Science and Life in the 21st Century

On Monday March 22, 2010, I went on a walking tour of Boston and learned so much about a city that I have called home for nearly 20 years.  The Boston that exists today is drastically different from the Boston that was first founded almost 400 years ago.  The majority of Boston, including Faneuil Hall is built on water.  But how can a building float?  I asked the same thing.  It turns out that the buildings are built on wooden stumps called pilings.  Amazingly, the wood has been under water for hundreds of years and has not rotted away.  I learned from our very intelligent and well-versed tour guide that as long as the pilings remain fully submerged under water and not exposed to air the pilings will remain intact and not rot.

 

Not too far from Faneuil Hall was a small alleyway our tour guide showed us.  Against one of the brick buildings was an original light fixture from the late 1880s when Thomas Edison’s lighting company did some work in the theater district.  From one of the most interesting little “fun facts” of Boston like the Edison lamppost we traveled to one of the most hated buildings in the city of Boston: city hall.  Built in the 1960’s the building was considered a wonder.  People would travel from all over the world just to see the building.  However, almost 50 years later if you asked Bostonians which building they hated most, many would say city hall.  This is because a building has about a span of fifty years before people start to get sick of looking at it and it seems “old” to them.

 

From City Hall, we traveled to the outskirts if the North End where I learned that Boston, unlike New York is not built as a grid system.  Not all of the neighborhoods in Boston match up when meshed together which is one of the reasons we have such an intricate system of subways and railways.  Speaking of the intricate subway system here in Boston I will leave you with a small fun fact, which was one of the best things I took away from this tour.  All the subways lines in Boston are named after colors: Red, Green, Orange, Blue, and Silver.  The Red line was named for Harvard University’s colors since the Red line travels through Harvard.  The Green line is the line that heads toward the suburbs.  The Orange line pass through Orange Street, the Blue line heads toward the harbor, and the Silver line goes into the airport.  All the lines are color coded symbolically for their destination or stops that they make.  Just in case you find yourself not sure of which train to get on…remember the colors!

 

Laboratory 1

Introduction to Conservation of Mechanical Energy

 

 

Main Topics:

Energy, Conservation, Kinetic energy, Potential energy, Friction

 Learning Goal:

Explain the Conservation of Mechanical Energy concept using kinetic and gravitational potential energy

 

Part 1: Definition Builder

For all of the definitions provide verbal descriptions as well as formulas if possible. Please, discuss your definitions with a neighbor.

 

1. What is Energy? 

              Energy is the ability to do work.  There are many different types of energy: heat 
             energy, kinetic energy, potential energy, light energy, electrical energy, and many                       
             others. Mechanical energy is measured in joules, which is Newton’s/meter.

 

  2.  What is Power?

             Power is the time rate at which work is done or energy is transferred or used. Power is measured in 
             watts or joules/second.     Power = work divided time

 

 3.   What is Potential Energy? Please, provide an example.

      Potential Energy is energy that is waiting to be converted into power. Potential Energy is the energy     
      that is stored in an object and has to potential to be converted into another type of energy to perform
      work.  The formula for Potential Energy is PE = m x g x h.  (Mass x Acceleration due to Gravity x Height).
      An example would be if a person standing flat on the ground held a tennis ball up in the air and were
      about to drop it.  By holding the tennis ball up in the air, the ball has the potential to be dropped and   
      fall to the ground converting the energy from potential to kinetic, which is energy of motion.

 4.  What is Kinetic Energy?  Please, provide an example.

      Kinetic Energy is energy in motion.  Any moving object has Kinetic Energy.  The formula for kinetic      
      energy is E_k = ½ mv².   An example of Kinetic Energy is from the example above with the person holding
      the ball.  As soon as that ball is dropped from standing height to the ground the ball had Kinetic Energy
      since it was falling (moving) towards the ground.

 

   5.   State the Law of Conservation of Energy.

         The Law of Conservation of Energy states that energy cannot be created or destroyed, but can change 
         its form.

