Sunday, 1 September 2013

Internal Combustion Engine

An internal-combustion engine is a heat engine that burns fuel and air inside a combustion
chamber located within the engine proper. Simply stated, a heat engine is an engine that
converts heat energy to mechanical energy. The internal- combustion engine should be
distinguished from the external- combustion engine, for example, the steam engine and the
Stirling engine, which burns fuel outside the prime mover, that is, the device that actually produces mechanical motion. Both basic types produce hot, expanding gases, which may then be employed to move pistons, turn turbine rotors, or cause locomotion through the reaction principle as they escape through the nozzle.
Most people are familiar with the internal-combustion reciprocating engine, which is used to
power most automobiles, boats, lawn mowers, and home generators. Based on the means of
ignition, two types of internal-combustion reciprocating engines can be distinguished:
spark-ignition engines and compression-ignition engines. In the former, a spark ignites a
combustible mixture of air and fuel; in the latter, high compression raises the temperature of the
air in the chamber and ignites the injected fuel without a spark. The diesel engine is a
compression-ignition engine. This article emphasizes the spark-ignition engine.
The invention and early development of internal-combustion engines are usually credited to
three Germans. Nikolaus Otto patented and built (1876) the first such engine; Karl Benz built
the first automobile to be powered by such an engine (1885); and Gottlieb Daimler designed the
first high-speed internal-combustion engine (1885) and carburetor. Rudolf Diesel invented a
successful compression-ignition engine (the diesel engine) in 1892.
The operation of the internal-combustion reciprocating engine employs either a four-stroke
cycle or a two-stroke cycle. A stroke is one continuous movement of the piston within the
cylinder.
In the four-stroke cycle, also known as the Otto cycle, the downward movement of a piston
located within a cylinder creates a partial vacuum. Valves located inside the combustion
chamber are controlled by the motion of a camshaft connected to the crankshaft. The four
strokes are called, in order of sequence, intake, compression, power, and exhaust. On the first
stroke the intake valve is opened while the exhaust valve is closed; atmospheric pressure forces a
mixture of gas and air to fill the chamber. On the second stroke the intake and exhaust valves are
both closed as the piston starts upward. The mixture is compressed from normal atmospheric
pressure (1 kg/sq cm, or 14.7 lb/sq in) to between 4.9 and 8.8 kg/sq cm (70 and 125 lb/sq in).
During the third stroke the compressed mixture is ignited--either by compression ignition or by
spark ignition. The heat produced by the combustion causes the gases to expand within the
cylinder, thus forcing the piston downward. The piston's connecting rod transmits the power from
the piston to the crankshaft. This assembly changes reciprocating--in other words, up-and-down
or back-and-forth motion--to rotary motion. On the fourth stroke the exhaust valve is opened so
that the burned gases can escape as the piston moves upward; this prepares the cylinder for
another cycle. Internal-combustion spark-ignition engines having a two-stroke cycle combine intake and compression in a single first stroke and power and exhaust in a second stroke.
The internal-combustion reciprocating engine contains several subsystems: ignition, fuel,
cooling, and exhaust systems.
The ignition system of a spark-ignition engine consists of the sparking device (the spark plug);
the connecting wire from the plug to the distributor; and the distributor, which distributes the
spark to the proper cylinder at the proper time. The distributor receives a high-energy spark from
a coil, or magneto, that converts low-voltage energy to high-voltage energy. Some ignition systems employ transistorized circuitry, which is generally more efficient and less troublesome than the mechanical breaker-point system used in the past. Most ignition systems require an external electrical energy source in the form of a battery or a magneto.
Spark-ignition engines require a means for mixing fuel and air. This may be either a carburetor or fuel injection. A carburetor atomizes the fuel into the engine's incoming air supply. The mixture is then vaporized in the intake manifold on its way to the combustion chamber. fuel injection sprays a controlled mist of fuel into the airstream, either in the intake manifold or just before the intake valve or valves of each cylinder. Both carburetors and fuel injectors maintain the correct fuel- to-air ratio, about one part fuel to fifteen parts air, over a wide range of air temperatures, engine speeds, and loads. Fuel injection can compensate for changes in altitude as well.
Internal-combustion engines require some type of starting system. Small engines are generally
started by pulling a starting rope or kicking a lever. Larger engines may use compressed air or
an electric starting system. The latter includes a starter--a high-torque electric motor--to turn the
crankshaft until the engine starts. Starting motors are extremely powerful for their size and are
designed to utilize high currents (200 to 300 amperes). The large starting currents can cause a
battery to drain rapidly; for this reason a heavy- duty battery is usually used. Interrupting this
connection is an electrical switch called a solenoid, which is activated by the low- voltage starting
switch. In this way the ignition switch can be located away from the starter and yet still turn the
starter on and off.
The cooling system is important because internal-combustion engines operate at high
temperatures of combustion--spark- ignition engines at approximately 2,760 degrees C (5,000
degrees F) and diesel engines at even higher temperatures. If it were not for the cooling system,
these high temperatures would damage and melt many parts of the engine. The cooling system
essentially dissipates the heat of combustion in metal, water, or air and automatically regulates
the temperature so that the engine can operate at its optimum temperature--about 93 degrees C
(200 degrees F).
Air-cooled engines, popularly used to power small lawn mowers, chain saws, power generators, and motorcycles, as well as small cars and airplanes, often require no moving parts, and therefore little or no maintenance, for the cooling system. The head, or uppermost part, of the cylinder and the cylinder block have fins cast into them; these fins increase the surface exposed to the surrounding air, allowing more heat to be radiated. Usually a cover or shroud channels the air
flow over the fins. A fan is sometimes included if the engine is located away from a stream of fast-moving air.
Water-cooled engines have water jackets built into the engine block. These jackets surround
the cylinders. Usually a centrifugal water pump is used to circulate the water continuously through the water jackets. In this way the high heat of combustion is drawn off the cylinder wall into the circulating water. The water must then be cooled in a radiator that transfers the heat energy of the water to the radiator's cooler surrounding fluid. The surrounding fluid can be air or water, depending on the application of the engine.
Internal-combustion engines include an exhaust system, which allows the hot exhaust gases to
escape efficiently from the engine. In some small engines the exhaust gases can exit directly into
the atmosphere. Larger engines are noisier and require some type of muffler or sound deadener,
usually a canister with an inner shell that breaks up the sound waves, dissipating their energy
within the muffler before the exhaust gases are permitted to escape.
The power capacity of an engine depends on a number of characteristics, including the volume
of the combustion chamber. The volume can be increased by increasing the size of the piston
and cylinder and by increasing the number of cylinders. The cylinder configuration, or
arrangement of cylinders, can be straight, or in-line (one cylinder located behind the other); radial
(cylinders located around a circle); in a V (cylinders located in a V configuration); or opposed
(cylinders located opposite each other). Another type of internal-combustion engine, the Wankel engine, has no cylinders; instead, it has a rotor that moves through a combustion chamber.
An internal-combustion engine must also have some kind of transmission system to control and direct the mechanical energy where it is needed; for example, in an automobile the energy
must be directed to the driving wheels. Since these engines are not able to start under a load, a
transmission system must be used to "disengage" the engine from the load during starting and
then to apply the load when the engine reaches its operating speed.

