Final Post

For the entire duration of this year of documented learning, our science classes have been working and completing projects through our blogs or Google documents. Almost all of the work done in this year's science class was on the computer, which was of course a huge and exciting change. During this year we covered astronomy, weather and climate (Earth's atmosphere), geology, weathering and erosion, and Earth's waters.

In the beginning of this year of science we explored astronomy. Our class covered the sun, the Big Bang theory, the inner and outer planets, stars, planetary orbits, and the moon. My favorite topic out of all of these is by far studying the inner and outer planets. First of all it was fascinating to learn about how far away all the planets are from each other. The distance is very difficult to even fathom. Another interesting aspect was that the first four planets in our planetary system are considered rocky planets, meaning that they are made of rock, save Earth which of course is made of rock and water. These first four planets, in order from the sun, are Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars. The last four planets in our planetary system are called gas giants, meaning that they are huge planets made mostly of gas. They are much bigger than the rocky planets. In order, the gas giants are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Separating the two types of planets, in between Mars and Jupiter, is a large orbit of asteroids called the Asteroid Belt. I enjoyed learning about this because the size and distance difference in planets fascinates me.

Following astronomy was weather and climate, with some emphasis on the Earth's atmosphere. We studied the global warming theories, acid rain, how the sun heats Earth's surface, the ozone layer, weather patterns, and the layers of the atmosphere. My favorite topic out of these was learning more about global warming theories. I already had some previous knowledge on this subject, but I learned much more about it and got more in depth. Global warming is a theory that the sun is gradually heating our Earth more and more. This happens because the ozone layer, an atmospheric shield protecting the Earth from harmful UV rays, is depleting. Harmful gases like carbon dioxide emisions from our cars and factories combine with ozone molecules, destroying them. This allows more sunlight to seep through and heat up our Earth, which can be harmful in many ways. Certain animals that cannot withstand the growing heat in their environments could lose their habitats, like polar bears in the Arctic, which are melting rapidly over recent years.

After studying weather and climate, we moved our focus to geology. This involves the studying of rocks and the make-up of Earth. Our classes learned about the layers of Earth, plate tectonics, continental drift, sea-floor spreading, volcanoes, geologic time periods, and a lot of emphasis on rocks and minerals. My favorite topics in this segment go together. They are continental drift and geologic time periods. Continental drift is the theory that the continents weren't always in their present positions. The theory states that that the continents were at one point, millions and millions of years ago, joined together in one super continent called Pangaea. Over time, tectonic plates shifted the continents away from each other and into their present places. If the theory is correct, then that would mean that the continents are still gradually moving. Geologic time periods are Paleozoic, which is considered ancient life. It was in this time period that Pangaea existed and sustained life. In the Mesozoic era, considered middle life, Pangaea broke apart. In the Cenozoic era, considered modern life, the continents shifted into their present day positions.




Following the geology segment, we started learning about weathering and erosion. Weathering and erosion can occur many different ways on Earth, including water erosion, glaciers, and wind. I didn't have a single favorite topic in this segment because all the aspects we studied were so intriguing. At the end of this segment we used a program called Podcast to explain the types of weathering and erosion. My partner was my friend Blu, and we described all the types of weathering and erosion in our podcast, but what made this podcast memorable was the music we had in the background. To make our podcast more interesting for our classmates, we added Michael Jackson and The Commodores songs in the background. This made for one of the most enjoyable experiences in eighth grade science.




Our final scientific exploration in eighth grade Earth Science was learning about Earth's waters. We covered river systems, the water molecule, the stages of water, wetlands, groundwater, use of water, and ponds and lakes. My favorite topic of this segment was the use of water because of the amazing ratios of salt and fresh water. 70% of the Earth is water, and 97% of that water is salt water in the oceans and some seas. The remaining 3% of Earth's water is fresh water, but 3/4 of that is frozen in glaciers and ice caps, which is not able for use by humans. The last remaining percent of water on Earth, which is under 1%, is open for human use. Humans waste that water so much, and these statistics showed me how precious that fresh water is for us. This was an eye-opening learning experience for me.

