answersLogoWhite

0


Best Answer

Leaving aside the fuzziness caused by atmospheric diffraction the curve (called the Terminator!) is really a straight line running North-South. North and South in this context are "poles" perpendicular to the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun and should not be confused with the geographic or magnetic N and S.

Unfortunately for map makers, the earth is approximately spherical and so they need to use some form of projection to represent the earth on a 2-dimensional (flat) surface. This process distorts the geography of the earth. For example, the most commonly used projection, the Mercator projection, greatly exaggerates the size of the polar regions with this exaggeration reducing as one moves towards the equator. Other projections introduce other distortions. Since the earth's axis is tilted, the NS for the Terminator are different from the geographic NS and as a result the terminator appears as a curve. Its exact shape is determined by the projection used even though in reality it is a straight line.

User Avatar

Wiki User

10y ago
This answer is:
User Avatar

Add your answer:

Earn +20 pts
Q: Which type of function best represents the curve that divides the area of night from the area of daylight?
Write your answer...
Submit
Still have questions?
magnify glass
imp
Continue Learning about Trigonometry

What is the domain of a sine curve?

The domain of the sine function is all real numbers, or (-∞, ∞). Note the curly brackets around this interval, when a domain or range includes positive or negative infinity, it is never inclusive.


What is the Mathematical definition of tangent?

There is a numerical Function every mathematician knows about it and that is, when the Ratio Factor of two consecutive Numbers is powered by smaller one:[(n+1)/n]^n and as it is known there would be a limit for greater decimals but ever increasing in smaller decimals(value) generally said : related Curve tends toward increase.But if the same Ratio Factor is powered by (n+1),the Function would be a decreasing one,tending to approach previous Function's Curve, never having same result for a specific (n) in their smallest Decimals ever.I call this two Functions as .To me appears that this Model could be the most satisfactory concept of mathematical Tangent.


Sketch a Tangent Functions?

A tangent function is a trigonometric function that describes the ratio of the side opposite a given angle in a right triangle to the side adjacent to that angle. In other words, it describes the slope of a line tangent to a point on a unit circle. The graph of a tangent function is a periodic wave that oscillates between positive and negative values. To sketch a tangent function, we can start by plotting points on a coordinate plane. The x-axis represents the angle in radians, and the y-axis represents the value of the tangent function. The period of the function is 2π radians, so we can plot points every 2π units on the x-axis. The graph of the tangent function is asymptotic to the x-axis. It oscillates between positive and negative values, crossing the x-axis at π/2 and 3π/2 radians. The graph reaches its maximum value of 1 at π/4 and 7π/4 radians, and its minimum value of -1 at 3π/4 and 5π/4 radians. In summary, the graph of the tangent function is a wave that oscillates between positive and negative values, crossing the x-axis at π/2 and 3π/2 radians, with a period of 2π radians.


How do you find amplitude in trigonometry?

The amplitude of a sine (or cosine) curve is the difference between the maximum and minimum values of the curve, measured over a whole cycle.


How get degree of curvature?

The degree of curvature measures how much a curve deviates from a straight line. It is commonly used in mathematics, engineering, and surveying. Two common methods are the circular curve method and differential geometry. The circular curve method determines the degree of curvature by measuring the central angle subtended by a 100-foot arc along the curve. The differential geometry approach calculates the curvature at each point on the curve and integrates these values to find the total degree of curvature. The specific method used depends on the field and context. Consult relevant resources or experts for detailed instructions.

Related questions

An exponential growth function represents a quantity that has a constant halving time?

That would be an exponential decay curve or negative growth curve.


What graph represents a scenario with only one solution?

A graph in which the curve of an appropriate function crosses the x-axis only once. The curve could be of any shape.


Why do shadows curve in daylight?

because of the suns direction


Is the graph of a curve a function?

The graph if a function can be a curve, but it can also be any one of a ton of other shapes.


The short term aggregate supply curve represents the relationship between what?

the IS curve represents the combination of interest rates and outputs that put the goods market in equilibrium


How do you convert a sine curve function to a cosine curve function?

One way is to shift it to the left by a quarter of the period.


What is a logistic function or curve?

A logistic function or curve is a mathematical function having an S shape, known as sigmoid curve. The name was given by Pierre Francois Verhulst in either the year of 1844 or 1845.


What is a demand curve and how it is different from demand function?

The demand curve demonstrates what happens when a product is demanded by customers. A demand function refers to an event that can affect the demand curve.


What does the area under the curve equal?

The are under the curve on the domain (a,b) is equal to the integral of the function at b minus the integral of the function at a


What is a tolerance curve?

A tolerance curve is the range of conditions within which the organism can live and function.


What is the difference between a probability density curve and cummulative distribution function?

what is density curve


What is the function of a standard french curve?

french curve is used to connect arce and semi-circles, such as the neckline, armholes , and collar. it is either made of flat metal or wood.