Lindsay+C+SFLOM

= Mars Without Electricity Equals A Big Mess! =

====Electricity is the result of charged particles being either statically charged or being charged from a current of particles. There are three different types of electricity, that we as humans know! The first one is **static electricity **. Static electricity could be explained as an imbalance of charged particles. Static electricity usually causes attraction between two objects. An example of static electricity is a balloon sticking to a wall after being rubbed on your head. The second type of electricity is called an **electric current **. An electric current is a flow of moving charged electrons, which are usually carried through wires. Electric currents can be found in electric circuits. An easy example is when you hook up a battery, wire, and light bulb the right way and the lamp lights up. When everything fits into place the electrons start moving and it creates an electric current. The third and final type of electricity is **electric discharge **. Electric discharge is when something has a buildup of electric charge and the only way to get rid of it is to discharge it. A quick example of electric discharge is lightning. When there is electricity buildup in the sky, the way it discharges it is by lightning. ====

[[image:LCPic.PNG caption="This is a plasma globe that demonstrates all three forms of electricity. "]]
====If you were to go to Mars, you would need electricity for many different things. If you were on a spaceship, you would need lighting in the "rooms". In order to have working lights, you would need to use electricity. Also in spaceships they have a control panel that lights up and enables you to change to control the spaceships directions, and other things you might need to do. When you are out in space you will need headsets or something to communicate with the people on Earth. If it is a control panel or something it might need electricity in order to work. But, if it is a headset it would probably just need a battery. Whether or not the headset would need some type of electricity depends on how complex the headset is. Some of the things within the spaceship use solar power to convert to electricity. The energy can be stored up and when need it saves the stored up energy and converts it into electricity. There are many different things electricity can be used for in space. Electricity is vital to most things, places, and people! ====

= = =Magnetism, A Strong Force = ====Magnetism is a physical phenomenon produced by motion of an electric charge. The motion of this electric charge results in attraction and repulsion between two **or more** objects. Magnetism can affect objects in many different ways. Magnetism can effect objects but only at a certain distance. On certain objects, magnetism can make the particles face upwards and all align the same way. This is how somethings like special rocks become magnetic. One of these special rocks is called a Lodestone. Magnetism can also make objects repel and attract each other by using a force. Lastly, magnetism can protect us from the sun. Magnetic fields are formed around the Earth and deflect the suns rays, guiding them away and not directly at us. ==== 

====If you are on Mars and searching for life, magnetism could help you in a few ways. A compass is can be made out of a needle that is magnetic. This needle is attracted to the North and South poles of the world. This magnetic needle can show you whether you are going South, West, North, or East. On Mars, you may need a compass to help you figure out direction. Also magnetic fields could help you stay shielded from the sun, since you are close to it. This might work just like on the Earth, but since you are on a different planet, it may be more or less useful. Lastly, I think you might be able to use magnets to see if there are any new or old magnetic substances on or within mars. If there are magnetic substances on Mars you could possibly discover new ones or see if there are any original ones. Magnetism can be useful in many different ways of discovering new things on Mars. ==== 

Astronomy 101

From Big Bangs to Galaxies In the beginning the Universe was said to have exploded out of nothing. This is now an event we call the Big Band. Even before a tenth of a second could pass neutrons and protons were created. Within a few seconds after the explosion Earth started expanding and the temperature went down. At this point matter was made. Soon annialation started to overtake particles. Annialation is when particles collide and turn into radiation and energy. At the three minute mark a quarter of the protons and neutrons combined to make Helium nuclei. Close to this mark when the temperature gets down to 3,000 degrees Kelvin electrons start orbiting protons to create atoms. It starts at this point because it was cool enough for the atoms to not be torn apart by heat. About 2 billion years after the Big Bang, the formation of galaxies starts to begin. Galaxies are concentrated in shells and strings around huge empty spaces. Our galaxy formed when the Universe was about 3 billion years old. Galaxies are classified according to their shape and when they collide can merge into one big galaxy. Galaxies were much closer together earlier than they are now.

The Milky Way Galaxy The Milky Ways light comes from billions of individual stars in bunches. The Milky Way is an insiders view from our galaxy. It is made up of stars, gas, and dust collections. Inside of this galaxy is where the sun lies. Also galaxies can have tiny dwarf galaxies inside them. The Milky Way has four spiral shaped arms around it. The spiral arms is where matter temporarily stores itself. If you look closer in on the Milky Way there is a central bulge and the stars in this area are usually orange and yellow. This stars are very old stars. The nucleus inside the central bulge is believed to be a big black hole. The Milky Way could actually be five times bigger than it seems. There are three different sections of the Milky Way the disk, gas and clouds, and the central bulge.