Impacto de la Fisica en el medio ambiente

IMPACTO DE LA FÍSICA EN EL MEDIO AMBIENTE

La física, al igual que muchas otras ciencias se encarga de explicar como funcionan o como pasan muchas de las cosas que nos rodean, entre las que destacamos todos los procesos naturales, estos estudios son útiles para permitir al ser humano duplicar ciertos fenómenos que son útiles para otras labores en beneficio de la comunidad. En este ensayo trataremos de mostrar algunos de los beneficios e influencias que tiene la física sobre la naturaleza en general.
En lo personal me parece poco apropiado decir que la física tiene cierto impacto en el ambiente, ya que creo que la física en su mayoría se dedica a averiguar el porqué de todo lo que pasa en el medio , que es su fin primordial. Una vez que el medio ya está estudiado entonces ahora si la labor se redirecciona a utilizar ese nuevo conocimiento en pro del ser humano, la mayoría de las veces, y es allí cuando se tiene un efecto de retroalimentación sobre el ambiente.
La ciencia física en escencia, como ya dijimos se encarga de averiguar el porqué y el cómo. Ejemplo de estos son todas las leyes que la describen, como de Newton o los diversos teoremas que se encargan de modelar situaciones para describir el comportamiento de diversos sistemas. Es gracias a todos estos estudios que sabemos cosas como ¿porqué se mueven las cosas?, ¿cómo vemos los colores?, ¿qué efecto magnético produce convierte la energía?, ¿cómo se lleva a cabo desprendimiento de calor y cómo se puede aprovechar?, entre otras muchas cuestiones que después se pueden utilizar para ciertas actividades en pro de la especies humana.
Los problemas empiezan cuando estas acciones en pro de la humanidad tienen ciertos efectos secundarios que ocasionan daños que muchas de las veces son irreparable. Como ejemplo de esto podemos citar el uso del petróleo, cuando se obtuvieron los primeros resultados gracias a su capacidad calorífica fue un sorprendente descubrimiento que vino a facilitar un sin número de tareas, pero ¿qué pasó cuando se descubrieron los productos contaminantes de su combustión?, se empezó a generar un caos incrementándose brutalmente los niveles de contaminación en gran parte por la combustión de este y además como era un recurso no renovable llegaría un tiempo en donde existiera escasez.
De esto surgieron formas alternativas como la energía nuclear, que aunque en algunos aspectos era menos contaminante y no llegaría a escasearse, tenía como resultados ciertos residuos radiactivos que serían difíciles de desechar en cualquier medio. Además existe un potencial riesgo de accidente por un descontrol en el sistema que podría ocasionar un desastre natural. El descubrimiento de este tipo de energía tuvo ciertos otros usos, como por ejemplo los médicos que llegaron para el tratamiento de ciertas enfermedades aumentando el tiempo de vida de la población. Aunque también existieron otras aplicaciones como las militares capaces de desaparecer miles de metros cuadrados de superficie generando consecuencias demasiado brutales para cualquier medio ambiente.
Debido a esto y gracias a ciertos otros avances de la física se han podido aprovechar ciertos otros tipos de energía como la solar, que gracias a materiales semiconductores y aprovechando la física de estado sólido, se han podido crear celdas capaces de convertir los fotones en electrones, o más bien la luz solar en electricidad, eliminando así problemas como riegos, desperdicios contaminantes o contaminación causada por productos de combustión. Cabe mencionar que dentro de la física de estado sólido también se ha estado desarrollando el concepto de superconductores, que son elementos que mínimas pérdidas al momento de la conducción de electrones, los que serán capaces, además de desperdiciar menos electricidad, de crear una forma mucho más eficiente que las actuales de almacenamiento de ésta para poder hacer un mejor uso, como por ejemplo utilizar la energía del sol durante la noche.
Existen además ciertos otros avances a los que se están tratando de llegar, como la separación del Hidrógeno del agua, lo que provocaría el abastecimiento casi interminable de un medio de combustión muy limpio que podría ser utilizado para diversas aplicaciones sin las desventajas de otros combustibles.
Durante la realización de este ensayo se me ocurre pensar que la física se ha enfocado al estudio del medio ambiente, en su mayoría, y además, en escala considerablemente menor, se ha utilizado esta información en beneficio de la humanidad. Desgraciadamente en el transcurso y alcance de este beneficio se ha pasado a través de diferentes etapas donde se notan los costos en el ambiente que tuvieron ciertas ganacias en el ser humano, por lo que entonces se busca un método de llagar a tener el mismo efecto sin tener que pagar ese precio. Debido a este sistema de aplicación de tecnología la física, al igual que todas las otras ciencias, se ha visto en una posición con ciertas prioridades al momento de su aplicación, primero el obtener el funcionamiento del medio, posteriormente aplicar esa información en beneficio de la humanidad con dos consideraciones importantes, la primera crear formas que afecten cada vez menos el medio ambiente mediante la planeación más estratégica y consciente de la creación de tecnología y desarrollando nuevos sistemas capaces de corregir ciertos errores que tecnologías capaces han ocasionado, reduciendo en una pequeña escala los efectos negativos y catástrofes originadas.
En mi punto de vista la física ha tomado un papel trascendental para sobrevivir al medio, si bien es cierto que la Tierra si no hubiera sido expuesta al ser humano con cambios en contra de la naturaleza sería un organismo autosustentable sin problemas considerables como los que se tienen ahora, debemos también aceptar los beneficios que han causado tales impactos sobre el ambiente, en especial para nuestra especie. Por lo que la comunidad científica debe comprometerse en encontar cada vez formas mejores, tanto más eficientes, económicas y menos contaminantes, de obtener beneficios para todos, siempre planeando detenidamente todos sus posibles efectos para minimizar las pérdidas. Y además debe tratar de divulgar sus descubrimientos lo más que se pueda para evitar que intereses localizados sean los causantes del continuo deterioro del sistema, logrando así la existencia de un mejor mundo por más tiempo el cual todos podamos disfrutar.

