18-10-2010, 02:57 PM
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Satellite Imagery
An Unusual Approach to Introducing Physics
A Princeton University “Freshman Seminar” created by Dan Marlow and
Eric Prebys
Why focus on weather satellites?
Although it sounds like an obscure hobbyist’s niche, this topic will allow us to highlight a wide variety of basic physics topics, including…
Newton’s laws and Kepplerian orbits (rocket and satellite motion).
Basic optics (image formation)
Electromagnetic waves (signal transmission)
Signal encoding (amplitude modulation, frequency modulation)
Fundamental electronics (construction of the FM receiver)
Computerized data acquisition and analysis (decoding the signal and displaying the picture)
Dynamics of weather (convection, Coriolis force, etc).