What Physics Project Ideas Incorporate Calculus and Astronomy?

[Agent M27]

I am currently in Calculus 2 for engineers and my Uni is attempting a new program. This is a program by which a student can exempt themself from taking the final exam, replacing it with a project from within their department so long as it makes use of Calculus topics. I have completed the first sequence of general physics and was looking for some ideas that would be within the reach of someone with this level of experience. I also have a strong interest in astronomy/astrophysics and would like to possibly incoroporate that some how. I will have the entire semester to work on this project and it will need to be published in my Uni's science journal. Thanks in advance. I will be meeting with my physics professor later this week but I wanted to have at least two ideas to pitch before the meeting. Take care.

Joe

 

[R.Mesri]

,For your project, you could investigate the mathematical models used in astronomy and astrophysics. You could look into Kepler's laws of planetary motion, Newton's law of gravity, or even more complex models such as the Friedmann-Lemaître-Robertson-Walker metric. You could explore how these models are used to explain phenomena such as the orbits of planets, the expansion of the universe, and the formation of galaxies. You could also investigate the mathematics behind the detection of exoplanets to see how calculus is used in this field. Another idea would be to look into the mathematical methods used to calculate the trajectories of spacecrafts. This could include looking into topics such as the two-body problem, orbital mechanics, and the energy equations for a rocket. You could also investigate the mathematics used to calculate the time of flight, fuel requirements, and other parameters needed for a successful mission.I hope this helps you get started on your project! Good luck!