Hologram Essay

Holograms

Toss a pebble in a pond -see the ripples? Now drop two
pebbles close together. Look at what happens when the two sets
of waves combine -you get a new wave! When a crest and a trough
meet, they cancel out and the water goes flat. When two crests
meet, they produce one, bigger crest. When two troughs collide,
they make a single, deeper trough. Believe it or not, you've
just found a key to understanding how a hologram works. But what
do waves in a pond have to do with those amazing three-
dimensional pictures? How do waves make a hologram look like the
real thing?

It all starts with light. Without it, you can't see. And
much like the ripples in a pond, light travels in waves. When
you look at, say, an apple, what you really see are the waves of
light reflected from it. Your two eyes each see a slightly
different view of the apple. These different views tell you
about the apple's depth -its form and where it sits in relation
to other objects. Your brain processes this information so that
you see the apple, and the rest of the world, in 3-D. You can
look around objects, too -if the apple is blocking the view of
an orange behind it, you can just move your head to one side.
The apple seems to "move" out of the way so you can see the
orange or even the back of the apple. If that seems a bit
obvious, just try looking behind something in a regular
photograph! You can't, because the photograph can't reproduce
the infinitely complicated waves of light reflected by objects;
the lens of a camera can only focus those waves into a flat, 2-D
image. But a hologram can capture a 3-D image so lifelike that
you can look around the image of the apple to an orange in the
background -and it's all thanks to the special kind of light
waves produced by a laser.

"Normal" white light from the sun or a lightbulb is a
combination of every colour of light in the spectrum -a mush of
different waves that's useless for holograms. But a laser shines
light in a thin, intense beam that's just one colour. That means
laser light waves are uniform and in step. When two laser beams
intersect, like two sets of ripples meeting in a pond, they
produce a single new wave pattern: the hologram. Here's how it
happens: Light coming from a laser is split into two beams,
called the object beam and the reference beam. Spread by lenses
and bounced off a mirror, the object beam hits the apple. Light
waves reflect from the apple towards a photographic film. The
reference beam heads straight to the film without hitting the
apple. The two sets of waves meet and create a new wave pattern
that hits the film and exposes it. On the film all you can see
is a mass of dark and light swirls -it doesn't look like an
apple at all! But shine the laser reference beam through the
film once more and the pattern of swirls bends the light to re-
create the original reflection waves from the apple -exactly.

Not all holograms work this way -some use plastics instead
of photographic film, others are visible in normal light. But
all holograms are created with lasers -and new waves.

All Thought Up and No Place to Go

Holograms were invented in 1947 by Hungarian scientist
Dennis Gabor, but they were ignored for years. Why? Like many
great ideas, Gabor's theory about light waves was ahead of its
time. The lasers needed to produce clean waves -and thus clean
3-D images -weren't invented until 1960. Gabor coined the name
for his photographic technique from holos and gramma, Greek for
"the whole message. " But for more than a decade, Gabor had only
half the words. Gabor's contribution to science was recognized
at last in 1971 with a Nobel Prize. He's got a chance for a last
laugh, too. A perfect holographic portrait of the late scientist
looking up from his desk with a smile could go on fooling
viewers into saying hello forever. Actor Laurence Olivier has
also achieved that kind of immortality -a hologram of the 80
year-old can be seen these days on the stage in London, in a
musical called Time.