All in all, I enjoyed using computer programs to learn about earth science in my eighth grade year. This is my final post, so I hope you enjoyed reading my blog. I'm now signing off from my eighth grade earth science blog.

Colorado Spring vs Manitou Springs

Manitou Springs' water comes from snowmelt and natural springs on Pikes Peak. Because Manitou is closer to Pikes Peak, they get the first of the pure water that hasn't been recycled yet. Manitou uses the Manitou Springs reservoir, high up on Pikes Peak, to get their water, which has 720 acre feet of water. The water from the reservoir goes through a water treatment plant and arrives at the Mesa and Crystal Hill water storage tanks. It then is sent down to Manitou's businesses and houses, and eventually out of our faucets.

Colorado Springs' water has 200 miles to travel and must pass through 25 reservoirs to get to the city. The water must also travel through four different pump stations, as opposed to Manitou's water which doesn't have any pump stations and only one reservoir. Colorado Springs water also passes through treatment plants to get cleaned. After being through 25 different reservoirs, traveling 200 miles, treating plants, and four different pump stations, the water finally reaches Colorado Springs.

Fuel-Efficient Cars

Annotated Bibliography

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/fuels/biodiesel_what_is.html
I used this website to research Biodiesel Fuel.

http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/electricity/f/electricity101.htm
I used this website to research Electricity as a fuel source.

http://www.energyrefuge.com/archives/ethanol-fuel.htm
I used this website to research Ethanol as a fuel source.

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells/
I used this website to research Hydrogen as a fuel source.

http://www.whynot.net/ideas/928
I used this website to research Natural Gas a fuel source.

http://alternativefuels.about.com/od/2008propanevehicles/a/2008propaneveh.htm
I used this website to research Propane as a fuel source.

Evaluation Questions

1. What, specifically about your topic, are you going to research?
I will research alternative fuel sources that are not harmful.

2. What conclusions did you come to? What do you recommend average citizens do to make a difference? Be specific. This is the main part of your assignment.
There are many alternative fuel sources. Six major types of those sources are biodiesel, electricity, ethanol, hydrogen, natural gas, and propane. Biodiesel fuel is renewable and is produced from vegetable oils and animal fats. Diesel vehicles can be fueled with pure biodiesel fuel or biodiesel fuel mixed with petroleum. This type of fuel is energy efficient and safe.

Electricity is also a very useful form of fuel. It is used to power or plug in electric hybrids. Electric vehicles have no tailpipe exhaust, which is very good for the environment. Electric vehicles are usually only good for short-range driving.
Ethanol is made from sugar canes, sugar beets, switch grass, corn, and barley. It can be combined with gasoline, or just be used pure. Not every vehicle can run on pure ethanol though. It is much better for the environment than gasoline.
Hydrogen is also an alternative fuel source. It is an energy carrier and can be produced from domestic resources. Fuel cells and hydrogen combine to be a new fuel source. Hydrogen can limit our dependence on foreign oil greatly.
Natural gas has been used as motor fuel previously but has never been used directly for fueling cars. Almost any car can be fueled by natural gas. It is sent to millions of our homes anyway, so distributing it to fuel cars is not an unreachable task. This, like hydrogen, can also limit foreign oil dependency greatly.
Propane is also known as liquefied petroleum gas. This powers over 10 million vehicles, which actually is not saying much. There could be many more cars using this fuel source, just like any other I have listed. Propane can fuel cars, only if the car has been converted to be able to use the fuel source.

3. What would happen if, worst-case scenario, nobody listened to your recommendations?
If nobody listened to the suggestions of using alternative fuels, peoples' health and the environment could take serious damage. Peoples' health can be affected negatively by diesel fuel exhaust in many ways. One way is that long term exposure can cause severe lung damage and even lung cancer. It can also cause constant coughing and bronchitis.
Environmental problems occur greatly due to the fuel sources we use now. The hydrocarbons and CO2 released from exhaust destroy ozone molecules in the atmosphere. Alternative fuel sources would limit this greatly.

