Light,sound and electricity are all forms of energy.Light and sound travel through substances as diffrent types of waves.Electricicty is a useful form of energy.It can easliy be converted to other forms of energy,such as heat or light. Circuts:An eletric current flows one place to another as a result of something called potential diffrence.This is simlar to the pressure diffrence that cause water to flow through pipes. Potential diffrence is measured in volt (v) and is called voltage.Current is mearsured in units called amperses (amps). Battery:A battery is a store of chemical energy that can be converted to electrical energy. The most common type of battery used at home is a dry cell. It contains a paste called an electrolylte which contains charged particals that an move.Chemical reactions make the charges seperet. Positive charges move to one terminal and negative ones move to the other. Fan Heater 10 amps: For an eletric current to keep flowing there must be a power source,such as a battery joined to an unbroken conducting pathway,such as a loop of a copper wope. Energy in action: If something happens, It happens because of energy. Everthing needed energy to happen. Very big happening: A space shuttle needs energy to get to earth. The energy is realsed by burning the fuel in the rocket launcher.Thunder ans lightning realeses eletrical energy in the sky which we can see and hear as light and sound. Plants and animals:Plants catch the sun energy using a green pigment called chlorophyll. The trap light energy to make glucose from carbon dioxide and water. This is called photosynthesis.
Month: January 2013
Samurais and The Stone Age
Samurai
- A samurai’s sword is his most sacred and prized possession.
- Not only did the samurai rely on his sword to defend him, but spiritually the sword held greater significance as the samurai actually believed his soul inhabited the sword.
- Therefore it comes as no surprise that the same discipline and respect in which the samurai wielded his sword, went into the actual making of the sword itself.
- Swords weren’t simply ‘cast’ in a mould and then sharpened.
- A Japanese samurai sword was made by an complicated process of heating the steel, hammering it flat, then folding it, then hammering it flat again, and folding.
- This process of repeated hammering and folding would be done up to as much as 30 times, or until the maker was satisfied it had been done properly.
- There are quite a few reasons for this labour-intense procedure.
- Firstly, any air pockets which might develop during the heating of the steel would be eliminated.
- Having an air pocket in a seemingly solid blade would be a weak point, and any weak point would be seen as neglect and any dedicated artisan would produce the highest quality blades as if his own life depended upon the very blade he was forging.
- Secondly, in the repeated folding and hammering, what might be described as ‘layers’ were produced.
- Take a book and roll it up it parallel with the spine, these internal layers would look something like this, almost like the rings of a cross section of a tree trunk.
- This added much strength to the blade.
- Also the natural strengthening carbon elements within the steel, as well as the steels impurities would be spread throughout the whole of the sword, therefore strengthening it in its entirety.
- When the blade came to be cooled it wasn’t simply quenched in water, another process had to be done first.
- When steel is been cooled, if it cools from a high temperature right down to cold in a short amount of time, the metal becomes very hard and brittle.
- Conversely, if steel is cooled slowly from a lower temperature right down to cold, the steel takes on more supple, even softer properties.
- Because a samurai sword was used primarily as a slicing weapon the blades were subjected to a lot of shock upon impact on the enemy, therefore the blade couldn’t be made of the more brittle steel throughout else it would shatter like glass.
- But the sword had to retain its sharp edge, so it couldn’t be made of softly forged steel throughout else it would simply blunt.
- So a balance was struck using a very clever procedure.
- What the Japanese samurai sword makers discovered was by painting on a clay formula onto the blade before quenching, thin amounts onto the cutting edge and thicker amounts onto the back, the steel could be made to take on two completely separate properties.
- thereby giving the blade the hard cutting edge it required, and the more supple back. Because of the different speeds in which the two halves of the steel cooled this also formed the beginning of the curve from which the sword makers would work to create the famous curved blade.
The Stone Age
- The Stone Age period involved early men developing techniques and instruments for their most important need which was survival.
- The first substance that man made use of was stones and grass.
- Stones were used to light fire and grass was used to enhance the fire.
- Stone was used extensively to prepare and make weapons like hand axes, awls, spears and knives.
- Basalt as well as sandstone was used to make weapons and tools like quern stones.
- The other materials like wood, shell, grass and bones were used to build homes while clay was extensively used for pottery.
- The fist visuals of stone tools were seen in Ethiopia and Gona.
- They then progressed and moved from hunting and plucking fruits to agriculture and farming.
- Agriculture followed by cultivation of wide variety of crops.
- Later, the progress was seen in mining as these men began understanding metals like silver, copper and bronze.
- The Stone Age era was then followed by Bronze Age as man began to understand metals.
- All weapons and tools were then made with bronze.
- Man also began to understand iron and hence, the next stage was called Iron Age.
- So, basically a lot took of progress took place from Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic ages.
- The most common remembrance of Stone Age is Flintstones and many documentaries have been made to depict their lives.
- So, it all began with moving in groups to settlements. This was no longer followed as family system came into place.
- Markets and barterr trade was now considered invaluable.
- Later stages man developed technologies that were far ahead than the previous inventions.
- They had great understanding of social organizations, artifacts and religion. Slowly, man began to accept religion, agriculture, technology and settlements.
- The other innovations and developments were made in the field of health, infrastructure and economy.
