Spencer+R

= Electronics and How They Work = = By: Spencer R = == In the article that I recently read, it talked about many different electrical items and other components. This article spoke about two different types of signals, analog and digital. Analog signals are signals that move smoothly from one thing to another. Digital signals are signals that move in a more rapid and unpredictable manner. There are also items that are in the electronic devices that serve useful purposes too. A semiconductor is useful in electronic devices because a semiconductor is able let electricity flow through it or not flow through it. It is also useful because you can add impurities to a semiconductor to change the uses for the entire electronic device. These impurities come in variety of types and the types are diodes, transistors, and integrated circuits. Diodes are solid-state components that allow current to flow only one way. Transistors are solid-state components that amplify signals in an electric circuit. Integrated circuits are circuits that have a large number of connected solid-state components and are made from a chip made up of silicon. == == All of these electronic devices are important in their own ways. Each and every electronic device used in space has a purpose in order to get to the goal of making it to Mars and searching for life. There are electronic devices that make the humans aboard able to breath. There are electronic devices that enable the space craft to make it to Mars and there are electronic devices that help search for the life on Mars. These electronic devices and the others all are important the mission. == = The Evolution of Rocketry = = By: Spencer R = = The modern rocket is an impressive invention but it would not be where it is now without all of the prior important discoveries. The first recorded device that met all of the characteristics of a rocket was created in 100 B.C. by a Greek man named Hero Alexandria. His invention, called aeolipile, had a sphere like object that that sat over the water and collected steam. The sphere had two L-shaped tubes coming out of it that had steam that propelled the sphere round and round. The steam was made by the steaming water in the kettle with a fire underneath it. This invention shows the characteristics of the modern day rocket but it wasn’t until 1st century A.D. that the Chinese created an invention that took the shape of the modern day rocket. A few Chinese people filled bamboo tubes with gunpowder, saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal dust. Once lit, these contraptions exploded and where then used in religious ceremonies. Then, after much experimentation, the Chinese used them in battle. They would strap them on the end of an arrow and fire them. This was the official birth of the rocket. = == In more modern rocketry, the Russian and Americans made the biggest and most important discoveries. A Russian teacher, Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, believed that a rocket could be used to explore space. His belief was that a rocket’s range was only limited to the speed of the gas coming out of the exhaust, so he suggested that a liquid propellant would be useful to increase the range of the distance. An American, Robert Godard, was a scientist that tested rocketry with solid-propellant rockets. After many years of launching rockets with solid-propellant rockets, Godard was convinced that rocket would work better if it were propelled with liquid fuel. This difficult task had never been performed before, but in 1926 Godard built and launched the first successful liquid-propellant rocket. Because of this, Godard is known as the father of modern rocketry. Many years later, in the Cold War, technology that was developed over the years was finally put together. In 1957, the Russians achieved Tsiolkovsky’s dream of putting a rocket into space when they sent Sputnik into orbit. Since Sputnik was sent into space, this has set the bar for the future space achievements of today. == = = = Rocket Stages Animation = = media type="custom" key="9018862" = = My Rocket Labeled = = By: Spencer R. = = = = The Rocket Launch at Cary Academy = = By: Spencer R. = The experiment that we performed was the launching of the rockets. The purpose of this experiment was to determine if the mass of the rocket affects the altitude the rocket flies. My hypothesis was that the lighter the rocket, the higher it flies because inertia has to do less work on the rocket to keep it going up. After we weighed our rockets and prepared ourselves, we all went to the launch site.

Once we were outside, two partners went 100 meters away from the launch site where they would be able to better record the angle that the rocket flew with their angle guns. They counted off the distance with a Trundle Wheel. On the other side of the field, at the launch site, the people who launched their rocket first put on their glasses for safety. Then they hooked up two wires to the metal stems on the bottom of the rocket and put the switch from the controls into the controls. When everyone was all set, two people on opposite sides of the field would signal each other to let them know they were ready. Once every one at the launch site was a safe distance away, the countdown started. After a five count, one person from the group launching pressed both the buttons on the controls to ignite the rocket. As soon as the rocket had lifted off, the two people launching went to retrieve the rocket. While this happens, the people with the angle guns write down the recordings and find the average angle of the rockets peak. This process is then repeated for all of the groups.

In the end, my hypothesis was true. It was obvious that the mass of the rocket effected how high the rocket flew. If the rocket was light it flew higher and if the rocket was heavy, it didn't fly as high.



Our group’s rocket was the 3rd lightest of the rockets. We painted our rocket with red, white, and blue paint. We applied two coats but still had a light rocket. I believe that the reason our rocket flew so high, is because we painted it and made the rocket so light. Other than the painting of the rocket, the construction of the rocket was a contributing factor to the weight as well. Our rocket was constructed normally except for the fact that our rocket has an excessive amount of glue. Despite the amount of glue, this did not seem to matter at all. If we were to repeat this experiment, I would have used less glue on the fins, I would have sanded the fins even more, and I would have put more talcum powder on the parachute all to make the rocket more efficient.

