times into decimal hours

Completed the table accurately with no errors 2

Completed the table accurately with minor errors 1

Table incomplete/non attempt 0

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9) Time in decimal hours for the three days and tidal
height Tidal height correctly entered for each day 1

Decimal Time for Day 1 correctly entered 1

Added 24 to Decimal Time for Day 2 correctly 1

Added 48 to Decimal Time for Day 3 correctly 1

Non attempt 0

11) Graphing your tidal heights

Pasted graph done on Excel 1

Suitable title 1

Suitable heading on x and y axes 1

12) Identifying the trigonometric function

Correctly names the trigonometric function 1

Incorrectly names the trigonometric function 0

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13) Describing your tidal graph
Describes the graph using terms such as non linear 1
graph, smooth curve

Incorrectly describes the graph 0

Identifies two patterns in the graph 2

Identifies one pattern in the graph 1

Incorrectly identifies the two patterns of the graph 0

14) Graphing the sine or cosine curve using graphing Pasted the sine or cosine graph using 1
software graphing software

No sine or cosine graph shown 0

15) Impact of a large tidal situation on your graph Correctly describes the changes in the peaks 1
and troughs should a large tidal situation occurs

Incorrectly describes the changes to the graph 0

Did not describe the changes to the graph 0

TOTAL OUT OF 17

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