WEEK: May 31st – 5th, 2010 23rd Weekly Blog - Webcam & Sound Waves
Yesterday night I webcam with a friend, while laying in bed and my sister was playing her electric piano. My friend asked if I was playing the flute. I said that my sister was. Even though I was in my room and my sister was in her room with or our doors partially close, my friend and I could still hear her playing, this is because of diffraction. The sound waves of her flute expand around and move everywhere. If there was no diffraction I wouldn’t be able to hear anyone, only if I was standing directly in front of her!
WEEK: May 24th - 28th, 2010 22nd Weekly Blog - Volleyball Tryouts...
On the first day of volleyball tryouts, the lower part of my arm was burning! What I noticed was that I bumped several times and my arm isn’t use to all the slapping from the ball. I think I could feel the heat and burning of my arm because every time I would bump the ball, the space and force between my arm and the volleyball (the two objects) would hit against each other making friction. Friction creates heat when two objects hit or rub together. The more rubbing, the more friction will be made. Therefore, the more I bump the volleyball my arm is going to become warmer each time. Again, this is because friction creates heat and there was a lot of friction between the ball and my arm so my arm will definitely be hot. Just by bumping the volleyball several times has science involved.
WEEK: May 17th – 21st, 2010 21st Weekly Blog - Sister's Hair
My older sister, Briana, was going to one of her school dances. I helped her make her hair look pretty. Before I started to do anything I had to brush through all her tangles first. She told to keep brushing her hair until with was smooth and untangled. While I did, I noticed science. As I brushed through her hair I was creating friction. This is because as I brush through her hair with a comb, between the come and each strand of hair rubbing against each other there was friction being created.
Also, I was texting today so there was science happening there too. How? Whenever I press a button I am closing a circuit so electricity can pass and the phone can respond to what I type.
WEEK: May 10th – 14th, 2010 20th Weekly Blog - Lights & Circuits
We use, close, and even break circuits. Sometime of the day you’ll at least flip a switch to turn on or off a light. When you turn off a light it means your breaking a circuit so no electricity can pass through the wires to get to where it needs to. When you close a circuit it means that you are letting electricity flow through wires to get to where it needs to, like a to light a light bulb, turn a stereo on, an/or charge your phone.
There are two types of circuits, parallel and series. Almost every single house uses parallel circuits, not series circuits because if one light goes out then the rest do. That usually doesn’t happen in houses. I know that houses use parallel circuits because sometimes some things are lighted while other isn’t. This means that there are more than two ways the electricity can travel and maybe the first circuit could’ve been opened so only one of the circuits has electricity traveling through. But people still use series circuits even though it’s not that great. Christmas lights are an example of series circuit because remember when one light goes out the rest go out too!
WEEK: May 3rd – 7th, 2010 19th Weekly Blog - Running
Geez! I usually can run 2 laps at ease during P.E. on the field. Today I couldn’t. The problem was that I didn’t have enough energy. I didn’t eat breakfast and I forgot my I.D. card at home. So I didn’t eat all day so I barely have any energy to run. At least I made it through, but the 2 laps I had to run was killer. It made me really tired.
Tomorrow…
My P.E. made us run another two laps today at the end of class. I was first girl to come in too! I guess eating helps gives energy. I ate a total of 2 meals today so far, breakfast and lunch, unlike yesterday. Eating helps gives me sun energy because whatever I eat has sun energy. Plants have sun energy no matter what. Even if I don’t eat vegetables/plants and eat meat there, there is still sun energy in the meat because animals each plants. Energy from the sun is big help.
WEEK: April 26th - 30th, 2010
18th Weekly Blog - Salty Popcorn!
Popcorn! Sophie, Mealyn, and I were all over at Kayla’s house. She had a popcorn maker. We decided to make popcorn then, we poured in some kernels and when the machine was hot enough the kernels exploded into a fluffy white thing, popcorn! We ate it right out of the machine, it was burning. As the middle of the popcorn machine spin, lots more friction and heat was being created. The popcorn was bland so we went to go melt some butter. Science happened again. There was a phase change from solid to liquid. When we chopped and melted a piece of butter in the microwave, heat was added to the butter (solid) making it melted into a liquid so it would be easier to toss with the popcorn. After that we added salt, Johnny’s seasoning, salt, more salt, more butter, butter, and salt. It was too salty. x)
WEEK: April 19th – 23rd, 2010 17th Weekly Blog - Skating
For my birthday, I went skating with a few of my friends. When we were skating science was involved. First, let start with the wheels of our skates, as we rolled across the floor we were using a simple machine. The simple machine that we were using was the ‘wheel & axle’; the wheels on our skates are ‘wheel & axle’. This simple machine made traveling fun because if we didn’t have wheels on our skates, our skates wouldn’t be skates. Also, my party would be a ‘blah’ if we had to skate with our flat shoes (that wouldn’t even be called skating). So thank you ‘wheel & axle’.
