Northern Lights

                         These beautiful skies have caught many people's attention which has brought curiosity to the explanation of these wondrous lights.   The bright dancing lights of the aurora are actually collisions between electrically charged particles from the sun that enter the earth's atmosphere. The lights are seen above the magnetic poles of the northern and southern hemispheres. They are known as "Aurora borealis" in the North and "Aurora australis" in the South. The Northern Lights are seen in many colors such as: red,yellow,green,blue, and violet that are scattered in clouds of light to streamers. Due to the lack of the advanced technology the past century we have been restrained from dissecting that phenomena, but  we now have the required equipment to discover what causes these wondrous lights. We now know that electrons and protons from the sun are blown towards the earth on the "solar wind". Since the Sun's atmosphere temperature can reach up to millions of degrees Celsius this temperature cause collisions between gas molecules which are frequent and explosive. Free electrons and protons are thrown from the sun's atmosphere by the rotation of the sun and escape through holes in the magnetic field.

http://www.northernlightscentre.ca/northernlights.html

              

BLOG POST #7

                       They're different inventors, but you can't really say one is greater, because American 

society needs some Edison's and it needs some Tesla's. However, Nikola Tesla symbolizes a 

unifying force and inspiration for all nations in the name of science. He was a true visionary far 

ahead of his colleagues in the field of scientific development. 
                      
                               Nikola Tesla is also known as a great inventor and many people say he was more brilliant than Edison was. In our last post, American inventor Nikola Tesla was born in July of 1856. He came to the United States in 1884. He sold several patent rights his 1891 invention, the "Tesla coil," is still used in radio technology today. Tesla died in New York City on January 7, 1943. Tesla conducted demonstrations of his AC system, which soon became the standard power system of the 20th century, and has remained the worldwide standard ever since. Two years later, in 1895, Tesla designed the first hydroelectric power plant at Niagara Falls, a feat that was highly publicized throughout the world.
                        Also, Tesla pointed out the inefficiency of Edison’s direct current electrical

 powerhouses  that have been build up and down the Atlantic seaboard. Edison’s lamps were weak 

and inefficient  when supplied by direct current. This system had a severe disadvantage in that it 

could not be transported more than two miles due to its inability to step up to high voltage levels 

necessary for long distance transmission. Consequently, a direct current power station was required 

at two mile intervals. Direct current flows continuously in one direction; alternating current changes 

direction 50 or 60 times per second and can be stepped up to vary high voltage levels, minimizing 

power loss across great distances. The future belongs to alternating current which was the defaming 

factor for Edison himself.

Blog Post #6

              Kinematics is the branch of classical mechanics which describes the motion of points, bodies and systems of bodies without consideration of the causes of motion.The study of kinematics is often referred to as the geometry of motion. To describe motion, kinematics studies the trajectories of points, lines and other geometric objects and their differential properties such as velocity and acceleration.

 BLOG POST #5

                        The videos showed how many use Tesla towers to flow electricity through their bodies as a way of entertainment.The power of the Tesla coil lies in a process called electromagnetic induction,changing magnetic field creates an electric potential that compels current to flow. Flowing electric current generates a magnetic field. When electricity flows through a wound up coil of wire, it generates a magnetic field that fills the area around the coil in a particular pattern, This is Nikola Tesla, his inventions fill the world around us. They are quiet, reliable, invisible machines.

Blog Post #4

                           Deciding on what I would like to do would have to relate to my basic fundamentals in school such as: Science, Math, and English. After deciding Mathematics was my strength than the others in theory it would be in my best interest to pursue a career that uses those principles. A career is mind would be a civil engineer after majoring in engineering or business management. I would perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures, and facile. The career in mind would require a 4+ year degree. After researching since my sophomore year in high school I have set focus on the QuestBridge foundation scholarship. After hearing about the scholarship that awards thousands a year I asked myself, "Who should Apply?" The QuestBridge National College Match is designed for high school seniors who have shown outstanding academic ability despite facing economic challenges. QuestBridge takes all of the following factors into account when evaluating an application for the National College Match: Academic Achievement, Financial Qualifications, and Personal Circumstances. Academic achievement in depth they look at specifically the following qualifications:

Grades and rigor of high school curriculum: Primarily As in the most challenging courses at your high school (usually including Honors, AP, and/or IB level courses, if available.)

