Julia

Julia  **Prompt #1: ** //After reading p. 66-71 of Chapter 3 in Electricity & Magnetism, create the following paragraphs. // //· ////Paragraph 1 – In first person, explain: 1) how analog signals are different from digital signals, 2) how semiconductors are used in electronic devices, and 3) how diodes and transistors are used. // //· ////Paragraph 2 – In first person, explain where electronics would be useful in a space mission to Mars where the goal is to ultimately search for life on Mars. // March 24th, 2010

Analog signals are signals that are consistently collecting data like a clock that counts seconds hours, minutes and seconds. Digital signals are signals that only count data when it changes in a full unit like when a digital clock only switches for minutes. Semiconductors are elements that have mediocre conducting abilities, but can be controlled by adding impurities. There are two types of semiconductors p-type (which takes electrons) and n-type (which gives electrons). Connecting these makes the circuit complete and can be turned off and on like a switch. Diodes are components that only allow the current to flow in one direction because each component can only do one task (giving or receiving). These are used to convert an alternate current to a direct current by forcing it to go in one direction. Transistors are used to amplify signals and switch on and off the flow of the current by blocking the current.

Electronics would be very important for searching on Mars, especially since we can’t go there. They could take pictures(camera) and send them back to earth from Mars(computer). It could record different elements found on Mars(computers/robotic arms), which might show if there could’ve been water to sustain life (like salt). We would need a computer to process the information and send it back(satellite).

**Simple Circuits **  March 29th,2010

Some atoms allow electricity to flow because they do not have full shells of electrons in an orbit. These electrons are not attracted to the nucleus very strongly so they allow the flow of electricity. For electricity to flow, there must be a difference in the charge on the ends of the conductor so there is push on the electrons.

Voltage is the push on electrons when the move. Voltage is measured in volts. Current is another name for the flow of electric charge. It is measured in Amperes or amps. Resistance is the resistance to allowing the electrons to flow freely. Resistance is measured in ohms.

Electricity flows in a circuit which means circle. The electricity comes from one end of the battery, through the circuit which might include wires, bulbs, resistors, etc. and then back through the other end of the battery(Figure 1).

**Figure 1: Example of a working circuit involving a battery, wire, and light bulb. ** 

There are two major types of circuits; series and parallel. Series circuits are circuits that only allow the electricity to travel through one circle to get to all the lamps. Parallel circuits allow multiple routes for the electricity to get to the lamps. The advantage of parallel circuits is that if one lamp goes out, the other lamps will continue to work because the electricity can take another path(Figure 2). In series circuits when a lamp breaks, all of the lamps behind it will no longer function because the electricity can’t go to it through another way.
 * Figure 2: Example of a parallel circuit involving three light bulbs. **

April 10th
The Hero Engine was basically a big tub of water with fire under it and a sphere with two tubes. The water would boil and the steam would enter the tubes. When the tubes filled up, it gave the sphere enough momentum to rotate.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 115%;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> The Chinese used rockets in battle with the Mongols as a weapon in battle. They would light the powder in the rocket shaped capsules which would catapult toward the enemies. They weren’t very violent but were still scary. They also used them as what we would now consider fireworks at religious festivals. The rockets contained saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. Konstantin Tsiolkovsky started the idea space rocketry by proposing that rockets be used to explore space by filling them with liquid reactants so they could go a longer distance.

About 13 years later, Robert H. Goddard made the first successful liquid propellant rocket with the combination of liquid oxygen and gasoline. Although it didn’t travel far, the rocket was completely different than anything anyone had seen before and created a whole new type of aero science.

The German Society for Space Travel came up with the V-2 rocket which was a small rocket with enormous speed. These rockets were made to fight against London, but fortunately were not made fast enough and could not be used.

NASA(The National Aeronautics and Space Administration) was formed to create space travel that benefitted everyone peacefully. After the Soviet Union launched the Sputnik I into space, the American Army launched the Explorer I. NASA was the organized space organization that was formed after the Explorer I was launched. = = --This is a simulation of our flight to mars and the 6 stages of flight. Press the green flag to start the video. Turn the sound on. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> media type="custom" key="5931751"

Entry #4: Rocket Parts The nose cone effects the airflow around the rocket by forcing through wind. The body tube is to keep all the pieces of the rocket together and protect them. The Recovery System(not pictured) is to help the rocket land safely. Recovery Wadding(not pictured) protects the Recovery System from the heat of the engine. The Launch Lug keeps the rocket steady on the Launch Pad. Fins direct the rocket and help guide it. The Motor Mount keeps the Motor of the rocket in place while the Motor propels the rocket during powered flight.

April 26th, 2010

The purpose of this experiment was to see if the mass of the rocket affected the apogee of the flight and to see what rocket would fly the highest. This experiment was performed by assembling multiple rockets with multiple masses and decorating them. The rocket was attached to two wires in an outside environment and launched. The angle of the rockets apogee was measured from 100 meters away. It was hypothesized that the more mass the rocket has the shorter distance it will travel because of air resistance and the force needed to lift the rocket off the launch pad because force is mass by acceleration and since all of the rockets will have the same acceleration the more mass it has the more force it will use.