Secondly, whenever we wanted to stop we would skate towards a wall to lean against. When we do Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion occurs because there is an action-reaction when one of us leans against the wall. For example, when I lean towards the wall that’s the action force and the reaction force is the wall pushing against me in return.
WEEK: April 12th – 16th, 2010 16th Weekly Blog - Playing Guitar
Another boring Saturday with no homework for me to do. I decided to go play my guitar. As I played, strummed and plucked the strings of my guitar I noticed some science involved. As I strummed the string vibrated, sound waves were created. I know that sound waves were created because every time there is a vibrating object (like the strings), the vibrations pushes the particles of the matter next to it and causes them to compress (waves are being created). When I plucked, usually when I pluck really hard, there is a higher frequency and pitch in sound. When I strum, that’s when there will be a lot of frequency and pitch in sound. What is frequency and pitch? Frequency is the number of waves produced in a given time. The frequency of a sound wave determines its pitch, or how high or low the sound is.
WEEK: April 5th – 9th, 2010 15th Weekly Blog - Lemonade
It was so hot over the weekend. I wanted to make lemonade and we need some ice. She filled up the ice tray with water (liquid) and then put it freezer. About 2 hours later when she went to check on them, they weren’t liquid no more, it was a solid. The liquid freeze, lost energy, and then became a solid. That is an example of a phase change too. Now it was time to stir and mix all the ingredients together. The part where my brother poured sugar in and disappeared as a stirred is called dissolving. The sugar is still in the drink but you can no long see it. When my brother wanted to sweeten up the drink some more with a couple more cups of sugar, the sugar wouldn’t disappear (dissolve). This is because the solution is already too saturated and that means that no more substances can dissolve in the liquid.
WEEK: March 29th - April 2nd, 2010
14th Weekly Blog - Chore Day
Every 2-3 weeks there is a big chore day for me where I do multiple chores to clean the house. I had to sweep upstairs and downstairs and all that kind of stuff. As I traveled up and down to the two different levels there was science involved. How? I got to the two different levels by using a staircase which is an inclined plane and an inclined plane is a simple machine which science. An inclined plane helped a lot because instead of jumping up and down between the two floors (which is impossible) I was able to just take tiny steps, one by one to get the second floor. A staircase is an inclined plane because you move up and down the stairs over a greater distance as opposed to jumping straight up or falling down the levels of a house or building.
Sweeping also involves science because I’m using a broom and a broom is a lever which is a simple machine as well. A broom is a lever because when using a broom, one hand acts as the fulcrum, and the other pushes the broom across the floor.
WEEK: March 22nd – 26th, 2010 13th Weekly Blog - Baseball
Baseball is one of the season four sports. Little did I know baseball has science involved to, the bats, and baseballs. A baseball bat has science because it is a lever and a lever is a simple machine. A baseball is a lever because when your arms provide a fulcrum and effort, as the bats swings to hit the baseball.
The pitcher throws a baseball at you and when you hit the ball with the bat, there was inertia, a law of motion. Inertia occurred because when ball was being pitched from the pitcher and thrown to the batters’ position the batter changed the baseball (objects) motion with a bat (unbalanced force).
WEEK: March 15th – 19th, 2010 12th Weekly Blog - Park
Today is such a good day, it was sunny and pretty warm. There was a park not too far from my house, less than a minute away. I had about 7 cousins under the age of 7. So, I decided to take them down to the park. We had to walk down a big hill; luckily there was friction to prevent us from just slipping and sliding all the way down the bottom. When we reached the park a few of my cousins got on seesaw, teeter totter, and swings. When my cousins were doing all these activities there was science.
When 2 of my cousins were on the seesaw, they rocked up and down. A seesaw is like a lever because if you just imagine the middle thing supporting the seesaw a fulcrum, one of my cousins the effort and the other cousin a load then the seesaw with them on it is like a lever.