Lives of Stars Stars can form in clouds of gas and dust within space. A blast wave from an exploding start causes clumps and cores of stars. Each star usually has its own core. Each core gradually contracts as gravity pulls it all together. The closer to the center the more it contracts and the faster it contracts. The can sometimes be hot because of heating gases. The temperature at the center of a star gets hot enough for nuclear reactions! As the star starts to shrink, it spins faster and faster. The wind of gas from the star pushes away the fog cloud that has been surrounding the star. New stars in the solar system have lots of nuclear energy. The most massive stars are colored blue and white. These stars are 40 times more massive than the sun. They can shine 100,000 times more brightly than the sun. There is a star spectrum called the stellar mass scale. The colors on this spectrum start with blue and white and move on down to crème, and orange. Stars of a much lower mass are smaller and have a dim light. The brightness of a star does not change much through its life, although it can expand and darken. The stages of a stars life can include changing core size, color, and brightness. Stars that are up to 8 times the mass of the Sun follow a life time similar to similar to it. Large stars can expand, cool, and turn yellow even though they start out blue and white. These massive stars can then become a red super star, which is way bigger than the sun. It can also grow a core if iron. The core can collapse until it is even smaller. In conclusion __most__ stars follow a similar life to the Sun.

The Sun The Sun is star no different than all other stars, except the fact that it is closer to Earth. The Sun is a ball of hot gas and 76% of its mass is Hydrogen. The rest is made up of Helium. These were the first two elements created during the Big Bang. The Sun has different layers and the outer most layer is called a Corona. Another layer of the Sun is called a power house located in the central core. Every second 4 million tons of Helium vanish from this place to generate the Suns energy. The Suns surface bubbling hot gas on it. Jets of incandescent gas can shoot up off the surface like flames. Solar flares are the most intense types of these burst. When this happens, the Earth's magnetic field funnels particles from the sun down towards the North and South pole. This can create a certain type of glowing light called an aurora. Since this only is concentrated towards the North and South pole, auroras will only be seen there. The Sun does have its own magnetic field. This magnetic field is 5 time stronger than the Earth's magnetic field. Each magnetic field line on the Sun is tied into the Suns fabric. As the Sun starts to spin, the field gets even more knotted up. After about 11 years, new lines appear and the cycle starts again.

The History of the Solar System The Sun formed when gravity pulled together a cloud of gas and dust together. This ball collapsed with the Sun in the center of it. This can just be known as the creation of the Sun. Four large masses in the outer solar system were soon formed. They are now called Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. This group is called the Giant planets. They can grow discs and moons of their own. The gravitational pull of these 4 planets is strong enough it hold its own atmosphere of gas. Inside of the inner solar system there were too many collisions for large masses or planets to form. But, four terr4estial planets were made. They are now known as Mercury, Venus, Mars, and Earth. Radioactivity made these planets heat up. In discs there are solid materials called planetesimals. These grew and combined into clumps. Planetesimals survived better furthest from the Sun and away from the heat. Icy planetesimals soon were able to turn into comets. Rings around Giant Planets are the results of stray planetesimals being torn apart by gravity. It is believed that when a big rock crashed to Earth about 65 billion years ago, it made dinosaurs go extinct.

=History of Rockets =

==== We could not have the amazing rocket technology we have today if it were not for the science technology and innovation from the past. It took many different experiments to be at the level we are at now. There were many inventions that were like rockets and helped lead up to the official invention of what we know as rockets today. The first one was called an aeolipile. The aeolipile used steam as a propulsive gas. This creation turned water into steam by heating it up. When the gas or steam escaped it caused a sphere over everything to start rotating. This was one of the earliest rockets or inventions that led to rockets. Although there were many inventions of so-called rockets, the time when the first one was invented is unknown. Some people even believe the first rockets may have been accidents. One of the first known forms of rockets were from the Chinese. After testing some things out they realize they could make bamboo arrows filled with a explosive mixture and they would launch themselves into the sky. The first use of this rocket was while the Chinese and Mongols were at war with each other. Shortly after this war the Mongols decided to start experimenting with these rockets as well. ====

==== Some time after this rockets were starting to go worldwide. Many different cultures worked on them and tried to improve them in their own ways. When people experimented with these rockets it was probably for warfare or as a type of firework. In the year of 1989 a Russian school teacher thought of the idea of exploring space with rockets. He never attempted to send one to space but did do some thinking and research. Then some time after there were experiments made by an American. He was trying to see which type of fuel would make the rocket work more efficiently. He ended up stating that a gasoline rocket would be the most efficient. These tests and experiments kept going for quite a while though. All of the tested rockets were improved upon and made better. During this time many rocket societies sprang up around the world. Many of these were during wars and so there was much time for innovation. But the United States was the first country to realize these rockets could be used for military purposes. These rockets that were medium and long range missiles were the first start of the U.S Space program. ====

