Lydia

3/23/110- Entry #1 Electronics and Mars Analog Signals are different from digital signals because Analog signals are electronic signals that the electric current increases or decreases gradually during time. Electronic signals are not the only Analog signals, because an Analog signal can be anything that gradually increases or decreases and varies in time. A digital signal is unlike an Analog signal whereas it does not gradually increase or decrease and varies in time, but instead it changes very fast like in jumps. It is not gradual, but more so faster. Semiconductors are elements that are poorer than a good conductor, but better than a poor conductor. They are special in a way apart from other insulators and conductors because their electrical conductivity can be controlled by adding impurities. Semiconductors are useful in electronic devices because two of them put together can control the flow of a current in an electronic device. They can form switches that can turn off and on which is very useful in an electronic device. Diodes, transistors and integrated circuits are used in different ways. A diode allows the current to only flow in one direction. They are used to transfer alternating current into a direct current. Transistors are used to amplify signals in an electric circuit. It can also be a switch. They are used to increase signals and allow the current to flow or block the current. They will amplify the current or block the flow. Integrated circuits are transistors, diodes and other components combined. It contains a large number of interconnected components. All of these signals and different electric components all are very useful when it comes to electronics.

Electronic devices would be very useful on a space mission where the goal is to travel to mars because first off to fly to mars you need a spaceship. Spaceships are electronic items that use energy. You also need time, a clock of some sort to know how long it has been. It could be an Analog, or a digital. The different space rovers are also electronic devices, and if you are trying to find life on mars, it is a good idea to have a rover. Most of the things you need to get to Mars and to find life on mars are going to be or include electronic devices. Electronic devices are very important for a mission like this because otherwise you couldn’t get to Mars, or use a Rover to find life, or have signals to send back to Earth. You would need,, navigational systems, computers, rovers to travel on mars, motors, some oxygen providers, engines, climate control, and some detectors to find items on mars. Without electronics, we would not be able to go to Mars.

// Ms. Mc: Great overview of electronic components and interesting ideas about how we would use electronic devices on our mission to Mars. 9.5/10 // ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...............................................

3/29/11- Entry #2 The History of the Rocket

Rockets didn’t always start out as liquid-propellant objects that by the push of a button, or switch would practically fly. The first true rocket was in 1232, when the Chinese and Mongols were at war with each other. The Chinese had invented “arrows of flying fire” to shoot against their opponent and this idea spread. The Chinese started to examine gunpowder-filled tubes and began designing and creating different so called rockets. Rockets were not used for actual space-missions until 1898 when a Russian schoolteacher named Robert Goddard proposed the idea of using the rockets to explore altitudes. He began to experiment and in 1903 his gasoline rocket was the beginning of a whole new era in flight, and rockets. Many different items and tools were created to make the rocket even more powerful. Parachutes were used, and flight control instruments. Goddard had achieved the name of “Father of Modern Rocketry”.




 * Picture #1- The Chinese's First Rocket- The Fire Arrow**

Goddard’s ideas and designs led to more innovative and powerful rockets. The V-2 rocket was not a very large rocket, but it was a weapon. It was used against London in World War II. The rocket did not play a big role in the war, but the rocket did have an effect on some German scientists. They began creating missiles with the ability to practically fly. Goddard had made such a great impression on the German scientists and they were amazed. These scientists soon realized that they could use the rockets as weapons. They started creating very high-tech missiles that later were able to launch astronauts. After the Soviet Union had launched an artificial satellite into space, the US was jealous and soon launched their own satellite. They all had a common goal in mind and that was to be able to have humans go to space. This goal was reached, and many humans and robots were successfully able to reach the moon, but for all of this to happen there had to be rockets. Rockets improved so much since the Chinese, and they are a great part in our life.




 * Picture #2- Goddard's 1926 Rocket**

//Ms. Mc: Good summary of the early history of rocketry but your second paragraph is a little inaccurate. Missiles do fly just not out of Earth's atmosphere. The Russians were the first to put humans in space not the Germans. A few more specific dates and exactly what happened when would have been helpful. Very good drawings. Don't forget to include a Figure # for your drawings/photos. 13/15// ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................

4/4/11 Entry #3- Rocket flight simulation media type="custom" key="8956678" Video 1- Flight simulation

Instructions: 1. Turn your sound on to normal volume. 2. Click the green flag in the top right corner. 3. Click the red stop button to pause the video. 4. Enjoy watching a virtual trip to mars!

4/13/11 Entry #4- Parts of the Rocket

Figure #3- Rocket with labeling

There are many different parts to a model rocket. The first part of the rocket is the nose cone. The nose cone is a triangle shaped cone that sits atop the rocket. It is shaped like a cone to offer aerodynamic resistance. The next and biggest part of the rocket is the body tube. The body tube is the main structure that is hollowed out to hold the recovery system, and engine. They are usually made out of a paper-like substance so that the rocket is less massive. The recovery system is one of the most important items of the model rocket. It is made up of a parachute that attacheto the nose cone, and the rocket. The parachute will help bring the rocket back down to the ground so that it can be reused more than once. The recovering wadding is also a very important part of the rocket. The wadding is made up of a flame-resistant paper to protect the recovery system from the gasses that the engine gives off. Underneath the recovering wadding is the motor mount. The motor mount is what keeps the motor in the rocket. It also keeps the motor from going too far up into the rocket. Inside of the motor mount lays the motor. The motor is made with gun-powder that when lit decreases and eventually dies out which at this point the rocket is at ejection. On the side of the rocket is the launch lug which is a small tube that is used as an attached to the launch pad. It holds the rocket on the launch pad until lift off, and then helps to guide the rocket into flight. The Fins are the last items of the model rocket. The fins are the directors for the rocket. They help move the rocket in the right direction, and keep the rocket traveling straight. There are three fins. All of these parts are vital in the building of a model rocket.

