Gas Laws Experiment

In Science Class we have moved from Biology to Physics and have already started of on Gas Laws. We did an experiment on which we had to use a syringe and five book. We then had to measure the pressure and volume each book had on the syringe and scale. At the end when all groups had their results we had to exchange them with two other groups, these are the results:

Table:

Graph:

Conclusion:

When we had all of the results, graphs and tables done, each one of us had to discuss the connection or relation between our results for Volume and Pressure. We figured that as the volume decreases the pressure tends to increase, and it sure does. We then had to read several pages from our science book and research about gas laws. After we had that done we had to analyze each of the gas laws to find out which one we are studying. At the end we concluded we are studying Boyle´s law. Boyle said that as the Volume goes down; Pressure goes up, which is extremely similar to our results. We also had to compare Boyle´s Law Graph to ours. Here is a picture of Boyle´s Law Graph:

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=Boyle%27s+law+graph&hl=es&sa=X&gbv=2&biw=1280&bih=699&tbm=isch&tbnid=FuMA9hydeUNyyM:&imgrefurl=http://resources.yesican-science.ca/trek/NEEMO/final/gas/key_gas_assignment3.html&docid=qs0EkLzymWCKzM&imgurl=http://resources.yesican-science.ca/trek/NEEMO/final/images/boyles_law.jpg&w=420&h=320&ei=6g23TtC2MJOItwfFuK3UCw&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=619&vpy=331&dur=545&hovh=196&hovw=257&tx=121&ty=99&sig=116542400754868332726&page=1&tbnh=153&tbnw=193&start=0&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0

It is pretty similar to the one our group got, which is one more evidence to the Gas Law we are studying and probably will be learning about it loads more later one or in the future classes. Apart from having it´s broken syringes and lose caps, the experiment was fun and learning how to find out scientific facts on our own was awesome too. I loved it and hope to do it again!

ADVETURE WITH CELLS!

For my project I decided to do a Story. I unified all of the information I had and decided to do an adventure. Below you will find more details about my project

Project Goal: My goals were to mainly show all of the essential ideas of the units and chapters about nutrients and cells. I also focused on presentation, dividing it in paragraphs, chapters according to what happens in the story. I wanted to do the drawings from the characters but I thought it was better to let the kids imagine each one of them as they wanted to.

My Plan: My original plan was to create a travelling brochure, as if the people were traveling to the cells. But then I decided to change to something I would be able to do with joy and that would be better. I love writing, so I started to write a story, a story with three characters and scenes.

What went wrong:  The first thing was that I changed projects, from a traveling brochure to an adventure story. Another thing that changed was the fact that I would draw all the characters, but when I read a book or story I love picturing them by myself, and I wanted the little kids to able to that as well. The last thing I switched were the names of the Chapters, actually I included Chapter. I thought it would be better and less messy if the paragraphs were organized.

What I Created: I created an adventure story. The main character is a Ribosome and his name is Ricky. It is basically his travel out of the Eukaryotic Cell into the Prokaryotic Cell, there he meets Rebecca and her Mother. The ending is a secret and the story full of amazing and important information.

Personal Conclusion: I think my story is coherent and contains almost all that we studied during these units about Nutrients and Cells, I also put in my imagination and creativity and made it my own!

EGG LAB POST!

In Science class we started learning our new topic, cells. After clarifying all of our doubts and question on the types of cell and their organelles, we moved on to a little more complex subject: Active and Passive transport of solutes and water between a cell and its environment. A week later though, we moved in to a more specific subject, the types of each transport, there is diffusion, facilitated diffusion and osmosis. Osmosis is just like diffusion, but only for water. Unfortunately this subject was indeed complex and specific so our teacher got us, the class, to do an experiment in which we used an egg membrane to represent an actual cell membrane and see how diffusion and osmosis really work.  

Predictions:

First we were put into groups of three members, we were then given six solutions to choose from (the eggs would later be dipped into the two chosen solutions): corn syrup, alcohol, distilled water, salty water (20% of salt), salty water (10% of salt) and tap water. My group chose distilled water and salty water (20% of salt). After all of this first process, we had to sit down in our groups and make predictions of what would happen to our eggs after being dipped into the chosen solutions for three days. My group came up with the following:

For the Distilled water we used our science knowledge to predict what would happen to the egg. Distilled water is pure water, not the one that we drink, pure water, with no minerals of solutes, because of this it makes it easier for the water to get inside the cell, causing it to fill up with water and consequently burst. Since we had this piece of information in our hands we predicted that since the egg acted like a cell, the water would go through it with no problem and eventually it would grow and consequently burst.

On the other hand, for the salty water we thought the opposite would happen, since the water has to balance between the inside of the cell, in this case the egg, and its environment. Since the water in which the egg was dipped in had salt, my group thought the water from inside the egg would come to the outside to dissolve the salt on the outside. Unfortunately this time we were wrong, the egg increased in size and by the touch of a sharp point, popped. We then sat down with each other to think of why this had happened, we then came to the following conclusion: There was even more solute inside the egg than in the salty water, so to balance both sides the water from outside the egg started to move inwards so that it could dissolve the solute inside the egg.

