Background: What is this project? Solar energy and solar fixtures are being used more often in the world now. Our main task was to design a new science building using various solar fixtures. To begin, we studied different scientific subjects, like the Earth's layers to subatomic particles. Our group, which consisted of Wesley, Kaleb, and I, did a slideshow and digital model to represent our design for the building.
Concepts/Subjects Earth's Layers: To start, we learned about Earth's layers. Earth's layers include the crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. Starting from under the continents, the crust is 32 kilometers thick. The mantle is about 2896 kilometers thick and made of hot dense rock. The outer core is about 2253 kilometers thick and made of liquid iron and nickel. Finally, the inner core is about 643 kilometers thick and is also made of liquid iron.
Model of Orbits: Second, we looked at the entire Solar System. We drew a childlike model on poster paper of what we knew the solar system was like. We then chose three celestial bodies and three data points. Of the celestial bodies, we chose Earth, Neptune and Pluto. The data points we chose were rotational period, mean temperature, and distance from the Sun. Based on the data points, the phenomena we chose was that the farther a planet is from the sun, the colder it is on the surface. This is due to the farther planets receiving less heat radiation from the sun. There is no real correlation or pattern, just a decline in temperature.
Solar Angles:
Atomic Structure (Subatomic Particles): An atom is a very small unit of a chemical element. Subatomic particles are particles smaller than an atom. The Gold Foil expiriment was where a piece of gold foil one atom thick was blasted with an alpha particle. 99% of the time the particle would go through, but every so often one particle would bounce off the foil. This led scientists to conclude that there is something small and dense in the atom, the nucleus. Protons and neutrons make up the nucleus, and electrons make up the "empty" space of the atom. Protons determine the element, neutrons the isotope, and electrons the ion.
Energy Justification Document:
Reflection: This project took place over a long period of time, so there was a lot of content and expectations behind it. One thing I did well on was designing the buildings. When we did our first cardboard day-lighting building, I designed the house we created. I was also good at blueprinting the final science building design with Kaleb's help. One thing I could improve on was actually helping to build the model. I didn't help out the group to much when it came to the construction of the cardboard or digital model. Another thing I could improve on is putting more detail into the presentation.