Question

Sunspots are relatively ""cool"" regions on the sun that appear as dark spots when observed through special solar filters. The number of sunspots varies in an 11 -year cycle. The table gives the average daily sunspot count for the years 1975-2004 (c) Graph the function you found in part (b) together with the scatter plot. year sunspots year sunspots 1975 16 1990 143 1976 13 1991 146 1977 28 1992 94 1978 93 1993 55 1979 155 1994 30 1980 155 1995 18 1981 140 1996 9 1982 116 1997 21 1983 67 1998 64 1984 46 1999 93 1985 18 2000 119 1986 13 2001 111 1987 29 2002 104 1988 100 2003 64 1989 158 2004 40

Answer 1

Sunspots show a cyclical pattern with an average length of 11 years, with varying numbers of sunspots that can exceed 100 during peaks. The sunspot cycle affects the dark, cooler spots on the Sun's surface that could shine as brightly as the full moon if viewed separately from the Sun.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sunspots, which are cooler regions on the Sun's surface, show periodic variation in number, commonly referred to as the sunspot cycle. This cycle has an average length of about 11 years, but the time between successive maxima can range from 9 to 14 years.

During this cycle, the number of sunspots can fluctuate significantly, with over 100 spots often visible at peak times. Despite their dark appearance, an average sunspot would be about as bright as the full moon if isolated against the night sky. To graph the average daily sunspot count alongside a scatter plot as requested in the question, one would need to plot the years on the horizontal axis and the sunspot counts on the vertical axis, showing the trend of the sunspot cycle over the years provided.