aiello suffolk blog

Outline

For this experiment we are going to observe and record the energy content of different materials. Namely, wood(pinecones, twigs), leaves, and oil(sunflower or corn). The materials are going to be burned and the heat from the flame will cause a temperature change in a fixed amount of water above the flame. This recorded temperature change will be used to calculate the energy released by the sample. This will be recorded by the Vernier temperature probe using the Vernier computer interface.  In the end the results will be compared and contrasted with other biomass samples.

Listed below are the materials that will be used and the procedure for this experiment:

Construction:

Materials:

balance

computer

2 stirring rods

Vernier

computer interface balance

LoggerPro

small can

Vernier Temperature

Probe slit stopper

2 samples (pinecones, leaves, cooking oil)

sample holder

ring stand and 10 cm (4″)

ring matches

100 mL graduated cylinder

wooden splint

Procedure:

1) Connect the probe to the computer and open LoggerPro

2) Find and record initial mass of the sample and the holder

3) Construct apparatus according to diagram

4) Place 50mL of cold water into can

5) initiate recording on interface, then place burning sample into holder

6) Record results, repeat for other samples

7) Record data in charts provided

The idea that my team and I came up with for this experiment is about the energy content of foods. Energy is an important component of food, seeing as our bodies need the energy from food to live and sustain its functions properly. Energy content can be determined by burning a given amount of food and capturing the heat released. This is done by measuring the initial and final temperatures and then using the equation: Heat= (change in)temperature x mass x specific heat capacity(Cp), to calculate the energy released. Dividing the final energy value by grams of food burned gives the energy content of the food.

In this experiment we will use a computer to measure and analyze the data, and a balance for weight measurement. We will then determine the energy content and compare the energy contents of different foods.

In this lab our team built a basic two-motor NXT car, and set up a program in Lab View to run it forward and backward with various power levels. We experimented to figure out how to measure distance and velocity (results are shown in the charts below) by plugging in the amount of time for the program to run, the power at which it would be run, and the circumference of the wheels. Then we ran the program and recorded the results.

The first chart below shows the basic measurements and results of the first experiment, and the second chart shows the results of when we changed the power level in each wheel and made different trajectories.

Rotation 1	Rotation 2	Time (s)	# of wheel turns	Distance	Velocity	power	circumference
1228	1232	1	3.41	0.563	0.563	75	0.165
1390	1395	1	3.86	0.64	0.64	80	0.165
1571	1576	1	4.36	0.72	0.72	90	0.165

	Rotation 1	Rotation 2	Time (s)	# of wheel turns	Distance	Velocity	power	circumference	power 2
Circle A	2275	2277	3	6.32	1.02	0.347	60	0.165	100
Circle B(reverse)	2282	2284	3	6.88	1.11	0.351	100	0.165	60
Other	1495	1495	3	4.15	0.685	0.228	50	0.165	70

The purpose of this lab was to be able to understand how the relationship between light intensity and voltage output works, as well as the relationship between the wavelength of light and the voltage output of the solar cell. We performed many experiments to try to gain an understanding of this, shown below.

For filters, the frequency of blue light is higher than red, so more volts were produced under the more transparent, blue light.

For the red filters, the output of voltage were .282119(V) for light red #26, and .3057V for medium salmon pink, #32 .

The blue filters, medium violet #359 , and mist blue #61, had voltage output average of .3638V, and .3732V respectively.

	Light Type/Info	Average Voltage Produced (v)
RED	Light red / #26	0.2821
	Medium Salmon Pink/ #32	0.3057
BLUE	Medium Violet/ #359	0.3638
	Mist Blue/ #61	0.3732

 

Voltage vs Intensity:

High intensity: .358663 voltage output, 97.23 light intensity

Med intensity: .3264 output, 94.4 light intensity

Low intensity: .2987 output, 88.06 light intensity

Voltage (v)	Intensity
0.3587	97.23
0.3264	94.40
0.2987	88.06

The graph and chart above show that there is more energy reaching the solar cell, which means more voltage is the result. If there is a higher amount of voltage, then there is also a higher intensity level, which is demonstrated above.

In our last Sustainability class, we took a trip to the nuclear fission reactor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Upon arriving we were show into classroom and given a lecture about nuclear energy and nuclear power plants.

We were taught that this MIT reactor has been running since 1958 and was upgraded in 1975 to have the capacity that it has today. It produces five MW of thermal power twenty-four seven using nuclear fission technology. No greenhouse gases are produced and water is used as a coolant to keep this reactor dedicated for peaceful applications.