 

Part 2: Application of Concepts

 

 

	Problem 1	Problem 2
What can you say about the skater’s potential energy relative to the reference level at ground?	At the top bullet skater has 100% potential energy. Potential Energy is the energy that is stored in an object and has to potential to be converted into another type of energy to perform work.  Since the start position is higher off of the ground then the starting position of Problem 2 the Potential Energy is higher.	The skater here at this point also has potential energy but not as much as in Problem 1 because the potential to fall a further distance to the ground is smaller.
What can you say about the skater’s kinetic energy?	Since the starting point for the skater, where the potential energy became kinetic energy, was higher, the kinetic energy increases because the velocity is higher.	On this problem, the kinetic energy decreases because the point where the potential energy turns to kinetic energy is closer to the ground so the velocity is smaller because the skater has a smaller distance to travel to the ground.
What is the value of total energy of the system?	The total energy of this system is 2856.68 Joules	The total energy of this system is 3023.53 Joules

 

 

1.      When the skater begins at the top of the track the skater’s potential energy is at its highest level because as the skater moves down the track and his kinetic energy increases, the potential for the potential energy to become kinetic becomes less and less therefore the potential energy level decreases towards the bottom of the graph.  As the skater moves upwards, on the second half of the curve his kinetic energy decreases and his potential energy increases as he reaches the top of the other side of the curve because as he reaches the top the potential for him to come back down is at its highest once again.

2.     When the skater begins at the top of the track, the skater’s potential energy is at its highest level and the level of kinetic energy is at its lowest.  As the skater moves down the track his kinetic energy increases and reaches its maximum as the skater reaches the middle of the track and his velocity is at its highest value.  As the skater rises up toward the other end of the curve,  his kinetic energy is back at its lowest point because the skater is not longer in motion but in the air with the potential to skate back down the curve.

  

3.     The total energy for this scenario is at approximately 4500 because the net energy or total energy is the sum of the highest potential energy and the lowest kinetic energy.  The highest point of potiential energy is approximaty 4500 and the lowest kinetic energy is 0 and 4500-0=4500.  The horizontal line would be across the graph at 4500.

             When I first thought of nuclear power before my trip to the MIT Plasma Reactor I

thought of nuclear bombs, plant meltdowns, and all the death and destruction that came

with nuclear power.  However, not all nuclear power is destructive.  Using fusion as a

means of creating energy is a better alternative to using nuclear fission because fusion

does not produce long-lived nuclear waste, fusion fuel cannot be used to create nuclear

bombs and weapons, and unlike fission plants, fusion plants do not pose any threat of a

meltdown or catastrophic failure.  Fusion is not only safer for humans but also for the

environment.  Fusion does not cause climate change, acid rain, smog, or emissions. 

Scientists even expect that the fusion as an energy source will never deplete.

             Fusion sounds like a great idea doesn’t it?  However, there is one problem: the

Coulomb Barrier.  Since like charges repel the particles must have enough energy to

overcome the coulomb barrier.  When the particles are heated up to approximately 100

million degrees, the particles form plasma.  Plasma is the “fourth state of matter”. 

Solids are melted down into liquids, that become gasses, and when a gas is heated up

the particles become plasma.   Most of the world is made up of plasma including:

plasma televisions, neon lights, energy efficient light bulbs, lightening, and the Aurora

Bourealis.

             The Tokamak Plasma Reactor at MIT is used to study plasma physics.  Despite

the fact, the reactor can sustain fusion for about 1/10 of a second, to actually create

energy from fusion, they have to maintain fusion from 1-10 seconds, which has never

been done.  While MIT is on the right track to using plasma fusion as a renewable,

dependable energy resource, they are not there yet.  Most of their experiments are

done to just observe plasma, map out its behavior, and become more educated

about plasma as a whole before they jump into manipulating the plasma to create a

source of energy.