==== The first sign of an actual rocket going to space was when Sputnik a satellite was launched by the Soviet Union. Soon after this many people started launching machines into space. As you can see rockets have been used for many things such as warfare, military purposes, and to go into space. ====

Rocketry Experiments and Mechanics

====Nose Cone: The nose cone is the pointed circular triangle located at the very top of the rocket. The nose cone helps push through the air and keeps the air flowing past the outside of the rocket. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Recovery Wadding: The recovery wadding is a material that looks like very thing scrunched up toilet paper. The recovery wadding protects the parachute from being set on fire from the heat of the motor below. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Launch Lug: The launch lug is the little white tube in between the fins. The launch lug allows the rocket to have a clear take-off from the launch pad. The launch lug is slid over the wire on the launch pad. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Fins: The fins are located around the very bottom of the rocket. The fins act as a guide to the rocket as they keep it going straight forwards and upwards. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Motor Mount: The motor mount is inside the bottom of the rocket. Al the motor does it hold the rocket motor in its place.
====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Rocket Motor: The rocket motor is inside the motor mound which keeps it in place. The rocket motor is not reusable and powers the rocket to start and lift off. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Body Tube: The body tube is the biggest part of the rocket and is the central part of the rocket. On this type of rocket the body tube is constructed of cardboard material. ==== ====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Recovery System: The recovery system is a parachute that takes the rocket safely and slowly to the ground. The recovery system should open up when the rocket gets to its highest point or apogee. ====

====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The purpose of this experiment was to figure out if the mass of a rocket affect the max altitude. Each group of students got their own parts to a rocket and an instruction booklet. The students put their rockets together and let them dry. There were 9 groups of 2, therefore we made 9 rockets not including the teacher's test rocket. Since we wanted to know if mass affected we painted to rockets. This would change the mass so we could complete the experiment with different masses of rockets. The amount of paint each group put onto their rocket would effect the mass altitude and outcome of the experiment. Our rocket weighed 44.0 grams and the max altitude was 78.1 meters. But as you can see for other groups a rocket that was 48.4 grams went 83.9 meters. In the scatter plot above you can see the weight and max altitude of all the other groups in our class. Our rocket went up pretty high for an average model rocket but during the Ejection Process the parachute was burned a little bit. To measure the maximum altitude of the rockets we used a function called trigonometry. In the trig equation we need a degree for how high the rocket went and a weight in grams. To find the angle we used an angle gun which showed us how high the rocket went. But in order to get the correct angle you needed to use a trundle wheel to measure how far away you should stand and measure from. We used the trundle wheel and went 100m away from the launch pad. For trigonometry there are three options sine, cosine, and tangent. We used the tangent of the angle we had found. So basically it was tangent of angle degrees times 100. The 100 was the distance away from rocket launch pad. ====

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Click Download to see the graph:
====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Above is a scatter plot comparing mass and the max altitude of rockets. It was not true that the lightest rockets had the highest altitudes. After a significant drop, it slowly makes it way back up the chart during the heavier rockets. I believe that the mass did NOT affect the max altitude for the most part.====

====<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">When we were launching the rockets it was set onto a launch pad with a wire sticking straight up the center. We slid the wire into the launch lug and slid it up and down to make sure the rocket had no excess paint that would hold it back from going into the air. If the rocket got stuck on the wire during lift off it would most likely "explode" on the launch pad. The next step was to connect the two alligator clips onto the igniter. Lastly, you checked the key on the ignition and then held the two start buttons into. You could not let go of the two buttons on the ignition until the rocket was up in the air. Our rocket would not ignite the first few times we tried but if we pushed the ignition buttons in hard enough the rocket would go off the launch pad. Once our rocket got to the highest point the parachute deployed somewhat burnt. I hypothesized that the greater the mass the lower the max altitude or height and the less the mass the lower max altitude. I believed this because for a heavier rocket I though there would be more weight holding it back then a rocket with less weight holding it back. But, it turned out that this hypothesis was incorrect. After collecting all the partners data a scatter plot was put together which showed that the mass did not affect the outcome at all. So overall, the mass of the rocket did not affect the max altitude. ====

The Mars Rover Drop My partner and I designed a "machine" that was represented a rover being dropped onto Mars. We designed ours in a way that there would impact on the right places and not a lot of impact on other places. You need to make sure you know the difference between where you want to have force and impact. We wrapped the applesauce container in bubble wrap and taped it inside a cup. Around the cup there was three paper towels and more bubble wrap. If the applesauce container landed on the wrong side there was cushioning all around it. Then we placed all of that inside a blown up plastic bag. This would also decrease the risk of it being broken. Since we didn’t know if the fall would be too fast we tied string through the cups and out the top of the plastic bag. These strings were tied to two blown up balloons. These two balloons would slow the fall of the cup and plastic bag. I think that the only thing that didn’t work well was the cushioning. We may have had too much of it. It was a little bit harder to get it out of the bag and cup because of all the cushioning. That is the only modification I would have made.



