Bogden,+Landon

I read the article "Mentos and Coke". One thing that interest me was that the height of the fountain effect can be affected by the type of Mentos and Coke used. A regular Mentos will produce a larger fountain effect that a sugar-free Mentos or a fruity Mentos because if it's thick and crater filled outer shell. The shell has an oily gum that helps the carbon dioxide bubbles get free because water and oil don't mix. The fruit and sugar-free Mentos produce a smaller fountain effect because they don't have the craters. I didnt know that any of these variables could affect the height of the fountain effect.

Landon, Good observations! Sugar content obviously plays a role here. Well done. 5 stars. MW

I found that the kilogram slowly loses its mass and how slowly it's loss loses its mass. I found it remarkable that the original kilogram may loose the weight of only one fingerprint over this long a period of time. Moreover, It is astonishing to me that scientists are capable of measuring that little of a difference of a single atom to prove that it is actually loosing weight. Based on the advances of modern technology, i wonder if one day we will be able to have an even more precise measurment for objects. What is more important about this is how the new kilogram will be defined in the future. I think that the new kilogram should be based on one number that never changed. That way the weight of a kilogram and every other scientific measurment will not have to be reset ever again. That way it will save all the scientists that took the time to determine all of those measurments a lot of greif because all there hard work is now worthless.

Landon, Good summary but learly state your MVP! 5 stars. MW

Crude oil is found deep in the earths crust. It consists of many hydrocarbons. Distillation is needed to separate these hydrocarbons to create liquid. Hydrocarbons are heated and are turned to vapor and rise to the top of the tube and is collected. The crude oil consists of many different hydrocarbons that have higher or lower boiling points than the other. Each category of vapor collected is divided up into things called fractions. Each is put into categories based on each hydrocarbons boiling point. I found this interesting because i had no idea that oil could be turned into a clear liquid.

Landon, Nice summary! 5 stars. MW

Motion Detectors:

Prior to reading this article, I did not know that a motion detector has an infrared sensor that causes that causes it to go off when there is a change in temperature. I also didn’t know that there was something called a photo sensor which when light of sufficient energy is shined on a given surface, it can cause the object to eject electrons which causes the sensor to go off. Further more, I also was unaware that similar to some sensors, Vipers have a similar capability that enables them to see infrared objects. To continue, one thing I did know was that sensors can use a beam of light to detect temperature change. Also, I knew that these are very common in and outside of houses. Finally, I knew that putting a piece of glass will block a beam from detecting an object.

Landon, Well done. It's fun to try setting off detectors using various methods - or defeating them. 5 stars. MW

Where Do Chemical Elements Come From?

Chemical elements originate from the explosion of stars. High pressure in stars squeeze two protons together to form a Neutron. These emit when the star explodes.

Landon, Two protons squeeze together to form a nucleus not a neutron! 4 stars. MW

Sugar an Unusual Explosive:

One thing that I found interesting while reading this article was that the reason the entire factory exploded was because of the amount of surface area that was exposed. In this case, the entire factory was exposed. Another thing I found interesting was that the reason why an apple gets brown is because once the skin it pealed away or cut open, and it exposes the fresh apple to the oxygen in the air. Finally, he last thing I found interesting was that the reaction of a marshmallow catching on fire is the same reaction as the one that occurred at this factory.

Landon, OK. Good connections but...how does this relate to our class? 4 stars. MW


 * Helium Balloons:**

One very important point to me was that the reason a balloon rises is because the helium in the balloon is less dense than the air surrounding it. Another important point is that you don’t weigh as much as you think you do. You determine this by multiplying the amount of Liters of air you displace by 0.0028 pounds (buoyant force) to get a weight, which you add to your current weight. Finally, the last most important point is that a higher altitude equals a higher-pressure percentage. I feel that the “MVP” of this article is the higher the altitude, the higher the pressure because the air around us is the base for all pressure sequences meaning that all things constructed to control density, buoyancy, and pressure to keep things on earth are made based around our atmospheric pressure. Landon, Looks like you got a few things backwards. The buoyant force in air actually makes you weight less than if you were in a vacuum. Also pressure is radically reduced as you go up in elevation. 4 stars. MW