Need some help with my BSc dissertation

[jamesa00789]

Hey.

I'm in my last year doing a degree in Physics, and this semester I have a project which is worth 1/3rd of this semester. I have chosen to do it on Global Positioning Systems.

My university hasn't given me much help for my project - they have literally been like "go away and do a project on GPS". I have spoken to my project supervisor and he has said I can basically do whatever I want with it, so everything seems all up in the air.

SO far I have calculated general and special relativistic effects for the satellites that orbit the earth. I have also loosely researched special and general relativity. My supervisor said not to go into special relativity because we pretty much know all we can about that.

He also said that GPS gives the most accurate test of general relativity, and said this would be a good thing to go into. After that he didn't give that much help.

I assume to get the top marks I need to analyse data, number crunch it and then calculate errors etc? It's quite hard to do that because obviously I can't send a satellite into space and measure my own results.

And I guess its hard to use lots of data for theoretical projects too.

If anyone can help me in anyway, or point me in the right direction I will be forever in your debt! I am very stuck and not sure what to do with my project.

Thank you!

 

[mark726]

Hi there,

First of all, congratulations on choosing such an interesting and relevant topic for your project! Global Positioning Systems (GPS) are a crucial part of our daily lives and understanding the science behind them is important.

It is unfortunate that your university has not provided much guidance for your project. However, as your project supervisor has said, this gives you the opportunity to explore the topic in your own way and come up with your own unique findings.

Since you have already looked into the general and special relativistic effects on GPS satellites, I would suggest focusing on the analysis of data and calculations. As you mentioned, it is not possible to send a satellite into space for your own measurements, but there is a lot of data available from previous experiments and studies.

One way to approach this could be to analyze the data from past experiments that have tested the accuracy of GPS in relation to general relativity. You can then compare this data with the predicted values from general relativity equations and calculate any discrepancies. This will give you a chance to apply your knowledge of general relativity to real-life data and possibly come up with your own conclusions or suggestions for further research.

Additionally, you can also explore the limitations of GPS in terms of general relativity and suggest ways to improve its accuracy. This could involve theoretical calculations and simulations, which can also contribute to your project.

In terms of getting top marks, it is important to have a clear and well-structured report that includes a thorough literature review, methodology, data analysis, and conclusions. Make sure to also include any uncertainties or errors in your calculations and explain how you accounted for them.

I hope this helps and gives you some direction for your project. Good luck!