Our BIG project this year was to make an outdoor classroom but before we built it was had to we had to learn about many things like: atomic structure, state and heat, solar angles, and we had to create a solar water heater. We were given $3,000 to build the outdoor classroom. My group consisted of Cole, Lara, Timmy, and me. We sent out a survey to students and teachers and ask them to fill out the questions and we would take their input to make the outdoor classroom better.
Atomic Structure and Solar Angles
Before we could build anything we first had to learn a little about atomic structure and solar angles. Some key words we learned were conduction, convection, and Radiation.
Conduction: Energy transfers from particle to particle without certain materials, or from one material to another when the two are in direct contact.
Convection: Means off heat transfers by movement of the heated substance itself, such as by currents in a fluid.
Radiation: Energy transmitted by electromagnetic waves
These are the solar angles of San Marin High School:
Atomic Structure and Solar Angles
Before we could build anything we first had to learn a little about atomic structure and solar angles. Some key words we learned were conduction, convection, and Radiation.
Conduction: Energy transfers from particle to particle without certain materials, or from one material to another when the two are in direct contact.
Convection: Means off heat transfers by movement of the heated substance itself, such as by currents in a fluid.
Radiation: Energy transmitted by electromagnetic waves
These are the solar angles of San Marin High School:
Solar Water Heater:
After we learned about atomic structure and solar angles we made a solar water heaters. The point of the project was to heat a tube of water with the sun. Our heater was a shaped as a parabola which has the most surface area to get the most heat. We kept our water in the tube the whole time and had it sit there for about 30 minutes. Our water temperature started at 13 degrees and ended at 31 degrees which is a 18 degree increase. We built it out of kinetics which held it still and kept it in place and kept the tube up. The thing that was reflecting the sunlight was made out of mylar which is a good conductor. The sunlight was reflected off the mylar and was reflected on to the tube which was painted black to get more heat.
Outdoor Classroom Survey
We want everyone to use the outdoor classroom so we made a survey for the students and teachers to take. This survey had 8 questions asking if we built a outdoor classroom would you use it and would you want to learn subjects inside. we got about 50 suverys back which gave us some data in what some students want regarding location, sitting arrangement, kind of seats, and what you would like it to be called.
Wind Turbine Lab
For the lab we made different types of wind turbines (vertical and horizontal). We made four different wind turbines and found out that the best is a turbine with long blades and not a lot of blades. I think this is because the wind is being picked up more because of the long waves and the wind is staying on the blade for a longer period of time because of the short amount of blades.
For the lab we made different types of wind turbines (vertical and horizontal). We made four different wind turbines and found out that the best is a turbine with long blades and not a lot of blades. I think this is because the wind is being picked up more because of the long waves and the wind is staying on the blade for a longer period of time because of the short amount of blades.
Less Electricity lab
We also researched why we should use less electricity. |
Outdoor Classroom!
We finally made a model of our outdoor classroom. We decided to make no shade structure but we had trees surrounding the structure for shade.
We finally made a model of our outdoor classroom. We decided to make no shade structure but we had trees surrounding the structure for shade.
Concepts
Atoms - The smallest unit of physical matter
Molecular Structure - Atoms consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons
States of Matter - The three main states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas
Heat - Energy stored in the movement of particles
Radiation - Heat transferred in the form of waves
Conduction - Heat transferred through contact
Convection - Heat transferred by the movement of a fluid
Insulation - A material that is used to reduce the movement of heat
Sun Angles - Angles Change throughout the year as well as based on latitude.
Laws Of Thermodynamics
0) If two systems have equal heat and a third is equal with the second, the third is equal to the first
1) Energy is neither created or destroyed
2) Entropy always increases in a thermal system
3) No system can contain zero energy
Reflection!
This project was really fun. My group and I worked really hard on what materials to use and how to get heat and shade at the same time. I learned how a problem solve because we did have some bumps in the road while making this project. I differently should have worked with my group more because I would have gotten a lot more out of it if I did. I learned that if I am bored I won't do anything but I want to change that. We had such a good group who worked really hard and did amazing at figuring out what we need to change and what we needed. Overall I am happy that I was in the group and how we all worked together.
Atoms - The smallest unit of physical matter
Molecular Structure - Atoms consist of a nucleus surrounded by electrons
States of Matter - The three main states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas
Heat - Energy stored in the movement of particles
Radiation - Heat transferred in the form of waves
Conduction - Heat transferred through contact
Convection - Heat transferred by the movement of a fluid
Insulation - A material that is used to reduce the movement of heat
Sun Angles - Angles Change throughout the year as well as based on latitude.
Laws Of Thermodynamics
0) If two systems have equal heat and a third is equal with the second, the third is equal to the first
1) Energy is neither created or destroyed
2) Entropy always increases in a thermal system
3) No system can contain zero energy
Reflection!
This project was really fun. My group and I worked really hard on what materials to use and how to get heat and shade at the same time. I learned how a problem solve because we did have some bumps in the road while making this project. I differently should have worked with my group more because I would have gotten a lot more out of it if I did. I learned that if I am bored I won't do anything but I want to change that. We had such a good group who worked really hard and did amazing at figuring out what we need to change and what we needed. Overall I am happy that I was in the group and how we all worked together.