New Waves

When it comes to looking at the future uses of holography,
pictures are anything but the whole picture. Here are just a
couple of the more unusual possibilities. Consider this: you're
in a windowless room in the middle of an office tower, but
you're reading by the light of the noonday sun! How can this be?
A new invention that incorporates holograms into widow glazings
makes it possible. Holograms can bend light to create complex 3-
D images, but they can also simply redirect light rays. The
window glaze holograms could focus sunlight coming through a
window into a narrow beam, funnel it into an air duct with
reflective walls above the ceiling and send it down the hall to
your windowless cubbyhole. That could cut lighting costs and
conserve energy. The holograms could even guide sunlight into
the gloomy gaps between city skyscrapers and since they can bend
light of different colors in different directions, they could be
used to filter out the hot infrared light rays that stream
through your car windows to bake you on summer days.

Or, how about holding an entire library in the palm of
your hand? Holography makes it theoretically possible. Words or
pictures could be translated into a code of alternating light
and dark spots and stored in an unbelievably tiny space. That's
because light waves are very, very skinny. You could lay about
1000 lightwaves side by side across the width of the period at
the end of this sentence. One calculation holds that by using
holograms, the U. S. Library of Congress could be stored in the
space of a sugar cube. For now, holographic data storage remains
little more than a fascinating idea because the materials needed
to do the job haven't been invented yet. But it's clear that
holograms, which author Isaac Asimov called "the greatest
advance in imaging since the eye" will continue to make waves in
the world of science.

History of Space Shuttle Program

The shuttle, a manned, multipurpose, orbital-launch space plane, was designed to carry payloads of up to about 30,000 kg (65,000 lb) and up to seven crew members and passengers. The upper part of the spacecraft, the orbiter stage, had a theoretical lifetime of perhaps 100 missions, and the winged orbiter could make unpowered landings on returning to earth. Because of the shuttle's designed flexibility and its planned use for satellite deployment and the rescue and repair of previously orbited satellites, its proponents saw it as a major advance in the practical exploitation of space. Others, however, worried that NASA was placing too much reliance on the shuttle, to the detriment of other, unmanned vehicles and missions.
The first space shuttle mission, piloted by John W. Young and Robert Crippen aboard the orbiter Columbia, was launched on April 12, 1981. It was a test flight flown without payload in the orbiter's cargo bay. The fifth space shuttle flight was the first operational mission; the astronauts in the Columbia deployed two commercial communications satellites from November 11 to 16, 1982. Later memorable flights included the seventh, whose crew included the first U.S. woman astronaut, Sally K. Ride; the ninth mission, November 28-December 8, 1983, which carried the first of the European Space Agency's Spacelabs; the 11th mission, April 7-13, 1984, during which a satellite was retrieved, repaired, and redeployed; and the 14th mission, November 8-14, 1984, when two expensive malfunctioning satellites were retrieved and returned to earth.
Despite such successes, the shuttle program was falling behind in its planned launch program, was increasingly being used for military tests, and was meeting stiff competition from the European Space Agency's unmanned Ariane program for the orbiting of satellites. Then, on January 28, 1986, the shuttle Challenger was destroyed about one minute after launch because of the failure of a sealant ring on one of its solid boosters. Flames escaping from the booster burned a hole in the main propellant tank of liquid hydrogen and oxygen and caused the booster to nose into and rupture the tank. This rupture caused a nearly explosive disruption of the whole system. Seven astronauts were killed in the disaster: commander Francis R. Scobee, pilot Michael J. Smith, mission specialists Judith A. Resnik, Ellison S. Onizuka, and Ronald E. McNair, and payload specialists Gregory B. Jarvis and Christa McAuliffe. McAuliffe had been selected the preceding year as the first "teacher in space," a civilian spokesperson for the shuttle program. The tragedy brought an immediate halt to shuttle flights until systems could be analyzed and redesigned. A presidential commission headed by former secretary of state William Rogers and former astronaut Neil Armstrong placed much of the blame on NASA's administrative system and its failure to maintain an efficient system of quality control.
In the aftermath of the Challenger disaster, the O-ring seals on the solid rocket booster (SRB) were redesigned to prevent recurrence of the January 28 failure. The shuttle launch program resumed on September 29, 1988, with the flight of Discovery and its crew of five astronauts. On this mission, a NASA communications satellite, TDRS-3, was placed in orbit and a variety of experiments were carried out. The success of this 26th mission encouraged the United States to resume an active launch schedule. One more flight was planned for 1988, and a total of 39 were scheduled through 1992. The long-delayed $1.5-billion Hubble Space Telescope was deployed by space shuttle in 1990 but, because of an optical defect, failed to provide the degree of resolution it was designed to have until it was repaired in December 1993. On February 2, 1995, Lieutenant Colonel Eileen M. Collins became the first woman to pilot the space shuttle. On March 18 the space shuttle Endeavor, piloted by Stephen Oswald, landed after a record 16 days, 15 hours in space.

