Hand Car Racing

Hand Car Racing Fun with Physics. As the hand crank generator turns we make electricity from chemical energy then the electricity is moved to the track where the car turns the electricity into movement in the racing car. A more fun way of doing energy changes.

 

Ligands

We have been making some different Copper Ligands, Yellow with Conc HCl and Copper Chloride, or deep blue with Ammonia solution and then onto more fun with bidentate ligands.

Damped Oscillations

 A great experiment to show damped oscillations using a @pascoscientific smartcard attached to a fixed spring. A beautiful damped curve is produced. Different springs and elastic bands produced different curves.

Understanding Damped Oscillations

Oscillations are the back-and-forth movement of objects in a regular and repeating manner. Think of a swinging pendulum, vibrating guitar string, or the oscillations of a spring. However, in the real world, these movements only continue for a while. They eventually slow down and stop. This slowing down is due to damping, and the resulting motion is called a "damped oscillation."

What Causes Damping? 

Damping is the effect of dissipative forces like friction or air resistance. These forces oppose the motion of the oscillating object and slowly take away its energy. Imagine a door swinging on its hinges; it doesn't swing back and forth forever. It gradually slows down and comes to a stop due to the air resistance and the friction in the hinge.

Types of Damping

1. **Underdamped:** In underdamped oscillations, the damping is not strong enough to prevent the oscillations right away. The object continues to oscillate but with diminishing amplitude until it eventually stops.

2. **Critically Damped:** Critically damped motion is the fastest way to bring an oscillating object to rest without any oscillation. This is often desirable in engineering applications, like in car suspensions.

3. **Overdamped:** In overdamped motion, the damping is so strong that the object returns to its equilibrium position very slowly without any oscillation.

Mathematical Description

The motion of a damped harmonic oscillator can be described by a second-order linear differential equation:

mdt2d2x​+bdtdx​+kx=0

Here, $�$ is the mass, $�$ is the damping coefficient, $�$ is the spring constant, and $�$ is the displacement from the equilibrium position.

Applications of Damped Oscillations

Understanding damped oscillations is more than just an academic exercise. It has practical applications in:

- **Engineering:** In designing structures, bridges, and vehicles to ensure that they can dissipate energy from vibrations safely.

- **Electronics:** In creating circuits where oscillations need to be controlled, like in filters.

- **Medicine:** In modeling biological systems such as the human heartbeat.

Conclusion

Damped oscillations provide a more realistic model for many systems in nature, where the perfect, never-ending oscillations of ideal physics don't apply. By studying these behaviours, scientists and engineers can design more efficient and effective systems in various disciplines. Whether it's building a resilient skyscraper or crafting a beautiful musical instrument, understanding damped oscillations is key to both our technological advancement and artistic expression.

Math Matters

 Math isn't just repetitive exercises; it's the core of all science and business theory. It's all about problem solving! 🧠✏️ #mathmatters

Centripetal Motion

 Demonstrating centripetal motion. A Hoop with pipe insulation wrapped around it. The ball is sent around the loop. When the loop is lifted the ball moves off in a straight line.

RuBisCO

 RuBisCO is the most abundant protein on Earth. When plants evolved, high CO2 and Low O2 favoured the Calvin cycle, but now there is more O2 than CO2 Photorespiration is selected, meaning that that must be the most evolutionary pressured protein in the world.

Photosynthesis is the fundamental cornerstone of nearly all life forms on our planet. Through the remarkable utilization of solar energy, plants achieve the extraordinary task of transforming water drawn from the soil and carbon dioxide (CO2) extracted from the air into a broad spectrum of life, ranging from delicate mosses adorning damp rocks and logs to vast stretches of grasslands to the majestic grandeur of towering redwoods. This process, by which carbon is converted into the living fabric of our natural world, is made possible by the action of an enzyme called Rubisco—an enzyme that could very well be the most abundant protein globally.

Photosynthesis is the conduit through which most carbon enters Earth's biosphere. As a consequence, each and every carbon atom within our own bodies can be traced back to a point in time when Rubisco pulled it from the atmosphere, marking a remarkable achievement for this single enzyme.

However, within the magnificence of Rubisco lies a fundamental vulnerability that countless aeons of evolution have yet to resolve. When the levels of atmospheric CO2 dip in comparison to molecular oxygen (O2), Rubisco loses its ability to differentiate between the two gases and can mistakenly latch onto O2 molecules. This misstep triggers a process known as photorespiration, which plants must engage in to avert the accumulation of unwanted byproducts resulting from O2 fixation. Regrettably, photorespiration exacts a toll on the plant's energy reserves and causes a loss of previously captured CO2. Particularly in the context of the Earth's current atmospheric conditions—an environment characterized by relatively low CO2 and high O2 levels over the last 30 million years—photorespiration can significantly diminish the efficiency of photosynthesis.

The evolutionary landscape thus places substantial pressure on the emergence of novel adaptations that address or sidestep this inherent flaw in Rubisco.

WiFi Analysis

Using WiFi is sometimes a bit more complex than some students realise. We looked at the WiFi strength and also how much WiFi interference there is in this area with other users also using WiFi.