Estimating Month Length - Tips from Owen

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In summary, Owen is asking for tips on how to estimate the length of a month as his lecturer has asked him to do so. He mentions different types of months and offers the synodic month as a possible option, which is approximately 29.530588853 days. He also mentions being asked to prove an equation and estimate the value of g[m], but is unsure how it relates to estimating the length of a month.
  • #1
Owen-
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Probably a very simple question, but my lecturer has asked me to estimate the length of a month.

Any tips on how to do this, because I'm kinda flummoxed :)

Thanks in advance,
Owen.
 
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  • #2
Length as in measure the distance traveled by Earth during a particular month?
 
  • #3
There are different kinds of months. Most likely you're talking about the synodic month which is about 29.530588853 days or 29 & 928 / 1749 days.
 
  • #4
Either the question is too simple to bother with or too vague to have a definite direction.
 
  • #5
Ok, I probably should have gone into more depth, even though I was asked simply: "Estimate the length of the month"

I was first asked to prove the equation of the gravitational field of the Earth = to the moons orbit (g[m).

Then I was asked to estimate the value of g[m

final question was to estimate the length of the month, its 4 marks, yet all i can think on is that its approx. 30 days, multiply by 86400 for the amount of seconds in a day...

It must have something to do with the moon, but I'm unsure how

Thanks again,
Owen.
 
  • #6
Yeah I think you need to calculate the Synodic period.
 

1. How do you determine the length of a month?

The length of a month is determined by the lunar cycle and the solar cycle. On average, a month is 30 days long, but some months have 31 days and February has 28 or 29 days.

2. Why does the length of a month vary?

The length of a month varies because the ancient Romans originally had a 10-month calendar with 304 days in a year. When they switched to a 12-month calendar, they had to add 61 days to make up for the difference. This resulted in some months having 31 days and some having 30.

3. How accurate is estimating the length of a month using the knuckle method?

The knuckle method is a rough estimation and is not always accurate. It is based on a 12-month calendar with 30 or 31 days per month. However, some months have 28 or 29 days, making this method less accurate.

4. Can the length of a month change?

Yes, the length of a month can change. For example, the month of February has 28 days most of the time, but in leap years it has 29 days. This is to account for the extra quarter day in the solar cycle.

5. Are there other methods for estimating the length of a month?

Yes, there are other methods for estimating the length of a month. One method is the Metonic cycle, which is a lunar cycle that repeats every 19 years. Another method is the Julian calendar, which adds an extra day in February every 4 years to account for the quarter day in the solar cycle.

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