JT


 * Electronics and Computer Post**

** Introduction ** In this Log I will be answering questions about electronics and computers, and what they are, and how they work. I will also be discussing how technology is so crucial on space operations.

** Question Answers ** ** Paragraph one. ** To answer the question are analog signals different from digital signals, I performed some research, and this helped bring me to my conclusion. Analog signals are signals that vary smoothly over time. Electric signals are a type of analog signal. Digital Signals are signals that vary except it does not vary smoothly and is more erratic than the Analog signals. Another one of the questions asked is why a semi- conductor is useful in electronic devices. A semi-conductor is useful because its electric current can be controlled by adding impurities to the semi -conductor, so you can choose the amount of current that goes through the device. That is what makes a semi- conductor so useful in electronic devices. The last question asked in paragraph one, is how diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits are used. Diodes are special because they allow the electric current to flow in one direction. Transistors are good because they amplify signals from the electric current. It can also be used as a switch, and can allow current to pass through or stop the current. Last, but certainly not least is the integrated circuit. The integrated circuit is a semi-conductor and integrated circuits are commonly found in computers.

** Paragraph Two ** ** Technology in Space. ** Electronic devices are very important in our exploration of Mars, and the search for living things. People cannot survive on Mars therefore making it impossible for us to explore without technology. Now we have specially trained robots that are controlled by those in the NASA space program. These robots allow us to search around planets like Mars. We have pictures up close, which without robots, and technology would not be possible. New technology has totally evolved space exploration. Technology is crucial to all space discoveries, without it we would never have even thought of going to Mars to explore. That is why robots and technology in general is so crucial to our space program, especially in exploring places that we cannot go on like the barren wasteland of Mars. Conclusion These are all my answers to the questions, I hope you enjoyed them.\.

//Ms. Mc: Good overview of electronic components. ICs are miniature circuits in which the electronic components have been shrunken in order to reduce the size of the electronic device. Think how big the first cell phones were compared to today's. I appreciate your formality but please feel free to just compose your paragraphs with your answers without explaining what you are going to do. You made a good start in paragraph 2 about how we would use electronic devices but you sort of went off into technology. Please include the entry # and date in your title for each entry. 8/10//

Entry 2# ** The History of Rockets ** ** By J.T. ** ** 4/4/11 **

** Introduction ** In this prompt the main question asked is about the history of rockets and rocket technology, and how far it has progressed over the years.

**The Beginning of Rocketry** Rocketry began in Greek around 100 B.C. An inventor put a sphere on top of a kettle of boiling water. The water started turning into gas which traveled up the pipes leading up to the sphere causing it to spin around. In China they made the new discovery of a substance called gunpowder which was a combination of saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal. They used to fill these sticks up during ceremonies honoring their religion and throw them in fire, to see the substance explode. The Chinese people began to conduct various experiments with gun powdered filled tubes. One of their experiments was attaching the gun powder tube to arrows. Eventually the Chinese realized they did not need arrows to launch the rockets. They realized the rocket could launch itself. Therefore the first rocket was created. In 1232 a war between the Mongols and China took place. This was where China could test out their new invention on the invaders. The Mongols quickly were driven away by the rockets. The design for the rockets consisted of a tube with a cap on one end and the opposite side left open, while filled with gun powder in the middle. The Chinese soldiers would then light the gun powder, and the gas and flame would propel the rocket forward towards the rushing invaders. The Chinese soldiers would use normal sticks to help guide where the rocket went. Also this type of warfare had never been seen before so it was unnerving to the Mongols. After that battle the Mongols began creating their own rockets which is believed to have led to the spread of rockets throughout Europe. Those in the 1500s began to ponder new ideas of increasing rocket range. A man by the name of Jean Froissart, who believed that by shooting rockets out through a tube the distance, would be increased.



Arrow with a tube filed with gun-powder mounted to it.

Introduction to Modern Rocketry

Modern rocketry has progressed greatly from earlier rocketry. Modern rocketry has achieved much more distance than before. Now thanks to rocketry we can explore space, that before would not have been possible. Modern Rocketry

In 1898, a Russian schoolteacher, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, came up with the idea of exploring space with rockets. Modern Rocketry began when an American by the name Robert H. Goddard began to conduct experiments with rocketry to attempt to exceed the distance of air balloons. As his experiments progressed, he was led to experiment with new solids that he could put in the rockets. After some time he came to the conclusion that liquids would be better ways to fuel a rocket even though it had never been done before. Goddard used liquid oxygen and gasoline and the rocket shot up in the air for a period of 2 and a half seconds and the rocket traveled a distance of 12.5 meters. Although that does not seem like much, it was a lot for that time considering a liquid propelled rocket had never worked before. After much more experimenting the rockets became bigger and went longer distances than imagined. At the start of the 20th century, certain rocket civilizations started and more research was conducted. Thanks to rockets, space programs around the world have been started. We have been able to go to all kinds of different places outside of our planet thanks to rockets. Rockets have completely revolutionized the world. Rockets went from being used to battle to transporting even people. That is the history of Rocketry. I hope you enjoyed my explanation.



