Objective

   The objective of this activity was in order to gain an understanding of the relationship between voltage output and the light intensity of the solar cell, as well as the relationship between the wavelength of light and the voltage output of the solar cell.

Procedure

      Before we go into the procedure lets focus on what we needed for this lab. The equipment needed included one solar cell, one voltage probe, a NXT adaptor, and one with a light source, Labview VI software, a ruler, colored film filters, and an excel sheet. Our group linearly increased the distance the light was from the solar panel by 2 centimeters starting with 0 centimeters. This distance is essential considering it is synonymous to the light intensity. This was the independent variable because it was the entity we were manipulating. The dependent variable was the voltage produced as a result of the light intensity. This comparison allowed us to put it into an excel sheet and find the average voltage per 10 seconds. After doing five trials starting with 0 centimeters, and ending with 8 centimeters, and finding the voltage average for each individual trial we graphed it. Now, let it be known that there were technical difficulties and our data did not produce any statistical significance; however, I will get into that more later.

After doing five trials we shifted to testing the different wavelengths of light and the voltage output. How did we do this?  We don’t manipulate the distance or in other words its light intensity; however, we manipulated the colors. The colors represent different wavelengths because they are on different wavelengths. The colors we experimented with consisted of green, orange, white, and blue. Once again our data did not yield any statistical significance.

Results

Where Did We Go Wrong and What Should Have Happened?

            The professor can attest to the fact that this was not a human error, but a technological one. For one portion we were utilizing a broken solar cell, and once we switched that out the computer started malfunctioning and not syncing with the software properly. We reconnected, and tried several different units by settling for data that legitimately did nothing for us. We didn’t even get the total of ten seconds when testing, but a range from seven to ten. Any experimenter knows how essential consistency is in a trial, and unfortunately we could not have it through no fault of our own.

But now what can I say about what should have happened? Well due to the fact that we talked about this in class I knew what was supposed to happen with the data regarding light intensity and voltage. Voltage decreases as distance increases, thus meaning voltage decreases as light intensity increases, which in other words means they have an inverse relationship. The relationship between wavelengths and voltage, after doing some research should place blue as the least, then followed by green, and then orange (ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu). Although our data produced held no statistical significance this elaborates on the concept that errors happen, and experiments go wrong. This is why it is essential to experiment several times due to the inability of realizing erroneous data in the midst of other experiments that yield similar results in respect to each other, but not one experimenter. Simply put, it happens and it is inevitable.

LINKS:

FFden

Introduction

            The efforts made in solar energy around the globe are essential in planting (no pun intended) the future of not only humanity, but the earth as we know it. Burning fossil fuels runs rampant around the world whilst simultaneously, for lack of a better word, killing our world. The adverse effects of burning fossil fuels can be seen around the globe; climate change and global warming are not myths. When the vast majority of scientists back the stance that climate change exists with factual information, it is safe to assume that this is simply not correlational data, but causation. Climate change has impacted the world drastically: as glaciers melt sea levels begin rising, thus making peoples homes and their ancestor’s homes uninhabitable. We forget, in Western society due to the lack of  impact the majority of predicaments has on us, that people are suffering due to our inefficient use of energy. Wake up.  We have been left desensitized to the concept that “peoples homes and their ancestors homes are uninhabitable”: whilst animals go extinct, cultures will diminish with them, and as heat waves and natural disasters increase and innocent lives are lost we will be the ones to blame, due to our lack of awareness, and our complete and utter ignorance. The problem that resides in humanity is that we avert our eyes until the predicament impacts us, yet we cannot act like mere savages as our fellow members of humanity deal with the adverse effects of burning fossils whilst we stand on the sidelines. Solar energy is a feasible solution: an alternative source of energy that is renewable and “clean”. Recently it has made a breakthrough globally, due to both its abundance considering it roots are the sun, and the green factor which is marked by innovation.

