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= __//**3 / 2 4 / 1 1 E l e c t r o n i c s a n d C o m p u t e r s : L o g E n t r y 1 **//__ =

W h a t I L e a r n e d F r o m T h e R e a d i n g :
Analog signals are signals that vary smoothly in time. For example an analog clock. They can be electronic but they don't have to be. Another type of signal is a digital signal. A digital signal is not like the analog signal because a digital signal does not vary smoothly. A digital clock uses digital signals because it jumps from number to number and does not work smoothly. Semiconductors are metalloids (on the periodic table) which conduct electricity but rather poorly. The great thing about them is that their electrical conductivity can be controlled by adding impurities. Metals and non-metals can not do that. The process for adding impurities is called doping. A diode is a combination of semiconductors that only lets current flow through one way. These are used to change alternating current into direct current but the diode only allows the current in one direction through. A transistor is also combination of semiconductors. The difference is that this tool can amplify signals in a current and it can be used as an electronic switch. An integrated circuit is a square millimeter packed chip with semiconductors.. An integrated circuit can contain millions of transistors, diodes, and more components. Electronics has many parts to it which are all very important.

** E l e c t r o n i c s I n S p a c e : **
To find life on Mars, it will be much easier to send electronics instead of people for many reasons. Because of electronics we can build robots. Robots can be used to make can travel much more faster then human when traveling in space. The electronic robot does not need oxygen to breathe either so the mission is less dangerous. Lots of professorial work must be done to make the robot too. It must have a programmed mind which allows it to move, take pictures, take samples, etc. If a circuit is messed up or goes wrong it could mess up the whole mission. This robot also needs to send all the observations it has made and places it has discovered back to earth. Not only that but in order to send this robot to Mars we have to have a rocket that will guide this thing in the right direction quick and safely. This is why the electronics in this mission are so important.

// Ms. Mc: Good overall review of electronics. Just to be clear, digital and analog clocks both are electronic they just just use different types of electric signals. Your ideas for how electronics would be used on our mission to Mars are could and would have been improved by naming specific electronic devices that would be used: computers, navigations systems, cameras, etc. 8.5/10 //

=//__4/4/11 History Of Rockets: Log Entry 2__//=

Rockets were discovered in the first century. The first object to have the properties of a rocket is the "aeolipile". It was made in the year 100 B.C. It was a device that would blow steam out of the poles that are sticking out of the sphere. The Chinese discovered rockets when they were experimenting with gunpowder and they attached the tubes filled with gunpowder to an arrow which made a rocket powered arrow. They had the potential to cause mass destruction. These are how rockets were used before the idea of exploration in space.



Rockets can be used for many things, but in science they are used for exploration in space. The person who proposed the idea was a Russian named Konstantin Tsiolkovsky thought of the idea to travel into space with rockets. His ideas were approved, and now he is now called the "Father of Modern Astronautics". On October 4 1957 the first satellite was sent out by the Soviet Union. It was called Sputnik and it looked like this. Then the USA sent out the Explorer 1 (a satellite). In the same month the US made NASA. This is modern rocketry.



//Ms. Mc: Good pictures and start to summarizing the history of rocketry but you left out some main points. What property of rockets did the aeolipile have? What part did the German scientists play in modern rocketry? Who was Goddard? What is NASA? 12/15//

=//__4/4/11 Rocket Simulation: Log Entry 3__//= 1. Press red stop button. 2. Then press green flag button 3. Watch the simulation!

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=**//__4/13/11 Rocket Body Parts: Log Entry 4__//** =

Nose Cone- This makes the rocket more aerodynamic. Recovery System- This is basically a parachute which recovers the rocket back safely. (Inside) Body Tube- This is the main part of the rocket. Recovery Wadding- This makes sure that the recovery system does not catch on fire from the hot gases. (Inside) Launch Lug- Lets the rocket fly off the launch pad straight. Motor Mount- This makes sure the motor stay where it is. (Inside) Fins- They make sure that the rocket travel is straight and not tilted. Rocket Motor- This makes the rocket fly off the launch pad. Can not be reused. (Inside)

//Ms. Mc: Good definitions and labels. Please be sure you follow the entry guidelines. 20/20//

=** //4/16/11 Rocket Launch Lab Report: Log Entry 5// ** =

// **__ INTRODUCTION: __** //

The purpose of the experiment was to determine whether the mass of the rocket affected the apogee. Outside of the building, the rockets were launched and affected by variables such as wind, mass, gravity, and air resistance. It was hypothesized that the greater the mass of the rocket, the rocket will not fly as high because gravity will have a greater affect on the apogee. Apogee means the highest point of the rocket. Lift off means the part of the flight when the rocket starts to fly off the ground and the thrust overcomes gravity. Because of inertia the rocket can start to coast during the flight. Powered flight occurs before coasting, and powered flight means the part of the flight where the rocket’s engines are thrusting.

**__ RESULTS: __** The results for the experiment are shown below. The rockets’ mass varied between 42.5 grams and 45.4 grams. The apogee of the rockets’ varied from 61 meters to 93 meters. Below is a graph of the data. This data is a direct relationship because the higher the rocket’s mass (independent variable), the higher the apogee (dependent variable) was. The greater the mass was, the higher the apogee was.



The graph above proves the hypothesis incorrect. The hypothesis stated that the greater the mass of the rocket, the rocket will not fly as high because gravity will have a greater affect. In the graph above, the more the mass of the rocket, the higher the rocket flew. Some of this data might have been affected by wind, the mass of the rocket, gravity, and air resistance. One of these rockets lost its fins in the air so this might have affected the data. This rocket had a false start as well. Its parachute did not work properly. This rocket could have affected the results. The small sample size could have affected the graph. The measurements might have been measured incorrectly as well.

=//4/22/11 Rocket Body Parts: Log Entry 6// =

Question 1- What is a quark? What type of quarks are there?

Quarks are the particles inside of protons and neutrons. They are also the smallest stable form of matter in the universe. There are a few type of quarks. These types are up quarks and down quarks. There are three quarks that make up, both, a proton and a neutron as seen in figure one. These quarks have fractional charges. Up quarks have a charge of +2/3, and down quarks have a charge of -1/3.



Question 2- What is a galaxy? How did they form?

A galaxy is a collection of stars, planets, dwarf planets, comets, asteroids, and smaller particles. Galaxies were formed after the Big Bang, as a result of the dark matter and the gases within them cooling down. The galaxies grew when the dark matter attracted the gases to the denser areas. This is how galaxies were formed. Below is a picture of a galaxy.



//Ms. Mc: Good answers and figures. There actually are 6 types of quarks (-1). Please be a little more specific with your figure titles (Fig. 1 is a proton because there are 2 up quarks and 1 down quark) and you need to change the title for this entry (-1). 8/10//

=**//5/6/11 Course 3 Explanation: Log Entry 8// ** =

Course 3 is a course which your robot must travel until it detects a line. We had to program this robot to complete this course. It was programmed with Lego Mindstorm. The first block is a sound block. It should be connected to port two. A sound block detects sound and if it detects a sound greater then the sound it is set, it will activate the next block. The next block is a move block. This block is functioned to move forward on a speed of 75 for an unlimited amount of time. This is connected to "B" and "C". The next block should be connected to port three, and this block requires a sensor. The sensor it requires is a light sensor. It need the light sensor because if this block detects a light greater than 21, it will function the next block. The next block is a stop block. This is connected to "B" and "C", and the robot will halt. Below is a picture of the blocks in Course 3. This relates to the Mars Rovers because they must also be able to detect things around them and dodge, hear, see, and feel things.