Going Wild
Year 4 has a new topic now called Going wild it is about countries were doing there are 5 countries they are called China,America,India,Ghana and Australia. The country that I am is Australia and I have learnt lots for e.g. I learnt that the capital city of Australia is Canberra. So far we have done is got a map with no countries names on and we have find where is China,America,India,Ghana and Australia.
by Navandeep
All About Jamaica! by Iyka
Portrait of an island: beautiful beaches, spectacular mountains, exotic scenery, and warm witty people.
All about Jamaica: There’s something sensuous in the undulating lines of this island’s contours, in the way the winds tease the palm tree and the seas massage the sands. There’s a hypnotic quality to it’s people’s lilting patois and musical rhymes,to the deafending hush that hangs in the height of the Blue Mountains, to the hum and whistle of the birds. So “walk good”, but be wary. Once it grabs you, Jamaica might not let go. Few islands or countries of Jamaica’s size have such a diversity of skin tones and facial features, of landscapes and seascapes, of plant and animal life. With a total land area of 11,492 sq. km ( 4,411 sq. miles) the island stretches about 235 km (164 miles) east to west from the Morant Point to Negril, and bulges to 82 km (51 miles) at its widest point.
Paris – by Eleanor
THE EIFFEL TOWER :
Site: exotic, spectacular and beautifuil to look at!
It was built in memory of the world fair in 1889. They could of taken it down, but it was to popular. It is the most visted monument in world. It is also great for radio signaling.
This is all about the Eiffel Tower.
Would you go to Paris?
My Favourite game in history
I play the best game ever this is called Minecraft. It is a game where you build houses to your own imaganation. You have to have Java installed to play this game.
Watch out at night time so watch for the skeltons they shoot at you and zombies hit you.Go to it www.minecraft.com and play it. Up to you. Go on minecrafts. This game was made in 1956 picture down the bottom.
These are some of the photos that i saved for you, have a look at what i built.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIj7zMJcsl4http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIj7zMJcsl4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmB9b5njVbA&feature=player_embedded
Facts about America
– In England we use Pounds and Pence but in America they use Dollars and Cents.
– In school we say year when we go to a new class but in America they say Grades.
– America are the 3rd biggest country in the world.
– The food that America like to eat is Hamburgers,Cheeseburgers,Hot dogs and Steak Americas favourite resturants are Mcdonalds Burger King and more.
– The top three best cities in America are New York,Los Angeles and Chicago.
– In England we called David Cameron our prime minister in America they call Barack Obama there president.
– Barack Obama was Americas president in 2009.
– The capital city of America is Washington D.C.
http://www.usconsulate.org.hk/pas/kids/facts.htm
by Navandeep
Facts about Electricity
– Electricity travels at the speed of light – more than 186,000 miles per second!
– A spark of static electricity can measure up to three thousand (3,000) volts.
– A bolt of lightning can measure up to three million (3,000,000) volts, and it lasts less than one second!
– Electricity always tries to find the easiest path to the ground.
– Electricity can be made from wind, water, the sun and even animal poop.
– A 600 megawatt natural gas plant can power 220,000 homes.
– The first power plant – owned by Thomas Edison – opened in New York City in 1882.
– Thomas Edison invented more than 2,000 new products, including almost everything needed for us to use electricity in our homes: switches, fuses, sockets and meters.
– Benjamin Franklin didn’t discover electricity, but he did prove that lightning is a form of electrical energy.
– Electricity is made at a power plant by huge generators. Most power plants use coal, but some use natural gas, water or even wind.
– The current is sent through transformers to increase the voltage to push the power long distances.
– The electrical charge goes through high-voltage transmission lines that stretch across the country.
– It reaches a substation, where the voltage is lowered so it can be sent on smaller power lines.
– It travels through distribution lines to your neighborhood, where smaller pole-top transformers reduce the voltage again to take the power safe to use in our homes.
– It connects to your house through the service drop and passes through a meter that measures how much our family uses.
– The electricity goes to the service panel in your basement or garage, where breakers or fuses protect the wires inside your house from being overloaded.
Kids, never touch a service panel! It is only to be operated by your parents or a professional.
– The electricity travels through wires inside the walls to the outlets and switches all over your house.
If you want to find out more facts go on:
http://www.hydro.mb.ca/learning_zone/world_fascinating_facts.shtml
by Navandeep
Hyper Hybrids
Face it,hybrids are just better than normal animals.So I am writing what I think, is the 11 coolest hybrids. So here they are.
Zebra+ Equine=Zebroid
Lion+Tiger=Liger
Buffalo+Cow=Beefalo
Sheep+Goat=toast of Botswana
Serval+Domestic cat=Savanh
African Serval + The Asian Leopard Cat + Domestic House Cat = Ashera
Bengal tiger+Ociat=Cheetoh
St. Bernard +Basset hound=St.Basset hound
Horse+Zebra=Zorse
False killer Whale+ Bottle nose Dolphin=Wolphin
Midas Cicilid+Red devil fish=Blood fish
Goal Scorer of the Week by Eleanor
When I got there I decided to say “can we go upstairs ?”
“Eeeeeeerr if you want.”
So we went upstairs, well Lola did. I saw the jewelery box. I felt under no control. I felt minute, sweltering with suspence, and the room went silent. I stole it . . .