longest day?

[cameo]

Can someone please help me help my 10 year old daughter with her homework?

Find out the length of the longest day.
Find out the length of the shortest day.

I have tried to look on google but I seem to be getting blinded by science.

All help gratefully recieved

[jake-the-peg]

Here's a calculator put in your lattitude (london's about 51) and the day of the year.

http://www.qpais.co.uk/modb-iec/dayleng.htm

[Clanad]

Look up solstices as here, for example:

http://www.wyrdology.com/festivals/solstice/in dex.html

A link at the bottom will help determine the length of of the day for each...

[Clanad]

Sorry, jake... you weren't there when I clicked submit...

[cameo]

Thankyou both for your very quick replies but I seem to be having a bit of a 'doofus' moment. With either of those links I don't seem to be able to calculate exactly how long the longest day is, or the shortest.

I'm tempted to tell her that they are both 24 hours long!!!

But then again that wouldn't be very grown up of me!!!

[Gef]

There is a downloadable Excel spreadsheet here.

http://dc.metblogs.com/archives/2006/12/the_lo ngest_nig.phtml

If you type in the latitude of where you live it gives the lenght of the longest and shortest days.

If you need any help just tell me where you live and I'll do it for you.

[HWKE]

It seems a bit difficult for a ten year old! Could it be a catch question and the answer is 25 hours and 23 hours (when the clocks go back and forwards)?
It would certainly get full marks from me!

[Peter Pedant]

and boys and gurlz

we have some linguistic confusion here

day can mean length of day light, and that apparently is the day we get from Swedish (is that dag?) and gives us the day in the words of Friday, Thursday (wh everyone thinks is from Latin dies)

and day meaning length of 24hrs day, which we get from the Latin dies

I asked a Swede and he said, yeah everyone knows that.

[cameo]

Gef, I went on your link and did it for London, I got:
longest day 16hrs 27 mins
shortest day 7hrs 32 mins
I think I did it right!!

HWKE, I agree that this is too difficult for a 10 year old. I think it probably is a trick question. I will explain it to my daughter and she can give both answers in.

Thankyou all for your quick and helpful replies.
this is my first visit to the science section, I'll definately be back!!!

[Gef]

Glad to help cameo. Let us know how your daughter gets on.