Month: October 2015

Mars has always been a planet of much mystery, and from early on been the go-to-planet for alien movies and martians. There have been several missions to Mars, however not every single mission has touched down on the planet’s surface. It is much easier to send a satellite to Mars to orbit it and observe it and gather data. But, of the multiple attempts to touch down on Mars, seven of these expeditions have been successfully. Throw the past 50 years, many expeditions have been undergone, but the future holds even more possibilities.

Attempts at Mars Flybys began all the way back in the early 1960s with the Soviet Union. Several of the first spacecrafts failed to ever get close enough to Mars due to miscalculations, launch failures, signal loss, software malfunctions, and many more. The first successful flyby, Mariner 4, launched in 1964 and flew by Mars in 1965. This mission confirmed that Mars had a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere. The next several successful missions (with many more failed attempts in between) furthered our understanding of the Red Planet. We gathered: the dimensions of the planet, atmospheric compositions, topography, planet’s gravity, higher resolution images (by the 1990s) and many smaller details. This was within a span of 50 years and a lot was learned about the small planet. With all the newly gathered data, curiosity about the planet rose, and the search for potential habitability began.

There are currently 7 active missions on Mars, and to the people of our day and age, the most famous mission to Mars has been the Mars Curiosity Rover. The most interesting and most current thing regarding Curiosity is a photo that would be the first definite evidence regarding flowing water. We are unsure of what is actually depicted in the photo.

 

This photo and claim comes from a UFO hunter, who blogged that the dark streak is in fact evidence of flowing water on Mars, and claims that NASA is attempting to hide the fact that they found the water. In case you haven’t been aware of this, NASA did find evidence that could support the theory that Mars has water, but they never claimed they found FLOWING water on Mars. Whether or not this is actually flowing water or not on Mars, it is still super exciting to think about how close we are getting to making a potentially revolutionary discovery in our search for life outside Earth. In addition to Curiosity’s search for water and life on Mars, it has also been assessing the planets environment and conditions for possible hazardous radiation, mining into the ground and finding minerals that suggest that a lake was once present, and also taking thousands of pictures along the way which have helped keep the public informed on the progress of the mission.

Future missions for Mars are some of the most interesting possibilities ever. The last (and only) time humans have have stepped foot on another celestial body other than our own planet was in 1962. The famous moon landing quote spoken by Neil Armstrong “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”  resonates to even this day. Now 53 years later the possibility of sending human to Mars, a body much less suitable for humans than the moon, could become a reality. The goal of the mission would be to send the humans to the planet by 2030s. Currently there are many factors affecting the mission, one being of course budget. Sending humans to another planet (successfully) is not cheap. Especially being government funded, the government does not take it as a high priority. Once the budget and research is all completed, what would the mission consist of? There are different ideas such as sending people to mars, gathering data, exploring, then returning. But a much more intriguing possibility is the idea of a one way trip to Mars. Have you ever heard theories of whether or not humans could colonize Mars? Well sending a group of people to Mars and never returning would be like a precursor to this. Leaving someone on a planet could end in disaster, but it could also be the first step to one of the greatest adventures in the history of mankind.

“Space exploration is a force of nature unto itself that no other force in society can rival.”
-Neil DeGrasse Tyson

http://www.planetary.org/explore/space-topics/space-missions/missions-to-mars.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

 

http://www.space.com/13558-historic-mars-missions.html

 

http://www.space.com/24268-manned-mars-mission-nasa-feasibility.html

 

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/98232/20151022/curiosity-rover-photo-shows-flowing-water-on-mars-claims-ufo-hunter.htm

DATA:

Speed (RPM)	Battery Discharge (mV)	Mass (kg)	Power Level (%)	Time (s)	Acceleration (RPM/s^2)	height (m)	g	Potential Energy (J)	Power (W)
101.8302	69	0.25	75	4.28	23.792107	0.25	9.81	0.613125	0.143254
81.02994	41	0.25	75	2.026	39.995037	0.25	9.81	0.613125	0.302628
83.21144	69	0.25	75	2.051	40.571156	0.25	9.81	0.613125	0.29894
90.48324	41	0.19	75	2.028	44.61698	0.25	9.81	0.465975	0.229771
92.49195	27	0.13	75	1.656	55.852626	0.25	9.81	0.318825	0.192527
97.0276	27	0.07	75	1.57	61.80102	0.25	9.81	0.171675	0.109347
99.26762	27	0.07	75	1.684	58.947516	0.25	9.81	0.171675	0.101945
47.24775	41	0.25	50	3.591	13.157268	0.25	9.81	0.613125	0.170739
81.71883	55	0.25	75	2.013	40.595543	0.25	9.81	0.613125	0.304583
102.8455	83	0.25	90	1.64	62.710688	0.25	9.81	0.613125	0.373857
125.0974	55	0.25	100	1.283	97.503841	0.25	9.81	0.613125	0.373857

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Explore Newton’s 2nd Law

Keeping the power level fixed and changing the mass.  Does the acceleration vary with mass?

 

Increasing mass decreases acceleration. This agrees with Newton’s Law F = ma. If F is staying constant, as mass increases, acceleration must decrease to balance it out.

Keep the mass fixed and change the power level.  Does the acceleration vary with power level?

Increasing the power level does increase the acceleration. Again, looking at F = ma, if F is increasing, yet mass is staying the same, acceleration must also increase in order to keep both sides of the equation equal.

Explore the Law of Conservation of energy

With the power level fixed, study how the battery energy drainage changes as a function of mass.  Since the energy of the battery is converted to the potential energy of the masses, you would expect that the greater the masses, the greater is the battery drainage.  However, the battery level reading is not that accurate, so you should repeat your measurements several times and look at the average battery drainage as a function of mass.

 

Our chart supports the theory that as mass increases the discharge of the battery also decreases. In other words, a heavier mass will cause the battery to drain more because of the increase of power required to raise it up a certain height. Work equals force multiplied by displacement. A larger mass means a larger force will be required meaning a larger amount of work. This work is what causes the battery to drain faster. Imagine it like this. Imagine trying to give a piggy-back ride to a child to the top of a hill versus trying to give a piggy-back ride to a full grown adult to the top of the same hill. The distance you have to travel is the same, but a lot more work is going to be needed to carry the adult all the way up, and as a result you will be a lot more tired by the time you get to the top. You’re lack of energy once reaching the top is the same as the battery being drained.

Calculate the average power used by the motor for each of your experiments.  For the same mass, plot power used as a function of the power level of the motor.  Add a linear trend line (with equation and R2 indicated).  Describe this curve.  Is it what you expected?

Yes this graph is what you would expect from this situation. Increasing the power level of the motor would also increase the power. We know that Power = Energy / time AND  Force = Mass * Acceleration AND Work = Force * Displacement. Knowing these three equations we can figure out that this is what is to be expected. Increasing the power level is the same thing as increasing the force. This increased force increases the work done by the pulley. With work and energy being basically the same thing for our purposes (technically they both have the same magnitude, just different signs – or +), increasing the energy means the overall power of the equation will also increase. To add on even more to this, increasing the power level also decreases the time. So in the power equation the numerator is increased while the denominator is decreased, making the power even larger.

Through this experiment and graphs we are supporting Newton’s theory of force and laws of conservation of energy.

The Mildred F Sawyer Library is one of two of Suffolk University’s amazing libraries.Too many students it’s almost like a second home because of the many hours spent there grinding out homework after homework after project after project. There are three floors to the Sawyer Library each with different uses and resources at the disposal of the student body.

