My (Unsuccessful) Motor

Soooo, today in class we had an assignment to complete and test a motor we built with garbage lying around our house. At the end, the motor was supposed to turn three complete rotations for the project to be deemed as a "pass". After a few attempts to complete the motor, it still ultimately failed to spin. The reason for the failure is still uncertain but I for one, am not content that my motor did not function :(. During the test run, only one spark lit up and nothing happened from then on. I guess we'll have to figure it out tomorrow...

Here's a picture of me holding my unsuccessful motor...

Right Hand Rules

Okay so today we learned about two different right hand rules to determine properties of a magnet.

Right-Hand Rule #1 (RHR #1) (for conductors)

1. Utilizing the conventional current theory, place your hand so that your thumb follows the direction of the current. (negative side)

2. Curl your fingers following the curvature of the magnet.

3. The direction your curled fingers point indicates the direction the magnetic field around the conductor.

Right-Hand Rule #2 (RHR #2) (for coiled electromagnets)

1. Conventional current moves from positive to negative.

2. Place your hand around the coiled electromagnet with your fingers pointing the same direction as the current flow.

3. The direction your thumb is pointing indicates the north end of the electromagnet (N).

New Subject: Magnitism!

Once again, we were assigned to write a ten point blog about what we learned from pg 582-589, this time it's about magnitism. Here goes...



OMG it's floating with magic!!!
(no sorry kids it's just magnetism)



1. A magnetic field is the first topic among magnetism. It is portrayed as the distribution of a magnetic force in the region of a magnet.

2. Magnets are usually associated with the north and south poles. These two different poles are responsible for magnetic forces. With this knowledge, similars repel and dissimilars attract (similar to many things in life...) So basically, north poles will repel the north pole of another magnet while the same applies for the south poles. North poles will, however, attract (or stick on to) south poles.

3. To measure magnetic forces within an area or object, a device called the test compass is used. It determines the prescence of a magnetic force.

4. There are also metals that exist that are not magnetic, but they can still be attracted by magnets. Examples can include iron, nickel, cobalt, or any mixture of the three. These are known was ferromagnetic metals.



Explanation of the Domain Theory



5. In fact, there was even a theory determined for these "ferromagnetic metals". The theory is known as the Domain Theory of Magnets. This theory basically states that all magnets are composed of a large number of smaller and flexible magnets that can interact with each other. These smaller magnets are known as dipoles. When these dipoles within a large magnet line up, a magnetic domain will be produced which will then produce a magnetic charge.

6. Since in the past, magnets could not provide a stable application for permanent use, technology stepped in once again to produce electromagnets. This produces strong and dependable magnets which can also be adjusted strength-wise. Normal magnets would've been impractical in their place because their strength can deteriorate over time and will remain on constantly.

Shows the motion of Oerstead's
discovery.

7. Many scientists in history tried to determine the common element between electrostatics and magnetism. Among all of these though, Hans Christian Oersted concluded with an important discovery which is now known as Oersted's Principle. It states that the charge moving through a conductor is constantly producing a circular magnetic field around the conductor.

8. Following Oerstead's discoveries, many other scientists developed a number of hand signals for people to predict how specific magnetic forces act. These hand signals are known as Right-hand rules because they all involve your right hand. There is a total of three right-hand rules.

Diagram explaining how to utilize
the first right-hand rule.

9. The first right-hand rule is used to determine the direction of current flow in a conductor. It is known as the Right-hand rule #1 for conventional current flow (conductors). You have to grasp the conductor with the thumb of your right hand pointing towards the positive current flow. Then, the fingers that are curled indicates the direction of the magnetic field around the conductor.

Diagram explaining how to utilize the second
right-hand rule.

10. The second right-hand rule is used to determine the direction of current flow within a coiled (stronger than the conductor magnet) electromagnet. It is known as the Right-hand rule #2 for conventional current flow (coils). You grasp the coiled conductor with your right hand so the thumb points at the direction of the magnetic field or positive end (thumb respresents the north end of the electromagnet). Once again, the curled fingers will represent the direction the current is flowing.

This concludes my third set of 10 points I have learned. Thank you for reading!! :)

10 MORE points!

Now today's topic for the fifth blog so far, will be a continuation of current electricity and circuitry. So here are 10 (more) points about those two topics from pages 553-563. In other words, here is what I learned from reading 10 pages.