Demand response is a method of using technology and

 

incentives to lower the amount of electricity used by

 

customers.  Reducing the amount of electricity used will

 

result in reductions of energy generation at times of peak

 

use and in times of a high market.  The benefits of a

 

demand response program are an increase in the

 

reliability of the electric system as well as stabilizing the

 

price.  One company in particular, Pacific Gas &

 

Electric or PG& E operate a demand

 

response program where incentives are offered to

 

business owners who decrease their facility’s energy

 

use during peak times where energy demands are

                                                                        

at their highest. The demand response program is necessary

 

because when the occasional bad storm, heatwave, or repairs to a 

 

plant must be done, the potential for a negative effect on a region’s

 

supply and demand for electricity increases. 

 

 

When then demand is high for electricity but the supply is short power interruptions can occur causing

 

both safety concerns and inconveniences for the public.Without demand response incentives more

 

power plants would need to be built, but the cost of construction and the negative impact on the

 

environment prove this option to be unfeasible and far from ideal.

 

The drive to become more energy efficient can be seen in all aspects of life every day.  On

 

February 2, 2010, PR Newswire announced online that a National Town Meeting on

 

Demand Response and Smart Grid would be held in Washington D.C. on June 23 and

 

24, 2010.  The National Town Meeting would be focused on implementing the National

 

Action Plan on Demand Response required by Congress in the Energy Independence

 

and Security Act of 2007.  This meeting will feature round-table sessions where

 

business and policy developments pertaining to the usage of energy and solutions to

 

becoming more efficient.

 

 

Check it out!

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/national-town-meeting-on-demand-response-and-smart-grid-to-be-held-in-washington-dc-83356707.html

 

 

 

 

 

 

         On February 1^st I went to the Museum of Science in Boston to observe how

 

technology is used as not only an enhancement to the exhibits but as a teaching

 

method.  Two exhibits really stood out to me, the first exhibit was called Beyond

 

the X-Ray and the second was called Weatherwise.  The x-ray exhibit showed the

 

progression of medical imaging technologies like x-rays and ultrasounds.  In

 

addition to using actual x-ray images to show the advancements, an image of

 

a 3-D ultrasound as well as computer programs we setup to allow the view to

 

act as a radiologist would.  The computer programs would show a patient and

 

explain a little bit of information such as their medical history and what their

 

symptoms were.  Using a series of multiple choice questions and following the

 

guide the program would prompt you to read the x-ray, determine a diagnosis,

 

 and inform the patient about the best course of treatment.  I found the diagnosing

 

program to be the most helpful and educational because it forced me to do more

 

 then read.  In order to follow the prompts on the screen and deliver a diagnosis

 

and treatment I had to really understand what it was that I was looking at and

 

how to understand it. Had that program not been available to visitors of the

 

museum, I would have probably walked right by the exhibit and not have looked

 

 back.

 

         The next exhibit that really stood out to me was an exhibit about the

 

advancements in meteorology.  Suprisingly I spent most of my time in this exhibit. 

 

The exhibit was setup as a series of living rooms with large television screens

 

broadcasting WBZ 4 meteorologist Mish Michaels reporting on various weather

 

facts and interviews.  In one room was a television that aired interviews that Mish

 

Michaels had done with survivors of New England weather tragedies.  From Hurricane

 

Carol and Edna who rocked the Eastern Coastline in 1954 to the Blizzard of ’78

 

survivors and their families shared their stories and how if meteorologists could have

 

been able to predict storms like these days in advance, the outcomes would have been

 

completely different.  In addition to real time weather forecasts for the city of Boston

 

there also was a computer program that like the first exhibit I visited, put all the

 

information I was learning into use in a practical situation.  The program had visitors

 

pretend to be Captain of a steamship called the “Portland”.  Using tools like a barometer

 

and a map I had to decide as if I was the captain of the “Portland” whether or not it

 

would be safe to set sail.  If I had done all the readings and the measurements

 

accurately and decided it would be safe to sail then the passengers would live and the

 

storm would not cross our path.  However, if I had failed to read the instruments

 

correctly and decided to sail, the storm would sink my ship, killing all the passengers on

 

board.