The first floor is the main entrance and lobby area. The checkout desk is at the entrance where of course books can be checked out of the library. However, it is not limited to just that, other useful items such as laptops and even phone chargers can be checked out for use if you are ever in the need for them. The lobby area also contains many desktops also available for use for any students. At the back wall, there is the reference desk. The reference desk is where to go if you have any questions to anything related to the library or books. There are three printers on this floor for use as well. To the right of the reference desk are reference books which can help you find other potential books that may be useful for you in every field imaginable. Another feature that you will notice immediately that this is the lively and talkative floor of the library. If you want to chill, talk with friends, but perhaps still do a bit of work, this is a good floor to be on because no one will scold you for talking.

 

The second floor is for students who wish to get more work done and be more productive, yet still be able to collaborate with other students in a quiet manner. The second floor features several study rooms which can be reserved on the Suffolk Library page.Definitely a good room to have as a resource if you need to work on group projects, especially with the access to the whiteboards. Just remember that the rumors stating the those rooms are soundproof are false. But unless you are yelling, I don’t believe anyone will hear you talking (or watching youtube videos, your choice). There are also classrooms on the second floor with computers. Here we were taught about the many resources available to us online on the Suffolk Library website. There are tons of small details that can be very useful, but the list would go on and on if I tried telling you every single thing. You will discover them in your time at Suffolk. I will focus on two main things. The search engine which allows you to filter through many books and even ebooks on different subjects, and can direct you to other possible books of interest depending on your previous search. The ebooks are also available to read online free of charge, all you have to do is find it and click a link. The second important feature is the MASSIVE database. To anyone who has ever had to write a research paper, you should know what databases are. There are pools of different articles, literary criticisms, blogs etc, that can potentially be used in research papers and other types of papers as well. Or even, just to learn more about certain topics. The filters on these databases allow you to cut a search of, let’s say, “energy and sustainability” from 11,000 results to a mere hundred or less. Every student at Suffolk will become familiar with these databases.

 

Finally the third floor, not as much to say as the previous two floors, but still important nonetheless. Taking a journey to the third floor should only be undergone by the most serious of students. You procrastinated a paper for your class, and it’s due in a couple hours. Go to the third floor. Didn’t do the past five assignments for a class and you need to get it done before you fail? Go to the third floor. The third floor is the floor of pure silence. If you need to focus, go to this floor. Nothing will distract you. f you talk, you’re probably distracting someone else. I myself have never dared to take the trip to the third floor, for that is a trip for the extreme players of this game called college. I have only heard the tales of the third floor. One day I will be brave enough to attend it, one day….one day.

 

Alright, that’s my blog. Thanks for reading!

 

A car’s gasoline mileage is such an important factor for many buyers because of course more mileage means less money you have to spend. So when it comes to car efficiency, it is no surprise that there is a constant push to improve this factor. In addition to increased savings, another reason their is much promotion for better fuel efficient cars is because of the environmental impact it can have. If the efficiency is increased, this reduces the amount of pollution released by the car per mile. In addition to changing exterior features, another side of the fight to improve efficiency will happen gradually over time as engines and other internal hardware are improved.

With agencies increasing the minimum mpg on cars every year, automakers must think of quick, easy, and cheap options to increase these factors.So rather than investing money on expensive new technologies they are researching on ways to reduce the weight of cars, thus increasing fuel effieciency, without sacrificing safety and other important features. While choosing alternate materials, a factor automakers always keep in mind is the price. Advanced steels are a more expensive type of steel, but researchers are trying to partner cheaper and much lighter materials with this advanced steel in order to decrease the weight of the car overall. Aluminum is one material of focus for being durable, three times lighter than steel, and much cheaper. Another possible material is a polymer foam. Once the ideal material is chosen the next important step to follow would be shaping the new materials without damaging them. There is still more research to be done.

Obama, if you do not already know, is known for his Clean Power Plan where he wishes to reduce the amount of carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Being a smart man, one of his major focuses was the auto industry, one of the largest culprits of pollution. Obama has set many standards for car efficiency in the upcoming years, and has even set a plan to increase the minimum car mpg to 54 mpg by the year 2025, a modest goal. Obama’s plan has increased automotive sales, will increase fuel economy, decrease oil consumption, increased international competition, and even create more jobs for finding new methods to improve efficiency

 

 

Higher mpg cars of course are more appealing to customers because it means less money to spend for the consumer. As these higher mpg vehicles become cheaper to produce, they will control a larger part of the market, just as the graph displays.