1. The measurement of opposition to the current flow is known as electrical resistance. To determine the resistance one must first discover the quantities of potential difference across the load and the current passing through the load. Therefore, knowing this, the equation can be developed. R (Resistance) = V (potential difference) / I (Current). The result is measured in units known as the "ohm" (Ω). One ohm is equivalent to one volt one volt of potential difference flowing through a current of one ampere.


This is Ohm's triangle which corresponds
with his formulas calculating resistance



2. The unit of ohms was named after Georg Simon Ohm who discovered that the V/I ratio was always consistent if the same resistor was used. The ratio he discovered is now known as Ohm's law.

3. There are many different ways to determine the resistance of something. Firstly, thinner wires usually have a higher resistance than a thicker wire. Other determining factors include the material of the conductor, the temperature (usually higher temp = higher resistance), the length (longer = more resistance), and even the cross-sectional area (wider = less resistance).

4. There is also something known as superconductivity (awesome name, I know). It is basically just the ability of a material to conduct electricity without any heat loss from electrical resistance. The first superconductors that were created only worked at low temperatures (how useless..) however, in recent years a high-temperature superconducting material known as HTSs at, well, higher temperatures. In fact, the HTSs work at temperatures over twice as high as the old superconductors.

Series (right) vs. Parallel (left)

5. At a review, now I will begin to discuss about series and parallel circuits. A series circuit is created when the loads are connected on a single path (in a series, obviously). In a parallel circuit on the other hand, the loads are placed in parallel (seriously). In other words, they're placed side by side and the connection could be cut off seperately.

This is Kirchhoff!!

6. A man by the name of Kirchhoff composed two very important laws that are beneficial to the circuits. The first one is his current law. It simply states that the total amount of current that flows into a junction point is equivalent to the total current that flows out of that same junction.

Diagram for his current law



7. The second law Kirchhoff created was his voltage law. This one states that the total of all electrical potential decreases in any complete circuit will be equal to the potential increases in the same circuit.

8. Utilizing Kirchhoff's voltage and current laws, we can determine loads within a parallel circuit would receive less power than a series circuit. Since in parallel circuits there are more junctions, the energy is further split up to provide power to all junctions rather than flowing in a straight path like in a series circuit. This means that loads in a series circuit could receive more power (therefore producing a more powerful load) than loads in a parallel circuit.

9. Kirchhoff's laws are also corresponding with the laws of conservation of electric charge and the conservation of energy. This means that in any circuit, there will be no random gains or losses of charge or energy.

10. Also noted in the pages that were assigned, there was a definition for the gauge number. First thing that came up to mind was something about a shotgun... but it is in fact a code used to determine the cross-sectional area of a wire. One that possesses a small gauge number has a greater cross-sectional area as to a large number which indicates a smaller cross-sectional area

There are the 10 points I have learned from page 553-563 in the textbook. I hope you enjoy reading this more than I enjoyed writing, because in these pages it was quite difficult to cough up 10 whole points of information! Thanks for reading!! :)

Prelab Table

Sooo, today in science class, we were able to try out voltmeters and ammeters as a prelab. It was VERY confusing at first but ended up to be quite fun. I can't wait for how the real lab will turn out to be! Below is the table involved with the prelab. (Click on it to get an enlarged view)

The Energy Ball! -12 Questions

Hello again! As of the 10th of September, our class received envolopes comprised of happy faces :)!! On the happy faces were questions asked about a special "$130" ping pong ball. The questions in order are:

1. Can you make the energy ball work? What do you think makes the ball flash and hum?

Yes, we definitely made the energy ball work. Since the energy ball had two strands of metals, when we connected our fingers to both sides, the ball started flashing and humming. The reason is that we worked as a conductor to transfer electrons over to the other side, which therefore, completed the circuit.

2. Why do you have to touch both metal contacts to make the ball work?

The electrons within the circuit have to physically transfer over to the other side of the ball. If we ended up only touching one side, we would take in the electrons, but they will not carry towards the load.

3. Will the ball light up if you connect the contacts with any other material?

As long as the material is a conductor (e.g. copper), it should work just fine.

4. Which material will make the energy ball work? Test your hypothesis.

At first we believed most metals would work. We tested the hypothesis with a spoon which we bended to follow the curvature of the ball. It ended up working nicely.