4. What would happen if, best-case scenario, everybody listened to your recommendations?
The ozone would be in much better shape and there wouldn't be as much of a global rise in temperature. People wouldn't get sick from breathing in exhaust and the skies in Los Angeles and New York City wouldn't be blanketed with smog.

Penny Lab

For this lab, the materials required were a penny, a cup of water, and a water dropper. The way the lab was performed was that the water dropper was filled with water. One drop at a time was dropped onto the penny. This was done because our class wanted to see how many drops of water could be dropped onto a penny before the water overflowed off of it.

I thought that the penny couldn't hold more than maybe 3 or 4 drops of water. I figured the water would just slide right off the penny.

The actual outcome was very different from my prediction. The penny that I applied the drops of water to held 17 drops of water before it overflowed.

The explanation for this is that the property of water called adhesion was in effect. Adhesion means that the molecules of water clump together. As I applied the drops onto the penny, the water clumped together more and more with each drop, forming a large drop of water ontop of the penny. The drop of course became too big after the 17th drop and flowed off the penny.

Universal Solvent

This is an example of how water dissolves substances. 

Water dissolves substances by linking up with the molecules of that substance. The molecules then spread out and the substance is dissolved into part of the liquid.

Everglades

The Everglades are located in Everglades National Park in Florida. The Park is in Southern Florida, starting just below Lake Okeechobee and extending all the way down to the Southern most coast.

The purpose of a visit to Everglades National Park would probably be either recreational or educational. The visit would be fun because there are many types of plants and animals in the Park to look at. Some animals, like the endangered crocodiles and alligators there, are very dangerous and people should be careful in their territory. The educational purpose of the visit would be to learn more about the plants and animals that inhabit the Park. More than a dozen endangered species live in the Everglades, and I'm sure any student would enjoy viewing them. Scientists and biologists would have a field day at the Everglades. There are many different types of plants that grow abscurely due to the mass amounts of water. In some areas of the park the plants have so much access to water that their roots rise above the surface of the water and are completely exposed. Biologists and scientists could study the animals and plants for weeks because of the size of the Park.

The Everglades are a vast wilderness. In fact they are the largest wilderness area east of the Mississippi River. They stretch for miles and miles, appearing to go on forever. The weather in the Park is very hot and humid, which makes everything there look very green. The Everglades are described as the "River of Grass." It is named that because water stretches wide and far throughout the whole Park, with green grass and swamps everywhere among the water. Some plants and animals that inhabit the Everglades are the endangered crocodiles and alligators. They grow very large and make their homes in the abundant swamps. The water is very shallow and murky, with grass disguising much of it. This is a perfect area for crocodiles and alligators to hunt and live. Other animals like the Florida panther and the West Indian Manatee live safely in the Park also. Some plants that are in the Park are sawgrass marshes and mangrove forests.

The Everglades reveal that Earth's water can be in abscure places and in large quantities. The water there protects and gives habitats to more than a dozen endangered species. The Park is an example that large areas of water can still be protected, and can safe endangered species from extinction.

Humans do not drink from the water in the park. The people who visit the park do not usually even enter the water because of the danger of crocodiles and alligators.

Earthquake Webquest

1.A. Geologically, most of the earthquakes happen along faults in the Earth's crust. They happen because pressure builds up over many years and when enough of it builds, the crust will shift abruptly, causing an earthquake.

1.B. Geographically, most of the earthquakes happen in cities, states, or countries that lie on faults in the earth's crust. Most earthquakes occur along coastal regions, like Japan and California.

2. I think that they occur in those places because the oceanic crust will push against the continental crust on the coast, so faults will eventually happen. Pressure will build up and earthquakes will happen on those coastal regions.

3. The area where most earthquakes happen is called the Ring of Fire. It is an area of frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions in the Pacific Ocean.

4. The earthquake closest to Manitou Springs wasin an area in northern Colorado. It was magnitude of 3 so nobody here could feel it. 100 times the ground shaking occurred compared to a magnitude 1 earthquake. It had about 37,000 more energy released than a magnitude 1 earthquake.