Saturday, 12 January 2013

wind chimes

Wind chimes produce clear, pure tones when struck by a mallet or suspended clapper. A wind chime usually consists of a set of individual alloy rods, tuned by length to a series of intervals considered pleasant. These are suspended from a devised frame in such a way that a centrally suspended clapper can reach and impact all the rods. When the wind blows, the clapper is set in motion and randomly strikes one or more of the suspended rods-- causing the rod to vibrate and emit a tone.
The pitch of said tone is governed by the length of the rod, but the perceived loudness is affected by many determinants: the force of the clappers impact, the alloy's density and structure, and the speed and direction of the wind (to name a few). Also affecting the loudness is the lack of resonating chamber or hard connection between rods and frame. The chime would certainly be louder, for instance, if the rods were built with the inclusion of small chambers containing a volume of air whose fundamental harmonic was the same as that of the rod-- when struck, the rod would transfer vibration to the enclosed air as well as directly to the atmosphere, resulting in a louder tone. A hard connection between rods and frame would also accomplish this result somewhat; the vibrations of each seperate rod would be commuted to the others, resulting in more vibrating surface area (and hence, more volume).
The transmission of the chime's sound without the abovementioned alterations is quite simple; each rod releases longitudinal waves radially from it's longest axis (excepting deviances caused by deformation or impurity of the metal), which travel until they are absorbed or reflected by an independent surface. These waves travel at a speed governed by the temperature of the atmosphere-- the colder the air, the more immediate the transmission.
The waves that are not absorbed can be perceived by the human ear; of equal importance to the directly intercepted waves are those reflected before interception, as these allow an animal or human to identify the physical relationship of self to sound-emitter. These intercepted waves (reflected or not) are processed by the ear in an amazing process.
Sound waves vibrate the ear-drum, causing the minute movement of three microscopic bones (hammer, then anvil, then stirrup) in the middle ear. The bone chain, having transferred air vibration to physical vibration, systematically disturbs the fluid (perilymph) in the inner ear (cochlea). Hair cells along the basilar membrane (which runs the length of the cochlea) perceive the disturbances and interpret them as auditory signals to be transmitted to the nervous system. With pure tones such as those created by a wind chime, certain groups of hair cells are agitated more than others-- and the position of that group along the basilar membrane can be directly correlated to the relative pitch of the tone.

What is Physics

Physics, a branch of science, is traditionally defined as the study of
matter, energy, and the relation between them. The interaction between matter
and energy is found everywhere. In order for matter to move, it requires some
form of energy.
Sports show many good examples of the relationship between matter and energy.
For instance, a pitcher requires energy to throw a baseball at the incredible speed
and accuracy that is needed to keep the batter from using his energy to try and hit
the ball. The batter exhibits the need for a certain trajectory because he/she needs
to hit the ball hard enough and keep it high enough to sail over the outfield wall.
On the other hand, the batter must be certain to keep the trajectory low enough so
that the ball will reach the fence. Trajectory is also seen in basketball, where
players must shoot the ball with enough arch to get over the front of the rim, and go
through the hoop. The energy required to do this comes from not only the arms, but
the legs as well.
The medical field has seen enormous breakthroughs because of principles of physics.
Doctors are now able to use lasers for surgery. Lasers are based on the physical principle
of light, and are devices for the creation and amplification of a narrow, intense beam of
coherent light. New laser microsurgery can actually alter the shape of the cornea in the
eye so the patient's eyesight can return to normal, and he/she will no longer need those
bothersome glasses. Ultrasound is used in the medical field for destroying various unwanted
substances in the body such as kidney stones. Ultrasound uses sound waves to dissolve these
foreign bodies. If not for physics, ultrasounds would never have been discovered and utilized.
MRI scans, another new discovery, are able to show a complete three dimensional picture of the
interior structure of the body, and are extremely valuable in hospitals. These scans are based
on the principles of electromagnetism, and the phenomenon that nuclei of some atoms line up in
the presence of an electromagnetic field.
Understanding the dark matter of the universe, which has remained a mystery for quite some time,
is based primarily on theories of physics. We have yet to see a black hole, but physics has
explained what one is, and why we cannot see it. Otherwise we would have never known that it is
an extremely small region of space-time with a gravitational field so intense that nothing can
escape, not even light. Physics help to understand the dark matter of the universe, because it
applies theories to what the dark matter is. We are also able to look at distant spots in the
universe with new telescopes because of the principles of magnification and amplification of light.
Not only can physics better your baseball game and explain the dark matter of the universe,
but it can save lives. It remains a very important part of us and our world.

Nuklear Power Our miusunderstood Freind

At first nuclear power was only seen as a means of destruction but after World War II a major effort was made to apply nuclear energy to peacetime uses. Nuclear power if made when a nucleus of an atom is split to release a powerful burst of energy. Though technological advancements nuclear power now supplies us with new medical aids, a new power source and new ways to do scientific research.

New medical advancements are being produced rapidly due to nuclear power. Nuclear material is now being used to treat diseases. Pacients suffering from cancer can then be exposed to the healing effects of the radiation under controlled conditions. The radiation of the nuclear energy can help in medical tests. Radioactive phosphorus is an important diagnostic aid. It is injected into the veins of a patient, it concentrates in the cells of certain brain tumors. Thyroid gland strongly attracts iodine. Radioactive iodine is used both in diagnosing and in treating diseases of the thyroid. Nuclear power is changing the face of medicine with new cures and tests that will cure millions..

Nuclear power can be converted into strong and efficient nuclear energy and be used for many purposes. Nuclear power reactors generates heat that is converted into steam. The steam can be used directly for energy. This energy is used in transportation. Most military subs are now ran by nuclear energy. The most used purpose of nuclear energy can also be used to generate electric power for example in a commercial nuclear power plant. Another way to produce nuclear energy is by gas-cooled reactors with either carbon dioxide or helium as the coolant instead of water. This method is used mainly in commercial nuclear plants in the United Kingdom and France due to the lack of freshwater. With growing popularity nuclear energy will definitely of the future with new ways to use this energy in a positive manner.