5. This ball does not work on certain individuals, what could cause this to happen?

We believed that since a high percentage of the human body is water, it was the moisture within our skin which conducted the electricity. Therefore, I believe the ball would not work with people with dry skin. Also, we tested whether the ball would work if we connected it with our knuckles. In the end, it didn't work. That means perhaps people suffering from anorexia or perhaps just REALLY bony people would not be able to function the ball properly. The reason is because there is little moisture in the bone and when there isn't enough skin to cover it, it will not conduct as well.

6. Can you make the energy ball work with all 5-6 individuals in your group? Will it work with your class?

It worked with our entire group connecting hands. At the end, it also worked while attempting the class challenge. (Even though Mr.Chung was disappointed with the involvement of many classmates D:)

7. What kind of circuit can you form with one energy ball?

My group successfully created a simple circuit with the lone ball. As we connected hands, it allowed the power supply to transfer electrons over to the load. As soon as one person let go, it acted as a switch and the electron flow discontinued, resulting in an open circuit.

Series Circuit

8. Given two balls (two groups): can you create a circuit where both lights up?

Yes, there was a situation where while connecting two balls, both lit up. As long as a series circuit was produced (flow through a load onto another load), it would work.

9. What do you think will happen if one person lets go of the other person's hand?

As soon as the connection is terminated, the electron flow would stop and the circuit would seize to operate.

10. Does it matter who lets go?

In the series circuit, no, it won't matter who lets go because as long as someone does, the flow would stop. However, in a parallel circuit, it would depend which load will be disconnected, the corresponding load would stop working while the others will continue operating.

Parallel Circuit

11. Can you create a circuit where only one ball lights up?

It can be created, and once it is, the result would be a parallel circuit with one part of the circuit disconnected from only one ball.

12.What is the minimm number of people required to complete this?

It is very possible with only one person, although he would require quite flexible fingers...

SERIES vs. PARALLEL Circuits

A series circuit is one in which the loads are connected on a single path. The electrons then flow through a load into another load. A parallel circuit is one where they are connected side by side. In a series circuit, the flow is similar to the flow of a simple circuit, only producing energy to more loads. A parallel circuit is different however. The loads are seperated and they can be disconnected one by one unlike in a series circuit. For example, if there is a series circuit composed of 3 lightbulbs, there would be one switch (even if there was more, it would serve the same function) that once closed, would turn off all 3 lightbulbs. In a parallel circuit however, there could be seperate switches for each of the lightbulbs and when one is switched off, the others can still be powered.

Additional Information

-Lightbulbs in a series circuit would be brighter than those in a parallel circuit because rather than seperating electrons, all of them can move through each resistor.

-In a series circuit, if one resistor is disconnected the rest will also stop working because the electron flow would be nulled.

-In a house, a parallel circuit is used so one thing could be turned off while another stays on. Also, if a fuse was to break, only one section of the house would lack power.

My Second Blog!!! yay... (no sarcasm intended :D)

-> Physics of Tall Structures:

Naturally, structure-wise, taller structures tend to be quite less stable compared to shorter ones, obviously. As a result, when designing and developing taller structures for an intent to use it (not as a competition for building tall newspaper structures only to destroy them :( ), many more cautions must be provided to stabilize the structure. Personally, my structure stood nice and tall at an amazing 187 cm without (much) difficulty.  As our group completed the structure first, the secret is aligned with the fact that we did not spend any time planning. We went straight to building relying solely on improvisation. We acknowledged the fact that a stable structure is one with a heavier foundation and a lighter tip (similar to the CN tower). Some other structures had a great foundation, but the tip wasn't light enough which resulted in an uneven balance near the top portion of the structure. To counter that, my group tucked the rods deeper into the supporting rods. At the end, to provide extra stability, we developed a tripod-like design to support the base. All these characteristics combined was what provided the most successful structure in the class :P

-> What Makes a Tall Structure Stable

There are many characteristics which I have determined to provide stability within a taller structure. I will list them below:

1.Large foundation

2.Stable connecting points (in the newspaper structure)

3.Good support below (maybe rods, beams, or a basement)

4.A center of gravity that is close to the center of the structure (horizontally)

5.A center of gravity that is as low as possible on the structure

6.The upper portion of the structure should be as lightweight as possible

7.The lower portion of the structure should be much heavier (provides stability)

8.Triangles/Cones/Pyramids would be the strongest foundation.

