Scale Height Lab

Scale Height Lab is a parameter used to describe how something fades away with increasing distance – it is the distance over which a quantity decreases by a factor of 1/e. It is exclusively applied to planetary atmospheres in this lab, but is certainly used in many other contexts.

First time users of NAAP materials should read the NAAP Labs – General Overview page.

This lab has been designed for astronomy and physics students with some basic mathematical skills (algebraic competence, knowledge of exponential functions, and a willingness to follow along with calculus). It is NOT appropriate for introductory descriptive astronomy students. This lab was down for a while due to the retirement of a MathML server, it is now functional again.

Scale Height Student Guide (pdf)

• Definition of Scale Height
• Atmospheric Elevation Simulator
• Atmospheric Contents Simulator
• Meteoroid Impact Background
• Meteor Impacts Simulator
• Spherical Cow Issues