Scientists can now use nuclear power for biological research to help understand life more. Radioactive isotopes have been described as the most useful research tool since the invention of the microscope. Physiologists use them to learn where and at what speed physical and chemical processes occur in the human body. Isotopes are also used for agricultural Biologists use radioactive isotopes to see how plants absorb chemicals as they grow. With radioactive cobalt, botanists can produce new types of plants. Structural variations that normally take years of selective breeding to develop can be made to occur in a few months.

Many believe that nuclear power is too destructive and as such should be destroyed. Although it does have it's negative aspects, nuclear power is not evil in anyway. Nuclear power is an inanimate object, it does not live nor have a mind of it's own. It is the human race that decided that the best way to use this power was to use it as an instrument of war. Nuclear Power should be seen as a positive and humanity can blame no one for its destructive manner but themselves. It was our decision to use it for death, it is now our responsibility to use it for life.

Saturday, 5 January 2013

Indirect Proofs

Hypothesis - I think the dice has 2 dots and by indirect proof I think we will be able to prove it.

Data:




Indirect Proof Work:

a) Total number of faces seen: 1 face x 180
Trials = 180
b) Total number of dots seen: 145
c) Average number of dots per cube: 145/180 = 0.81
d) Average number of dots per cube: 0.81 X 6 = 4.9 (5)


Actual number of dots = 5

How the laws of balnce aplly to sports

Billy Moore
Physics
Sports Page

In sports balance and stability are used to increase performance of the athlete or the athletes equipment. In Racecar driving, balance is used to stabalize the racecar. The wheels are wide and extrude from the base of the car. This gives the car a wider support base which increases the stability. The race cars are flat and low to the ground. This moves the center of gravity lower which also increases the stability of the car.

In foot ball you need to keep your balance while your running so that you can resist a tackle. Foot ball players do this by crouching down and keeping their center of mass over their feet which is there support base.

hot to make a rocket launcher

How to Make Rocket Launchers


Making a rocket launcher may not be easy but it is worth it. The first thing needed is the model rocket set. The set comes with the engine and all other parts to make the rocket. The instructions to make the rocket must be followed. After making the rocket, a three foot PVC tube and cap must be purchased at a piping store, such as Lowes. In the cap of the PVC tube a one-fourth inch hole must be drilled. Electrical wire, that can be found at any hardware store, must be purchased. A four inch wire must be inserted through the hole in the cap. An electrical igniter must be attached to the end of the four inches of wire. Instructions that came with the rocket set need to be followed to connect the igniter to the rocket engine. One pole of a nine-volt battery, which can be purchased at any Radio Shack, should be connected to one pole of any momentary switch. The two unconnected wires from the cap must be connected to the open poles of the switch and battery. It is ready to fire the rocket launcher. Making a rocket launcher is never easy but the show is worth it.

Chlorophyll

CHLOROPHYLL






















NAME
Biology
November. 19






A. Chlorophyll belongs to the Plant Kingdom. Chlorophyll is not found in the Animal Kingdom. Chlorophyll is found inside of Chloroplasts, and Chloroplasts are found inside of plant cells.

B. Chlorophyll is a pigment that makes plants green. It is important because it converts sunlight to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.

C. Chlorophyll is found inside the chloroplast which is located near the cell wall. It is located here because the suns rays might not penetrate deep into the plant, and the plant needs the suns rays to generate hydrogen and oxygen.

D. If a plant did not have chlorophyll then the plant would be unable to get the energy from the sun, and it would slowly die. There are no diseases or dysfunction's of chlorophyll. If there were plants would have a serious problem.

E. I once had a friend named Bill,
and he was green with Chlorophyll,
He Didn't have to eat,
not a beat or any meat,
Instead of going to dine he would feast on sunshine
Bill went to the Land of the Midnight Sun
and there he was done.

Friday, 4 January 2013

Steam Turbines

Steam Turbines

The invention of the water turbine was so successful that eventually, the idea came about
for extracting power from steam. Steam has one great advantage over water-it expands in
volume with tremendous velocity. To be the most effective, a steam turbine must run at a very
high speed. No wheel made can revolve at any speed approaching the velocity that a steam
turbine can. By utilizing the kinetic energy of steam flow, the turbine could achieve a higher
efficiency. As a result, the steam turbine has supplanted the reciprocating engine as a prime
mover in large electricity-generating plants and is also used as a means of jet propulsion.
The action of the steam turbine is based on the thermodynamic principle that when a vapor
is allowed to expand, its temperature drops. In turn, its internal energy is decreased. This
reduction in internal energy is transformed into mechanical energy in the form of an acceleration
of the particles of vapor. The transformation that occurs, provides a large amount of available
work energy.
The essential parts of all steam turbines consist of nozzles or jets through which the steam
can flow and expand. Thus, the temperature drops, and kinetic energy is gained. In addition,
there are blades, on which high pressure steam is exerted. Stationary blades shift the steam onto
rotating blades, which provide power. Also, turbines are equipped with wheels or drums where
the blades are mounted. A shaft for these wheels or drums is also a basic component, as well as
an outer casing that confines the steam to the area of the turbine proper. In order to efficiently
use this contraption, it is necessary to have a number of stages. In each of these stages, a small
amount of thermal energy is converted to kinetic energy. If the entire conversion of energy took
place at once, the rotative speed of the turbine wheel would be way too excessive.
Steam turbines are really quite simple machines, that have only one major moving part, the
rotor. However, auxiliary equipment is necessary for their operation. Journal bearings support
the shaft, and an oil system provides lubrication to these bearings. A special seal system prevents
steam from leaking out, or outside air, from leaking in. A modern multistage steam turbine is
inherently high in expansion efficiency, because of the ability to recover losses of one stage
downstream. This is done through the process of reheating.
Steam turbines are still in heavy use today, providing power to ships as well as many other
things. They are used in the generation of nuclear power and they can operate with fuel-fired
boilers for power generation. In factories, industrial units are used to power machines, pumps,
compressors, electrical generators.

