Grade 10 Math Has Begun

Our first math unit of grade 10 has come to a close after two long months. We kicked things off this year with some trigonometry. One question we focused on was, what can trigonometry be used for in the world around us? As you may have notices, there’s not a ton of triangles out in nature but they’re one of the most common shapes used in architecture and design since they’re the strongest shape.

Using them in construction and design was where we focused on for this unit’s project. We were working with solar panels, what their ideal angle’s are to the sun based on latitude and season changes.

Our first step in this project was doing a lab. We were given a divider, some blocks, a small solar panel and a certain area in the roon, and we had to figure out what number of blocks it took to prop up the divider and solar panel to for it to have the highest amount of energy intake OR what the IDEAL ANGLE created by the blocks to the light is.

Optimal Angles
Documentation Chart

Our project was to expand upon that lab by making a model of a house with a solar panel on it and explain why you put it at that angle. One of the other aspects we were working with all unit were trig ratios so our house also had to have measurements that could be scaled to a full size house.

Deep Cove, North Vancouver, Canada

This was where I set my house. At 49.3268° N, 122.9520° W. or just simply, Deep Cove. The coordinates are crucial to this project because what I learned from my research was that to find the best angle for you to mount your solar panel at, you take your latitude and during the winter you add 15 degrees, and for the summer, you take off 15 degrees. In this case: 49.3268° N, and -15° in summer, and add +15° in winter.

For this project we had one of two options, to create a physical model or expand our skills and try a 3D model on our iPads. I was one of the two people in the class who did a digital model.

Yes there was a ton of math involved but for me the hardest part was figuring out all of the different 3D design apps and trying to pick one that worked best, I settled on 3DC it’s super simple but let’s just say that saving your work upon completion is the hardest part…

Our last section for this trigonometry unit was to include a write up explaining our model, choice of location and panel angles, ratios, relativity to the sun, if it had somehting to do with the project, it’s in there.

Overall I really enjoyed this project, no matter how long it lasted, can’t believe the year’s a fifth of the way over, anyways that’s beside the point. I took a lot away from this unit, not only am I now able to create optimal angles in my sleep but I also came across a new technical skill when it comes to 3D modelling, something that could come in handy for future FLIGHT projects. Sorry, PLP projects.

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