Whipped Cream By Brooklyn

   This week in science, we presented our projects we’ve been working on. My powerpoint was on the effect of natural preservatives in whipped cream. I tested the table life of two whip creams; one with lemon juice and one without.

            When you use natural preservatives, you are not using additives. Chemical preservatives use additives. Lemons, garlic, rock salt, and fermentation are all examples of natural preservatives.

            Preservatives help preserve food by preventing the growth of bacteria. They do this by keeping the cells from functioning the way they should. This is the most intriguing part to me.

●      Naturally preserved foods can last up to 3-6 months.

●     Salt has been used as a preservative for thousands of years.

●     Lemon juice adds vitamin C to the foods. 

Experiment by Abi

How does metal react with hydrogen peroxide overnight? When metal is put into hydrogen peroxide it is said that nothing really happens. Why? Because hydrogen peroxide is just meant to clean things because it is an antiseptic, which in other words means disinfectant.

                                                    

But What happens when metal is put in salt water overnight? When metal is put into salt mixed with the water it will rust faster and more severely. Why? Saltwater is a conductor “(lots of dissociated ions)”.

When you put metal in vinegar the metal will corrode. Why? Vinegar makes metal corrode faster because vinegar has a moderate amount of acetic acid which causes the metal to corrode.

Basically, metal reacts different ways with different objects. By experimenting on this to gain knowledge of how metal reacts, I am helping the world show why you should be careful with certain chemicals and metal together. What I thought was neat about this topic was that hydrogen peroxide doesn’t have an effect on metal. Also how metal doesn’t just rust, but it corrodes too. I think the most interesting thing in this experiment is how the metal could go from shiny to rusted and orange very quickly. So ask yourself this, What can you do to help the world stay safe?

Magnetism by Ryan

            Magnetism is a combined electromagnetic force. It can make magnetic objects rise. Magnets produce a thing called a magnetic field. This can attract or repel objects that come near the magnet.

A magnetic field exerts force on other objects.

The force it uses is called Lorentz Force.

Electricity charged particles gives a rise to Magnetism. The more charged it is the stronger the Magnetic field will be.  Permanent magnets do not go away and will be Permanent like the name has. There is a Magnetic called a temporary Magnet and is temporary.

 Opposites attract to one another. If you have the same they go away. This is because the side likes to have it spin up pretty much. If you have the same they don't do this. Two electrons that are the same go at the same rate.  This what causes a magnetic field. Two different ones produces a Field.

Cool Facts

If you run electricity through a magnetic it will increase its power but for a short time. So companies use it for trains to make them go super fast. Magnets make work easier because you can use them to pick up things like nut and bolts. If you get a super strong magnetic think of all the things you can do?

Question to Ponder on.

What will you do with a magnet?

Squid by Summer

This week during Biology, we dissected squid. Squid are one of the most developed invertebrates. They are part of the phylum named Mollusca, which means “soft body”. It is also categorized in the class, Cephalopoda, which means “head-footed”. It is listed in these categories because its head is pushed down towards the foot. Octopus, cuttlefish and ancient nautilus are also part of this class.

As you can see, squids have a large mantle, it has eight arms with two longer feeding tentacles which all have suckers on it, a beak and a mouth, a siphon, a large head which has a brain, two large eyes, and three hearts. Squids have gills that help them breathe. They move by squirting water from the mantle to the siphon. This movement is known as jet propulsion. By changing the flow through the siphon, they can change the direction, whether they want to go forward or backwards.

Squid reproduce sexually by releasing eggs into the water. Females will produce 10-50 elongated egg strings, which contain hundreds of eggs in each string, after mating. The squid will die after leaving the spawn on the ground. The egg strings attach to the ground and are left to develop on their own. They should hatch approximately 10 days later.

Questions;

Why are squid important?

What is the purpose of squid?

How big can squid get? How small?

When do they reproduce?

Periodic Trends by Sydney

This week, we have been learning about periodic trends. Before we can get into some of the trends, we have to understand the periodic table and how it is organized first.

The periodic table is a set of elements organized into periods and groups. The elements are also organized by atomic number, usually in rows, so that elements that have a similar structure appear in vertical columns.

Now that we have that down, let’s get into the trends.

In the diagram below, we can see the four main trends.

