LUCKY CHARMS TALLY & GRAPHING - PROJECT

COMPLETE:  

• the Lucky Charms tally count for your cereal
• design 2 graphs using the graphing software & your tally information
• pie chart
• bar graph
• MAKE sure to add to each graph:

• title
• legend
• X & Y axis (bar graph only)

Screen Shot each GRAPH onto a word document; crop, & size (make sure to only size from the corners or it will distort your picture)

• you can crop from the sides, because it is like using scissors
• 
  
• push "screen shot" button, then Ctrl + C together;
• go to word document and push Ctrl + V together

Save your graph-word documents on your flash drive.

I added the vid cast for you to watch to clarify how to use the graphing software.

OLYMPIC SCIENCE ADVENTURER - PROJECT

OLYMPIC SCIENCE ADVENTURER

• You will choose a topic from the site, complete the lesson, & teach/present to your class mates 
• Choose & sign-up for one of the topics from the 

SCIENCE OF OLYMPICS

• Click the LESSONOPOLY site; 
• REVIEW the lesson plan; 
• Watch the video & read the side bar information.  
• Complete the lesson.
• You will use appropriate presentation skills (body language, voice tone, eye contact, etc...)

DUE:  2/18

Electricity in Nature - #13

Electricity in Nature

Electricity is not only found in power lines and electronics made by man, but is also found in nature. In fact electricity is all around us. We see it in lighting storms, animals use it as a defense, even our bodies use it to send messages to our muscles. 

Lightning 

One of the most fantastic displays of electricity in nature is lightning. Lighting occurs when large amounts of electrostatic energy builds up inclouds from the energy of storms. When electrically charged regions of clouds discharge their energy, a large flash of electricity can be seen in the sky. Lighting may occur from cloud to cloud or it can occur from cloud to the ground. Lighting strikes carry huge amounts of energy. A typical lighting strike carries an electric current of over 30,000 amps and delivers 500 megajoules of energy.

Lightning also creates a loud noise called thunder. This is because the air within lighting gets so hot, that it transforms into plasma for a short period of time. When the molecules of air turn from gas to plasma, their expansion causes a shockwave that we hear as thunder. 

Animals 

Some animals use electricity to survive in nature. Many of these animals are found in the ocean where some use electricity to detect objects around them (sort of like seeing) and others use electricity to fend off predators or even hunt for food. 

One of the most famous of the electric animals is the electric eel. The electric eel can produce large amounts of electricity, enough to even kill a human or stun a large horse. The eels typically swim into a school of fish, discharge a large amount of electricity, and then dinner is served! 

Another example of animals using electricity is electroreception. Many fish such as sharks, lampreys, and catfishes have the ability to generate electric fields and then use these fields to detect objects around them. This helps them to "see" in dark areas and to sense hidden prey. 

Human Body 

Not only can we see electricity at work in nature, we are constantly using electricity in our bodies. Every time we move a muscle, it's the result of an electrical signal being sent from our brain to our muscles telling them to move. We actually have a complex system of nerves throughout our bodies that use electric signals to control everything we do. 

Static Electricity 

Lightning isn't the only form of electrostatic energy we see in nature. Static electricity charges build up all around us. You probably have noticed static electricity when you went down a slide at the park and your hair stood up strait. The friction from the slide on your body caused a build up of charge that made your hair stand up. Sometimes you can even build up a charge on your body that will shock someone else when you touch them. This is static electricity. 

The Earth 

Deep inside the Earth huge electric currents are generated from the spin of the Earth's iron core. These electric currents in turn cause a magnetic field that extends well beyond the surface of the Earth and into outer space. 

The Earth's magnetic field is important because it protects the Earth from the solar wind of the Sun. Without the protection of magnetic field, there would likely be no life on Earth. The magnetic field also enables the use of compasses to tell the direction. 

ELECTRICITY - STATIC ELECTRICITY - #12

Static Electricity

Static electricity is the build up of an electrical charge on the surface of an object. It's called "static" because the charges remain in one area for a while rather than moving or "flowing" to another area. 

We see static electricity every day. It can even build up on us. For example, when we rub our feet on the carpet and then zap something when we touch it. That is static electricity that we have built up on the surface of our skin discharging onto another object. We also see it when our hair gets charged and sticks straight up or when our pant legs keep sticking to our legs no matter what we try and do. This is all static electricity that has built up on the surface of an object. 

Lightning is a powerful form of static electricity

What is static electricity? 
In the study of atoms we learned that atoms are made up of neutrons, protons, and electrons. The electrons are spinning around the outside. A static charge is formed when two surfaces touch each other and the electrons move from one object to another. One object will have a positive charge and the other a negative charge. Rubbing the items quickly, like when you rub a balloon fast over something or your feet on the carpet, will build up a large charge. Items with different charges (positive and negative) will attract, while items with similar charges (positive and positive) will push away from each other. Sort of like a magnet. 

Remember when you've gone down a slide and all your hair stands up straight. This is because the friction of sliding has caused a positive charge to be built up on each hair. Since each hair has the same charge, they all try to push away from each other and end up standing up straight. 

Likewise, when your skin is charged with static electricity and you touch something metal, like a door handle, the metal is very conductive and will quickly discharge the static electricity, creating a zap or small spark. 

Does it have any real uses? 
Static electricity has several uses, also called applications, in the real world. One main use is in printers and photocopiers where static electric charges attract the ink, or toner, to the paper. Other uses include paint sprayers, air filters, and dust removal. 

It can damage electronics 
Static electricity can also cause damage. Some electronic chips, like the kind that are in computers, are very sensitive to static electricity. There are special bags to store these in. Also, people that work with these kind of electronics wear special straps that keep them "grounded" so they won't build up charge and ruin the electronic components. 

Fun facts about static electricity

• A spark of static electricity can measure thousands of volts, but has very little current and lasts for a short period of time. This means it has little power or energy.
• Lighting is a powerful and dangerous example of static electricity.
• As dangerous as lighting is, around 70% of people struck by lightning survive.
• Temperatures in a lightning bolt can hit 50,000 degrees F.
• Static electricity will be worse on a dry non-humid day.