When my cousins were swing science was also going on. As she swings there is a transfer of potential and kinetic energy. In the middle is where there is maximum kinetic energy and the highest points of where he/she can swing to is where the highest potential energy is.
WEEK: March 8th – 12th, 2010 11th Weekly Blog - Baking
It was a Monday night and I was bored so I decided to bake some chocolate chip cookies. While adding all the ingredients to the mixer, science was going on. Science was involved because the mixer is mixing, after it mixes for a while the mix is now a mixture. When I put the cookies in the oven and let it bake, the cookies rise and spread out, this is science because heat was added to change it size and shape.
Fifteen minutes have passed I took the cookies out and now I have taken out the cookies and let it cool for about 5 minutes. About 5 minutes later I placed all the cookies in a jar to keep them fresh for the next couple of days. As I screwed the lid tightly closed science has occurred. There was science when I closed the jar with a lid, because it is like a screw when I put the lid on, and a screw is a simple machine, which is science. The jar lid tightens on the jar like a screw.
WEEK: March 1st – 5th, 2010 10th Weekly Blog - Alarm Clock Gears (Simple Machine)
“RRRiiinnnnggg!” my alarm clock rang. What does that have to do with science? Well, a clock has some sort of background science of course. Clocks have many gears working together inside making the clock work, tell time and have an alarm. Gears are one of the common simple machines. The gears turn the energy of the clock’s wind-up motor into movement, which controls the minute and hour hands.
Okay, I’m awake now and it is time for me to go to school. I put on some shoes. When I’m putting on shoes there is also science going on. This is because when I tie my laces, the shoelaces are like a pulley which a simple machine, and which is science. Also, when you tug on the shoelaces, they move through tiny holes, which reverse the direction of the force and pull the shoe tightly around your foot. This is similar/like the motion of a pulley.
WEEK: February 22nd – 25th, 2010 9th Weekly Blog - Can Opener (Compound Machine)
When I was helping my brothers pack their lunches, there were some can foods I needed to open. I used a ‘compound machine’, a can opener, to open the cans. This is a compound machine because there are many different simple machines all in one working together to get the job down. When I’m opening the can I have to rotate the handle on the can opener. The rotating handle on a can opener is a wheel and axle because when you turn the handle, energy transfers to a gear and wedge, which rotates and opens a can. The simple machine that grips and helps rotate a can is a gear. The gear uses energy from the turning handle to spin around. The simple machines that slices open the can lid is a wedge, another simple machine. As a can opener turns a can, this wedge cuts through the metal top. The arms on the can opener also form two levers, another simple machine. These levers open and close on one fulcrum to grip and help open a can.
Just by packing a lunch and opening a can, can have so much science going on. Basically, just by using a can opener there was so much science already.
WEEK: February 15th – 19th, 2010 8th Weekly Blog - Stapling (Compound Machines)
Today, at the library, I printed lots of papers out that needed to be organized. I used a ‘compound machine’ to help organize my printed papers. When I was sorting my papers it was like separating a mixture. After that, I stapled my papers. The stapler is a compound machine because there’s a top arm (lever) and staples (wedges); they’re two different machines in one. The staples that pierced into my papers worked like wedge. This is because when you push down on a stapler it sends out a sharp metal staple, which pierces through paper.
Just by organizing and stapling some papers had science involved. This small job didn’t seem much of anything but there’s still science.
WEEK: February 8th - 12th, 2010 7th Weekly Blog - Boiling Water
I was helping my mom with dinner today. She needs separate pots of boiling water ready to use for cooking. I didn't know how many pots she needed at first so I started out with small pot of boiling water. This one boiled for about 10 minutes. Around that time, she told me to fill another pot and boil it too but it was one that was like quadruple the size of the first pot of water. Even though the small pot of boiling water has been heated longer, the cold and large pot of water has more heat energy (thermal energy) even though it didn't sit on the stove for the same amount of time. This is because the larger pot has more molecules, which mean more kinetic energy; even though the molecules aren't moving that much you can still add up all the kinetic energy within each molecule to see how much thermal energy there is. Heat is the total amount of kinetic energy of all particles in a substance. The small pot water molecules might be moving faster and lots of kinetic energy but it doesn't mean there's more kinetic energy because after you added up all the kinetic energy it won't equal up to the amount of kinetic energy of the massive pot of boiling water.