Germany

      To begin lets speak of German efforts made to increase solar power usage within their nation. Germany utilizes solar power to its fullest extent in respect to other countries within the world. According to Solar Energy Industries Association “Germany has 35 gigawatts (GW) of installed solar capacity and is on track to hit 52 GW in the near future”. This isn’t the main premise that must be reaped from this statement: “By and large, the German path has been remarkably successful, given the goal – shared by a great majority of the population – of ‘de-fossilizing’ Germany’s electricity sector” (Solar Energy Industries Association). Lets analyze what the impending situation in Germany is predicted to be. Solar power energy is working for Germany. The aspect that vast amount of people have against solar power, globally, is the cost; however, Germany has found a way to combat that. As they increase the usage of renewable power generation the prices of existing fossil generators increases, which creates an incentive to go for the solar energy and other renewable energy sources. The current reform in Germany is to create a closer knit relationship between renewable energy, and electricity market thus making it more of an attainable and common entity that can be available to the general public at a price that appeases the general public whilst creates a profit for the corporations (Solar Energy Industries Association). Germany has exemplified the win win situation, and the rest of the world must follow.

Evolution of renewable energy as a share of total electricity production in Germany Graph (Solar Energy Industries Association)

Italy

      Now we can’t just focus on the positive aspects to solar power energy, because we have places like Italy who are contradicting that notion itself. “Italian officials have revealed details of draft proposals for Italy’s latest renewable energy law, the fifth Conto Energia, which will see support reduced and regulation increased for the country’s renewable energy sector” (Renewableenergyfocus.com). This seems so backwards doesn’t it? The concept of regulating something so innovative, and an entity that would help reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions, thus a technology that could potentially save this planet from killing itself through the inhabitants that reside within it; however, the Italian’s government logic is that they need to “’balance’ renewable energy growth in the country” (Renewableenergyfocus.org). We need to realize why this is happening as an entity. The one downside where you will find across countries is the cost of solar energy. These chunky panels, and this innovative technology is not cheap. Italy simply “has suffered in the eurozone’s economic crisis, and the incoming government has been keen to impose austerity measures on all aspects of public spending, in an effort to curb Italy’s sovereign debt (Renewableenergyfocus.com). This is where reform must happen. In the field of economics, and the monetary value of these panels.

Pakistan

      Adding on to the concept of monetary value, and due to it the lack of solar panels let us delve into the realm of a place with a blazing sun, yet a third world country as we know it: Pakistan. As seen in this video, solar power would be an efficient way of reducing the power outages and a solution for the general public; however, the government has imposed 30% on taxes, thus making the general public lacking electricity, bombarded with power outages, and for some this is fatal considering the dry and hot conditions within Pakistan (BBC). The ignorance is within the concept that individuals suggest that the average Pakistani citizen should just pay the difference in order to get solar power energy, but the predicament within that in itself is that poverty runs rampant within Pakistan, thus leaving the general public hopeless.

Across borders, there needs to be a solution to combat the cost aspect of solar panels, in order to make it available to the general public across the world, even if they are in poverty.

LINKS:

http://www.seia.org/research-resources/solar-energy-support-germany-closer-look

BBC

http://www.renewableenergyfocus.com/view/25145/italy-cuts-fits-in-an-effort-to-balance-renewables-growth/

Who Is Nikola Tesla?

Nikola Tesla is a man who simply, I personally believe, never got enough credit. If anyone mutters Thomas Edison every individual in the room will confidently say he invented the lightbulb; however, they are unaware of his failure when it came to alternating and direct currents. More on that later; however, lets begin with a little bit of background information. Tesla, born in what was the Austro- Hungarian Empire in Lika to Milutin Tesla, a priest, and Djuka Tesla, a women who invented her own household appliances. Tesla studied in both Prague and Austria to specialize in both physics and mathematics; however, he realized he had this passion for electricity. He dreamed of coming to America, and when he did he worked alongside Edison with dynamos, which were steam generators. His life was going smooth, as a prodigy within his field, but who knew that he would have caught Edison’s flaws (Tesla Memorial).