9.That's pretty much it :D

10.Oh yeah, symmetry helps as well

-> What is the Center of Gravity?! :O

The Center of Gravity is defined by the dictionary as "the collection of masses where all the weight of the object can be considered to be concentrated". However, this is a very confusing definition so I shall attempt to simplify it. What does it mean? Well, basically, it is a point of the structure (in this case) that determines the balance of the object. The center of gravity is usually determined by the mass distribution. For example, if the left side of an object weighs significantly more than the right side, the center of gravity will be placed further left than a similar object that is symmetrical. This produces unbalance within the object which will therefore increase the likelihood the object tilting towards the heavier side. Another problem within structures caused by the center of gravity is having one that is placed at a higher point. A high center of gravity will upset the balance once again. The high center of gravity will be caused by uneven weight distribution higher up the structure. It is known that the base of the structure should be quite a bit heavier and larger than the tip. Having a vice versa occasion could very easily cause the structure to topple.

This is a great example of where a good position of the center of gravity should be

BTW- Sorry, I lost the cable that connects my cell phone to my computer so a picture of my TOTALLY AWESOME STRUCTURE OF AWESOMENESS cannot be uploaded );

PG 544-552 - Daniel Wu

During the reading between pages 544 and 552 there contained many interesting pieces of information. The 11 pieces that I personally believe are the most important are included in this blog.

1. An electric current is simply a flow of charge. Electrons tend to flow in a conductor in a similar manner to how water flows through a pipe. However, in a conductor, there are positive and negative charges (flows negative to positive most of the time) while in a water pipe, there obviously isn't.

2. A current can be described as the rate of charge flow. There is an equation to calculate the current. Current in Amperes (I) = Charge in coulombs (Q) / Time in Seconds (t). The unit of coulombs per second was given the name of "Ampere" which then in turn is the base unit for currents.

3. It is supposedly difficult to measure the current. Luckily though, technology comes to the rescue with a tool called an ammeter which is a very conductive device used to measure current. It is made out of extremely conductive material so that no energy is lost in the process of measurement.

4. There are two types of currents; DC (Direct Current) and AC (Alternating Current). In direct currents, the current flows in a single direction from the supply (e.g. battery) to the load (e.g lightbulb). On the other hand, in alternating currents, the electrons periodically reverse the direction of flow which is provoked by the electric and magnetic forces. The path of current is known as a circuit.

5. There are many simplified illustrations for drawing circuits to speed things up. I counted 19 in the book alone, but the diagrams are confusing and could be easily misinterpreted.

6. Another example of an effective comparison is between the potential energy of electric charges and a bicycle fighting against gravitational energy on inches/declines. Work has to be done on a bike to increase gravitational potential energy. In contrast, work is also required by the power supply to increase the electrical potential energy of each coulomb of charge from a low to high value (incline). When the charge flows back through the load, the energy decreases (decline).

7. There is another equation, this time used to determine the electrical potential energy for each coulomb of charge in a circuit. It is written as V (electrical potential difference in volts) = E (energy required in joules) / Q (energy potential of a charge in coulombs). The potential difference is mostly known as voltage (the unit is called a volt).

8. One volt (V) is the electric potential(simplified explanation of #7).
difference between two points if one joule (J) is required to move one coulomb (C) of charge between two points.

9. The third equation i shall mention in this blog is the energy transferred by charge flow. The equation is written as E (energy in joules) = V (potential difference in volts) x I (current in amperes) x t (time)

10. The last main point I learned within these pages was about the instrument which is called the voltmeter. it is utilized to measure potential difference between two points. It is connected in parallel with the load to compare the potential before and following the load. It requires a large resistance that will therefore be a worse conductor than the load that it's connected to. Thus, the measurement by the voltmeter will divert only a small amount of current away from the circuit.

11. Now, the final discovery in the book is that all three equations are connected. Since V=E/Q and I=Q/t then E=VQ and Q=IT
 so therefore, in the end E=VQ=VIt.

Additional Explanation:

V=Volts (electric potential difference)
I=Amperes (current [rate of charge flow] in coulombs per second)
Q=Coulombs (original charge)
t=Time (in seconds)
E=Joules (energy)

Equation 1: I=Q/t
Equation 2: V=E/Q
Equation 3: E=VIt



This is the first blog I have ever written. I'm still quite unclear how to successfully write a proper one, so I have attempted to the best of my ability. Thank you for reading about 11 things i learned in physics today (textbook)!