The first trend is Atomic Radius. Atomic Radius is like a measurement of the atom, showing how far the electrons are from the nucleus.

As you go left and down on the table, the atomic radius increases. This is because the number of electrons increase and more orbitals must be filled, therefore the distance from the nucleus is greater.

The second trend is Electronegativity. Electronegativity is a measure of the tendency of an atom to attract a bonding pair of electrons.

As you go farther right and up on the table, the electronegativity increases. This is because the positively charged protons in the nucleus attract the negatively charged electrons. Therefore, the electronegativity or attraction increases in the element.

The third trend is Ionization Energy. Ionization energy is the amount of energy it takes to move an electron from a gaseous atom or ion.

As you go farther right and up on the table, the ionization energy increases. This is because the electrons are held tightly in the lowest orbitals, making it harder to move them around.

We see periodic trends because every element is different. There are placed where they are on the periodic table for a reason. Knowing the trends can help us identify differences in elements and make it  easier to understand their unique behaviors. When working with elements, it’s important to know every detail about them. The periodic trends help us understand the elements and the exceptions in the table.

These trends are interesting because not all the elements follow. For example, with electronegativity, the noble gases aren’t included in the trend. They have a full valence shell and usually don’t attract electrons so they do not have an electronegativity measurement. Francium actually has the greatest atomic radius. Another interesting fact is that Helium has the highest ionization energy out of all the elements.

What exceptions can you find in the table?

Scientific Method by Martin

This week, we are studying the scientific method. The scientific method is a method of research in which a problem is identified, relevant data is gathered, a hypothesis is formulated from this data, and the hypothesis is tested. An easier way to define the scientific method is that it is a way for scientists to study and learn things. The scientific method wasn’t made by one person, it was made by a group of scientists. They wanted to find a way to make it easier to find the answer to the problem so they found the solution. Francis Bacon, Rene Descartes, and Isaac Newton all contributed and helped build the scientific method. They made it a good way to learn about science and nature.

This picture represents the step-by-step plan of the scientific method.

The scientific method is the cornerstone to modern science. Without this method, helping us finding the answers to our questions, we wouldn’t know half the knowledge we have today. The number of steps varies from one description to another, it’s usually when the data and the analysis are separated into two separate steps. The scientific method is a fairly standard list of 6 which you have to know for any science class you took, or you plan to take.

            Questions;

1.    Why is the scientific method important?

2.    What does the scientific method part of every science class?

3.    Why do we use it?

Magnets in Cows by Kauy

●     Why would a cow need a magnet?

            Cows often need to have magnets put in their stomach because of hardware disease. Hardware disease occurs when cows ingest sharp metal objects, such as nails, wire, or other metal objects. The magnets are commonly made of ferrite and are used to group all the foreign metal objects before they can puncture and pierce organs.

●     I find the fact that they feed the cows magnets interesting.

1.    The magnets are about 8 cm long

2.    They are shaped like long pills

3.    They are often given at brandings to prevent hardware disease

Electricity by Joaquin

Protons, Electrons

Protons are positively charged and lie inside the nucleus with the neutrons. Electrons are negatively charged and they fly around outside of the nucleus. The number of protons and electrons there are decide the charge of the atom. If there are more electrons than protons then the atom is negative. If there are more protons then the atom will be positive. Suppose that there are five neutrons and five electrons then the atom will have neither a positive or negative charge, it will be a neutral atom because of the balanced protons and electrons.

Negative

Positive

Neutral 

Conductors and Insulators

●     Conductors are materials that easily transfer or move electrons

Conductors include: copper wire, metals, waters.

●     Insulators are materials that stop or slow down the flow of electrons

Insulators include: rubber, wood, wool, plastic, glass.

Current and batteries

Current- The net flow of electrons (amps)

Voltage difference- Flow of electrons from high to low (volts)

Dry cell batteries: Dry cell batteries have 2 electrodes on either end and then a paste full of electrolytes.

Wet cell batteries: They have plates that are usually metal and a chemical solution inside of them.

Lead-acid: Lead plates are dipped into an acid solution that provides energy.

Circuits

There are two different types of circuits, a series and a parallel. A series circuit has one pathway so if one device goes out then all the other ones go out as well. Parallel circuits have more than one pathway so if a device goes out the other devices stay on. Parallel circuits are used more for homes because of the multiple pathways. Series are not used as frequently.