Tesla’s Advancements With Energy That Conflicted With Edison

Simply put we cannot use Edison’s direct current to rule our lives, considering it is inefficient. Tesla thought of electricity as a cycle, and direct currents not only could go long distance with transmission, but it would need to have two mile intervals. With this society would never have advanced; however, what Tesla proposed with AC would change and evolve life as we know it (Tesla Memorial). Where the advantage lies when it comes to Alternating current over direct current is due to the use of motors, and power distributing systems. In order to transfer this energy AC is far more superior in sufficiency due to “The transformer’s ability to step AC voltage up or down with ease gives AC an advantage unmatched by DC in the realm of power distribution” (What is Alternating Current AC). Innovation is all about becoming more and more efficient as time progresses and without Tesla’s phenomenal advancements this could never occur.
Read this excerpt from the Tesla Memorial to understand the conflict that resided between Edison and Tesla:

“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. Nikola Tesla developed polyphase alternating current system of generators, motors and transformers and held 40 basic U.S. patents on the system, which George Westinghouse bought, determined to supply America with the Tesla system. Edison did not want to lose his DC empire, and a bitter war ensued. This was the war of the currents between AC and DC. Tesla -Westinghouse ultimately emerged the victor because AC was a superior technology. It was a war won for the progress  of both America and the world.”

How does this Apply To Today?

According to this clearly biased advertisement promoting a product, Alternating Current has become inefficient. AC needs to convert to DC which makes energy being lost in the process. In short basically DC might be more efficient, due to it creating our own energy; however, one must look at the bias. So why did I include this? Because it’s still an ongoing discussion that has some validity. We are losing energy, and looking to the future for more innovative solutions.

LINKS:

Tesla Memorial

Alternating Current Basics

AC vs. DC (Advertisement)

What was the experiment?

Faraday’s Law states that the changing of magnetic fluxes through coiled wires generates electricity. This experiment was to depict how increasing the magnetic flux, creates a greater current and voltage. The faster we shook the flashlight generator, the more voltage produced. This hands on activity let the individual student absorb the information from the lecture in regards to Faraday’s accomplishment and the Law that revolutionized the would as we know it, thus solidifying the concept that the number of shakes has a positive correlation with voltage considering as the number of shakes increase the voltage increases as well (Direction Sheet).

What was the purpose of the experiment?

To positivly correlate the number of shakes of the generator in thirty second intervals to produce voltage that increases while the shakes simultaneously increase. This might seem repetitive; however, this is essential in order to comprehend Faraday’s law: my peers and I basically tried to trial Faraday’s law in order to reach a common consensus that it is in fact correct.

Hypothesis?

Considering this is a well established law it was obvious that it was infallible; however, the hypothesis I had was that if the shakes increase in a thirty second interval so would the voltage.

What was the procedure?

First the equipment used in this experiment included a generator which was a flashlight that had a magnet that moved back and forth inside a coil of wire, a voltage probe, a NXT adaptor, NXT, Labview VI which was software that tracked the voltage that we would use on excel.

To begin we had five trials of 30 second intervals of shaking. These shaking intervals also consisted of the experimenter counting in his or head the amount of times he or she was shaking, thus creating two column data, and/or two variables to compare. These two variables being Shakes and Voltage. After getting the data we would open excel for each individual trial whilst knowing the number of shakes with our mental calculations. It is important to mention that a human error might of been made due to the brain’s limited capacity of keeping count whilst shaking an object. First in Excel we would calculate the sum of the voltages we previously squared. The results are written below.

Results?

Voltage vs. Number of Shakes

Overall the data shows that as you increase the number of shakes performed per time period of thirty seconds, the voltage will increase as well, thus creating a direct relationship between Voltage^2 and Number of Shakes.

Conclusion? What does this really mean?

The conclusion made through this experiment is that an increased number of shakes correlates to an increased voltage is not enough. The importance that resides in this topic is how Faraday’s Law applies to our everyday lives. Faraday’s Law states that changing magnetic fluxes through coiled wires generates electricity, and that the greater the change in magnetic flux, the greater the current and voltage is. According to this Prezi this has contributed to current day usage of light bulbs, meters, and transformers. The vast majority of this might not seem that interesting; however, without the desktop I’m typing with at the moment could not function, the phone in your pocket would not be charged, and this has evolved and advanced humanity immensely in the field of technology, electricity, health care, and the list goes on.

Disclaimer: This is a post for the absence I had on February 3, 2016, thus I was unable to make an activity blog due for the following week.

What is Newton’s Second Law?

