Mira's Science Blogs

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...

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...

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 1...

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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...

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 i...

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 produc...

Sound Energy - Musical Instruments by SolPass Summary We understand how sound is produced, and how sound waves can travel through different mediums, but how do musical instruments produce sound? There are hundreds of instruments in the world, producing various pitches, tones, and chords. There are three main types of instruments: wind, percussion, and string. The sound is produced differently based on the type of instrument. The first type of instrument is a string instrument. In a string instrument, the sound is created from the vibration of strings. For example, when you play guitar, you pull on the strings. As the strings vibrate, the air molecules start vibrating as well, producing sound. The next type of instruments are wind and brass instruments and are made when we blow sound into them. The shape and position of the instrument affect the overall tone and pitch. The most common kind of wind instrument is a reed instrument. Blowing on the reed causes it to vib...

How Sound Travels by Knowitall.org Summary Unlike electromagnetic waves, sound waves require a medium to travel through. Sound waves travel through the vibration of molecules in a medium or matter. This kind of wave can travel through solids, liquids, or gases, but the placement of molecules in each substance affects the speed of travel. The molecules placed in a solid are very close together, almost touching. The sound waves can travel quickly through solids because the particles are very tight. This allows the sound wave to move from one molecule to another efficiently without losing energy. The molecules placed in a liquid are still close, but slightly farther than that of a solid substance. This means that when sound waves go through a liquid substance, some of the energy is used to push the particles next to each other. This happens because sound does not have the ability to travel through gaps in the molecules. The molecules are far apart in a gas. This means...

Ear Tubes by Mountain West ENT “What effect can very loud music have on your hearing?” In your answer provide specific evidence, including organ names to help substantiate your claim. Have you ever heard a shrill ringing in your ears? This ringing is due to listening to very loud noises. Believe it, or not, but the major cause of a loss of hearing is listening to loud music. By listening to loud sounds, such as loud music, you can damage your ear hairs, which can impact your hearing forever. As sound reaches the outer ear, it goes through the ear canal and to the middle ear. The middle ear then turns the sound waves into vibrations go to the inner ear. The eardrum vibrates when sound waves reach the eardrum. This causes the movement of the hammer, anvil, and the stirrup, three incredibly delicate bones in the eardrum. These bound assist the sound as it moves along on its journey to the inner ear. Sound waves come into the inner ear in what is called a vibration and en...

This is a picture of our rollercoaster design Summary As well as energy transformations, there are a lot of forces acting on a rollercoaster, which affect the motion, speed, and direction of the marble. Gravity and friction also play major roles in the movement of the marble. Gravity is what makes the marble drop at a specific speed. At the top of the roller coaster, the force of gravity continues to pull the marble down. Friction slows down the marble. As the marble travels through the roller coaster, friction is the opposing force that slows down the marble.  The marble has less energy at the end of the roller coaster because some of the energy that it started with may have been transferred to other energy forms. Loops, turns, and hills play a major role in the movement of the marble in the rollercoaster. Thus, the order in which they are placed does affect the outcome. The loop needs the most acceleration and speed to be able to work, and that is most at the beginn...

Kinetic vs. Potential Leadership by Ryan Search and Consulting Summary: We have all heard of energy. But what is the difference between potential and kinetic energy? Potential energy is known as energy that is waiting. It is energy that is stored until it can be converted into a form of kinetic energy. An object has potential energy if it is not in motion, but is above the ground. Types of potential energy include gravitational, chemical, nuclear, elastic, and electric. The equation for potential energy is mgh where 'm' is the mass (typically in kilograms), 'g' is the gravitational acceleration (which would be 9.8 m / s2 at the Earth's surface." Finally, 'h' is the height (typically in meters.) Kinetic energy is energy in motion. This means that if you kick a soccer ball, the energy that was potential when it was not moving is now transferred to kinetic energy when the ball is in motion. An object will have the same the same kinetic energy ...

Types of Energy  by  Solar Schools Summary: You've probably heard the quote by Albert Einstein, "Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be changed from one form to another." But what are the forms of energy? There are six general energy forms: chemical, mechanical, thermal, light, electrical, and nuclear. Any form of energy can be converted into another form. There are many examples of energy transformations that happen in our everyday lives. The first energy form is chemical energy. Chemical energy is a form of potential energy and is stored in chemical substances. An example of chemical energy is gasoline that is used to power a car. The next form of energy is mechanical energy. Mechanical energy is energy released by a moving object. For example, mechanical energy is the energy that causes a soccer ball to move when kicked. Another form of energy is thermal energy and is associated with the motion of molecules. This means that it is caused by f...