Thursday, 3 January 2013

Telephones

The telephone itself is a rather simple appliance. A microphone, called the transmitter, and an earphone, called the receiver, are contained in the handset. The microphone converts speech into its direct electrical analog, which is transmitted as an electrical signal; the earphone converts received electrical signals back to sound. The switch hook determines whether current flows to the telephone, thereby signaling the central office that the telephone is in use. The ringer responds to a signal sent by the central office that causes the telephone to ring. As simple a device as the telephone, had a mighty big impact on society during the 30's. This was due to the fact that, it was during the 30's when telephone service became economically feasible and also reliable.
Men and women alike were captivated by the intrique and fascination of talking to relatives and friends, miles and miles away. Not only did the telephone pamper to individual woes, but it provided a very useful industrial service. It allows commercial companies to expand their horizons infinitely easier than ever before. It became possible to set up meetings and discuss business matters with partners thousands of miles away. Companies that posessed a telephone had a enormous advantage over the rest. And in a time as economically troubled as the 30's depression, everyone was looking for a competitive edge.
The telephone wasn't invented in the thirties, nor was the first transatlantic line built then, but the thirties represents a time in history when the world was changing incredible fast and much of that change was made possible by the the telephone. Without the telephone, progress would have been much slower and people might not have been so receptive to change. We owe a great deal to Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, for his invention has served mankind well and will continue to offer society a valuable service for years to come.

Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy

Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy

The Stratospheric Observatory For Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) will be a 2.5 meter, optical/infrared/sub-millimeter telescopemounted in a Boeing 747, to be used for many advanced astronomical observations performed at stratospheric altitudes. The Observatory will accommodate installation of different focal plane instruments, with in-flight accessibility, provided by
investigators selected from the international science community. The Observatory objective is to have an operational lifetime in excess of 20 years.

The SOFIA project is in the early full-scale stage. The start of detailed system design is anticipated in the Fall of 1996. The German Space Agency (DARA) is a partner with NASA in the SOFIA project. DARA will provide the telescope and NASA will provide the rest of the facility including the 747 aircraft, aircraft modifications, on-board mission control system, ground
facilities and support equipment, overall management, system integration and operations.

The SOFIA project is currently moving forward with evaluation of proposals for prime contracts for the U.S. and German portions of the program. Final approval for program implementation has been received from the U.S. Congress and NASA management. The observatory will begin flight operations by the year 2001.

Newtons Method A Computer Project

Newton's Method: A Computer Project

Newton's Method is used to find the root of an equation provided that the function f[x] is equal to zero. Newton Method is an equation created before the days of calculators and was
used to find approximate roots to numbers. The roots of the function are where the function crosses the x axis. The basic principle behind Newton's Method is that the root can be found by subtracting the
function divided by its derivative from the initial guess of the root.
Newtons Method worked well because an initial guess was given to put into the equation. This is important because a wrong initial guess may give you the wrong root for the function.
With Mathematica, a program for Newton's method can be produced and a graph of the function can be made. From the graph, the a good initial guess can be made.
Although Newton's Method works to find roots for many functions, it does have its disadvantages. The root sometimes cannot be found by using Newton's Method. The reason it
sometimes cannot be found is because when the function is equal to zero, there is no slope to the tangent line.
As seen in experimentation's, it is important to select an initial guess close to the root because some functions have multiple roots. Failure to choose an initial value that is close to the root
could result in finding a the wrong root or wasting a lot of time doing multiple iterations while getting close to the actual root.
On some occasions, the program cannot find a root to an initial guess that is placed into the program. In some instances Mathmatica could not find the root to the function, like if it is a
parabola with its vertex is placed right on the y axis with its roots an equal distance away in both directions. In a case like this, the computer could not decide which root to work towards so it gave an
indeterminate answer.
Although Newton's Method does have its disadvantages, it is very effective for finding the roots of most equations. The advantages definitely outweigh the slight disadvantages, and that is
why it is still used to this day.

