Claire

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Several components make up and electronic device. One thing used are signals. There is a difference between and an analog signal and a digital signal. An analog signal smoothly varies in time. A digital signal changes in jumps and in steps. Analog signals are used for clocks and other devices. A clock moves smoothly from number to number on the clock. A digital clock jumps from one time to another like from 4:55 to 4:56. But signals aren't the only things that are important to electronic devices. In early TV days the TV would get hot and need a vacuum tube to cool it down. But now they use semiconductors. Semiconductors are elements that have poor conductivity of electricity. Even though semiconductors cannot conduct electricity they can be controlled by adding purities. Another component of an electric device are diodes. A diode only lets electricity flow through one way. Transistors are also used. A transistor is used to amplify signals in a circuit. But a transistor isn't always used. A computer would have to use millions of transistor circuits but uses integrated circuits instead. An integrated circuit has a large number of interconnected solid-state components. It is made of a single chip of semiconductor material. =====

=== Electronic devices are used in almost everywhere. They are especially important when you must go on a space mission to find life...on Mars. But there are requirements in order to find life successfully. Digital signals would be important. They would let you know when you find something new and what time it is. Transistors and diodes help the flow of signals and electricity. Without electronic devices we would not know how to navigate our way to Mars or whether or not the mission has been successful. ===

Gretchen- It looks good! Only thing is that you could explain semiconductors in a little more detail, and show how diodes and transistors are connected to semiconductors. You might have been a little confused about what to do on the second paragraph, but you did a good job! Nice colors, too!

//Ms. Mc: Good general overview of electronics. As Gretchen said, a little more detail about semiconductors would be good. Semiconductors can conduct electricity but not as well as conductors. In the second paragraph, you were to list some electronic devices that you would use on your mission to Mars such as computers, rovers, guidance systems, communications systems, cameras, etc. Please be sure to make corrections based on your reviewer's suggestions. Also, please read through your entries to check for grammar and flow. 7.5/10//

April 6, 2011 =**__The Ever So Wonderful History of Rockets__**=

[[image:cmgheroengine.jpg width="296" height="218"]]
==Rockets have been around for centuries. In 100 BC an essential device of a rocket called the aeolopile was created by Hero of Alexandria. He mounted a sphere on top of a water kettle. A fire below the kettle turned the water into steam, and the gas traveled through pipes to the sphere. Two L-shaped tubes on opposite sides of the sphere allowed the gas to escape, and in doing so gave a thrust to the sphere that caused it to rotate. During the first century the Chinese accidently made their own rocket. They made their gunpowder by using saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal dust. They made explosions by filling bamboo tubes with a mixture and tossed them into fires. Then the Chinese started to experiment with gun-powder filled tubes. After experimenting they discovered that these gunpowder tubes could launch themselves just by the power produced from the escaping gas. When the Chinese and Mongol were fighting in 1232 the Chinese launched "arrows of flying fire." The arrow had a tube, at one end, that contained gunpowder. The other end was left open and the tube was attached to a long stick. When the powder was lit, the powder burning produced fire, smoke, and gas that escaped out the open end and produced a thrust. The stick on the rocket was used to guide it. Rocketry soon became widespread around the world. In England, a monk named Roger Bacon worked on improved forms of gunpowder that greatly increased the range of rockets. In France, Jean Froissart found that more accurate flights could be achieved by launching rockets through tubes. Rockets were created and advanced in several different ways. == ==== By the 20th century Robert H. Goddard did rocketry experiments. While conducting his experiments, Goddard thought that a rocket could be propelled better by liquid fuel. Making a liquid fueled rocket was harder than making a solid filled rocket. Goddard did eventually make the first liquid fueled rocket. The rocket flew for two and a half seconds, climbed 12.5 meters, and landed 56 meters away. In Germany, the Verein fur Raumschiffahrt society made the V-2 rocket in World War II. It had great thrust by burning a mixture of liquid oxygen and alcohol at a rate of about one ton every seven seconds.Sputnik I, launched by the Soviet Union, was the first satellite sent into space soon after. Then Explorer I was launched by the USA. The USA had made the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (a.k.a. NASA). Not long after, astronauts were sent to orbit the earth and land on the moon. Rockets have changed over the course of centuries. ==== // Ms. Mc: Great summary of the history of rocketry! Your diagrams were well done too. Don't forget your captions with figure # and title. 14/15 //

April 4, 2011, Entry 3 =__**The Flight of the Rocket**__= media type="custom" key="8956582" Instructions: 1) Turn on volume 2) Click the Green flag for to start playing 3) It will stop on its own when it is done but to stop at anytime click the red button 4) Enjoy!

