Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Current Events #3
For current events I researched the article, Electric Imp Will Connect Everything to the Internet. This invention can make literally anything connect to the internet including a fridge, lamp, garden-watering system, and hail/rain/snow detecter to know if it will rain or not. People are really excited for this new cool invention because they are saying it will make their lives a whole lot easier. The Electric Imp well actually came out on May 16th, 2012 according to the posting day. The Imp works by connecting to basically anything then these circuit boards inside of the Imp start up therefore creating internet. Apparently the company is also working on native Imp slots. However there have been some other companies making a device that can connect anything to the internet such as IBM's Mote Runner but it needs wires to be plugged into an outlet. That is why the Imp is better because it doesn't need any outlets to be plugged into and it doesn't need any hardware or software at all. However there is a little bit of software required but it is very simple, using drag-and-drop graphics to set up commands. The Imp is also easily programmed and users will be able to visit a hub to share ideas that they found. A team can immediately set up the device for you to watch something that you need to watch when you are not there. A developer bundle is expected to be released next month. For the Imp cards cost $25 and circuit boards cost between $10 and $25 depending on how many bells or whistles that you would want. If I had this special Imp I would use it for many thing in my life. I could use this Imp whenever we go out to dinner to watch my dog and my house just in case someone breaks in or my dog decides to go to the bathroom on the rug. I really do wish that I had the Electric Imp it will make my life and the lives of others much, much easier. http://www.popsci.com/diy/article/2012-05/new-electric-imp-build-your-own-internet-things
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Current Events #2
For current events I researched the article, Using Magnetic Bacteria to Construct the Biocomputer of the Future. Researching this article made me more aware of the science of technology. During this article I learned that computers are becoming more and more difficult to make. Therefore researchers from the UK and Tokyo are developing ways to make computers to run on magnetic bacteria. They have already made little computer components with this bacteria similar to the conventional computers. The bacteria that they use is called Magnetospirillum magneticum which is a naturally occurring microorganism that lives in under water environments. When the bacteria eats some iron then it produces tiny crystals of mineral magnetite within itself. They think by giving them iron they can help run the future minuscule hard drives. However it is challenging to make these kinds of things like churning it out into regular shaped blocks of it. Basically they are trying to make things that produce electricity through cell membrane. They are more like nano scale tubes that are highly biocompatible. This however opens doors to knew ideas including health medicines for diseases. It also can aid in the biocompatible computers to help perform surgery. Someone said maybe they can make a bacterium that could be integrated into a spinning ferrofluid to store information like the neutral network we use.
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-05/using-magnetic-bacteria-builders-researchers-could-construct-biocomputer-future
http://www.popsci.com/science/article/2012-05/using-magnetic-bacteria-builders-researchers-could-construct-biocomputer-future
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Current Events
Title: New Plastic Bleeds Red When Scratched, Then Heals Itself Like Skin.
This current event is about a man named Mark W. Urban who creates a plastic that is like a skin. This plastic bleeds red when scratched and then heals itself. This invention is very unique which probably made it a news story. Also, it is extremely hard to make self healing materials and it is one of the most biggest current research areas in materials science. When the plastic is scratched or cutmolecular bridges break you could then see a visible color change in this case a red blotch. This project was made in the University of Southern Mississippi and then presented in San Diego. This event happened on March 26, 2012. This event happened because it was very hard to do and someone actually did it exceedingly well.
I believe that this idea or invention was very remarkable and unique. Also when I was reading down the page to find an article my eyes locked onto this one. It also explained what happened when it got cut or scratched and how the bridges would break and release the red blotch. Anyone who read this article would of had a perfect understanding about. It just shocks me that people could actually make self healing plastics. This article also expressed modern day science at its best. Maybe some day they will make a material that could heal anything on earth. I wish that I could see this plastic heal itself it must be an amazing sight.
http://wanderlustmind.com/2012/03/27/new-plastic-bleeds-red-when-scratched-then-heals-itself-like-skin/
This current event is about a man named Mark W. Urban who creates a plastic that is like a skin. This plastic bleeds red when scratched and then heals itself. This invention is very unique which probably made it a news story. Also, it is extremely hard to make self healing materials and it is one of the most biggest current research areas in materials science. When the plastic is scratched or cutmolecular bridges break you could then see a visible color change in this case a red blotch. This project was made in the University of Southern Mississippi and then presented in San Diego. This event happened on March 26, 2012. This event happened because it was very hard to do and someone actually did it exceedingly well.
