Jonathan

**﻿Mission Log Entry #1**
 * 3/22/2011**

Analog signals are different from digital signals because digital signals jump from one number to another instead of sliding smoothly from one to another like an analog signal. An example of this is the difference between a wall clock and a digital clock. On a wall clock, the hands move from one number to another number so that, at times, a hand could be in-between numbers. However, on a digital clock, the numbers change instantaneously; with no time in-between numbers. Semiconductors are useful in electronic devices because they can allow electricity to flow through it or not. When these actions are controlled, they can be used to turn an electrical device on or off. The semiconductors can be turned on and off by adding impurities. This is called doping. A diode is a solid-state component that only allows electricity to flow one way in a circuit. However, a transistor has three layers of semiconductors that work together to amplify signals in a circuit. Finally, an integrated circuit is basically a whole bunch of solid-state components and is made from only one semiconductor material. Integrated circuits are used for creating extra room when creating a computer. This is done by fitting thousands of transitors, diodes, and other components into a small integrated circuit.

I believe that electronic devices are essential to searching for life on Mars because there are some tasks that humans cannot do. For instance, humans cannot breathe on Mars or survive in space. Therefore, robots and machinery that use electronic devices are needed to explore Mars. Sending a robot first to Mars to check and see if it is habitable allows us to prepare for humans to come to Mars. Electronic devices can dig, see, and record data if programmed well enough. Robots with electronic devices in them can see infra-red signals to search for life on Mars much more efficiently than humans can. Overall, robots would allow us to check for life faster, more carefully, and more efficiently. //Ms. Mc: Good overview of electronics and ideas of how we would use electronic devices on our mission. Please start your paragraphs with a topic sentence. A few more specific examples of electronic devices in your second paragraph (i.e., navigation systems, communications systems, cameras, etc.) would have helped but good job overall. Please include a title for your entry. 9/10. //

=**3/30/2011**=

Mission Log Entry #2
In the reading, I learned about the evolution of rockets. I can tell that rockets have not just improved our methods of transportation, but have also come to be very complex. The basic idea of making a rocket came before anything like it would even be thought of. The aeolipile awed people around 100 B.C., but was never known to be the beginning of space travel. The first rocket was used not long after China invented gunpowder. It was used to make bows travel faster. Since this was one of the earliest uses, the rocket had some flaws. Although it was fast and powerful, the rocket had no stability and it was nearly impossible to aim. Obviously, we have come a long way since then. Now we have created rockets capable of traveling into space! I believe that this is a great accomplishment but that we still have a ways to go. In the reading, it seemed as if there wasn’t an end to the non-stop improvements in the technology behind the rocket. Therefore, we shouldn’t be done making improvements just yet.

 The true face of the rocket changed when Sputnik finally made it into space. The race for space forced the rocket to be able to go farther, fly faster, and be able to support humans. Truly, rockets have come from a weird looking, self-propelled sphere to a potential last ditch effort to move to another planet. The reading taught me that the rocket took many trials and errors, had many inspirations, and was used in many different ways. The evolution of the rocket includes the following in order: aeolipile, Chinese rocket arrows, solid-propellant rocket, liquid-propellant rocket, V-2 rocket, and finally rockets that could travel into space. This wide variety of rockets proves that there is no end to the possibilities and new uses of just one idea. //Ms. Mc: Good general summary of the history of rockets but it's important when discussing any history to include specific names and dates. Your drawing were very creative and informative. Please insert in your text when you discuss them and refer to the specifically (i.e., "as seen in Figure 1 . . . ). 13/15 //
 * Figure 1: Someone Thinking about what Space Flight Might be like in the Future **
 * Figure 2: First Spacecraft Ever to go to Space**

4/4/2011 Entry #3:

Scratch Program

media type="custom" key="8958048"

To start the program, click the green flag. There is sound at the end, so you should turn on the sound to about 30. To stop the program, click the red octagon. If you want to watch the video again, click the green flag again. I hope you like the video!

4/12/2011 Entry #4:

Rocket Parts

In the rocket, every part is needed in order for the rocket to be able to fly. The rocket motor is what powers the rocket and lifts in off the ground. The fins help with stability and control. The launch lug positions the rocket so that it will stay straight when it flies. The motor mount prevents the motor from moving inside the rocket. The recovery wadding keeps the heat of the engine away from the recovery system. The recovery system consists of a parachute and helps the rocket land safely. The nose cone allows the rocket to be more arodynamic and go father. Finally, the body tube keeps all of these parts together.
 * Figure 1: Labled Picture of Rocket**