A nuclear reactor works by shooting neutrons into atoms to cause splitting. Uranium 235 is used for fission because it absorbs neutrons and therefore becomes uranium 236. By shooting neutrons through the atoms it destroys the strong nuclear force, which holds nucleons together. When the force “lets go” of itself, it comes out as energy. The mass before fission is less than the mass after, which is called mass defect. This multiplied by the square of the speed of light is the amount of energy released for every split.

Energy is lost in transforming from one energy to another. For example, thermal energy transformed to electric. For this, water is used as a medium but the best transformation efficiency with this is only about 30% using steam. This is because steam pressure is increased and energy is used to do this.

The MIT fission reactor consists of four tanks surrounded by five foot thick heavy concrete to stop radiation.

In this experiment, we shook a flashlight attached to wires and plugged into the computer. We shookthe flashlight at different speeds during a thirty second time period and calculated the voltage for each number if shakes. This is shown in the graph below.

Number of shakes per 30 seconds…….Voltage produced

 

20………………………………0.676844847

 

42………………………………42.31661222

 

64………………………………143.6904961

 

 

This graph compares the voltage produced for different amounts ofshakes of the flashlight. With a higher amount of shakes per thirty seconds there is consequently a higher voltage.

 

 

Speed	Battery Discharge	mass(kg)	Power	Time(s)	Acceleration
80.839	83	0.19	75	2.338	34.578
86.92	69	0.15	75	2.195	39.19
77.92	69	0.23	75	2.389	32.618
78.1	97	0.25	75	2.294	34.04
85.65	14	0.25	80	2.156	39.72
92.74	139	0.25	85	1.921	48.28
103.43	222	0.25	95	1.765	58.63
112.62	55	0.25	100	1.714	65.69

Graphed Points :

Mass	Acceleration
0.19	34.578
0.15	39.19
0.23	32.618

power	acceleration
75	34.04
80	39.72
85	48.28
95	58.63
100	65.69

Mass	Battery discharge
0.19	83
0.15	69
0.23	100

In this lab we plugged in our Lego robot and tested how much power it would take to raise a certain amount of weight using a pre-made pulley system. We calculated the speed, mass, acceleration, time, and battery discharge in this experiment. The results above may have sources of error because of human variations in stopping the pulley at the same time.

The first graph, mass vs acceleration, shows that acceleration is slower when the mass is higher. This is because it takes more power to lift a heavier object, and by doing this the speed that it is lifted at decreases.

The second graph, battery discharge vs mass, shows how battery discharge is higher when mass is higher because it takes more power to raise a heavier object. Because of the increase in power, battery discharge increases.

This lab intended to compare and contrast the heat absorbed by the water and oil using specific heat. Specific heat is the amount of energy that is needed to raise the temperature of an object by one degree celsius. We did this by measuring the temperature of water and oil when heated to the same degree. The water and oil had the same quantity.

Water Readings:

Initial Water Temp- 21 degrees C

Readings:  22, 22.9, 23.4, 24.2, 25.2(in degrees C)

Oil Readings:

Initial Oil Temp- 21 degrees C

Readings:  25, 26.4, 27.6, 28.5, 30.38(in degrees C)

Temperature Change in oil = 5.38 degrees celsius

Temperature Change in water= 3.2 degrees celsius

Sources of error: Heat was absorbed by the glass and transferred back into liquid causing some disturbances in measurement.

The BP oil spill of April 20th, 2010 was the worst offshore oil spill in United States history. Almost 210 million gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf of Mexico which disrupted wildlife and Gulf residences, and devastated fishing and sea-related businesses in the area. It all started when an oil rig called Deepwater Horizons exploded and sank into the ocean killing eleven workers on the platform. The oil gushed into the Gulf until mid-July when a temporary cap was fitted onto the leak, and heavy mud and cement were consequently pushed down into the well to permanently stop the flow. The well, however, was not officially declared “dead” until a relief well was drilled and the ruptured well could finally be sealed from the bottom ensuring that nothing else could come out of it.

As for the company that is responsible for this mess, British Petroleum, things are also not going so well. After the explosion and many awkward public gaffes, their once mighty and giant oil stock began to take a nosedive. So far the company has payed over $9.5 billion in cleanup costs and has an additional $20 billion put away for payments to any and all victims of the disaster. None of this, though, is worse than the company’s reputation as being environmentally friendly being totally destroyed. This may never come back, even though the money could.

Sources:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_gulf_oil_spill

http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/

http://www.geoplatform.gov/gulfresponse/