I believe that this idea or invention was very remarkable and unique. Also when I was reading down the page to find an article my eyes locked onto this one. It also explained what happened when it got cut or scratched and how the bridges would break and release the red blotch. Anyone who read this article would of had a perfect understanding about. It just shocks me that people could actually make self healing plastics. This article also expressed modern day science at its best. Maybe some day they will make a material that could heal anything on earth. I wish that I could see this plastic heal itself it must be an amazing sight.
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
States of Matter Labs
The first lab that we did was the pouring a gas lab. Carbon dioxide is colorless and odorless that dose not support burning. Carbon dioxide can be easily made using a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Heres what you have to do. First you must take a small candle, then you light it with a match use caution matches are dangerous. Make sure the candle is standing upright in a small dish. Second pour some vinegar into a glass. Then take a little baking soda and pour it into the glass with the vinegar. Notice it will begin to bubble this is an example of a chemical change. Then tip the glass slightly near the flame make sure no liquid touches the flame. You should notice that the flame immediately go's out because the carbon dioxide cut off its supply of oxygen. Without oxygen the fire was not able to burn.
The second lab that we did was the observing a candle lab. We are trying to find out how physical and chemical properties can be distinguished. The materials needed to do this lab are a small candle, matches, a metric ruler, a candle holder or empty food can, and sand. The procedure of this lab first is to create a data table on a seperate sheet of paper. Then you must observe the candle and list the chemical and physical properties of it. You may have observed that the physical properties and chemical properties of the unlit candle were that it is white, soft, and waxy. Some senses that may have been used during your observations of the unlit candle are touch, see, and smell Then you may either place the candle in the candle holder or fill a food can with sand make sure that the candle is securely in position. Now light the candle and observe it and at the same time list the chemical and physical properties of the lighted candle. You may have observed that the lighted candle has gotten smaller in size and shiny. A chemical property that was observed during this lab was the lighting of the candle. The evidence of this chemical change are the flame and the smoke. The difference between a physical property and chemical property is that a physical property you are able to tell with your five senses. A chemical property however is doing something to an object to make it produce a chemical. A physical property can be observed without changing the substance. In my opinion a physical change is easier to discover then a chemical change because a physical change is just as easy as saying what the object is or what the object feels like.
The third lab that we did was the marshmallow fun lab. Take a small marshmallow and observe it then take a large marshmallow and observe it. You may have observed that the small marshmallow is soft, white, creamy, sweet, and delicous. The large marshmallow probably has the same observations as the small marshmallow. Take a small marsmallow and rip it in half you then just completed a physical change. Once you eat your marshmallow you will taste sweetness and delicousness. Take a bunsen burner and place the marshmallow over it. After the marshmallow has been burned the black it probably tastes pretty bad and chalky and maybe even a little bit ashy too. The type of change that was just performed is called a chemical change because we turned the marsmallow into two substances ash and marshmallow. A marshmallow is a solid because the molecules are packed closely together.
The final lab that we did was the burning sugar lab. The materials needed were four sugar cubes, a glass of water, a spoon, a mortar and pestle, a bunsen burner, a test tube, and tongs. Now take one of the sugar cubes you will observe its size: small, shape: cube, color: white, taste: sweet, hardness: hard, texture: crystalline, and rough. Then take two sugar cubes and crush them with the mortar and pestle. The sugar changed by turning into a powder this is a physical change. The sugar has not been chemically changed yet. Then take the sugar and pour into the glass of water then stir it with a spoon. As you will notice in the glass of water that the sugar is not still visible the sugar has changed physically. However when you taste the glass of water the sugar is still present. Another way that you could tell that the sugar is still present is to let it sit in the cup. Then come back later then you will notice the sugar sitting on the bottom of the glass. After that take two sugar cubes and place them into a test tube. Then light the bunsen burner use caution when lighting. Take the tongs to pick up the test tube with the tongs and place it carefully over the bunsen burner and let the sugar burn. You will notice the sugar sticking to the sides of the glass when burning. You will also see brown liquid bubbling that is the melting sugar. Once it has stopped boiling you will notice the sugar turned into black crystals the crystals are know as carbon. These were the most fun labs that I have ever done I really wish that we can do more of these in the future.
The second lab that we did was the observing a candle lab. We are trying to find out how physical and chemical properties can be distinguished. The materials needed to do this lab are a small candle, matches, a metric ruler, a candle holder or empty food can, and sand. The procedure of this lab first is to create a data table on a seperate sheet of paper. Then you must observe the candle and list the chemical and physical properties of it. You may have observed that the physical properties and chemical properties of the unlit candle were that it is white, soft, and waxy. Some senses that may have been used during your observations of the unlit candle are touch, see, and smell Then you may either place the candle in the candle holder or fill a food can with sand make sure that the candle is securely in position. Now light the candle and observe it and at the same time list the chemical and physical properties of the lighted candle. You may have observed that the lighted candle has gotten smaller in size and shiny. A chemical property that was observed during this lab was the lighting of the candle. The evidence of this chemical change are the flame and the smoke. The difference between a physical property and chemical property is that a physical property you are able to tell with your five senses. A chemical property however is doing something to an object to make it produce a chemical. A physical property can be observed without changing the substance. In my opinion a physical change is easier to discover then a chemical change because a physical change is just as easy as saying what the object is or what the object feels like.
