Brick Wall, Marked Reference, Camera
Monkey

 

Code Number: 8A30.70

Demo Title: Parallax

Condition: Good

Principle: Object Movement Against a Distant Background

Area of Study: Astronomy

Equipment: 

Monkey, patterned wall with some marked reference.

Procedure:

Place a camera on a long arm mount at one end of a rolling lecture table and the meter stick reference at the other end of that table.  Use the brick wall as a background.  Notice how the background moves as you rotate the camera on the long arm while looking at the meter stick. 

Place the monkey between the patterned wall with the black string reference and the observer.  Have the observer block one eye and note the reference point and then block the other eye and notice that the reference point changes in relation to the monkey.

Another way to do this is to move the monkey across the distant background.  Observers sitting in different places in the lecture room will have different views.

References:

  • Jeff Stephens, Melissa Bostjancic, and Tara Koskulitz, "A Study on Parallax Error in Video Analysis", TPT, Vol. 57, #3, Mar. 2019, p. 193.
  • Christopher Sirola, "Depth perception", TPT, Vol. 55, #3, Mar. 2017, p. 188.
  • Akshar Narain, "Measuring Astronomical Distances with Linear Programming", TPT, Vol. 53, #5, May 2015, p. 300.
  • Todd K. Timberlake, "Seeing Earth's Orbit in the Stars: Parallax and Aberration", TPT, Vol. 51, #8, Nov. 2013, p. 478.
  • David P. Stern, "Shipshape Battleships", TPT, Vol. 48, #6, Sept. 2010, p. 358.
  • Patrick Dishaw, "Author's Response", TPT, Vol. 48, #6, Sept. 2010, p. 358.
  • Jonathan Marr, "Measuring the Distance to an Outer Planet by Parallax with a Camera", TPT, Vol. 35, #1, Jan. 1997, p. 34.
  • Stephen J. Ratcliff et al., "The Measurement of Astronomical Parallaxes with CCD Imaging Cameras on Small Telescopes", AJP, Vol. 61, #3, Mar. 1993, p. 208.
  • Joe L. Ferguson, "More Parallax Without Pain", AJP, Vol. 45, #12, Dec. 1977, p. 1221.
  • Alan Spero, "Stellar Distances by Parallax and Relative Magnitude: A Laboratory Model", AJP, Vol. 45, #11, Nov. 1977, p. 1124.
  • W. A. Deutschman, "Parallax Without Pain", AJP, Vol. 45, #5, May 1977, p. 490.
  • Martin C. Sagendorf, "Parallax", Physics Demonstration Apparatus, 2009, p. 24.
  • Janice VanCleave, "Design a Way to Measure Parallax Shift and Use It to Determine the Distance to an Object", Super Science Challenges, p. 24.
  • Janice VanCleave, "61. Distant Stars", Astronomy for Every Kid - 101 Easy Experiments That Really Work, p. 134 - 135.
  • Janice VanCleave, "Parallax: Apparent Shift of an Object", A+ Projects in Astronomy, p. 172.
  • Isaac Asimov, "Smashing the Sky", Fantasy and Science Fiction Magazine, p. 132.
  • Janice VanCleave,"Shifting", 203 Icy, Freezing, Frosty, Cool, and Wild Experiments, p. 13.
  • D. Tattersfield, "7.32 Velocity of Recession", Project & Demonstrations in Astronomy, p. 176.
8A30.70 - Parallax