Questions

●     What are conductors and Insulators?

●     How does the number of electrons affect the charge of an atom?

●     Why are parallel circuits more reliable than series circuits?

The Centennial Lightbulb by Kiahna

The Centennial light bulb has been burning for 116 years!

~There is a wire on the inside and it is bent so that electricity can flow through throughout the lightbulb and make it glow brighter so it is not a line because it wouldn't shine as bright.

~The bulb burns at 4 watts. It still burns to this day.

~The Centennial light bulb is located at a fire station and the firefighters take shifts watching the build to see if it burns out.

The Centennial light bulbs name is Livermore’s Centennial light bulb.

~The man who created the light bulb is Adolphe A. Chaillet.

~The light bulb still burns today because it is a hand blown bulb and it has carbon filament.

~People even had a party for this light bulb which shows it is an important thing.

Circuit of a Flashlight by Triston

The circuit of a flashlight

If you were going to make a flashlight how would you make it?

            I picked this topic because it fascinated me with electricity. It is a simple machine that uses batteries and the flow of electrons that turn the lightbulb on. There are different ways to make flashlights there can be a switch, or a button, and wind up flashlights.

            What i find most interesting about the topic is that there are many ways to make technology.

            One neat fact about this topic is that anyone could make there own flashlight. Another neat fact is that it uses the flow of electrons to make it work. Another neat fact is that you can make L.E.D lighting to make it easier to see.

The phases of cell division by Molly

We have been talking all about cell division and we just learned about all the different phases. There are 6 stages in cell division and it shows how it goes through the process slowly: Metaphase, anaphase, telophase, interphase, prophase, cytokinesis.

Interphase is where the cell spends most of its life, it gets ready mitosis and looks through its DNA.

prophase the nucleus goes away and you start seeing chromosomes together.

Metaphase shortest phase and the chromosomes are lined up in the middle

Anaphase sister chromatids split.

Telophase chromatids start to uncoil, spindle fibers break and the envelope appears.

Cytokinesis this is where the cells divide and become 2

I really have enjoyed going through all of this because I feel I am understanding about it. I’m also glad we are spending some time on it so we can all get it memorized. I find this really interesting and something to think about.(my question) is how do the sister chromatids stay together and what physically makes them let go of each other. 

The shape of the cell changes with the phases

You can see on the inside how things can develop and go away like the nucleus.

To me this is all just interesting because I love knowing what’s going on and this shows you how it’s all happening!! Seeing cells replicate is really cool! To me it’s like someone finding out that they are pregnant and seeing them grow a baby it’s just amazing and I love seeing how that works.

Lightning by Colton

Have you ever been by a lightning strike?

Lighting is a bunch of electricity built up in the sky. When there is a whole lot of electricity it goes to the ground or highest point. Most people use a lightning rod at their house so it doesn’t hit the house. Like when you rub your feet with socks on against shag carpet then touch a metal object you shoot lighting from your finger to the metal object.

            I find how when you jump on a trampoline you build up electricity and then you touch something and it transfers the electricity to that object quite interesting.

Electricity travels at the speed of light. A spark of electricity can reach up to 3,000 volts. A single lightning strike can measure up to 3,000,000 volts in less than 1 second.

Electricity By Martin

This week in Physical Science we are learning about electricity and how it works. Electricity is a force created by a difference in charges, such as positive or negative, due to a gained or lost electron. Electrons are known as negatively charged particles. When electricity is flowing between two points it is actually allowing electrons to move from Point A to Point B, which is also known as an electrical current. In order for any of the electrons to flow they need to have different charges between both of the points. The only way that electricity will work is by having both a negative and a positive charge, like charges repel and opposite charges attract. The differences between two points is known as the voltage. Both charges could have a tremendous charge but if the charges are the same, then there will be no electrons flowing at that time. It’s possible for an electrical current to jump from one point to another, but you would normally find it traveling through conductors. Conductors can be any material that allows electrons or electricity to easily flow through it. Currents are usually the amount of electrons that are flowing through conductors, they are measured in amperes (amps).  Any type of an electric cord is layered with a metal conducting wire and the conducting wires are covered by either a plastic or rubber insulation. Insulators are any materials that prevents the flow of electrons or electricity. Some good insulators are usually wood, glass, rubber and/or plastic. Some materials known as resistors can slow down the electricity without stopping it all together. Almost every material, even really good conductors, consists of a small amount of resistance on the electrical current. Resistance is measured in ohms.

