would you expect a positive, a negative, or no association between the number of hours of daylight during a day and the number of hours of darkeness?
Generally, a negative association. When one is increasing, the other is decreasing, except in the very Northern or Southern latitudes where there is no sunrise or sunset for half the year.
All of the hours of a day are either daylight or darkness. In the Northern Hemisphere we have long nights and short days in the winter. We have short nights and long days in the summer.
What kind of association is this?
Thanks BobPursley!
A Negative Association?
To determine whether there is a positive, negative, or no association between the number of hours of daylight during a day and the number of hours of darkness, we can utilize our understanding of Earth's rotation and the concept of seasons.
The number of hours of daylight and darkness varies throughout the year due to the tilt of Earth's axis and its elliptical orbit around the Sun. In general, during summer in the northern hemisphere, daylight hours are longer, while during winter, daylight hours are shorter. The opposite is true for the southern hemisphere.
To examine the association between the number of hours of daylight and darkness, you can analyze historical data or consult an almanac that provides sunrise and sunset times for your location during different seasons or months. By comparing the data, you can determine whether there is a pattern or correlation.
If, during a specific timeframe or season, you observe that the number of daylight hours increases as the number of darkness hours decreases, you would expect a negative association. This pattern aligns with longer daylight hours during summer and shorter daylight hours during winter.
On the other hand, if the number of daylight hours decreases, while the number of darkness hours increases, it indicates a positive association. This trend would align with shorter daylight hours during summer and longer daylight hours during winter.
If there is no consistent pattern or association between the number of daylight and darkness hours, it suggests no correlation. This situation could occur during transitional periods like the equinoxes, where day and night are approximately equal in length.
It is worth mentioning that the specific association between daylight and darkness hours can vary depending on your location, the time of year, and your distance from the equator. Factors such as latitude and longitude, as well as the effects of seasonal changes, need to be considered when analyzing the daylight-darkness correlation.