Wednesday 23 August 2023
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
Tuesday 22 August 2023
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.
Monday 21 August 2023
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 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.
Sunday 20 August 2023
WiFi Analysis
Saturday 19 August 2023
Ready for Maths
Year 12 to 13 Maths is tough during the holiday. Most of my students have been attempting at least 2 AS level papers each week to maintain and improve their Maths skills over the holiday. A period of consolidation really improves their Maths skills.
Friday 18 August 2023
Sodium
Thursday 17 August 2023
Lesson Prep
Lesson Prep - learning all about schema.org and tags to put into websites ready to teach some new students. Part of the fun of teaching is actaully the teachers learning new things.
A level Math
Students working out just what formulae are and are not in the exam sheet. Then, the panic can begin to memorise the formulae that are not...
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Negative feedback is a difficult concept to try and get over so I tried using a balance board and the @pascoscientific smart cart strapped...
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Getting a classic set of results for the titration of NaOH and HCl is not that difficult but it is nice when we can get students to this ...
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Mechanics: the grand meeting of Maths & Physics! Using strobe light & a ball drop for gravity-acceleration calculations and SUVAT fo...