Tooltip
These resources have been reviewed and selected by STEM Learning’s team of education specialists for factual accuracy and relevance to teaching STEM subjects in UK schools.

Modelling: Depth of Water in a Tidal River

This excel file looks at using the sine curve to model the water depth in a tidal river.

The first interactive sheet shows how the Earth’s orbit around the Sun can be modelled by the sine curve. One or two cycles can be displayed. The second sheet shows how the sine curve can model a cycle which takes 24 hours to complete.

The next sheet demonstrates how the depth of water in a tidal river can be modelled. The high tide time, mean water level and difference between high and low tides can be adjusted, and their effects on the model can be seen. The equation of the curve can be shown, and random models can also be generated.

The following sheet contains questions on a set of seven different water depth models. Students can either calculate the equation of the model from given values, or, given the equation, work out the values for each model. The graph for each model can also be revealed and a new set of questions generated each time.

The file also includes five worksheets to be printed off and completed by students. Topics include various transformations of a range of functions, focussing on the sine curve. No solutions are included.

Note
This program was designed by be viewed on a screen with a resolution of 1024 x 768. Users may have to adjust the resolution of their screen for the pages to display as was originally intended. The program uses macros which need to be enabled on users’ machine.

Show health and safety information

Please be aware that resources have been published on the website in the form that they were originally supplied. This means that procedures reflect general practice and standards applicable at the time resources were produced and cannot be assumed to be acceptable today. Website users are fully responsible for ensuring that any activity, including practical work, which they carry out is in accordance with current regulations related to health and safety and that an appropriate risk assessment has been carried out.

Information on the permitted use of this resource is covered by the Category Three Content section in STEM Learning’s Terms and conditions.