The third lab that we did was the marshmallow fun lab. Take a small marshmallow and observe it then take a large marshmallow and observe it. You may have observed that the small marshmallow is soft, white, creamy, sweet, and delicous. The large marshmallow probably has the same observations as the small marshmallow. Take a small marsmallow and rip it in half you then just completed a physical change. Once you eat your marshmallow you will taste sweetness and delicousness. Take a bunsen burner and place the marshmallow over it. After the marshmallow has been burned the black it probably tastes pretty bad and chalky and maybe even a little bit ashy too. The type of change that was just performed is called a chemical change because we turned the marsmallow into two substances ash and marshmallow. A marshmallow is a solid because the molecules are packed closely together.
The final lab that we did was the burning sugar lab. The materials needed were four sugar cubes, a glass of water, a spoon, a mortar and pestle, a bunsen burner, a test tube, and tongs. Now take one of the sugar cubes you will observe its size: small, shape: cube, color: white, taste: sweet, hardness: hard, texture: crystalline, and rough. Then take two sugar cubes and crush them with the mortar and pestle. The sugar changed by turning into a powder this is a physical change. The sugar has not been chemically changed yet. Then take the sugar and pour into the glass of water then stir it with a spoon. As you will notice in the glass of water that the sugar is not still visible the sugar has changed physically. However when you taste the glass of water the sugar is still present. Another way that you could tell that the sugar is still present is to let it sit in the cup. Then come back later then you will notice the sugar sitting on the bottom of the glass. After that take two sugar cubes and place them into a test tube. Then light the bunsen burner use caution when lighting. Take the tongs to pick up the test tube with the tongs and place it carefully over the bunsen burner and let the sugar burn. You will notice the sugar sticking to the sides of the glass when burning. You will also see brown liquid bubbling that is the melting sugar. Once it has stopped boiling you will notice the sugar turned into black crystals the crystals are know as carbon. These were the most fun labs that I have ever done I really wish that we can do more of these in the future.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Hot Plate Procedure
Procedure
1. Take the cup of the seven different objects then pour the water into the funnel into the beaker.
2. In the cup separate the objects that can be separated into groups such as the toothpicks, the pebbles, the clear rock, and the sand.
3. Then you plug in the hot plate and put the beaker on the top of it; let the water sit there till all of the water has evaporated.
4. Take the magnet and hover it over the objects. You will notice pieces of metal filings sticking to the magnet.
5. Once the water has finished evaporating you will notice salt at the bottom of the beaker.
6. Be careful, take the tongs to remove the beaker away from the hot plate.
7. Do not forget to unplug the hot plate when finished removing the beaker.
8. Check that you have all of the objects: water, toothpicks, pebbles, clear rock, sand, metal filings, and salt.
9. CLEAN UP!!!
1. Take the cup of the seven different objects then pour the water into the funnel into the beaker.
2. In the cup separate the objects that can be separated into groups such as the toothpicks, the pebbles, the clear rock, and the sand.
3. Then you plug in the hot plate and put the beaker on the top of it; let the water sit there till all of the water has evaporated.
4. Take the magnet and hover it over the objects. You will notice pieces of metal filings sticking to the magnet.
5. Once the water has finished evaporating you will notice salt at the bottom of the beaker.
6. Be careful, take the tongs to remove the beaker away from the hot plate.
7. Do not forget to unplug the hot plate when finished removing the beaker.
8. Check that you have all of the objects: water, toothpicks, pebbles, clear rock, sand, metal filings, and salt.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
EXTRA CREDIT
For the extra credit I am going to connect a book to my blog. The book that I am going to connect is called "Slob." It is about a 12 year old boy named Owen Birnbaum who is obese but really intelligent and he builds a TV that shows the past. The book talks about his school life and home life. At school Owen is made fun of a lot but he is brave and ignores the name calling. The reason why he is building the TV is to try and see something that happened two years ago. Also Owen has a mean gym coach who always tries to humiliate him. Owen always gets three Oreo cookies as his snack but all of the sudden they keep on disappearing. This book relates to science because Owen uses science to build his TV. Also this relates to science because Owen is obese from eating to much junk food and one of the topics was about the body and to keep your body healthy by eating the right foods. I look forward to reading more of this excellent book!
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