WEEK: February 1st - 5th, 2010 6th Weekly Blog - Gymnastics Meet
Today was an away gymnastics meet at Meridian MS. There were many forces and motion occurring while I was competing, especially while I was competing on vault. When I was running down the blue run-way towards the spring board, I was accelerating as I ran faster towards the board. When I reached the spring board I gave it a hard jump because I ran so fast. This is like an example of Newton's Second Law of Motion because F = ma. My mass times my acceleration made a lot of force. It could also be an example of Newton's Third Law of Motion too because the amount of force I apply on the spring board is how much force it will spring me over the vault table. Sort of like action-reaction.
A lot of friction was also occurring when I was competing in floor and beam. When I did turns, my foot would drag on the floor or beam in a circle. Also, Static and rolling friction was occurring because when I did dive rolls I would roll on the floor mat, and when I did a hand-spring I would land flat on the ground for a bit. That is when static friction occurred, it held me in position.
WEEK: January 25th - 29th, 2010 5th Weekly Blog - Gluing
My group and I are still in the process of putting our skate-park together. As we plug in the hot glue gun and put the solid glue into the gun its phase starts to change from solid to liquid. The gun adds heat to the solid stick of glue which melts it into a liquid. After we squirt some between layers and stuff we need to make our park stick together we applied pressure and rubbed against the area where there is glue below. Friction is occurring and the area starts to get warm because heat was added making the molecules move fasts which is warmer. Force was also being applied when we pushed the solid glue through the gun to melt it.
WEEK: January 18th - 22nd, 2010 4th Weekly Blog - Skate Park
Science showed up again. During this entire week, my group and I have been working on a skate park building project. While we were building, creating, fixing, and making sure our park worked all the time we noticed that bumps, ridges, rough spots, and the different amount of kinetic and potential energy can affect how the marble can make it through the skate park. At points like where we had to connect boxes and made sure the area where the marble rolls is smooth. Friction and the quality of different quarter pipes and chutes also affects the marble-skater because I noticed that when we used floppy cereal cardboard the marble-skater never seemed that it wanted to roll up. This is because the quarter pipe would kind have moved and sink down wherever the marble-skater is. Also sometimes too much potential energy isn’t always good because when we dropped the marble-skater at the very top, the marble-skater doesn’t always make it around a full-pipe or flies over the quarter pipe.
WEEK: January 11th - 15th, 2010 3rd Weekly Blog - Bowling Party
I went bowling on Nicole birthday. As I bowled, I noticed different forces, energies, and friction occurring. When I threw the bowling ball down the alley, I used energy from the sun and force from my muscles. How? I get sun energy from the fruits and vegetables I eat. Sliding/Rolling friction was happening when the bowling ball was rolling down the alley.
There was also no potential energy when the bowling ball was just sitting on the shelf, but as I lifted the ball, at the highest point is where there is maximum potential energy is. When I release the ball, the point where the bowling ball hits the pins, or gutter, is where the bowling ball is at its maximum potential energy.
WEEK: January 4th - 8th, 2010 2nd Weekly Blog - Texting & Gymnastics
When I was texting one of my friends today I noticed Newton's First Law of Motion. My buttons of my keyboard would stay at rest but until I pressed a button (unbalanced force).
Today was our home gymnastics meet against Northwood. Before the meet I was helping setting up equipment and getting ready for the meet. As we moved the big and huge gymnastics/wrestling mat, we pushed and drag. A lot of friction was happening which made it harder for us to move the mat, but when we added wheels under the mat it made it easier to move. This is because the wheels reduced the friction against the floor. Also, when a gymnast jumps onto the springboard it springs the gymnast up with the same amount of force the gymnast applied to the board; like action reaction.
WEEK: December 7th - 10th, 2009 1st Weekly Blog - Orchestra Concert
It was our orchestra concert today. Many forces and motion was occurring while I was at the concert. Friction, gravity, and all types of motion were happening during the concert. Friction was occurring when I was pulling/dragging the bow against the string. Also, friction was occurring when I pushed the chair back when I needed to play my instrument. Both these type of friction that's happening is Sliding Friction. Gravity was how around us, it was pulling the chair and everything towards the Earth or each other. Newton's third law of motion came up too; before I played my instrument the strings was still but when the bow and string came into contact, the string vibrated and made a sound and the both kept pulling against the sting. This was action-reaction. Inertia was also occurring because the strings would stay still and not vibrate until an unbalanced force comes and contact with the string which is the bow hair. Or the opposite way around, the string will continue ringing/vibrating until I apply another force to it like a force from my bow.
