Charlie

== ​Charlie==

=//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 24, 2010
Analog and Digital signals are helpful for see the time and hearing music, but they differ in how smoothly they work. An analog devices moves steady and smoothly like a clock. Digital devices are choppy and can jump steps. Semiconducters are used in electrical devices for conducting electrical current. They are not the best compared to metals, but they are better than non-metals. Diodes are used for letting electricity pass in one direction. Transistors are used to boost or decrease the amount of electricity.

A mission to Mars would require great knowlodge of electricity. First of all, there would need to be many intergraded circuits. These circuits will also need to be hooked up to a Transistor to boost the strength of the flow. In these circuits, LED's, robotic limbs, etc. will be started to move or operate the mission at hand. Transistors will also be important in communication. They would need to boost the wave length to communicate with Earth.

In this reading, I learned a lot about electricity and the flow of electros through atoms. The reason some atoms conduct electricity better than others is because of the amount of extra electrons floating in the last shell. The atoms with full shells are not the best at conducting. But, for electricity to flow it needs a source and a circuit. A source could be friction or a battery, and anything that forms a circle from the positive to negative terminals will act as a circuit. The voltage is the amount of force pushing the electrical current. A resistor slows down the voltage and produces a reasonable amount. The brick of a laptop charger is a resistor. If the current is being pushed through a series circuit, there is a row of resistors that constantly reduce the amount of electrons passing through the circuit. While, in a parallel circuit, there is a certain number of circuits in one. This is best explained by the picture below.

= = Entry #3:

Read the document entitled “Rocket History.” This document can be downloaded from the Unit 5 – Rocketry folder under the Resources section on our class’ web page. In two or more paragraphs, summarize the history of rockets. Additionally, include at least 2 pictures that you have __drawn__ and uploaded to supplement your written work. Your final log entry should contain: · A title describing the contents of the entry. · 2 paragraph summary of rocket history (can be longer). · 2 pictures that you have drawn and are related to the reading. · Correct spelling and grammar. April 11, 2010:
 * //THE HISTORY OF ROCKETRY//**

In this reading, you learn a lot about the evolution a rockets. From Chinese fireworks, to ICBM's the uses for rocketry can be endless. Recent discovery of space travel, exploration, probes, and space stations could lead to cities rotating around Earth. In the first paragraph, you are introduced to the basic need to make a rocket, fuel. There can be so many resources from gunpowder, to oxygen, to oil, even to fission. Also, in the begining, you learn how the Chinese discovered fireworks, which they created into an army of fire archers. These are some of the older uses of rockets. The first ship to be lauched into space, was Russian. Soon after, the Americans lauched probes and the race begain to see who had the most rockets. The boost in astronomy, was from German immigrants to the USSR and the USA, after World War II. The first form of life to travel to space was a dog, then soon after by astronauts. The new way to see the world was from space. Everyone wanted some glory, so NASA was formed, along with the International Space Station. [|Doc1.doc] [|Doc2.doc]

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The nose cone is used to make the rocket aerodynamic, which creates less air friction. The body tube's function is to store the parachute and engine. Inside the tube is the recovery system, this is used to prevent a crash landing but, it adds weight to the rocket. The recovery wadding (below the recovery system) is the thing used to stop the engines ignition. It adds weight though. On the side of the rocket, the Launch Lug keeps the rocket at 90 degrees for the first stage of flight. The Motor mount is the outside of the motor, it is a protective barrier so the rocket doesn't catch on fire. It also adds wieght to the rocket, though it is necessary for a safe flight. The motor is used to push the rocket into and through the air. It also creates the force used to make an apogee. Lastly, the fins are used to keep the rocket stale during flight. They are vital for a straight flight.

**Graph 1: this graph’s tell were the apogee was.** In the experiment, the class was testing the apogee of model rockets. The experiment was designed to see if the mass of the rocket affected the apogee and flight path. The rocket was launched straight up into the air from ignited gunpowder. The powder forces the rocket into the air while the nose cone resists the air friction. Once the fuel runs out and it has finished coasting, the rocket turns downward and deploys a safety shoot for landing. The rocket slowly falls towards the ground thanks to the shoot resisting gravity. The rocket was hypothesized to do all of these things, accept the lighter rockets would coast higher and in turn have a higher apogee. It was hypothesized that the lighter rocket would then travel higher because the less mass would have less of a resistance than a larger rocket. In the data recorded, the hypothesis was somewhat incorrect. At the beginning of the experiment, the hypothesis seemed to be on track, but as it went the data changed and it descended. This inverse realtionship in the data was very unexpected. The two outliers of 79.5 and 128 were taken into context in the plot. The line was drawn for the bacis diaginal shape of the central points. In conclusion, the hypothesis was worng according to the data bacause it had and inverse relationship.

The history of robotics is longer than most people think. It started in the 1800's when mechanical instruments were self run. From then to now, robotics is used in several occupations such as medicine, production, and construction. Even now in Japan, homiods are being created like this one (Picture 1). The history of robotics will continue to affect work, life, and technology. The first industrial robot was devolped by George Devol. These bots were called Umimates. In the early 60's, the first robotic arm was made. The Rancho Arm was a tool for handicapped people. The tentacle arm was devolped by Marvin Minsky, this robot is similar to an octopus. Now in the late 90's to present begins space robotics and probes. These probes were used to explore the surface of planets. Viking 1 and 2 were the first probes on Mars. One of the Mars landers were picture 2. And the newest space probe is Messenger. This probe is traveling to Mercury as you read. It is expected to reach orbit in March 2011. In 30 years, data will be transmitted back to NASA.
 * Entry 7**

Video of Robot going through a cource: media type="custom" key="6067265" In this video, a LEGO robot was directed to move forward, right, forward, backward, and then spin. In the video, myself, Andrew, and Kylie programmed the bot move in this format. The robot was programed in a program called LEGO Mindstromers. In the programing, the two motors that power the wheels were connected to ports B and C. The first brick goes forward three rotations at 75% power. Brick two turns to the right hard. A 240 degree turn at 50% power caused the robot to move to the right. Next, the robot travelled 1.5 rotations at 75% power. Then, the robot turned sharply left by turning 220 degrees at 50% power. The next brick tells to robot that it needs to move 0.871 rotations forward at 75% power. Right after that the robot is told to reverse 0.871 rotations at 75% power. Finally, the robot turns, because of the programming of 360 degrees at 48% power.
 * Entry 7: May 6th**

Life is a complicated matter, because there is life as single cell organisms to the most complex beings such as humans. Life can be found by finding eight characteristics; growth, celluar compisition, reproduction, respriation, needs of materials, adaption, and more. When most people come across a unknown object or thing, one usually pokes it to see if it responds, this actions is called responce to stimuli. Other states beside living include: dead (product of living thing), dormant, or non-living. When somthing is dormant, it is living, but some of characteristics have been slowed, while dead things were alive, but now have lost some traits. This bear below is dormant, because it is alive and it has slowed down needs, reproduction, and growth.
 * ENTRY 8: MAY 18th, 2010**