ADVANCED EXERCISES-Modelling with Trigonometric Functions

(2) The Bay of Fundy is reported to have the largest tides in the world, with the difference between low and high level being as much as 15 meters. Suppose at a particular point in the Bay of Fundy, the depth of the water, y, in meters, as a function of time, t, in hours, from midnight on January 1, 1994, is given by

y = y0 + a cos[b(t - t0)].
  1. What is the physical meaning of y0?
  2. What is the value of a?
  3. What is the value of b? Assume the time between successive high tides is 12.5 hours.
  4. What is the physical meaning of t0? 
HINT: For (a), think of how  the "cos" part of the formula contributes to y. 



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