Thursday, June 14, 2012
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Friday, April 13, 2012
Crush the Castle 2
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Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Current Events March 28, 2012
The article I decided to research was the "New 'Thermal' Approach To Invisibility Cloaking Hides Heat to Enhance Technology" article.On March 26, 2012, a team of French researchers proposed the idea of "thermal cloaking". The concept here is that the scientists will develop a technology that will isolate or 'cloak' objects from sources of heat. This became a news article because the technology discovered by the French researchers may lead to more ways to control heat in electronics and, on an even larger scale, might someday prove useful for spacecraft and solar technologies. Regular cloaking is when light is bent around a space rather than within it. Thermal cloaking controls where heat goes and accumulates. This marvelous discovery happened in the University of Aix-Marseille with research from France's Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. This discovery was made after some scientists wondered if the same technique of physics of transformation would also apply to thermal diffusion.The difference between the two technologies now, is that the physical phenomenon involved is that the thermal cloaking uses diffusion, not wave propagation. 
I feel that this new technology could benefit us in an astronomical way. First, we could control the level of heat in electronics so they don't overheat and explode. When ever people watch a lot of television or use a laptop for a long time, it starts to heat up. Overuse could result in an explosion and the loss of valuables. If we had this technology, we could control the amount of heat in an object. Second, we could apply this technology to our space expeditions. We could use this technology when shuttle, probes, satellites or rovers enter or reenter the atmosphere. This way, we could save resources to absorb the heat as it passes through the atmosphere. Lastly, we could use this temperature to control the level of heat we feel. During hot summers, we could make the air around us colder, and vice-versa. In conclusion, this new technology could greatly effect our lives.Sources:
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
States of Matter Labs
Last week, the Omega Science lab performed 4 labs to help us learn about the states of matter, physical and chemical changes and changes of the states of matter.The first lab we tried out was the Observing of a Candle Lab. During this lab, we lit a birthday candle and observed its changes. First, before we lit the candle, we used some of our 5 senses to observe the physical property of the candle. The senses we used were: touch, smell and see( I don't want to eat that!). We noticed that the candle was tall, rough, twisting and made up of wax. After Mrs. Rousseau lit the candle, we immediately noticed two chemical changes. The candle was producing light and heat! After a little while, two physical changes we saw was that the candle was melting and shrinking. The only way to have seen these changes was to light the candle.
The next lab we did was the Pouring a Gas Lab. In this lab we used a larger candle, vinegar, water and baking soda to create a chemical change. First we lit the candle to start the lab. Then, we mixed vinegar and water in the same glass. Carefully, we added some baking soda. The reaction was immediate. The liquid erupted and made a white foam to rise quickly and spill over the edge of the glass. This is a chemical change. Once the foam receded, we tipped the glass over, but without making the liquid fall, and held it beneath the flame. The flame immediately went out. I think this happened because the carbon dioxide caused by the vinegar and baking soda extinguished the flame.
The next lab we performed was the Marshmallow Fun Lab. We experimented on two different marshmallows, a large one, and a small one. This lab was all about changes in matter. We performed a physical change to the small marshmallow by tearing it in half. The marshmallow's appearance was changed but its components were not changed. Next, we used a Bunsen burner and the large marshmallow. We held the marshmallow over the fire and let it burn/blacken. This was a physical change because it melted the inside of the marshmallow. After burning, the marshmallow went from a solid to a liquid and solid mixture. The taste of the marshmallow also changed.
The final lab we performed was the Observing Changes in Matter Lab. In this lab, we performed different experiments to sugar cubes. We took a sugar cube and used our senses to examine it. We concluded it was small, cube-shaped, white, sweet, firm and rough/grainy. We took two of the cubes and crushed them. This was a physical change because the end product was still sugar, but crushed. We then took the crushed powder and dissolved it in water performing another physical change. The sugar was still present because we could taste the sugar. If we couldn't taste it, we noticed that the water had become less pure as it was before we dissolved the sugar in it. Next, we took the last two sugar cubes and put them into a test tube. We used tongs and held them over the Bunsen burner. We first noticed a yellow liquid forming under the sugar which was rapidly turning brown. Soon, the liquid turned black and we couldn't see the sugar cubes because the liquid had rose above them. We let it cool, then we examined it again. It was larger than the original, crystallized, black, burnt, bitter, rough and hard as glass. The sugar changed color, taste and size. This was another physical change.
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