Newton’s Second Law of Motion states that given that forces are unbalanced, there will be this particular impact on acceleration as a whole. This conception is based on both a directly proportional and inverse relationship. Inverse and directly proportional are essential vocabulary going forward in order to fully comprehend equations, and in this case, Newton’s Second Law. The acceleration depends on TWO variables. These two variables happen to be the net force and the object’s mass. But what is net force, and what is mass? Net force is the sum of all the forces acting on a physical entity, and the mass is simply put the stuff, or the matter that makes up a given physical entity (physicsclassroom.com).

How are Net Force and Mass Related?

The acceleration of an object is, in reference to its net force, are directly proportional. What does this mean? This basically means in short when the acceleration increases so does the net force, and vice versa. The acceleration of an object in reference to its mass is inversely proportional which means if the acceleration increases, the mass decreases and vice versa (physicsclassroom.com).

The Basic Equation

Acceleration= Fnet/Mass or in other words a=Fnet/m

An essential part of formulas in general, is manipulating them in order to yield a different given result by manipulating different variables. Does this seem confusing? Well I promise you it is not. The equation seen above can be manipulated in two different ways, or if that makes things seem complicated one can just use it in its original form and manipulate it in order to get another designated variable other than acceleration. The two other ways to utilize the equation Acceleration=Fnet/Mass include Fnet=mxa, and m=Fnet/a (physicsclassroom.com).

In order to delve into seeing Newton’s Second Law in a real life example lets take a look at American Football and its use of Newton’s Second Law in relation to the impulse which is, Force x Change in time (Newton’s Second Law NFL).

Things To Consider

According to physicsclassroom.com, “Whatever alteration is made of the net force, the same change will occur with the acceleration. Double, triple or quadruple the net force, and the acceleration will do the same. On the other hand, whatever alteration is made of the mass, the opposite or inverse change will occur with the acceleration. Double, triple or quadruple the mass, and the acceleration will be one-half, one-third or one-fourth its original value”. What does this necessarily mean to someone not familiar with physics or the concept behind inverse, and directly proportional relationships? Well considering net force and acceleration are directly proportional if we say there is a net force of 10 Newtons, and a mass of two kilograms the acceleration would have to be 5 m/s/s due to the fact that 10/2= 5 m/s/s. This example is from physicsclassroom.com as well. In this scenario we are simply plugging in each value to find the acceleration.

What we need to think about is what do we take from this information? What does this provide for us? If we know the acceleration to an object we automatically know its net force, because they are directly proportional. This is in relationship to direction. Acceleration has a direction, and so does net force, so if we have one of them we know the other. For example if the acceleration is increasing upward, so would the net force (physicsclassroom.com).

Now How Does This Relate to Energy?

According to University of Illinois, Newtons and joules can be connected directly. The Force is the same direction as the kinetic energy, thus create a positive correlation. As one increases, so does the other, and vice versa. When a force is applied to a mass, then in turn the individual is changing the momentum of the mass, and acceleration represents that change to that constant mass. It has to do with direction, and the mere fact that the energy is being transferred in the same direction in which the force is being applied.

LINKS:

Physics Classroom

University of Illinois

NFL Newton’s Second Law

What is Space X?

   The complexity that resides in this company alone, expresses how fundamentally important the consequences of the general public’s actions truly are. Space X’s website claims that, “SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets”. This is powerful in the concept itself, and what further emphasizes its dire importance is due to what it means for humanity as an entity.

    Before we begin we must analyze why this is essentially fundamental for humanity to exist. Humanity as a whole has ruined the planet, and humanity also does not want to go extinct. Factual knowledge supports the idea that climate change is occurring, sea levels are rising, natural disasters are increasing, humanity mindlessly observes organism’s extinctions, and the general public is oblivious, unfortunately, to the entity that soon it will be us. This seems harsh, does it not? But it’s the truth. The importance of mentioning this reality, is because if eventually humanity continues on catering to their old habits the planet that we all will soon immigrate to will become uninhabitable as well.

    In respect to the internal aspiration Space X has during the process of building a respected aircraft or spacecraft. After doing some research it is apparent that there is a process that is repeated religiously, and it has been working out for them. This simplistic process is is to build, test, and improve.Watch this video to see one of the stages of the process of Build–> Test –> Improve. This seems intuitive; however, it is not used enough. This is where Space X’s success comes from. What the general public can take away from this is the mere entity that no matter what complexity in which the task at hand is, failure occurs and what one takes from that failure to improve is essential to individual success.