Rocket filled with the first mixture of liquids that actually propelled the rocket.

//Ms. Mc: Good summary of the early history of rocketry. Your discussion of modern rocketry would have benefitted by including the names of the scientists and dates. Your drawings were a little rudimentary but did illustrate some main points of your discussion. Please include a figure # and title with your drawings/photos. 12.5/15//

4/4/11, Entry 3#

media type="custom" key="8956798"

__ Log Entry 4# __ __ 4/13/2011 __

__ Rocket Description Paragraph __

__ In the following paragraph I will describe the various parts of a rocket and why they are a necessity to the rocket. To begin I will describe the nose cone. The nose cone guides the airflow as it goes around the rocket, when the rocket is in midair. Next is the Bod Tube, The bod tube is a necessity due to the fact that it is the main structural part of the rocket. Another part is the Recovery System, this insures that the rocket lands smoothly and is not damaged in its descent. Next is the Recovery Wadding, The Recovery Wadding Protects the recovery system from the hot gas that comes out of the engine upon lift off, this is quite important because without the wadding, the parachute would not work, and the rocket would not descend, to say the. Next is the Launch Lug which is extremely important, the Launch Lug enables the rocket to go straight following lift-off. Following that there are fins, they keep the rocket going straight after lift-off as well. Then there is the Motor Mount. The Motor Mount holds the rocket engine in place so it will not fall out, and can continue to propel the rocket. Last but certainly not least is the rocket motor. The rocket motor propels the rocket up, and pushes it up to enable the rocket to lift-off. Those are all parts of the rocket. I hope that everyone enjoyed my description. __

//Ms. Mc: Very good explanation of the function of the various rocket parts. You forgot to label the body tube (-1). Also, please be sure to read over your entry for spelling and grammar errors (-1). Please put a line between your entries with the blue line button which is next to the link button at the top of the page when you are in edit mode. I did it for you this time. 18/20 //

Log Entry 5#

Rocket Data Recording and Hypothesis 4/18/11

Introduction The purpose of this experiment was to find out how high each rocket could go. All the rockets were the same and were launched close to the same day and were launched in similar conditions.

Main Paragraph 1 To begin the experiment It was hypothesized that the less mass each rocket weighed the higher it would go. This was hypothesized due to the fact that the less mass then the less that the engine would have to work to propel the rocket upward .The forces acting on the rocket consisted of air resistance, gravity, and thrust. Air resistance is what opposes the rocket when it is going through the air, but thrust is greater than it upon lift-off this allows the rocket to lift-off. Gravity is what pulls the rocket back to the ground after reaching apogee, and gradually overpowers the thrust of the rockets engines. Thrust is what propels the rocket forward; it is the engine pushing the rocket into the air, it is greater than gravity upon liftoff. Inertia also works on the rocket an object that is already being propelled stays being propelled. Apogee is where the rocket reaches the peak of its ascent. Those are all the forces working on the rocket, following lift-off.

main Paragraph 2

After a graph was made with all the results of this experiment a direct trend was noticed in the graph, the graph usually went upward. The rocket that had a mass of 42.2 grams went only 53 meters in the air, and although the lightest was the lowest of all the rockets launched. The next lightest rocket was 43.5 grams. It went a total of 65 meters following lift-off. Following that was a rocket weighing 43.6 grams. This rocket went 70 meters in the air. Next was a rocket that weighed 43.3 grams. This rocket went a total of 71 meters. Following that rocket was a rocket that weighed a total of 44.1 grams. This rocket went 75 meters following lift-off. Next was a rocket that weighed a total of 44.4 grams. This rocket went a total of 55 meters. Last, but certainly not least was a rocket weighing a total of 44.5 grams. This rocket went a total of 81 meters. Although this rocket weighed the most, it still went the farthest of all the rockets.