Class rank: Top 5-10% of your graduating class.

Standardized test scores: SAT (CR+M) scores above 1250; ACT composite score above 27. We also recommend submitting any AP, IB, or SAT Subject Test scores.  Review the standardized testing requirements for each partner college.

We also look for evidence of strong writing ability, intellectual spark, and determination through essays and teacher/counselor recommendations.

               Meeting two of the following three qualifications has made me believe that I have a chance although I will soon take my ACT standardized test on Dec. 13th. Also, the financial requirements consists of a typical income from households earning less than $60,000 annually for a family of four, and often less than $50,000. This is not a strict cut-off and we encourage students who feel they have faced significant financial hardship to review these financial details carefully to see if they may qualify. 

All sources of family income are taken into account, including:

• Salaries, wages, and tips
• Business and farm income 
• Rental income
• Interest and dividend income
• Retirement distributions
• Alimony
• Child support received

             Lastly, they look at your personal circumstances such as: 

Parents' level of education: Many past award recipients have been among the first generation in their family to attend a four-year college.

Extenuating circumstances: For example, if students have jobs to help their parents pay the bills, or spend much time out of school caring for siblings if their parents are absent or at work.

Extracurricular achievements: Accomplishments and leadership roles in extracurricular and community activities.

https://connection.naviance.com/family-connection/careers/explore

http://www.questbridge.org/

http://www.actstudent.org/regist/dates.html

http://dykstrastem.blogspot.com/

Blog Post #3

The Rocky Flats Plant, a former U.S. nuclear weapons production facility located about 15 miles northwest of Denver, caused radioactive
contamination within and outside its boundaries. The contamination primarily resulted from two major plutonium fires in 1957 and 1969.
A nuclear reactor produces and controls the release of energy from splitting the atoms of certain elements. In a nuclear power reactor, the energy released is used as heat to make steam to generate electricity.The principles for using nuclear power to produce electricity are the same for most types of reactor. The energy released from continuous fission of the atoms of the fuel is harnessed as heat in either a gas or water, and is used to produce steam. The steam is used to drive the turbines which produce electricity.The country's 100+ nuclear reactors produced 789 billion kWh in 2013, over 19% of total electrical output. There are now 100 units operable and five under construction. There are many pros and cons for nuclear energy.

  Pros:

Lower carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) released into the atmosphere in power generation.

Low operating costs (relatively).

Known, developed technology “ready” for market.

Large power-generating capacity able to meet industrial and city needs (as opposed to low-power technologies like solar that might meet only local, residential, or office needs but cannot generate power for heavy manufacturing).

Existing and future nuclear waste can be reduced through waste recycling and reprocessing similar to Japan and the EU (at added cost).

Cons:

High construction costs due to complex radiation containment systems and procedures.

High subsidies needed for construction and operation, as well as loan guarantees.

Subsidies and investment could be spent on other solutions (such as renewable energy systems).

High-known risks in an accident.

Unknown risks.

Long construction time.

Target for terrorism (as are all centralized power generation sources).

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                            Many citizens argue that that bad outweigh the good. However, when we look at the amount of energy our nation is using we must consider that fact that nuclear energy has provided a conduit for other resources to be produced that will benefit the country. They have produced energy to power the world for years that beat out the competition of greenhouses.



http://www.world-nuclear.org/info/Country-Profiles/Countries-T-Z/USA--Nuclear-Power/
http://www.triplepundit.com/2009/02/nuclear-energy-pros-and-cons/

                Erwin Schrödinger was an Austrian theoretical physicist who achieved fame for his contributions to quantum mechanics. In 1926 to describe the quantum state of a system, is his most enduring achievement at a more technical level. Schrödinger was born on August 12, 1887 in Vienna. His father Rudolf Schrodinger, who came from a Bavarian family, which had come to Vienna generations ago, was a highly gifted man. After studying chemistry at the Technical College in Vienna, Rudolf Schrödinger devoted himself for years to Italian painting and then he decided to study botany. He published a series of research papers on plant phylogeny. In 1927, Schrödinger left his position at Zurich for a new, prestigious opportunity at the University of Berlin, where he met Albert Einstein. He was an important scientist throughout history. The physicist  was a brilliant and sophisticated example of how one should configure a pathway to grow and spark new ideas in physics.