This is a representation of electrons that are flowing from one point to the other. It shows that since there is a negative charge and a positive charge that the electrons are flowing easily. They attract each other.

This picture represents that since both sides have alike charges that they aren’t flowing at all. Since they are both negatively charged, the electrons will not make it to both points. They repel each other.

Questions;

1.    Where does electricity come from?

2.    Can you see electricity?

3.    How is electricity created?

4.    What exactly is electricity?

Mitosis by Luke

 In our Advanced Biology Classroom, we are currently learning about Mitosis and how cells reproduce. Mitosis is an asexual form of reproduction because the DNA comes from one parent cell. Binary fission is another form of asexual reproduction and it it occurs in prokaryotic cells. Mitosis is a relatively short process compared to interphase and it is comprised of four sections. I found this interesting because cells spend most of their life only performing basic functions.

The first stage of mitosis is Prophase, during this stage the chromatin become visible and spindle fibers and centrioles form. The next stage is Metaphase, this is when the chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell and the spindle fibers attach to them. Anaphase is when the chromatids are separated and they are moving towards the end of the cell. Finally, Telophase is when the chromatids reach the poles of the cell and membranes form around them. Also the centrioles and spindle fibers break down and cytokinesis occurs. Cytokinesis is different for animal and plant cells because plant cells create a cell wall along with membrane that is formed.

 At the end of Mitosis, two identical cells with the exact DNA are created, unless a mutation occurs. Mutation is rare though because the cell has checkpoints before mitosis to stop mutations like cancer.

Question: Mitosis is one of the many forms of cellular reproduction, but are there any negative aspects to mitosis compared to sexual reproduction?

3 Facts About Cell Reproduction:

1.    Meiosis is another way cells can produce

2.    Humans have 46 chromosomes

3.    Adders-tongue has 1260 chromosomes

Chemistry Update by Keyper

Today in chemistry I worked on a group project we were assigned. We decided to create a 1940’s themed newspaper based on the Manhattan project. The Manhattan project ran from 1940 to 1952, in secrecy. The project was to develop nuclear weapons before the enemies could do something with theirs. This project was started by Enrico Fermi, and Albert Einstein when they both decided to warn the president of the nuclear power in the hands of the enemy. This project led to the bombing of Nagasaki, and Hiroshima. Another thing this project is responsible for is the first ever controlled nuclear reaction, which was created under the grandstands of the Chicago university stadium. Our newspaper will include a word search, a cartoon, an article, and to go along with it, a rap from Steven.

Plants by Santi

This week in biology we have been learning about plants. We are starting to finish up on our c-layer.

          There are vascular plants, and non-vascular plants. Vascular plants have tissue and include plants which have seeds. Ferns are also vascular. The vascular vessels are what transports water and food throughout the plant. Non vascular plants do not have the same tissue as vascular plants. Some examples of non-vascular plants are: mosses, liverworts, and hornworts. These plants do not have roots, stems or even leaves. There are some species that have rhizoids that are like a root. Water gets absorbed from the air and any other near source.

3 random facts about plants:

1.   Earth has over 80,000 different species of edible plants.

2.   Only 1% of rainforest plants have been studied for medicinal purposes.

3.   80% of the world’s forests have been destroyed.

What I found most interesting is that plants have different ways of living and different ways to get food and water transported through them.

          The question I have is: What is your favorite plant?

Marie Curie by Caitlin

In November of 1867, Maria Skłodowska, today more commonly known as Marie Curie, was born to a polish family in Warsaw. She grew up in a well educated home, where learning was highly valued. Throughout her life, Marie Curie made many great scientific discoveries that helped the advancement of the atomic theory. These include her discovery of polonium and her discovery of radium. These contributions altered history.

The discovery of polonium began with Marie Curie experimenting with pitchblende, a radioactive mineral. She noticed that unrefined pitchblende was more radioactive than the uranium that she separated from it. She concluded that pitchblende contained at least one other radioactive element. Curie had to refine several tons of pitchblende to receive tiny amounts of polonium. One ton of uranium contains only 100 micrograms of polonium. She officially discovered this element in France in 1898.