WEEK: May 31st – 5th, 2010
23rd Weekly Blog - Webcam & Sound Waves
Yesterday night I webcam with a friend, while laying in bed and my sister was playing her electric piano. My friend asked if I was playing the flute. I said that my sister was. Even though I was in my room and my sister was in her room with or our doors partially close, my friend and I could still hear her playing, this is because of diffraction. The sound waves of her flute expand around and move everywhere. If there was no diffraction I wouldn’t be able to hear anyone, only if I was standing directly in front of her!
WEEK: May 24th - 28th, 2010
22nd Weekly Blog - Volleyball Tryouts...
On the first day of volleyball tryouts, the lower part of my arm was burning! What I noticed was that I bumped several times and my arm isn’t use to all the slapping from the ball. I think I could feel the heat and burning of my arm because every time I would bump the ball, the space and force between my arm and the volleyball (the two objects) would hit against each other making friction. Friction creates heat when two objects hit or rub together. The more rubbing, the more friction will be made. Therefore, the more I bump the volleyball my arm is going to become warmer each time. Again, this is because friction creates heat and there was a lot of friction between the ball and my arm so my arm will definitely be hot. Just by bumping the volleyball several times has science involved.
WEEK: May 17th – 21st, 2010
21st Weekly Blog - Sister's Hair
My older sister, Briana, was going to one of her school dances. I helped her make her hair look pretty. Before I started to do anything I had to brush through all her tangles first. She told to keep brushing her hair until with was smooth and untangled. While I did, I noticed science. As I brushed through her hair I was creating friction. This is because as I brush through her hair with a comb, between the come and each strand of hair rubbing against each other there was friction being created.
Also, I was texting today so there was science happening there too. How? Whenever I press a button I am closing a circuit so electricity can pass and the phone can respond to what I type.
WEEK: May 10th – 14th, 2010
20th Weekly Blog - Lights & Circuits
We use, close, and even break circuits. Sometime of the day you’ll at least flip a switch to turn on or off a light. When you turn off a light it means your breaking a circuit so no electricity can pass through the wires to get to where it needs to. When you close a circuit it means that you are letting electricity flow through wires to get to where it needs to, like a to light a light bulb, turn a stereo on, an/or charge your phone.
There are two types of circuits, parallel and series. Almost every single house uses parallel circuits, not series circuits because if one light goes out then the rest do. That usually doesn’t happen in houses. I know that houses use parallel circuits because sometimes some things are lighted while other isn’t. This means that there are more than two ways the electricity can travel and maybe the first circuit could’ve been opened so only one of the circuits has electricity traveling through. But people still use series circuits even though it’s not that great. Christmas lights are an example of series circuit because remember when one light goes out the rest go out too!
WEEK: May 3rd – 7th, 2010
19th Weekly Blog - Running
Geez! I usually can run 2 laps at ease during P.E. on the field. Today I couldn’t. The problem was that I didn’t have enough energy. I didn’t eat breakfast and I forgot my I.D. card at home. So I didn’t eat all day so I barely have any energy to run. At least I made it through, but the 2 laps I had to run was killer. It made me really tired.
Tomorrow…
My P.E. made us run another two laps today at the end of class. I was first girl to come in too! I guess eating helps gives energy. I ate a total of 2 meals today so far, breakfast and lunch, unlike yesterday. Eating helps gives me sun energy because whatever I eat has sun energy. Plants have sun energy no matter what. Even if I don’t eat vegetables/plants and eat meat there, there is still sun energy in the meat because animals each plants. Energy from the sun is big help.
WEEK: April 26th - 30th, 2010
18th Weekly Blog - Salty Popcorn!
Popcorn! Sophie, Mealyn, and I were all over at Kayla’s house. She had a popcorn maker. We decided to make popcorn then, we poured in some kernels and when the machine was hot enough the kernels exploded into a fluffy white thing, popcorn! We ate it right out of the machine, it was burning. As the middle of the popcorn machine spin, lots more friction and heat was being created. The popcorn was bland so we went to go melt some butter. Science happened again. There was a phase change from solid to liquid. When we chopped and melted a piece of butter in the microwave, heat was added to the butter (solid) making it melted into a liquid so it would be easier to toss with the popcorn. After that we added salt, Johnny’s seasoning, salt, more salt, more butter, butter, and salt. It was too salty. x)
WEEK: April 19th – 23rd, 2010
17th Weekly Blog - Skating
For my birthday, I went skating with a few of my friends. When we were skating science was involved. First, let start with the wheels of our skates, as we rolled across the floor we were using a simple machine. The simple machine that we were using was the ‘wheel & axle’; the wheels on our skates are ‘wheel & axle’. This simple machine made traveling fun because if we didn’t have wheels on our skates, our skates wouldn’t be skates. Also, my party would be a ‘blah’ if we had to skate with our flat shoes (that wouldn’t even be called skating). So thank you ‘wheel & axle’.
