Wind Racers

Introduction
This week we are making wind racers or land yachts in groups. I am in a group with Wajihah and Tyra. We will be researching, designing and creating a sail for our wind racers. After we have completed that we will test how well our design works with a leaf blower, then make some adjustments to make it better. Eventually when the whole class is ready we will race them against each other.

Day 1
Today we are researching different types of sails that we think can work. We got suck between a pirate ship sail or a yacht. We are going to test the yacht sail first, then we will test the pirate ship sail next. We have started to make the yacht sail with newspaper.

Day 2
Today we were given our wind racers and the pole we are using to hole our sails. Some groups are using a metal rod from a retort stand, but most are going with bamboo. We are making pirate sails and putting the yacht sail idea aside for the moment. We are working on the structural support of the sail.

Day 3
Today we finished making the structural support for the sail. We used popsicle sticks, bamboo skewers and electrical tape. After that we attached the sail to the support. We also started making another sail by  attaching another mast to the wind racer with hot glue.

Day 4
Today we had about half an hour to make last minute adjustments. We added two new triangle sails to the back of the masts. Then we got to test them for the first time with the leaf blower. The first thing I noticed was unlike most of the other sails we had a big gap between the bottom of the sail and the top of our wind racer meaning that it would move for a long time as we lifted the leaf blower up to hit the sails.

Day 5
Today we are making some adjustments to make our sails better. We added small sails to where there is a gap between the bottom of the sail and the top of our wind racer. In the test our sails went the furthest distance out of the whole class. We retested our sails with the leaf blower. We decided to remove one of our main sails. Tomorrow will be the final race to see who has the best sail.

Day 6
Today was the final race. The whole class went outside to test our wind races. While the rest of the classes modifications helped them improve their distance, ours didn't. The modifications that we made halved the distance our wind races were able to go. After every group had gone multiple times we went back inside to deconstruct our sails and selvage what equipment we could. We took so long that another group had to help deconstruct.

Conclusion
If we were able to do this again we would not have made the last adjustments that we made to the second big sail, but I would defiantly do this again if I had the chance.

Acid Rain

In science we are looking at acid rain. Acid rain is formed when fossil fuels are burned releasing carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide into the atmosphere. They then mix with the water droplets making it more acidic then normal.

Equipment
Petri dish, blue litmus paper, bromothymol blue, universal indicator, leaf, apple piece, weigh boat, Calcium Carbonate, dropper,

Method

1. set up petri dish
2. Add one spatula of sodium sulfate to weight boat
3. Add 5 drops of sulfuric acid and quickly put lid on.
4. Watch and take photos

Observation

The blue litmus paper started changing first. It slowly faded from blue to red. The bromothymol blue started to change next going from blue to yellow to dark green. The universal indicator changed to a light red. The apple piece, leaf and Calcium Carbonate didn't have a noticeable change.

Neutralisation

Today in science we are doing a neutralisation experiment. We have been looking at what an universal indicator, base and acid is, and what is the pH scale.  An universal indicator is a dye that shows the pH level and if it is a base or acid by changing colour. The pH scale goes from 1-14. A neutral is a 7 which is shown as green, acids range from 6-1 and are red. Bases range from 8-14 and are blue. Acids and bases are opposites of each other so when they combine the neutralise each other. Acids are sour and will corrode metal and other things. Bases are commonly used in cleaning products like oven cleaners.

Aim
To observe a neutral reaction

Equipment
Test tube, test tube rack, sodium carbonate, Hydrochloric acid, dropper, universal indicator solution

Method

1. Add 2mL(2cm) of NaCH into a test tube
2. 2 drops of universal indicator
3. Add drops of HCl until you get a neutral green.

Observation

It was very easy to add to much HCl turning the solution red instead of green for neutral meaning we had to add even more NaCH to try and balance it out again. That also happened when we where trying to weaken the NaCH for a lighter blue for the rainbow.

Syrian Refugees

In Social Studies this term we are looking at refugees. For this assessment we had to chose a country to look at. I chose to look at Syria. Here is the slideshow.

I think I did well keeping track of all the websites I used with my bibliography.

I answered the question 'What Aid or support has been provided for these Refugees?' terribly. I couldn't word it the right way and I left out a lot of information.

I enjoyed learning about something it had no prier knowledge of, even surrounding such a horrible topic. We shouldn't need to be learning about this because this shouldn't be happening.

If I could do this again I would chosen the country to look at quicker so I had more time to actually do the research. Although I spent a little less time to do research than I normal do for something like this.

Triangles and Angles

This week we have been looking at angles and triangles using geogebra. We had to follow a few instructions to create lines/shapes and measure the angles. Then we had to move them around and find a rule for all of them. We found out that vertically opposite angles are the same, and that the inter angles of a triangle always add up to 180o.

Solo Performance: Take 2

For this performance I will be playing the guitar because I find it easier then playing the piano or the keyboard.

The song I picked is Castle of Glass by Linkin Park. I chose this song to perform because for my first solo performance I chose to do Numb by Linkin Park and I really like the song.

Link

I will be recording my performance because I won't be doing music next semester so I don't need to perform in front of the class. Although I would love to perform in front of the class anyway.

Into To Geogebra

In maths this week we learnt about a tool called Geogebra that we are using with our new topic geometry and angles. This week has been more about getting used to the tool and teaching ourselves how to use it than having someone show us how to use it. Here are a few designs I made.

Link To Geogebra

Dream Capture

Owl