 

 

No matter where you turn, the business world, pursuing an education, or the

 

emerging fields of science and technology, the downturn of the economy has effected

 

all aspects of life in the 21^st century and the demand for energy is no exception.  The

 

Annual Energy Outlook from 2009 to 2030 focuses on the United States’ energy market

 

in the future rather than concentrating on the current state of the economy.  The Annual

 

Energy Outlook report puts the spotlight on higher and uncertain world oil prices, a

 

growing concern about greenhouse gas emissions and its impact on investment

 

decisions, the increase in the use of renewable fuels and production of unconventional

 

natural gas, as well as the use of more fuel-efficient vehicles and appliances.  The

 

report also looks at how Federal and State laws and regulations may affect progress in

 

the future search for more efficient ways to produce and consume energy.

 

            In the report, a reference case is made to show that world oil prices could

 

potentially reach $130 dollars a barrel in 2030.  Other projections estimate the cost to

 

be between $50 and $200 dollars a barrel.   While it is impossible to predict the future,

 

one of two outcomes is a strong possibility.  If the second projection is correct and the

 

cost of oil was lower than $130 a barrel the companies producing the oil would increase

 

their production and distribution to the world more than they currently are.  However, if

 

the first prediction is more accurate and the cost of oil was more toward $130 and

 

higher the major-oil producing countries will want to maintain tighter control over access

 

to their resources and develop them more slowly leading to a slow down the distribution

 

to the rest of the world.

 

            Another concern for the future is greenhouse gas emissions or GHG

 

emissions.  GHG emissions are affecting investment decisions especially in the

 

electricity sector of the energy market.  Policies in the United States, because of climate

 

change, are having negative effects on electric power companies.  New regulations

 

make construction of new plants difficult and create uncertainty about future demand

 

and costs of labor and fuel.  According to the Outlook report 53% of new plants will be

 

natural gas plants instead of the coal plants.  As of November 2008 Washington D.C.

 

and twenty-eight other states have required that a specific amount of electricity sold in

 

a state must come from a renewable source.  As a result, the share of electricity sales

 

will grow from 3% in 2007 to 9% in 2030.

 

            Higher fuel prices also affect the automotive industry.  Sales of alternative-fuel

 

and advanced-technology light duty vehicles such as hybrids are expected to increase

 

from 2% in 2007 to 40% in 2030.  When slower demand growth is combined with an

 

increase use of renewable energy and the new natural gas plants, the amount of

 

greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced ultimately creating a better Earth for life to

 

exist on.

 

 

 

             When this project was first explained to me

last week, I was convinced that there was no

way I was going to be able to even build the Lego car

let alone the computer software to program the car in

a specific path.  However, by the end of class I was

pleasently  surprised!  My group and I began by

following step- by-step instructions to build the car

out  of the Legos.  When building the car we attached

the to the NXT pack or the “brain” of the car,  however we did not connect the wires

correctly.  Because the cable attaching the NXT pack to the  motor was not in the correct

position the NXT pack could not send the signal to the wheels of the car to make it move. 

This was like a brain without a body. Without the body the brain can send all the signals

its wants, however no action will be preformed.  However once we connected NXT pack

with the motor the car moved.

             Programming the Lego car to drive in a specified path was a challenge for my 

group and I.  Our first instruction was to make the car travel in a circular direction for one

revolution with a radius of two feet.  It was an easy task to make the car travel forward

or backwards but creating a path that  was circular involved adjusting how tight the

steering was as well as the amount of time the car was  programmed.  If the steering 

were too tight, the car would just spin in a very small circle with a small  radius, but if

 the steering was looser the time would need to be longer.  In order to create the

circular path with a two-foot radius we had to set

the steering tightness at 75 and set

the timer for eleven seconds.  Our next step

was to reverse the direction, and program the

 car to perform one full revolution with a 2-

foot radius.  Following that we had to perform

 the two previous tasks together.  Our fourth

step was to add sound.  Our final task was

to create a funky path, we chose a figure eight type shape 

that had a top loop just shy of forming a small circle.