Secondly, whenever we wanted to stop we would skate towards a wall to lean against. When we do Newton’s 3rd Law of Motion occurs because there is an action-reaction when one of us leans against the wall. For example, when I lean towards the wall that’s the action force and the reaction force is the wall pushing against me in return.
WEEK: April 12th – 16th, 2010
16th Weekly Blog - Playing Guitar
Another boring Saturday with no homework for me to do. I decided to go play my guitar. As I played, strummed and plucked the strings of my guitar I noticed some science involved. As I strummed the string vibrated, sound waves were created. I know that sound waves were created because every time there is a vibrating object (like the strings), the vibrations pushes the particles of the matter next to it and causes them to compress (waves are being created). When I plucked, usually when I pluck really hard, there is a higher frequency and pitch in sound. When I strum, that’s when there will be a lot of frequency and pitch in sound. What is frequency and pitch? Frequency is the number of waves produced in a given time. The frequency of a sound wave determines its pitch, or how high or low the sound is.
WEEK: April 5th – 9th, 2010
15th Weekly Blog - Lemonade
It was so hot over the weekend. I wanted to make lemonade and we need some ice. She filled up the ice tray with water (liquid) and then put it freezer. About 2 hours later when she went to check on them, they weren’t liquid no more, it was a solid. The liquid freeze, lost energy, and then became a solid. That is an example of a phase change too. Now it was time to stir and mix all the ingredients together. The part where my brother poured sugar in and disappeared as a stirred is called dissolving. The sugar is still in the drink but you can no long see it. When my brother wanted to sweeten up the drink some more with a couple more cups of sugar, the sugar wouldn’t disappear (dissolve). This is because the solution is already too saturated and that means that no more substances can dissolve in the liquid.
WEEK: March 29th - April 2nd, 2010
14th Weekly Blog - Chore Day
Every 2-3 weeks there is a big chore day for me where I do multiple chores to clean the house. I had to sweep upstairs and downstairs and all that kind of stuff. As I traveled up and down to the two different levels there was science involved. How? I got to the two different levels by using a staircase which is an inclined plane and an inclined plane is a simple machine which science. An inclined plane helped a lot because instead of jumping up and down between the two floors (which is impossible) I was able to just take tiny steps, one by one to get the second floor. A staircase is an inclined plane because you move up and down the stairs over a greater distance as opposed to jumping straight up or falling down the levels of a house or building.
Sweeping also involves science because I’m using a broom and a broom is a lever which is a simple machine as well. A broom is a lever because when using a broom, one hand acts as the fulcrum, and the other pushes the broom across the floor.
WEEK: March 22nd – 26th, 2010
13th Weekly Blog - Baseball
Baseball is one of the season four sports. Little did I know baseball has science involved to, the bats, and baseballs. A baseball bat has science because it is a lever and a lever is a simple machine. A baseball is a lever because when your arms provide a fulcrum and effort, as the bats swings to hit the baseball.
The pitcher throws a baseball at you and when you hit the ball with the bat, there was inertia, a law of motion. Inertia occurred because when ball was being pitched from the pitcher and thrown to the batters’ position the batter changed the baseball (objects) motion with a bat (unbalanced force).
WEEK: March 15th – 19th, 2010
12th Weekly Blog - Park
Today is such a good day, it was sunny and pretty warm. There was a park not too far from my house, less than a minute away. I had about 7 cousins under the age of 7. So, I decided to take them down to the park. We had to walk down a big hill; luckily there was friction to prevent us from just slipping and sliding all the way down the bottom. When we reached the park a few of my cousins got on seesaw, teeter totter, and swings. When my cousins were doing all these activities there was science.
When 2 of my cousins were on the seesaw, they rocked up and down. A seesaw is like a lever because if you just imagine the middle thing supporting the seesaw a fulcrum, one of my cousins the effort and the other cousin a load then the seesaw with them on it is like a lever.
