Stephanie+R

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Reflections
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Climate Agents
The article demonstrates the incoming radiation from the sun is experienced through different wavelengths and is partially absorbed by the atmospheric molecules when coming through the atmosphere. The part that does not absorbed is used to warm the Earth's surface, which, in turn emits radiation that is reflected back towards Earth, warming it further. All of the absorbing gases are called "greenhouse gases" and are used to keep the Earth at a steady, comfortable temperature without rapid fluxuations that could be detrimental to the life on the planet. The radiation can be kept in a "budget" and resembles a financial budget with its incoming and outgoing expenditures. When the incoming and outgoing are equal, the budget is balanced. This same law applies for the radiation of the Earth. The sun is the incoming and the radiation of the Earth is outgoing. When these two values are the same, the climate is balanced.

Energy Reflection

The article, Energy, demonstrates two basic rules of energy. One, energy is conserved. Two, Energy always goes from more useful to less useful forms. The first rule is applied in the Cart on a Ramp lab. It switches from the potential energy it has at the top of the ramp, into kinetic as it rolls down. The rollercoaster lab is also another good example of the first rule. It has mechanical energy as the pulley pulls the cart to the top of the incline. At the very top it switches to potential energy right before it begins its descent. Once the cart begins to move downward its energy is kinetic. This is where the second rule comes into play, because though the energy is conserved, some of it is changed into other forms that arent as easily used, such as friction and heat. The ramp was not a frictionless surface, therefore the system lost some energy due to the friction between the ramp and the cart. All of the labs we did interrelate these two rules of energy in their own unique ways.

 Relationship between Kinetic Energy, Heat, and Temperature

Kinetic energy and temperature are directly related. As molecules heat up, they take the energy from the heat and they convert it into kinetic energy and they speed up their motion.

Work, KE, PE, and the Law of Conservation of Energy Relation Reflection; 09/27/09 Work is an applied for over a distance. Potential energy is stored energy that is held in readiness. Kinetic energy is energy that is currently in motion. All of the above concepts are mechanical energy and all are measured in Joules. The law of conservation of energy is basically the changing of energy from one from to another. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, but it can change forms so that the total amount of energy is never changed. All of these are related in that they can affect one another. An example is lifting a boulder. Work is required to elevate the boulder against the gravitational potential energy. If that boulder were then to drop, it would be in motion and would be kinetic energy. The change in energy types would be the law of conservation of energy.

Systems Reflection; 09/27/09

In class, the definition of a system was hotly discussed and it was eventually agreed upon that the definition is: a collection of objects that may interact. The articles definition was; A set of objects that are chosen and may interact with eachother. My definition of a system was what i learned last year in chemistry and is: anything that is under your consideration. The class's definition and the article's definition basically cover the same thing; a collection of objects that may interect. My definition was a little different 'cause i didn't think that there really needs to be a 'collection' of objects or that the need to interact. Anything you are considering is a system. The concept of a "closed" or "isolated" system really has everything to do with the conservation of mass and momentum. An isolated system is when no energy is able to cross the boundaries of the system. If energy does manage to cross the boundaries, then the system is not an isolated system. The conservation of mass really relies on the "closed" part of the system. For mass to be conserved, nothing from the outside can destroy or add matter to the system so it has to be closed. For the law of conservation of momentum, the system has to be isolated because one does not want outside forces exerting extra pressure on the system and throw off the entire conservation of momentum.


 * Author's View on Science Though the Day; 08/30/09 ||
 * The author of this article, Science Through The Day, obviously has a very high veiw of the scientific method. Time and time again through page 4-8 the author gives examples of how well the scientific method works and the importance of it. The author also explains why the scientific method works proving that they have taken the time to not only understand the basics of it, but dig deeper and explain //why// this method is used so often and by so many people. The author views the method as a cycle. he believes that it is never-ending and all scientists follow it. "There is no 'right' place to enter.....It makes no difference where you enter the cycle- eventually the scientific process takes you all the way around" (pg. 8 Science Through The Day) That quote proves that the author has no doubts that every scientist follows the path of the scientific method, whether they are starting with a theory, or just an observation because they will eventually go all the way through the cycle. The author calls the process a 'cycle' because science has no end. With science, there are no final answers, everything is subject to new discoveries. ||
 * Wiki Reflection; 08/28/09 ||
 * (1) My experience with things like this wiki page is fairly limited. I have on occasion used wikipedia which is similar to this type of website. That is basically it unless you count facebook, which i don't think neccessarily applies.

(2) I have multiple computers in my house that all have good internet connection. Unless the power is knocked out i shouldnt have a problem.

(3) I think the most beneficial tool of this website is the fact that we can send in our typed labs in through the internet and save the enviornment by saving paper and also save ourselves by not having to print out our labs when our printers are acting up (again). || 6. Describe the steps of the scientific method. ~ First is the observation, experiments and data. Here scientists either observe nature without manipulating it, or experiment by changing it. Either way, data is collected, which leads to the next step. The next step is identifying patterns and regularities. This step involves scientists summarizing their observations into a mathematical form. Next is the hypothesis. Once enough facts have been collected and there is enough experimental data, a hypothesis, or a cautious educated guess on what is happening and why. After hypothesis is the prediction stage. A hypothesis must be tested to ever become anything more than just a hypothesis, so predictions must be made. Once a prediction is made on the outcome of an experiment, the prediction is put to the test, and we are once again in the observations, experiments and data step, thus concluding the first loop around the never-ending cycle of the scientific method.
 * Review Questions on page 21; 08/31/09 ||
 * Questions-

7. Describe the roles of hypotheses, theories, and predictions in the scientific method. ~ A hypothesis is formed once a number of data and facts have been collected, a cautious educated guess can be made about the questioned topic. A theory often includes various seemingly unconnected hypotheses into something much greater than they were before when they were alone. The predictions come last in that they are used to test the theories. To do this, a prediction is made on the turnout of said theory, then observing and seeing if the prediction is correct.

8. Describe the difference between an observation and an experiment. ~Observations take place without manipulating nature. This is just monitering nature without trying to make something happen. Experiments are all about the manipulation. These are when scientist will add or subtract something to try to make the nature work to their advantage then observe the outcome.

9. Why might the therm //scientific cycle// be a good substitutes for //scientific method? ~// The scientific method has different steps to it, making it sounds exactly like a method, doing one step at a time and starting from the beginning working to the end. But the scientific method isn't your average step-by-step method, here you can start anywhere, and still go all the way through the method and go through all the steps. This is why it would be better if it was called a cycle, referring to the fact that you can start anywhere and still make it all the way around and hit every step. ||

It was different because there really was no hypothesis to the procedure. The only things really missing were the hypothesis and theory, otherwise everything else was in the lab. We collected data, identified patterns, made observations, did the experiment, had preconceptions. the law of gravity brought the "bob" to a swing. Everything was there. No, everything we did had a place in the scientific method. http://hartfordphysics.wikispaces.com/JC+and+Steph ||
 * Reflection on Clock Lab; 9/14/09 ||
 * The process of designing the clock was like the scientific method in that everyone could start in different places and still go through the same steps, like the cycle.

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