Concepts of Energy and Force

     Admit it.You are self obsessed: incapable of fully seeing other’s perspectives. Yes you may display empathy, but at the end of the day the only perspective you see is your own. When people make assumptions about space, they tend to be ignorant due to the impact media has had on their individual perception of what space is supposed to be like. According to Background on Tonight’s Space Launch people tend to think that there is this set altitude where the gravity becomes zero; however, that’s not the case. Gravity is infinite. It has a lot to do with the concept that resides in the mere fact that “The force of gravity drops proportionate to the square of the distance between the centers of two objects” (Tonight’s Launch). So basically with this information we can clearly see why astronauts are floating in space, and seem as if they are in zero gravity even though they are not. According to the same article mentioned previously, it’s simply that inward acceleration of gravity and outward acceleration of gravity balance the individual out, considering one is pushing them out to the depths of the universe, and the other one is pushing them back to earth.

Scientifically speaking there are several mechanics when utilizing an aircraft that an individual must bare in mind. Kinetic energy is being transferred throughout this process and the maneuvers one makes are essential in the success of the aircraft. Not only does one have to bare in mind this reality, but also “a slow maneuver and a fast acceleration”. Firstly, a slow maneuver would give the astronauts enough time to diminish the lateral velocity to zero, and the second is due to the fact that a fast acceleration is essential in reducing the propellant used (Tonight’s Launch). Long story short, it’s difficult to pay an exurbanite amount of attention to each aspect of the aircraft, but it must be done to insure the safety, and a smooth and successful takeoff and landing.

LINKS:

SpaceX Website

http://www.spacex.com/news/2015/12/21/background-tonights-launch

Dragon 2 Propulsive Hover Test

Imagine

       Imagine something that is always on, and constantly adapting to the respected demand that an individual needs. It caters to one’s every demand as he or she carries on with the tasks of their daily life. Sounds almost whimsical, right? Well what if this, reader, is something that doesn’t have to be imagined. It already resides in this earth, and it’s more probable than not that you are using it at this exact moment! In western society, these advancements have been adapted to due to how common this blessing is, that is constantly taken for granted. The technological advancement being discussed today is the power grid, and the progressive smart grid.

The Powergrid and What Is It?

        First introduced in 1882 when Thomas Edison invented the first power plant that the world would ever possess. Think about how revolutionary this idea truly was, and how it would shape American society as a whole. According to Burn Radio the predicament within this process of transporting energy  is that it takes high voltage to get the electricity through the transportation, but one needs low voltage when distributing to a respected vicinity. High voltage in a respected location, for example, at a house is detrimental. High voltages can be fatal. There are three Interconnections within the United States of America that fall under the basics of the Power Grid: Western, Eastern, and Texas Interconnections. There are control senators that monitor electricity. This advancement has revolutionized energy within this country.

Why Is This A Problem?

       So what is the problem with how energy is being produced and the process of the power grid? According to Burn Radio, physically the infrastructure, or the physical equipment being used needs to be updated because it is over fifty years old, and currently it constantly needs repairing. Also let’s not forget weather than can destroy the physical infrastructure of the power grid. According to James McBride in his article, “Modernizing the U.S Energy Grid” that as time progresses the use of “Solar combined with wind, biomass, and geothermal sources still make up only a small fraction of U.S. electricity production—around 7 percent nationwide” (McBride). This being said that percentage is rising, thus making companies under the power grid to increase their prices in order to make a sustainable profit. The companies under the power grid are the same companies utilizing energy that is not conserving fossil fuels which means these respected companies are adding an excessive amount of Greenhouse Gasses into the atmosphere. Which in turn is inclining more people to stop using the power grid. In short if nothing happens, and the power grid stays stagnant the power grid will lose its power.

However, it is important to mention that some of those respected companies have taken initiative to make a change within their utility by offering solar energy and more energy efficient options. Why is this so symbolic? These companies decisions are a reflection off of the consumers that take part of their company, and these companies changing the basis of what their electric company produces inclines me to believe that change can happen, and all it takes is one voice to make a revolution.