Newtons First Law of Motion

Newton's First Law of Motion

Sir Isaac Newton was in my mind one of the greatest people who ever lived. He was born in 1642 and died in 1727. He formulated three laws of motion that help explain some very important principles of physics. Some of Newton's laws could only be proved under certain conditions; actual observations and experiments made sure that they are true. Newton's laws tell us how objects move by describing the relationship between force and motion. I am going to try to explain his first law in more simple terms.
Newton's first law of motion states: A body continues in its state of rest or uniform motion unless an unbalanced force acts on it. When a body is at rest or in uniform motion this is called inertia.
Let's say that someone parks a car on a flat road and forgets to put the vehicle into park. The car should stay in that spot. This state of being is called inertia. All of a sudden the wind picks up or some kid crashes into the car with a bike. Both the wind and the kid's bike crashing into the bike are unbalanced forces. The car should start to move. The car might accelerate to two miles per hour. Now we would all assume that the car would come to a stop sometime. We assume this because it is true. It is true because there is friction between the tires and the road. The car now has inertia in uniform motion. Since there is friction, the car cannot keep moving forever because friction is an unbalanced force acting upon the tires.
What if there was not any friction? The car would keep going forever. That is if there was not any wind or a hill or any unbalanced force acting upon the car. This is rather weird just to think about. Because this usually would not happen in our customary world today. You just would not see a car go on forever.
An easy experiment to demonstrate this law is to take a glass jar and put an index or a heavier than paper card over the top of the glass jar. Next, place a coin on the index card. Be sure that the index card is strong enough to support the penny without bending itself. Now place your finger about three centimeters away from the card and flick the card out from underneath the coin. The coin should fall into the glass jar. The inertia of the coin keeps it in place even when the card is moving underneath it.

Luminescence of Black Light

The Luminescence of Black Light

Black Light. What is it? It is a portion of the Ultra-Violet Spectrum that is invisible to our eyes. We can
not distinguish it. However, when this radiation impinges on certain materials visible light is emitted and this is
known as "fluorescence." Fluorescence is visible to the human eye, in that it makes an object appear to "glow in
the dark."
There are several sources of ultra-violet light. These sources are: the sun, carbon arcs, mercury arcs, and black
lights. In most cases, the production of ultra-violet light creates a reasonable amount of heat.
Many materials exhibit the peculiar characteristic of giving off light or radiant energy when ultra-violet light is
allowed to fall upon them. This is called luminescence. In most cases, the wave length of the light radiated is longer
than that of the ultra-violet excitation but a few exceptions have been found.
The quantum theory attempts to explain this property by contending that a certain outside excitation
causes an electron to jump from one orbit to another. It is then in an unstable environment causing it to fall back into
its original orbit. This process releases energy, and if it is in the visible part of the spectrum, we have a transient
light phenomenon. Ultra-violet light is an exciting agent which causes luminescence to occur.
There are many materials which exhibit fluorescent characteristics. Many of which are even organic. Teeth,
eyes, some portions of the skin, and even blood exhibit fluorescent qualities. Naturally occurring minerals such as:
agate, calcite, chalcedony, curtisite, fluorite, gypsum, hackmanite, halite, opal scheelite, and willemite, also have
similar characteristics. These materials can be used in industries.
The radiance of ultraviolet light is measured in units called "Angstrom." The intensity of ultraviolet fluorescence
is the greatest between the 5000 and 6000 range. This being the range between the green and yellow hues.
Ultra violet light is not readily visible. It is not visible because certain materials reflect it. Ultra-violet light is
made visible due to the fact that it causes a reaction at the atomic level. When it strikes the atom, some of the
electrons are sent into other orbits. This then creates an unstable situation which causes the electron to fall back
into its place. This process produces energy, and this is what is seen. This discharge of energy is what creates the
"glow" that is seen. I had no idea that light could cause such an strong reaction on something. That something
being an atom is even more profound. Ultraviolet light causes the atom to lose a subatomic particle then regain it,
and give off energy in the form of visible light. This is just amazing.

Wednesday, 2 January 2013

Scientific Report On Heat Transfer

Heat Transfer

Aim: Our Aim Is To Record The Temperature Of The Water After We Have
Left The Nut In There For A Designated Period Of Time.

Hypothesis: If We Put The Heated Nut Into The Water Then The Water
Temperature Will Rise.

Apparatus: For This Experiment We Need: Container, 200ml Of Water,
Thermometer, Bunsen Burner, Stop Watch, Matches And A Metal Tong

Method:

1. Light The Bunsen Burner
2. Change The Bunsen Burners Flame To Blue
3. Combine The Metal Tongs With The Nut And Wire
4. Hold It Over The Bunsen Burner For The Designated Amount Of
Time
5. Take It Off The Bunsen Burner And Place It Straight Into The
Water
6. Leave It In For The Designated Amount Of Time
7. Place The Thermometer In And Let It Sit There For About 30
Seconds
8. Take The Thermometer Reading And Put It In The Results Section

Diagram









Heat Transfer

Results: Time In Bunsen Burner Water Temperature

30 Seconds 3.1 Degrees
1 Minute 3.3 Degrees
2 Minutes 3.7 Degrees

Conclusion: Our Results Prove Our Hypothesis Is True " If We Put The
Heated Nut Into The Water Then The Water Temperature Will Rise ". Also
We Porved That Water IS A Very Poor Conducter Of Heat

Indirect Proofs

Hypothesis - I think the dice has 2 dots and by indirect proof I think we will be able to prove it.

Data:




Indirect Proof Work:

a) Total number of faces seen: 1 face x 180
Trials = 180
b) Total number of dots seen: 145
c) Average number of dots per cube: 145/180 = 0.81
d) Average number of dots per cube: 0.81 X 6 = 4.9 (5)


Actual number of dots = 5

How the laws of balnce aplly to sports

Billy Moore
Physics
Sports Page

In sports balance and stability are used to increase performance of the athlete or the athletes equipment. In Racecar driving, balance is used to stabalize the racecar. The wheels are wide and extrude from the base of the car. This gives the car a wider support base which increases the stability. The race cars are flat and low to the ground. This moves the center of gravity lower which also increases the stability of the car.

In foot ball you need to keep your balance while your running so that you can resist a tackle. Foot ball players do this by crouching down and keeping their center of mass over their feet which is there support base.