Balanced and Unbalanced Forces by  The Physics Classroom Summary Force is the push or pull on an object. But what happens if more than one force acts on an object? The combination of two or more forces at once is called the net force. When two forces are acting in the same direction, the net force is the sum of all of the forces, and the object will move in the direction the forces are pushing. If two forces of different rates are acting in opposite directions, the net force is the difference between the two forces. The object moves in the direction the larger force. If two forces of the same rate act in opposite directions, the net force is zero, and the object will not move. We can show the forces acting on an object with force diagrams. The arrows show the direction and size of the force on an object. A force is considered balanced if there are two forces acting on one object that are the same size, but are facing in opposite directions. In balanced forces, ob...

mpinto0205 Ms. Garcia Science 8 1/11/18 Five years ago, self driving cars may have sounded like something out of a fairytale. However, autonomous cars have started to become a reality. Many companies, such as google, tesla, and more, have started building, testing, and troubleshooting the pros and cons of self-driving cars. Within the next few years, self driving cars may be something you see more often in your daily life. There is a lot of controversy over whether self driving cars are worth the risk. There are many factors involved in self-driving cars, however, if there are flaws in the function, self driving cars are not worth the risk. First, self driving cars are not able to visualize the road like humans can. This means faded lines and pedestrians could be an issue for self driving cars. Autonomous cars may also be easy to hack into, which would lead to many safety concerns. Finally, human drivers are much more flexible and adaptable than self-driving cars. Although self-d...

This is our charity fair poster About the Project Every year, adventure hosts a charity fair, in which the students select a charity and then sell products that relate to the cause and the charity. During this project, there are many assignments that are required for each class. For example, in history, we did research on our charity and in electives, we created our how-to. Each group presents and the top group from each class then continues to finals, where they present to Student Council, and the best presentation is chosen. Summary During this charity fair project, I learned a lot about our charity and what they are passionate about. The Children’s Defense Fund makes sure every child can reach their full potential. They guide, and support kids that need special treatment. Their goal is to create a loving atmosphere where children can learn and grow. One of the major issues they are trying to address is kids who have experienced school shootings. They also want to focus on...

Distance-time graphs  by  BBC Summary Speed and Velocity  may sound like very similar quantities, however, they have a very different meaning. Velocity has a direction. An example of velocity may be 40 m/hr north. This means that it is a vector quantity. However, speed only has a magnitude. an example of speed would be 40 m/hr. This means that it is a scalar quantity. The average speed is a measure of distance traveled in a given period of time. To measure the average speed, we can use a distance per time ratio. For example, if we traveled 80 miles in 2 hours, we can create the following ratio: 80 miles / 2 hours, or 40 m/hr. To represent the average speed, we can use a distance-time graph. On the horizontal, or x-axis, we write the time taken. In the example above, we would put 2 hours on the x-axis. On the vertical, or y-axis, we write the distance traveled. In the example, that would be 80 miles. Various lines on the graph mean different average spee...

File:Distancedisplacement  by  Stannered Summary: Distance and displacement are quantities that define two different lengths. Distance refers to how much ground an object has covered. This means that distance is a scalar quantity or a measure of magnitude. However, displacement refers to the shortest possible length between the start and end points, or the change in placement of an object. This means that the displacement is always measured in a straight line.  Distance and Displacement by BYJU'S For example, in the image above, we can see that the distance is the overall route the object took, however, the displacement is a straight line measuring the length between the start and end position. In the image at left, we see that the object traveled from the tree (point a) to the house (point b) to another tree (point c). To figure out the distance, we add the two lengths (3m + 4m = 7m). This means that the distance is 7m. However, to find the displacement, ...

File:Distancedisplacement  by  Stannered Summary SP5: Using Mathematics XCC: Systems and System Models

Summary: Choices that we make in our everyday lives affect the world and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. It is very simple to forget about the effect that we have on the environment. There are so many ways that we are polluting the environment. For example, the products that we use can have a lot of emissions from transportation. It is important to think about how products manufactured far away can have a big effect on the environment.  A Carbon Footprint is a way to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions that are created by a person, place or thing. Most greenhouse gas emissions come from transportation and are carbon dioxide emissions that can harm the environment. To reduce the transportation environmental impact, it is important to buy materials that are made and sold locally. This would ensure that the materials are not traveling a very far distance, which would mean it would be better for the environment, and there would be less carbon dioxid...