//Ms. Mc: Excellent explanations of the functions of the rocket parts and good labels. The motor mount also is inside (-1/2). 19.5/20//

4/18/11 Entry #5- Rocket Launch Experiment

A model rocket experiment was performed. The purpose of the experiment was to see how high a model rocket could fly with different masses, and different styles. The model rocket was designed with a gun-powdered motor. When the rocket was still on the launch pad the only forces acting on it were that of the force of gravity pulling the rocket down, and the force of the launch pad pushing the rocket up. When the rocket was in lift off there was the force of gravity with a downward pull and thrust pushing the rocket up. During the powered flight the rocket was still being pulled down by gravity, but there was also a downward pull of air resistance. When the rocket reached its apogee there was only the force of gravity. The rocket flew due to the thrust that was pushing up on the rocket, and the rocket fell due to gravity. It was hypothesized that if the rocket was more massive, due to Newton’s 2nd law that force equals mass times acceleration, then the rocket will not fly as high; whereas if the rocket was less massive it will fly higher. This is due to the thrust that pushes the rocket, and the inertia against the rocket. When the rocket is in the powered flight it is flying because of the thrusts of the motors and when it was at its apogee it falls due to gravity, and because the motor died out.

**Graph #1- Rockets Masses and their Apogee Height.**

There was a big range in masses. The heaviest mass was 44.5 g, and the lightest mass was 42.2 g. All of the rockets were built out of the same materials, but some had more glue and paint than others, making the mass heavier, or lighter. The apogees of the rockets ranged as well. The highest apogee was 81 m, and the lowest apogee was 53 m. There was a big leap from the Apogees heights, the masses were pretty close. This relationship between the masses and the apogees of the model rockets is an direct relationship. The independent and dependent variables change in the same directions. The more massive the rocket was, the higher it went, but there were a few outliers as shown in Graph #1.

The hypothesis that stated that if the model rocket was more massive, than it would not have as high of an apogee as a rocket that had a lighter mass was proven false. As shown in Graph #1, the rocket with a mass of 44.5 g had the highest apogee of 81m, and the rocket with a mass of 42.2 g had the lowest apogee of 53 m. There were a few outliers such as the rocket with a mass of 43.3 and had an apogee of 71, but there was an inverse relationship in the graph. The weather could have impacted the outcome of the experiment. There were strong winds and cold weather on the days that the rockets were launched, and that could have messed with some of the apogees. Also the graph had only 7 points, and was small. There were not very many points to have a very accurate experiment. This finally concludes that the hypothesis was not confirmed.

4/21/11 Entry #6- Quarks and Galaxies

A Galaxy is the matter that was collapsed by gravity 2 billion years after the Big Bang. Galaxies are classed according to whether they are elliptical, spiral or irregular. There used to be lots of merges and collisions with galaxies when they first were formed. The merges caused the spiral arms that Galaxies have. Galaxies are formed with gas, dust, and stars. These items combine and create disks of stars, lines of gas, and dust with a central bulge in the middle. As shown in figure #4 the galaxy is a circular shape.

Figure #4- Galaxy

Quarks are smaller particles that protons and neutrons are made up of. There are six different types of quarks but the two that are in protons and neutrons are Up and Down Quarks, but there are three quarks total. The Up quarks have a positive nucleus, and the Down quarks have a negative nucleus. This is shown in figure #5. Figure #5- Quark diagram

//Ms. Mc: Good overall but a couple of things aren't quite right. No galaxies are circular and either is the one you drew (great drawing!) -- I believe you meant eliptical? (-1/2). What are the other 4 types of quarks? (-1/2). Figure5 doesn't show up and down quarks having positive and negative charges (-1/2). Make sure you understand what the the figure is if you are going to use it. 8.5/10//

5/5/11 Entry #8- A Robot Sequence Figure #6- Block Sequence

Block 1- A Movement block telling the robot to activate B and C servomotors to move forward for 3.5 rotations at 75% power and then uses the brakes. The robot moves forwards for 3 seconds. Block 2- A Movement block telling the robot to activate B and C servomotors to turn right at 160 degrees with a 50% power and then uses the brakes. The robot turns right at a 90 degree angle. Block 3- A Movement block telling the robot to B and C servomotors to move forward for 2 rotations at 75% power and then uses the brakes. The robot moves froward for 2 seconds. Block 4- A Movement block telling the robot to activate B and C servomotors to turn left at 160 degrees with a 50% power and then uses the brakes. The robot turns left at a 90 degree angle and is facing backwards. Block 5- A Movement block telling the robot to activate B and C servomotors to move backwards for 1.5 rotations and then coasts. The robot moves backwards for 2 seconds. Block 6- A Movement block telling the robot to activate B and C servomotors to turn left at 1440 degrees at 75% power and then uses the brakes. The robot turns right in 2 circles for 3 seconds. Block 7- A Sound block telling the robot to use a sound file and play it at a 75 volume after the robot completes its movements and Applauses. The robot applauses. Block 8- A Display block telling the robot to show a smiley face at a 12 x axis and an 8 y axis. The robot displays the smiley face. Block 9- A Wait block telling the robot to wait for 3 seconds. The robot waits for 3 seconds. Block 10- A Display block telling the robot to reset all actions and erase the smiley face. The robot resets everything and stops displaying the smiley face.

The purpose of the challenge was to program our robot to follow a straight line, turn right, turn left and backup, and then do two turns. Next the robot had to clap and show a smiley face. The Sequence in figure #6 was the sequence used to get the robot to achieve this challenge. media type="file" key="Sequence 01.mp4" width="300" height="300"

Video 2- Robot Lab