Posts

Life In Space - Weekly Blog (5/20-5/24)

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The Solar System by Sea and Sky There are many things astronomers look for when finding life in space. The first and most important step is to look for other planets. Just because you may find a new planet does not mean it meets all requirements for life. To find other planets, scientists use two methods, the transit method, and the Doppler technique. The first method, called the transit method, is when scientists look in changes of brightness in stars. This change in brightness occurs when a planet orbits in front of it. It is easier to see a change for larger planets because they have a larger mass in front of the star. The next technique, known as the Doppler technique, occurs when we see a change in velocity of the star. The planet's gravity moves the star, which is called a 'wobble.' When looking for habitable planets, scientists look in something known as the habitable zone. This is where liquid water could be possible. The closer a planet is to the star it i

Detecting New Planets - Weekly Blog (5/13-5/17)

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Finding another Earth by NASA/Ames/JPL-Caltech Summary There are two techniques scientists use to detect new planets. Of these include the transit method and the doppler technique. Rather than simply looking through a telescope for planets, scientists study the stars. This is because stars are brighter and easier for data samples. If a star's brightness dims slightly, it means a planet is orbiting in front of it. This is the transit method. Another way we detect planets is by looking for changes in the star's velocity. This is the doppler technique. If the star moves slightly, it is caused because of the planet orbiting around it. The motion of a star caused by a planet is called a 'wobble.' The cause for the star wobbling is because the gravitational force from the star acts to keep the planet in orbit, and the force of gravity from the planet moves the star as the planet orbits. The pull results in the star's movement. The larger the mass of the planet, th

Tides - Weekly Blog (4/29-5/3)

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Earth's Tides by National Geographic Summary We have all heard and seen tides, but what causes them, and how are they created? The position of the moon affects the tides. As you can see in the image above, the moon's gravity is pulling the body of water towards the moon. High and low tides are caused by tidal bulges.  Tidal bulges  occur when the body of water is pulled towards and away from the moon's gravity. The bulge facing away from the moon occurs because the Earth itself is pulled.  During a tidal bulge, there is a high tide, however, in between the two tidal bulges, there is a low tide. In the image above, you can see that the top and bottom of the Earth have low tides, whereas the sides have high tides because they are facing towards and away from the moon.  As well as the moon, the sun also influences the tides. When the high tide is high, and the low tide is low, it is a spring tide. Over a 15 -day period, the spring tide occurs on days 0 and 15. When

Water Conservation - 4/21

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Mira Pinto - Analog vs. Digital Debate - WAC

Beloved Producer, Music Recording Formats have evolved dramatically over the past century. Many recording artists and studios are torn between Analog and Digital - what is the difference? I understand that you suggest I record in an digital format for my new album. Although Digital may seem more appropriate for the 21st century, analog recordings are much better when it comes to sound quality and feeling in music. I have conducted research from many sources and come to my conclusion. First, analog recordings have all of the music. In other words, digital recordings only contain snippets of the music, not all of it. Next, analog recordings can be easier to record, as they are created with physical hardware that is accurate and reliable. Finally, Analog is more human, and sounds less robotic, which sounds better to our ears. Unlike digital recordings, using analog will provide for the best recording experience. The main difference between analog and digital recordings is what we hear. I

Analog and Digital (3/25-3/29)

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Difference between Analog and Digital Signal by Tech Differences Summary: Analog devices are representations of something else. For example, an analog camera takes a picture of something, but the picture is not the real thing, it is simply a representation. Most analog signals have infinite possibilities, just as how there is an infinite number of colors in our world. This compares to digital signals, which have a set amount of values, and are not infinite. Digital displays automatically show readings on LCD displays, rather than by using pointers and dials. They are much quicker and easier to use than analog and store more information in less space. We see the combination of both analog and digital in our daily lives. Sampling is when you convert an analog signal to digital. Sampling means splitting in regular interval to convert it in digital form. This is an analog-to-digital conversion. When you convert an analog signal to digital, the analog signal is more accurate bec

Project Blog - Musical Instrument

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https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1QVyJgobcp8fx0F6lCUDkFspbIOKWa5oMaGYSazD-XUw/edit?usp=sharing Summary The appearance of sound wave changes when the pitch changes. This means that the waves become closer together (wavelength decreases) when the pitch is higher. When the waves are farther apart (larger wavelength) the pitch is lower. The louder the wave, the higher the amplitude. This means that the wave is higher and it lasts longer. The quieter that a sound is, the less amplitude the wave has and the shorter it lasts.  The relationship between frequency and pitch is that the higher the frequency, the higher the pitch of the note, the lower that the frequency is the lower than the pitch of the note is. We already know that sound travels through the movement of molecules. If there are more vibrations occurring, they cause more molecules to hit each other at a faster time, influencing the pitch of the note. Backward-Looking What process did you go through to produce th