April 14, 2011 =__The Fantastic Parts of a Rocket__ =

Figure 1. A Model Rocket

There are several parts to a model rocket. At the top of the rocket is the nose cone. The nose cone leads the rocket around in the air. The second part of the rocket is the body tube. It is the main part of the rocket. This tube must have a strong frame. Inside of the rocket is the recovery system. The recovery system gets the rocket down safely. It has a parachute which allows a soft landing. That allows the rocket to come back safely and ready to use again. Another thing inside the rocket is the recovery wadding. Since the rocket has hot gases, the recovery system must be protected by recovery wadding. Recovery wadding blocks the gases from the motor from getting to the recovery system. On the outside of the rocket there is the launch lug. The launch lug assures that the rocket goes off in a straight line off the launch pad using its tube-like shape. Another outside feature of a rocket are the fins. The fins make sure the rocket flies straight. Another part outside of the rocket is the motor. The motor powers the rocket to move using hot gases or gunpowder. You cannot reuse the motor. The motor mount inside the rocket keeps the motor in place. There are several parts of a rocket.

//Ms. Mc: Great definitions and labels. Please try to be a little more descriptive in your figure titles. 20/20 //

April 17, 2011

**__The Rockets' Flight__**
The purpose of this experiment was to determine how far the model rocket would fly. The model rocket goes through many forces. When the rocket is not moving on the launch pad the forces from the launch pad and gravity are acting on it. When the rocket is lifting off thrust and gravity are acting on it. While the rocket is using its power the forces thrust, acceleration, and gravity are acting on it. During the coasting stage of the rocket, the air resistance and a small amount of gravity are acting on it. During its apogee only gravity is acting on the rocket. The apogee is one of the several stages of a rocket. An apogee is when the rocket reaches the peak of its flight. It was hypothesized that the rocket’s apogee depended on its mass because the heavier an object is, the more gravity acts on it. Before the rocket reaches its apogee, inertia acts on it. Inertia is an object’s ability to either stay still or keep moving. But even before inertia acts on it, the rocket has its lift-off. When the rocket lifts off, it moves off the launch pad using its motor. Once it has lifted off the rocket experiences thrust. Thrust is the force that moves an object. Once it has completed lift-off and thrust, the rocket has powered flight. Powered flight is when the rocket is moved by the motor of the rocket. The rocket’s mass is the independent variable of the experiment. The dependent variable of the experiment was the apogee because the apogee’s height depended on the mass.

Graph 1. The mass and apogee of the model rockets.

In this experiment, the rockets were weighed before the lift-off. The masses were weighed in grams. The lightest rocket would fly the highest. The lightest rocket weighed 42.2 g; it was hypothesized that the 42.2 g rocket would fly the highest. The heaviest rocket weighed 44.5 g; it was hypothesized that the 44.5 g rocket would fly the lowest. Once the rockets were weighed they were lifted-off and their apogees were measured. The rocket with the lowest mass, 42.2 g, had the lowest apogee with a height of 81 m. The heaviest rocket, 44.5 g, had the highest apogee with 81 m. The second-heaviest rocket, 44.4 g, was outlier with reaching a height of 55 g; it was the second-lowest apogee. The relationship between the data was direct. The heavier the rocket, the mass of the rocket which was the independent variable; the higher it flew, the apogee which the dependent variable. It is an upward trend. The hypothesis was incorrect because the heaviest rocket went the highest as where the lightest rocket had the lowest apogee The heaviest rocket, 44.5 g, went the highest, 81 m. Things that could affect the experiment would be the weather or different angle gun measurements. The wind could affect the apogee and the gun measurements could be off.

April 25, 2011

**__Crash Course Astronomy__**
A quark is fundamental particle that has a strong charge and an electric charge.In groups of two or three they form composite objects. They hold the objects using strong forces. Common objects are protons and neutrons. Quarks have six different types which are classified by their mass. ‘Up’ and ‘down’ quarks, the lightest, make up protons and neutrons. The other types of quarks aren't seen in nature and have only been observed. Astronomers think our universe is 12-14 billion years old. Scientists have confirmed that our solar system is 4.6 billion years. Our solar system formed after our universe.

//Ms. Mc: Good pictures but you forgot their captions and didn't refer to them in your text (-2). Also, be sure to answer the question fully (What are the other 4 quarks called?) and answer #2 should include some evidence for these dates. (-2). Also, please include the entry #. 6/10//

May 6, 2011 =__**Log Entry 8**__=

In challenge one, the robot had to go straight, turn right, go forward, turn, right and go in a circle. The purpose was to control the robot and be successful at the challenge. In challenge one, there are 10 blocks that move the robot. The first block is a moving block with the servomotors of B and C. The first symbol means that it moves forward for 2.8 seconds. The second symbol means that the robot has 75% power. The second block, with servomotors C and B, has the same features but instead goes to the right with 50% power. Block number three, with servomotors C and B, goes straight with 50% power for 2 seconds. The fourth block goes left with 50% power for 160 degrees. The fifth block, with servomotors C and B, goes left for 1.5 rotations with 75% power. The last movement block, the sixth block with servomotors C and B, goes left 1440 degrees with 75% power. The seventh is a sound block. This causes the robot to make a sound, in this case ‘applause.’ The next block, the eight block, is a display block. This allows an image on the robot; in this case it is a smiley face. The ninth block is a waiting block. The robot stops for 3 seconds until the next action. The robot still has a smile on its face. The last action is another display block,except this black resets the robot's face so there is nothing on it. Those are the blocks of challenge 1.