<span style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;">**Graph 1: Results of the launches of the 9 rockets. X-axis notes the mass of the rockets in grams the y-axis notes the apogee in meters.** According to Graph #1, the lowest mass produced was 41.2 grams and the highest was 45.9 grams. The highest apogee was 128 and the lowest was 74. The data seemed to have no relationship. Although the lightest rocket tied for the highest height, the other data does not seem to match up to this trend. The mass didn’t have an effect on the flight patterns of the rocket. The hypothesis that the higher the mass of the rocket the higher it would go was incorrect. Some reasons that this may have occurred is the wind pattern and the measurements of the angles and the masses may have been incorrect. The lightest rocket did tie for the highest but the heaviest rocket was the second highest.

May 2nd, 2010

History of Robots

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Ideas of Robotics are not new by any means. The first instance of the idea of robotics were in Greek Myths of Hephaestus and Pygmalion which included intelligent mechanisms. The first robotic was “The Pigeon” a mechanical bird built by Archytas, See figure 1, in 350 B.C. It was powered by steam and is the first known model airplane.


 * Figure 1: The man to build the first robot, Archytas.**

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> In 200 B.C., the Chinese Artisans create an entire robotic orchestra among other things. About 950 years later, The Chinese create the first true automated clock with a ticker. In about 1200 A.D., many Arabian mathematicians like Al-Jazari created designs for mechanical devices. 250 years after that, Leonardo designed the first human like robot. This robot could move his arms, turn his neck and close and open his jaw. There is dispute whether or not this was built.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> During the 18th century many forms of entertainment were created such as full mechanic orchestras in Germany, mechanic puppets in Japan, flying angels in France, androids and many others. The 19th century produced the idea of punch cards used in the earliest computers, more singing robots, and the word “Robot”. The 20th century produced calculators, the first robotics company, the first mechanical arm, and many space related help objects.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> There is still much to learn about this complex science, but there has certainly been much improvement since the original robot, The Pigeon which could simply move. As shown in Figure 2, now we can calculate problems, talk to, build things, and even help people with disabilities with robots.
 * Figure 2: The Honda Asimo, the latest in humanoid robot technology.**

May 10th, 2010 Log #7

media type="custom" key="6119309" Video #1: A video of the robot performing the challenge.

The challenge for the robot was to have it do a varaion of the Cha Cha slide. The robot was to start when the sound sensor hears a sound. The robot then turns to the left, moves back, takes a short movement forward, turns right and goes forward, turns left and goes forward, turns 180 degrees and repeats. The robot then does something "funky", stops and displays a smile.

**Figure 1: The first nine blocks of the Cha Cha Slide code.** As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first block tells the robot to start the code when it hears a sound through the sound sensor in port 2. The next block tells the robot to go to the left for 2 rotations on 75 power and brake. The next block’s directions are go backwards for 2 rotations on 75 power and brake. Then the robot is to go forward for 0.5 seconds on 75 power and brake. Then the robot turns to the right for 2 rotations on 75 power and breaks. The next block tells the robot to go to the left for 2 rotations on 75 power and brake. The next block tells the robot to go really far to the left on 50 power for 180 degrees and then brake. Over blocks 2-7, there is a loop that tells it to do those blocks twice. After it repeats, the next block in the code tells the robot to go really far to the right for 90 degrees. The next block tells the robot to wait one second. The last two blocks are put in the code twice again. The next block tells the robot to display Smile 01. The next block makes the robot wait for 3 seconds before continuing to the next block. The next block is a reset button which tells the robot to go back to the menu.
 * Figure 2: The last 8 blocks of the code.**

May 18th, 2010 The Eight Characteristics of Life <span style="font-family: 'Courier New',Courier,monospace; font-weight: normal;"> <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">There are eight things that characterize living things. The first characteristic is that it is made of cells. Cells are the building blocks of tissues which are the building blocks of larger organs. The second characteristic is the need for materials. The need for materials is the need for water, minerals, and air taken from the environment. The third characteristic is homeostatic which is the self-preservation in which the being keeps everything on the inside of their body the same heat even with a changing environment. The fourth characteristic is the response to stimuli or the response to anything that makes living things react. The response to stimuli can either be positive or negative. All living things have locomotion which is the ability to move itself. Reproduction is the fifth characteristic which is the ability to make offspring of one’s own kind. Growth is the sixth characteristic which is the change from a smaller or simple form to a larger or more complex form. Adaption is the seventh characteristic which is the ability to change to a new environment. As shown in Figure 1, the eighth and final characteristic is respiration. Respiration is the breaking of chemical bonds so that the being can have energy.

<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">
 * Figure 1: A diagram of breathing which is the form of respiration in humans.**