Conclusion

After the data was recorded it was discovered that my hypothesis was in fact wrong. It turned out that the greater the mass the higher the rockets usually went, which was exactly the opposite of what was hypothesized except for three cases where three lighter rockets went a little higher than a heavier rocket. Some examples of this were when the heaviest rocket with a mass of 44.5 grams went the furthest of all the rockets, and the rocket that weighed the least with a mass of 42.2 grams went shorter than all the other rockets. Some variables that might have caused my hypothesis could have been how the rocket was made, and how well pieces of the rocket were attached, and each rockets aerodynamics. Wind resistance because the heavier the rocket the more wind resistance so the heavier the rocket the less it would be battered around, those are all the variable that could have caused the rockets that weighed the least, to go lower than the rockets that weighed more. Thanks.

__Entry 6 4/22/11_____-___

Quarks and The Galaxy.

Introduction In the research conducted I have found the following information on the subjects of quarks and galaxies. Here is the information and research.

**A Quark** To begin a quark is created when protons and neutrons are made into smaller parts. Do to this fact that brings scientist to the conclusion that protons and Neutrons are not elementary particles, but a series of tightly bound quarks. A protons and neutrons are made up of 2 of the 6 various quirks that are known as the up and down quarks. Quarks are incredible because they have fractional charge. The remaining 4 quirks are top, bottom, strange, and charm. These quarks can only be created in cosmic rays, Up and down quarks are known to be more stable then the other quarks and are way more common than the others. This concludes what a quark is. I hope you enjoyed the research.



The Galaxy

To begin the galaxy is millions or trillions of groups of stars. These stars are held together by gravitational forces. The amount of stars varies to the size of the galaxy. Sometime when the galaxies have as few a ten million stars then this galaxy is commonly referred to as a dwarf and if there are up to a hundred trillion stars then this galaxy is referred to as a giant. Galaxies are believed to be formed following the Big-Bang. This is a scientific theory that the universe was a hot dense state that expanded rapidly. This expansion made the universe cool down and resulted in the present day. The beginning galaxies were composed of hydrogen, helium, and dark matter. Soon hydrogen helium gas began to condense and then there were the first stars, this eventually led to the beginning of the galaxies. There are also certain types of galaxies called spiral galaxies. Spiral Galaxies have long winding arms and are also the most common galaxies. Our galaxy and the milky way are spiral galaxies. Spiral galaxies are composed of gas and dust and have billions of stars. That is the end of the research conducted for galaxies.





Ms. Mc: Good answers and pictures. Don't forget your Figure #s. You actually only needed 1 picture per answer so I won't take any points off for the Figure #s. :). 10/10. (Don't forget to put a line between your entries).

Log Entry 8

**5/5/11**
 * Challenge 1 **

Introduction In the following journal the blocks that make up a robots programming will be described. The journal will describe how each individual block does something to make the robot go in the direction that the programmer wants. This is also very crucial to exploration on Mars. This way the programmers of the robots that explore Mars can tell the Robot what to do.

Definitions Servomotors-motors used in closed loop control systems. Movement Block- This block allows the robot to move in different directions. Sound Block- This block allows the robot to emit sound. Display Block- This block allows the robot to display a symbol or message on the display system.


 * Block 1 ** - This block is a movement block that activates the servomotors connected to C and B ports. This block tells the robot to go straight for around 62 cm and go forward at 75% power for 4 rotations. Then the movement block tells the robot to brake. This concludes the description of block 1.


 * Block 2 ** - This block is also a movement block that is just as crucial as the beginning block. This block activates the servomotors connected to the B and C ports. This block also tells the robot to go forwards and turn 180 degrees at 50% power. Following this the robot will then brake.

Block 3- This block is a movement block as well. This block activates the servomotors in the B and C ports. This block allows the robot to begin going forward for 2 rotations at 75% power then following this the robot will brake.

Block 4- This block is also a movement block. This block tells the robot to activate the servomotors in the B and C ports. The robot goes forward for around 45 cm and 180 degrees at 75% power. Then following this the robot brakes.

Block 5- This block is also a movement block. This block also allows the robot to activate the servomotors of the C and B ports. This block allows the robot to go backwards for 1.5 rotations at 75% power. Following this, the robot brakes.

Block 6- This block is a movement block. This block connects to the B and C ports. This block allows the robot to go forward for around 30 cm for 1440 degrees at 75% power. Following this the robot brakes.

Block 7- This block is a display block. This block at the end of the course displayed a smiley on the display screen.

Block 8- This block is a sound block and is the last block in the whole programming. The volume for this block is set at 75%. The noise played was the applause.



**The Robots Performance Following the Programming** After all the blocks were put into place then the robot moved forward, then turned and went forward, then turned, then went backwards, then did a 360 degree spin, and on the display screen showed a smiley face and made a clapping noise. That is what the blocks that were put in the programming allowed the robot to do. Thanks.