//Ms. Mc: Great labels and explanation! 20/20//

4/18/2011 Entry #5

Rocket Launch Modified Report

The purpose of this experiment was to see if the mass of a rocket affects the apogee of the rocket in flight. The forces on the rocket during flight were gravity, air-resistance, and thrust from the engine. When the rocket was on the launch pad, the launch pad was providing an equal force against gravity also, so that the rocket could stay still. When in powered flight, the rocket had gravity pushing it back down to earth and thrust from the engine to push the rocket upwards which was greater than the force of gravity. Also, the rocket had air resistance pushing the rocket opposite of the direction it was going which also was less force than the thrust from the rocket. This proved that the thrust from the rocket is a greater power than gravity and the air resistance combined. During coasting, the rocket had gravity and air-resistance pushing it down, but since the engines were turned off, there was no force of thrust. This proved that the inertia of the rocket was powerful enough for the rocket to continue to move upwards despite gravity and air resistance. During apogee, the rocket was still but still had gravity pushing it down. Finally, during the decent, the rocket was being overcome by gravity and the only forces acting on the rocket were gravity and the force from the parachute which was the air resistance on the rocket. It was hypothesized that if the mass of the rocket had more mass, it would need more power to overcome the forces of gravity and air resistance, and therefore, take longer to overcome gravity. This also means that the rocket would travel higher if it had less mass. The data of the rocket launch did not correspond with what was hypothesized. When the data was put together, the data varied almost randomly. It was noticed that there was no relationship in the data and that there were two outliers. The data points in the graph that proved this statement the most was 71, 74, 81, 87, and 84 meters high. 135 followed the hypothesis, but was an oiutlier with the final collection of data. Although the rocket with the most mass achieved an apogee of 135 meters, which was the most, the rocket that achieved the lowest apogee of 71 meters high, was the rocket with the second lowest mass. As seen in the graph below, the data mostly stayed in between 71 and 87, with small differences. The exact data points from least to greatest in apogee heights were 71, 74, 81, 84, 87, 104, and 135 meters high. The exact data points for weight of the rockets were 42.8, 42.9, 43.6, 43.9, 44.3, 46.1, and 48.7 grams. Some factors that may have interfered with the data were difference in wind strength, small sample size of rockets, difference in angle gun accuracy, differences in engines, and the fact that the mass of the rockets didn’t vary much.

** Figure 1: Apogee of Rockets Based on Rocket Mass **

4/21/2011 Entry #6

Two Questions Answered about Solar System

1. How did our Moon come to revolve around the Earth?

The moon came to be because of another planet coliding with ours that was about the same size as Mars. This caused a portion of Earth to go so high because of the force of impact that it goes into space. Then, because of the Earth's gravitational pull, the moon stayed in orbit with the Earth. The moon has its crators because since it is smaller than the Earth, it has a weaker gravitational pull and mediorites hit the surface of the moon. A picture of the moon's biggest crators are shown below. These crators were created by mediorites hitting the surface of the moon, and since there isn't any air, the print is still the exact same and when it was created. FIgure 1: Picture of Biggest Crators on the Earth's Moon

2. What is a galaxy? How did they form?

Galaxies formed about two billion years after the Big Bang. This happened because the universe cooled enough so that gravity collapsed matter to form the galaxies. Our galaxy was formed about 3 billion years after the Big Bang and is a spiral galaxy. Spiral galaxies are formed from two galaxies coliding with each other. Galaxies are a formation with billions of stars together with gas and dust. The three types of galaxies are alliptical, spiral, and irregular. A picture of a spiral galaxy is shown below. It is a spiral galaxy because the arms turn around in a spiral.

//Ms. Mc: Great answer and figures. Meteorites is spelled incorrectly (-1/2). Refer specifically to the figure # (i.e. "as seen in Figure 1 ...). You forgot your caption for figure 2 (-1). 8.5/10//

5/5/2011 Entry #8

In the "Driving Challenge", we had to make it through a maze of cones by making a program on our computers. The program would tell the NXT MINDSTORMS robot to make various turns and sounds. Once at the end of the maze, the robot was required to make the sound "applause" and desplay a smiley face on its screen. The programing for this proceedure is listed below along with a picture of the NXT programing blocks.

First Block – This motion block moved motors B and C for 2.5 seconds at 75% speed. This causes the robot to move forward 61 cm Second Block – This motion block moved motors B and C 180 degrees to the right at 75% speed. This causes the robot to turn right 90 degrees. Third Block – This motion block moved the B and C motors for 1.5 seconds at 75% speed. This causes the robot to move forward 30 cm. Fourth Block – This motion block moved the B and C motors 180 degrees to the left at 75% speed. This causes the robot to move to the left 90 degrees. Fifth Block – This motion block moved the B and C motors for 0.75 seconds at 100% speed. This causes the robot to move 23 cm. Sixth Block – This motion block moved the b and C motors 1440 degrees to the right at 75% speed. This causes the robot to turn 720 degrees to the right. Seventh Block – This sound block made the sound “applause” at 75% volume. This causes the robot to make an applause sound. Eighth Block – This display block displayed the “smile 01” picture at X22 and Y5 coordinates. This causes a smiley face to appear on the screen. Ninth Block – This wait block paused the robot for one second. This causes the robot to wait a second. Tenth Block – This display block displayed the “smile 01” picture at X22 and Y5 coordinates. This causes the robot to desplay another smiley face on its screen.
 * Program for Making a NXT MINDSTORMS robot complete the "Driving Challenge"**
 * Figure 1: The NXT blocks in order to complete the challenge "Driving Challenge" **