What’s the Deal With Smart Grids?

     Now smart grids are simply power grids, but the new and improved version. Scientific America has illuminated the general public on the basis of smart grid is more sensors due to the prices decreasing due to technologies prominence within society. Smart grids is not simply just cleaner for the environment, but it makes life more convenient for us. This could be a possible solution to the problems that reside in power grids. Consistently mentioned by both McBride and BURN Radio but the concept “real time” interaction between the sensors, and the utility seemed significant due to it’s prominence across the sources used. Smart grids also propose cities having micro grids, thus making the interconnections not a general direction in the US, but somewhere where management is not chaotic, but manageable. There are cons with the use of smart grids, even though the media may illuminate it in a positive light. The fear of hacking and cyber attacks may increase significantly. A solution to this predicament is more complex than it seems, and the complexity itself teaches an individual that the positives and negatives of the decision made must be weighed heavily. Solutions are the gateway in not creating more predicaments for an impending society.

Objective

            Considering this was the introduction to Lego Mindstorm, the complexity that resides in not only the goal and objective, but the activity itself was minimal. The professor provided us a lab that would illustrate accuracy, and how accurate an individual can be in an experiment. The second half of the lab, where calculations were made, introduces the concept of error, and even if an error is minimal, it still resides within the calculations itself. This is due to factors that contribute to error that are simply out of an individual’s control. Bare in mind that legitimate calculations, for an example by utilizing computer software, can provide more concise results, and comparing the measured results with the calculated result provides both reassurance that the lab was both done in both a correct and accurate manner.

What did this Lab Activity Consist of?

            This lab’s simplistic procedure provided a basis for how to go about lab activities within this class. The robotics activity was quite simple through the use of software that was easy to navigate through, and the actual lego robot itself. My peer and I began by putting the pieces of robot together: inserting the battery, putting distinct plugs and wires into the robot, and anticipated to have the robot turn on instantly. Then we proceeded to connect it to the computer, and launched a program that would control the robots position and velocity. We proceeded to measure the circumference of the wheel by first measuring the diameter, dividing it by two to get the radius yielding 2.8 centimeters. Soon after we divided that by 100 using the 1 meter/ 100 centimeters conversion factor to convert the 2.8 centimeters measurement in meters which was 0.028 meters. Lastly the circumference was calculated by multiply 2 by pi by the radius, which yielded .17584 meters as the circumference of the wheel.

We turned our attention to the launched computer program. There were different variables the experimenters that being Sal and I, could manipulate. These independent variables included the time, power, power of the second wheel on the opposite side, and the circumference; however, that was fixed on whatever car an individual group had. I decided that since the basis of this lab activity was to get used to the equipment, but have three trials of three different measurements, thus making nine trials in total, we proceeded to have a fixed time of two seconds whilst the measurement went down first by ten and then by fifteen in relation to the initial trial. This in turn would elaborate on how power impacts the velocity, which was calculated by the amount of wheel turns multiplied by the circumference. Lastly we calculated the percent error by first calculating the absolute value of the (distance measured- distance calculated) over (distance measured+ distance calculated/ 2). This concluded the experiment. The calculations made during the activity are located below.

             The results of this experiment show that as power decreases, the velocity decreases. This was expected within my hypothesis; due to the intensity of the wheels decreasing yields the robot going slower, thus travelling less meters per second. Another result that must be highlighted from the calculations done above is that our percent error was for the most part extremely low, thus validating our results as being accurate. What can one conclude about the differences between the calculations measured, and calculated? For one thing human error plays a roll, due to the fact that our naked eye cannot see tenths of a centimeter. Another error could be our unawareness to the wheels going straight and not slightly crooked. If we were to do the experiment again I would suggest keeping the significant figures the same in order to make the velocity and percent error more concise; however, for the most part our group did a phenomenal job calculating findings that were somewhat or exactly what the computer software calculated.

So how can one take these findings and apply them to what we have learned in class? Well we can use this lab activity as an analogy. If an individual wants to go at a slow speed, and wants to go on a straighter path than a lower power is better than a higher power, just like how low energy intensity is better than high energy intensity in regards to conserving the planet we reside in.