Ancient Robotics VS. Modern Robotics The history of robotics can be very lengthy and dates all the way back to ancient times. During the Middle Ages Europe and the Middle East used automatons (a subset of robots) for many different purposes. During these times the automatons were used for different things like clocks and sometimes for religious purposes. There were texts left describing various machines created. One of them being a elephant clock that moves and makes sounds at the hour. Another was a automaton that was able to serve drinks. Although these may have been simple, they are not used in modern times now. The people from the Middle Ages had good ideas, but they were not carried out into Modern Ages today. The Industrial Revolution and the Victorian Age was a time were there was much focus on engineering and science in England and other places. During these time periods the gain of actual robotics was close at reach. But, after some time the focus on robotics changed to computer engineering and some visions were lost. From the Industrial Revolution onto now robotics kept improving.

Modern robotics used today are much more advanced then ancient robots and knowledge of robotics we had in ancient times. We have since mad improvements. Modern robotics focuses on helping people and businesses through robotic machines. Some are used in hospitals, factories, and packaging industries. Some robots are even used for defusing bombs. One small robot, Unibug, has four legs and skitters across the floor defusing bombs as it goes. Robots in auto factories are now used for welding. The number of robot welders outnumbers the number of human welders in U.S factories. The U.S Military is also using robotics as they are testing a robot called the Robobug. This is a surveillance robot that is in disguise as a giant dragon fly. There are also many robots being tested out in hospitals. Robots like these are used in hospitals because they can be precise and do not tire. They are being tested to guide patients to their bed, sorting medicine, delivering medicine, and many other important tasks. Robotics have definitely taken quite a big leap since ancient times and we have improved much.



Mindstorm Robots and Programming There are many different movements possible that the robots can move through and complete. Some simple tasks are playing a sound, displaying a smiley face on the screen, moving forwards and backwards, and turning differently. More complicated tasks involve ultrasonic sensors, sound sensors, and light sensors. One of the challenges used a sound sensor to detect clapping. Whenever the clapping was heard through the sensor, the robot stopped and then turned. This continued until you clapped and the robots motor stopped. Other challenges included different sensors and things we had been learning from the tutorials. The motor of the Mindstorm robot is one of the main sections of the automaton. The motor takes the moving commands and puts them properly into action. The motor takes the wheels and starts spinning them making the robot move in whichever programmed direction. The motor is the "propeller" of the robot. The motor of the robot is inside the robot and usually cannot be seen.

There are many different sensors that can be connected to the robot. Some of the sensors include ultrasonic sensors, sounds sensors, light sensors, and touch sensors. I believe that a sensor is something that indicates a physical property. The sensors were used in different challenges where we had to sense and indicate different things like colors, light and dark, things in front of us, and various sounds. The sensors of the Mindstorm robot are attachable.

Mars & Geology Geologists identify minerals in many different ways. A mineral can be identified by their atom patterns, hardness, color, appearance, how hard the mineral is, how the mineral breaks, magnetism, luster, the way it reflects light, fluorescence, if they react to acids, and its color when crushed into a pure form of powder. Color, atom patterns, magnetism, if the mineral reflects light, and luster are simple and you just see if the minerals have these characteristics. But, other tests like fluorescence, acid reaction, how the mineral breaks, hardness, and atom patterns are a little more complicated to test. There is one test called a streak test that can help you figure out the mineral or rock dependent on how the streak or line you make looks. Scientists find this helpful for only some rocks and minerals because some streaks can look very similar. Other tests like acidic tests are more useful because if two rocks look alike and one reacts then you can definitely tell which one is which. There are always many different tests you can do to classify a rock or mineral. [[image:lgc_streaktest.png width="457" height="303" caption="This picture shows how two minerals have completely different streaks on the streak plate. "]] There are many different ways Curiosity can perform geological experiments on Mars. Curiosity has a mobile laboratory that can perform different tests. These tests are going to be used to figure out what the surface of mars is made of. These tests can also help us figure out a little bit of Mars' past and if Mars was ever habitable to humans or any form of life. Mars is very tough to land on, so to get this heavy Curiosity rover is quite a struggle and if it makes it, an accomplishment. Curiosity can also drill into rocks on mars, collect powder from these rocks, and put them into analytical labs. These labs can determine the mineralogy and chemical components present. The cameras on the vehicle also help because they have 3D lenses. The rover relies on the solar panels to help move the rover around and for the lab to work since the lab turns minerals and rocks into gas and uses instruments and lasers to analyze it. Curiosity also has a Plutonium battery which can last up to 10,000 years. Curiosity is a big leap for NASA and geology history.