Changing the exterior of a car will indeed help to improve efficiency, but we can not overlook the importance of the hardware. One feature that must be improved upon is the engine. I am no car expert, but a car engine is a complex motor that powers the cars. Without the engine the car won’t move. There are many parts to an engine, and researchers are trying to figure out how to minimize the fuel consumption of the engines by only turning on the parts of the motor that are absolutely necessary at certain times. Going up hill would require more power going to the engine, versus going downhill. Another good feature that some electric and hybrid cars already have is a stopping system which automatically turns off the engine when the car is stopped. So waiting at a stop light will use zero power, an addition whose benefits would add up over time. Another important advancement is a turbocharger. I won’t bore you with all the technical details of how it works, but I’ll simplify it. How often do you see a car go by and the muffler is releasing fumes? Those fumes are the wasted gases produced. What the turbocharger does is recycle these fumes which normally have no other use besides polluting the air and turns it in extra power for the engine.

There is still much to improve on in car’s efficiency, and for once automakers want to improve their own business by appealing to consumers will benefit us and the planet

References

1. Veen, Chad. “How Will U.S. Automakers Achieve 54.5 MPG?” How Will U.S. Automakers Achieve 54.5 MPG? N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2015. <http://www.govtech.com/technology/How-Will-US-Automakers-Make-Cars-More-Efficient.html>.
2. Villareal, Antonio. “Lighter Cars, More Efficient Cars | 2010 | Research | College of Engineering.” Lighter Cars, More Efficient Cars | 2010 | Research | College of Engineering. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2015. <https://engineering.tamu.edu/research/2010/lighter-cars-more-efficient-cars>.
3. Weiss, Daniel. “5 Ways the Obama Administration Revived the Auto Industry by Reducing Oil Use.” Name. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2015. <https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/green/report/2012/08/27/34054/5-ways-the-obama-administration-revived-the-auto-industry-by-reducing-oil-use/>..

Thor: Tom Vale’s in Disguise

It’s a bird! No, it’s a plane! No, it’s Tom Vales, the master craftsman for electrical engineering! On September 28th Tom Vales demoed various types of electronic gadgets such as:

• Mendocino Solar Powered Motor
• Rocking Armature
• Sterling Engine
• Tesla and Fluorescent Tubes
• Violet Ray Machine

Mendocino Solar Powered Motor

This solar powered motor is a combination of 4 solar panels with 2 coils running between them. These solar panels and coils are the center of the machine, but they are penetrated by a rod that has 2 magnets on each end. The base of the machine has magnets on every corner, and these magnets repel the two on the rod which then suspend the solar panels in mid air. When a strong enough light is emitted onto it, the motor begins to spin.

Rocking Armature

The rocking armature motor is a bit more complicated, but it uses batteries to keep the motor spinning. Sometimes a kick start might be needed due to the static friction, but once the motor get started the arm that spins the wheel keeps going spinning.

Sterling Engine

The sterling engine runs on steam power. The steam allows the weight connected to the rod that spins the wheel to continuously spin. The weight is needed in order to spin the wheel/motor, and the design of the device is set up so that the friction between the weight and the glass that contains it is very low so the motor can go for a long time without losing much energy.

Tesla Coil and Fluorescent Tubes

The tesla coil as well uses some more complicated physics. But it is essentially increasing the voltage electricity and voltage frequency to such high levels that it is creating a field of energy through which power can travel. This is why a fluorescent tube that is not actually in contact with the coil can be lit up.

 

 

 

Violet Ray Machine

The violet ray machine is a black magic healing device that can cure all types of diseases. Just hook it up, and through the power of ultraviolet waves, it is suppose to cure you. Does it work, judge for yourself.