When my cousins were swing science was also going on. As she swings there is a transfer of potential and kinetic energy. In the middle is where there is maximum kinetic energy and the highest points of where he/she can swing to is where the highest potential energy is.
WEEK: March 8th – 12th, 2010
11th Weekly Blog - Baking
It was a Monday night and I was bored so I decided to bake some chocolate chip cookies. While adding all the ingredients to the mixer, science was going on. Science was involved because the mixer is mixing, after it mixes for a while the mix is now a mixture. When I put the cookies in the oven and let it bake, the cookies rise and spread out, this is science because heat was added to change it size and shape.
Fifteen minutes have passed I took the cookies out and now I have taken out the cookies and let it cool for about 5 minutes. About 5 minutes later I placed all the cookies in a jar to keep them fresh for the next couple of days. As I screwed the lid tightly closed science has occurred. There was science when I closed the jar with a lid, because it is like a screw when I put the lid on, and a screw is a simple machine, which is science. The jar lid tightens on the jar like a screw.
WEEK: March 1st – 5th, 2010
10th Weekly Blog - Alarm Clock Gears (Simple Machine)
“RRRiiinnnnggg!” my alarm clock rang. What does that have to do with science? Well, a clock has some sort of background science of course. Clocks have many gears working together inside making the clock work, tell time and have an alarm. Gears are one of the common simple machines. The gears turn the energy of the clock’s wind-up motor into movement, which controls the minute and hour hands.
Okay, I’m awake now and it is time for me to go to school. I put on some shoes. When I’m putting on shoes there is also science going on. This is because when I tie my laces, the shoelaces are like a pulley which a simple machine, and which is science. Also, when you tug on the shoelaces, they move through tiny holes, which reverse the direction of the force and pull the shoe tightly around your foot. This is similar/like the motion of a pulley.
WEEK: February 22nd – 25th, 2010
9th Weekly Blog - Can Opener (Compound Machine)
When I was helping my brothers pack their lunches, there were some can foods I needed to open. I used a ‘compound machine’, a can opener, to open the cans. This is a compound machine because there are many different simple machines all in one working together to get the job down. When I’m opening the can I have to rotate the handle on the can opener. The rotating handle on a can opener is a wheel and axle because when you turn the handle, energy transfers to a gear and wedge, which rotates and opens a can. The simple machine that grips and helps rotate a can is a gear. The gear uses energy from the turning handle to spin around. The simple machines that slices open the can lid is a wedge, another simple machine. As a can opener turns a can, this wedge cuts through the metal top. The arms on the can opener also form two levers, another simple machine. These levers open and close on one fulcrum to grip and help open a can.
Just by packing a lunch and opening a can, can have so much science going on. Basically, just by using a can opener there was so much science already.
WEEK: February 15th – 19th, 2010
8th Weekly Blog - Stapling (Compound Machines)
Today, at the library, I printed lots of papers out that needed to be organized. I used a ‘compound machine’ to help organize my printed papers. When I was sorting my papers it was like separating a mixture. After that, I stapled my papers. The stapler is a compound machine because there’s a top arm (lever) and staples (wedges); they’re two different machines in one. The staples that pierced into my papers worked like wedge. This is because when you push down on a stapler it sends out a sharp metal staple, which pierces through paper.
Just by organizing and stapling some papers had science involved. This small job didn’t seem much of anything but there’s still science.
WEEK: February 8th - 12th, 2010
7th Weekly Blog - Boiling Water
I was helping my mom with dinner today. She needs separate pots of boiling water ready to use for cooking. I didn't know how many pots she needed at first so I started out with small pot of boiling water. This one boiled for about 10 minutes. Around that time, she told me to fill another pot and boil it too but it was one that was like quadruple the size of the first pot of water. Even though the small pot of boiling water has been heated longer, the cold and large pot of water has more heat energy (thermal energy) even though it didn't sit on the stove for the same amount of time. This is because the larger pot has more molecules, which mean more kinetic energy; even though the molecules aren't moving that much you can still add up all the kinetic energy within each molecule to see how much thermal energy there is. Heat is the total amount of kinetic energy of all particles in a substance. The small pot water molecules might be moving faster and lots of kinetic energy but it doesn't mean there's more kinetic energy because after you added up all the kinetic energy it won't equal up to the amount of kinetic energy of the massive pot of boiling water.