5. There was recently an earthquake in the Taiwan Region. It had a magnitude of 5.6. It didn't hit any major cities, but it could be felt very easily in the cities closest to it.

6. People can protect themselves from the danger of earthquakes by getting underneath something sturdy like a table. They should protect themselves from head injury especially.

Plate Tectonics

1. How have geologists learned about Earth's inner structure?
They use evidence from rock samples, which allow scientists to make inferences about where the rocks were formed and the conditions deep inside Earth. Geologists also have evidence from seismic waves. They record these waves and study how they travel through Earth.

2. How is Earth's interior like an apple?
It's like an apple because the crust is the skin, the mantle is like the meat, and the core is like the core of the apple.

3. What are the layers of Earth?
The layers of Earth are the crust, the mantle, the outer core, and finally the inner core.

4. What are the characteristics of Earth's crust, mantle, and core?
The crust is 5-70 km thick and is made up of oceanic and continental crust. The mantle is 2,867 km thick and is made up of three layers: the lithosphere (solid rock), the asthenosphere (soft rock), and the lower mantle (solid rock). The outer core is a layer of molten metal, and is 2,266 km thick. The inner core is 1,216 km thick and is a dense ball of solid iron and nickel.

5. How is heat transferred?
It is transferred in three ways: radiation, conduction, and convection. Radiation is the transfer of heat through space, like an open fire. Conduction is heat transfer within a material or between materials that are touching. It is a lot like walking on hot sand on the beach because the heat from the sand is transferred to your feet. Convection is heat transfer by the movement of currents in a fluid, much like heating up water on a stove.

6. What causes convection currents?
A convection current is the flow that transfers heat within a fluid, and it is caused by heating and cooling of the fluid, changes in the fluid's density, and gravity.

7. What causes convection currents in the mantle?
It is caused heat from the core and the heat from the mantle itself.

8. What was Alfred Wegener's hypothesis about the continents?
His hypothesis was that all the continents were once joined together in a single landmass called Pangaea and have since drifted apart.

9. What evidence supported Wegener's hypothesis?
Evidence from land features such as the fact that mountain ranges along the coast of South America and Africa line up very nicely supported it. Evidence from fossils such as the same animal's fossils found in different continents also supports it. There's no way those animals could have swam an ocean. Finally, evidence from climate supports the hypothesis because some very cold areas have tropical plant fossils on them. The area must have previously been a tropical area and moved away.

10. Why was Wegener's hypothesis rejected by most scientists of his time?
Wegener couldn't produce an explanation for what pushed or pulled the continents to their current positions.

11. How does sea-floor spreading provide a way for continents to move?
In sea-floor spreading, new material is continuously added to the ocean floor. That turns the ocean floors into conveyor belts, and those conveyor belts carry with them the continents.

12. What is the evidence for sea-floor spreading?
Evidence from molten material supports the theory because scientists found rocks in a mid-ocean ridge that can only be formed by the hardening of molten material. Evidence from magnetic stripes supports it because stripes were found on the ocean floor that are rocks formed from the Earth's magnetic field. Finally, evidence from drilling samples supports it because samples of rock were taken from a mid-ocean ridge. The closer the rocks were to the ridge, the younger they were.

13. What happens at deep-ocean trenches and why?
Subduction, the process by which the ocean floor sinks back into the mantle, occurs at deep-ocean trenches. That happens because new crust pushes old crust down into the mantle.

14. What is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?
It is a very long, very big mid-ocean ridge that stretches for almost the whole entire Atlantic Ocean.

15. What is the theory of plate tectonics?
It states that pieces of Earth's lithosphere are in slow, constant motion, driven by convection currents in the mantle.

16. What are the three types of plate boundaries and what are their characteristics?
First there is divergent boundaries, which is the place where two plates move apart, or diverge. This occurs mostly along mid-ocean ridges, and form rift valley which is the space between the two plates. Second there is convergent boundaries, which is the place where two plates come together. Density plays a role in which plate will sink down into the mantle. The last are transform boundaries, which is a place where two plates slip past each other, moving in opposite directions. Earthquakes occur when this happens.