=The Impotance of Astronomy in the Search for Life on Mars = =By: Spencer R. = =** Astronomy is important in the search for life on mars because without astronomy, we wouldn’t be able to even leave Earth. In order to go somewhere, you need to know where you’re going, what you’re going to, and how to get there. The purpose of astronomy is to help us better understand the universe. If we did not understand what we were exploring, we would have not explored it. Astronomy not only helps us get to Mars, but it is helping us do even more interesting things with celestial objects. **= To read more about astronomy click on this link: More About Astronomy = **History of Robotics ** = =By: Spencer R. = === In 350 B.C., Archytas of Tarentum created a mechanical bird that was propelled by steam and flew in the air. This achievement was seen as the first robotic invention ever. Many years later, when Aristotle was alive, he believed that there should be a tool that is commanded to or not to do work so that there is no need for apprentices of slaves. His belief hinted to the world that the invention of robotic devices would be good. In 1495, during the Medieval Age, Leonardo Da Vinci came up with the first big hit in robotics building. He designed a robot, “Leonardo’s robot”, which made it look like a real knight was inside the armor when there wasn’t one at all. Many people started to use this idea and it saved many jousters lives. === ===  In the 19th and 20th century, scientist began to build robots, machines that do compulsory labor, instead of just mechanical devices. It wasn’t until 1921 that the word robot was introduced in the United States when a Czech write performed his play. Then 5 years later, the first robot appeared on the big screen in the movie //Metropolis//. Now that scientist had seen how robots were portrayed in movies and plays, they tried to invent real ones. Then in 1950, Issac Asimov was credited with coming up with the term “Robotics”. From 1950 to 1998, multiple movies were made about and using robots in them and there were also multiple simple, one task robots invented as well. All of the robots were used to do specific and serious jobs, until Lego came out with a robot collection that people of all ages could use. Since then, companies, scientist, and all people have been exploring the great and wonderful possibilities of the robotics world. ===

[[image:smr_leonardo.jpg width="457" height="349"]][[image:smr_robot.jpg width="498" height="350"]]
=   ﻿ The Wonderful Motors and Sensros of Our Robot    = =  ﻿   =

By: Spencer R.
In order for the robot to move, you need to program the robot to move using its motors. You can program the motors by using the programs already installed in the robot. These programs are either common programs or they are test programs. The other way to program the motors is to build a program in the NXT program. Thanks to this program, you can alter the way the motors work and make cool and unique programs. A robot can go forward, backward, and turn in any direction. When you combine these motions, the possibilities are endless. The frustrating part about working with these robots is the wheels. The wheel turns are always off compared to what they say on the program and the back wheel always makes it go slower or makes it turn in the wrong direction. On the other hand, you can attach what is called a sensor to your robot. The sensor can either just relay the information to the robot for you to observe or the sensor can use its ability to detect a certain component to help move the robot. A touch sensor, if it is touched, can move any direction you want it to. A sound sensor will make the robot move if it hears something. An ultrasonic sensor is used to detect object, and due to the detection, the robot can move in any direction you chose. A light sensor can move in any direction you want it to depending on the kind of light it picks up. Working with these robots was a great experience.



= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =Are You Alive?= =By: Spencer R.= ===We have recently learned about living things, dead things, and nonliving things. For something to be living, it must have all eight of these characteristics. On the other hand, there are some animals, mules, which lack the ability to reproduce, but they are still considered living creatures. The first thing a living creature must possess is its composition of cells. If an organism is made up of cells, animal cells, plants cells, or bacteria cells, then it is considered living. If an organism needs materials, requires food, water, air, and or minerals, then it is considered living. If an organism is homeostatic, internally living things stay about the same despite environmental changes, then it is considered living. If an organism responds to anything that makes a living thing react, stimulus, then it is consider living. An organism is also considered living if it reproduces sexually or asexually. If an organism is to be classified as alive, it must grow. A key aspect of a living organism is its ability to adapt. An organism is considered living if it can adapt, modify its way of life in order to survive. The last characteristic a living organism must have is the ability to respirate. If an organism can release energy stored in chemical bonds of food, respirate, than that organisms is considered living. If an organism is not a special one like a mule, then these are the eight characteristics a living thing must have.=== ===Those are the characteristics of a living thing, but it is necessary to know how to detect these living things too. For an organism to be alive, it needs food and water. So in that case, if a planet has water, you can find life on it. The other necessity for living things is natural gasses. Organisms need oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and more. Mars may have once had these characteristics, but now, Earth is the only planet in this solar system that has all of these characteristics and more to sustain life.===