WEEK: February 1st - 5th, 2010
6th Weekly Blog - Gymnastics Meet
Today was an away gymnastics meet at Meridian MS. There were many forces and motion occurring while I was competing, especially while I was competing on vault. When I was running down the blue run-way towards the spring board, I was accelerating as I ran faster towards the board. When I reached the spring board I gave it a hard jump because I ran so fast. This is like an example of Newton's Second Law of Motion because F = ma. My mass times my acceleration made a lot of force. It could also be an example of Newton's Third Law of Motion too because the amount of force I apply on the spring board is how much force it will spring me over the vault table. Sort of like action-reaction.
A lot of friction was also occurring when I was competing in floor and beam. When I did turns, my foot would drag on the floor or beam in a circle. Also, Static and rolling friction was occurring because when I did dive rolls I would roll on the floor mat, and when I did a hand-spring I would land flat on the ground for a bit. That is when static friction occurred, it held me in position.
WEEK: January 25th - 29th, 2010
5th Weekly Blog - Gluing
My group and I are still in the process of putting our skate-park together. As we plug in the hot glue gun and put the solid glue into the gun its phase starts to change from solid to liquid. The gun adds heat to the solid stick of glue which melts it into a liquid. After we squirt some between layers and stuff we need to make our park stick together we applied pressure and rubbed against the area where there is glue below. Friction is occurring and the area starts to get warm because heat was added making the molecules move fasts which is warmer. Force was also being applied when we pushed the solid glue through the gun to melt it.
WEEK: January 18th - 22nd, 2010
4th Weekly Blog - Skate Park
Science showed up again. During this entire week, my group and I have been working on a skate park building project. While we were building, creating, fixing, and making sure our park worked all the time we noticed that bumps, ridges, rough spots, and the different amount of kinetic and potential energy can affect how the marble can make it through the skate park. At points like where we had to connect boxes and made sure the area where the marble rolls is smooth. Friction and the quality of different quarter pipes and chutes also affects the marble-skater because I noticed that when we used floppy cereal cardboard the marble-skater never seemed that it wanted to roll up. This is because the quarter pipe would kind have moved and sink down wherever the marble-skater is. Also sometimes too much potential energy isn’t always good because when we dropped the marble-skater at the very top, the marble-skater doesn’t always make it around a full-pipe or flies over the quarter pipe.
WEEK: January 11th - 15th, 2010
3rd Weekly Blog - Bowling Party
I went bowling on Nicole birthday. As I bowled, I noticed different forces, energies, and friction occurring. When I threw the bowling ball down the alley, I used energy from the sun and force from my muscles. How? I get sun energy from the fruits and vegetables I eat. Sliding/Rolling friction was happening when the bowling ball was rolling down the alley.
There was also no potential energy when the bowling ball was just sitting on the shelf, but as I lifted the ball, at the highest point is where there is maximum potential energy is. When I release the ball, the point where the bowling ball hits the pins, or gutter, is where the bowling ball is at its maximum potential energy.
WEEK: January 4th - 8th, 2010
2nd Weekly Blog - Texting & Gymnastics
When I was texting one of my friends today I noticed Newton's First Law of Motion. My buttons of my keyboard would stay at rest but until I pressed a button (unbalanced force).
Today was our home gymnastics meet against Northwood. Before the meet I was helping setting up equipment and getting ready for the meet. As we moved the big and huge gymnastics/wrestling mat, we pushed and drag. A lot of friction was happening which made it harder for us to move the mat, but when we added wheels under the mat it made it easier to move. This is because the wheels reduced the friction against the floor. Also, when a gymnast jumps onto the springboard it springs the gymnast up with the same amount of force the gymnast applied to the board; like action reaction.
WEEK: December 7th - 10th, 2009
1st Weekly Blog - Orchestra Concert
It was our orchestra concert today. Many forces and motion was occurring while I was at the concert. Friction, gravity, and all types of motion were happening during the concert. Friction was occurring when I was pulling/dragging the bow against the string. Also, friction was occurring when I pushed the chair back when I needed to play my instrument. Both these type of friction that's happening is Sliding Friction. Gravity was how around us, it was pulling the chair and everything towards the Earth or each other. Newton's third law of motion came up too; before I played my instrument the strings was still but when the bow and string came into contact, the string vibrated and made a sound and the both kept pulling against the sting. This was action-reaction. Inertia was also occurring because the strings would stay still and not vibrate until an unbalanced force comes and contact with the string which is the bow hair. Or the opposite way around, the string will continue ringing/vibrating until I apply another force to it like a force from my bow.