Marie Curie’s next discovery was radium. She devised a way to separate radium from its radioactive residues. This made it possible for her to study the therapeutic properties of radium, which became one of her main interests. Marie Curie had to extract radium in the form of radium chloride, out of a substance called uraninite. Like she did with Polonium, she extracted uranium from this substance and found it was still radioactivity, so she continued researching until she found radium.

In summary, Marie Curie is one of the world’s greatest scientific minds. She helped with the development of the atomic theory by contributing to the idea of radioactivity, discovering polonium, and discovering radium. Among these great accomplishment, she also became the first woman to win Nobel prizes in two different subjects. She did these things through meticulous research and astounding perseverance.

Facts:

●     Her daughter also won a Nobel Prize.

●     First woman to win a Nobel Prize.

●     Curie name polonium after her home country, Poland.

Question:

●     What do you think the world would be like without Marie Curie’s work?

Machines by Chase

 Simple machines are basic mechanical devices for applying a force. Some simple machines are an inclined plane, wedge, and a screw. Examples for way people use these Simple Machines are screwing in screws in your deck, using a pulley to move a car engine, and a ramp to load things in the back or on something.

Compound Machines are more complex Simple machines, or a machine that uses two or more Simple Machines. Everyday objects are Complex Machines, Scissors, wheelbarrow, even a fishing reel is a complex machine. Isnt it amazing how objects around your house are simple or complex machines?

 The most interesting part of these are that almost everything you have is either a Simple Machine or Complex Machine. Like if you drive a car, that is hundreds if not thousands of simple machines. Even the stapler you use to turn in multiple page assignments is a compound machine.

I really hope that at least one time in the past few years of thinking more mature that you wonder what something is made of. If you didn't know what a simple or compound machine were would you be able to really know what that object is. You probably would be able to name things it is made of but did you know they were simple or complex machines?

            I think it is awesome how the things you use everyday are simple or complex machines, like without knowing what they were no way would you know if they were simple or complex. Like how awesome is it that you can be doing something you love, like fishing and be using a complex machine. 

Acids and Bases by Connor

Acids and bases are commonly used in chemistry, but they are found in other places. Places like your house or workplace all have acids and bases. Fruits and juices are acidic, and soap and detergent are basic. Acids and bases are categorized by many things. Acids are sour tasting, yet bases are bitter. A quick note, you should never taste acids or bases found in a chemistry lab because this can lead to bodily harm. Acids are the solution of a hydrogen ion, and bases are the solution of a hydroxide ion. They both conduct electricity, so they are both electrolytes. 

Acids, as many can tell by their name, are corrosive, but bases are also corrosive. Bases have a slippery, or soapy feel to them. A scientist named Johannes Nicolaus Bronsted created a theory about the classification of acids and bases. In this theory, it said that acids were H+ donors, or hydrogen ion donors, while bases were H+ acceptors. This theory was a far better one for classification because it was much broader than the Arrhenius theory beforehand, which didn’t apply to all acids or bases.

            There is a scale called the pH scale, which measures how strong an acid or base is. The scale goes from 0-14, with acids being 0-6 and bases being 8-14. The only spot that was excluded was 7 because pure water is neutral. Now, acids and bases are labeled strong or weak. They aren’t labeled weak because they have less affect or anything, but because they are less willing to: give H+ if an acid, or take H+ if a base. Another neat thing I learned about acids and bases is that they counteract each other. When combined, the two counteract one another, yet some have bigger counteractions than others. A question to take away from this could be ‘how many acids and bases do I have at my house alone?’ Finally, what I find most interesting about this topic is discovering that the juices I drink are acidic, and that I’m constantly drinking acids. 

Photosynthesis by Emily

●     Lab:

○     The lab that my class did was try to create a vacuum so that the leafs would sink. This took the air out of the leafs so that they would sink. Then the light would give them the air they needed back to float to the top.

●     Photosynthesis:

○      A process in which  plants use energy from the sun to transform water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen.

○     Plants produce oxygen during the process.  Photosynthesis is affected by temperature, light wavelengths, and carbon

○     dioxide level. Without plants / photosynthesis we wouldn’t be able to live.

●      My question for whoever is reading this would be, why is photosynthesis so important to living, and what is does to the Earth?