What we had to do:

On the first day our teacher did us the favour of putting the eggs in vinegar, we had to leave them there for 24 hours so that the egg shell would be easier to take off, this way we could work directly with the egg membrane (Be careful not to squish the egg too much, because the membrane is extremely sensible and may pop or burst). After this we had three days in a row to check both our eggs. In our groups we decided to name our eggs, but that is just a curiosity. Every day we had to follow exact steps and get the same measurements. After taking the egg out of the plastic cup which contained the liquid solution, we measured the amount left of liquid inside the cup with a graduated cylinder. Following that we took our eggs to the scale to see how much they were weighting. The third, but not last step was to measure the circumference of the eggs, for this we used a sting and a ruler. Last but not least we observed the egg and wrote down it´s physical characteristics. On the last day we were told to exchange results with other groups that had used the same liquid solutions as us. Later when we had all the information in hands we created graphs and tables to see our results, they are the ones that are below:

Appearance: 

 Day 1: The egg presents soft lines, the egg feels very soft and it is light.  The egg also presents an orange colour in some places, mostly top and bottom.

Day 2: The egg got both bigger and heavier, lost its orange colour, the lines got even more visible and still feels soft.

Day 3: The orange colour reappeared, got even bigger and heavier and now shows whiter spots.

Appearance:

Day 1: The egg had some whiter spots on top and bottom, presents a green spot, in some spots has an orange colour, also has soft line and feels soft.

Day 2: The whiter spots are still on the egg, the egg got both heavier and bigger, the green spot is gone, the orange spots became even more orange, the lines got even softer and harder to see, it feels soft and it is floating a little on the substance.

Day 3: Did not lose the whiter spots, got even larger and heavier, the lines almost disappeared and are really hard to see. 

Graph for Distilled Water:

Graph for Salty Water (20%):

We also took some pictures of how both our eggs looked after being opened, here are some of them followed by our observations:

Distilled Water:

Observations: After getting in contact with the sharp point the egg imidiately popped. Egg white looks like it was ripped to pieces, it also looks as if it were dissolved. There is a lot of water inside the egg. Egg yolk was not affected and still had its normal texture.

Salty Water (20%):

Observation:  Egg popped after coming in contact with the sharp point or instrument.Egg Yolk grew in size, egg white also looks as if it were dissolved. The egg yolk feels as if it is more solid than  liquid or as it is before.
 Fun picture of our group working:

Working hard to finish all the required steps on time, write results down and share them with each other!

Evaluating Team Work:

In my group everyone worked very hard and did all of their jobs. We distributed the tasks and did the observations and the appearances all together. It was a lot of fun working in this group because no one did more work than anyone else. We also always kept focus and did not fall into temptation of talking about other things. Once we were done we talked about each other’s ideas for the table and checked results. It was a great success and we did not encounter any difficulties.

What I learned + Diffusion and Osmosis in living things:

This experiment really helped me understand what diffusion, facilitated diffusion and osmosis are, how they work and what they are. An example of diffusion in a living thing is of the oxygen and carbon dioxide in our lungs and capillaries. When we breath in we bring oxygen into our lungs, this oxygen soon starts diffusing into the capillaries and so does the carbon dioxide, but on the opposite direction. We then breathe out the carbon dioxide. This happens every time we breathe in and out. I found it very interesting because I never saw the whole process of breathing in a so complex and detailed way and this example also helped me learn and understand the process of diffusion better.

Summary:

Our group started off by writing predictions, we chose to work with Distilled water and salty water (20%). We thought the Distilled water would increase the egg, since it is pure water, which no minerals in it, so the process of osmosis will happen faster. It sure did! Our prediction was indeed supported by our data, first of all the volume of water on the cup decreased rapidly and in great number. This shows that the amount of water inside the egg increased, both the circumference and the mass also did. The circumference increased due to the fact that the egg got wider because of the amount of water inside. The same reason goes for the mass, the water inside the egg made it heavier.  Some things that could have changed the results were the facts that first, some water spilled and second the tip of the sting to measure the circumference was ripping apart and could affect the measure with the ruler. A way to make sure this does not happen is use a different and new sting everyday and for the water be careful or even add a millimeter to the amount of water inside the beaker, which would not be precise either, but could be a way to fix it.

For Salty water we had the prediction that because of the amount of salt in the water the egg would lose water, but this time we were wrong, the egg increased in size, the volume in the cup decreased and both the circumference and the mass of the egg increased, we were surprised but came to a conclusion of why our predictions were not right. The water concentration has to be balanced between both sides, inside and outside the cell (in this case the egg), we would think that since the salt level was big inside the water, the water inside the egg would go to the cup, but it was actually the opposite situation. This happened because there were more solutes inside of the egg so the water went inside the egg instead of leaving it. What we could change would be the same things as for the first one. 

Concluding:
This experiment really helped me understand all that we have been learning in science class since we started our subject of cells. I also enjoyed working in this experiment because it was fun and different from anything you would expect to do in a lab. I really loved it and would adore doing it all over again, but this time with different liquid solutions. So, if you are having trouble understanding Diffusion, Facilitated Diffusion and specially osmosis you should ask your teacher to do this experiment in class, hoped you have enjoyed this blog post, see you soon!

Why am I, the DNA important inside a cell?

In this week´s science class we were divided into three groups of several people, after this each of us were given a organelle to represent inside the cell, for example, I got to be the DNA of a cell for one short day. After we were each given a role to play, all the groups were put into the same complicated situation: All the organelles were inside a boat and due to “overweight” the boat captain based on ours one minute speeches had to decide who would be through out of the boat and who would stay.

Since I was given the DNA, I first decided to do some research about it and which other organelles it “worked with”. I found out many useful information, read it all and put the main and most important points into my speech, which follows:

I am important inside the cell since I contain all the genetic information, in other words when two cells reproduce the DNA molecule divides and the new cell will have a mixture of both DNA´s. I, the DNA define “who” the cell is, it´s genetic code, for instance: colour, size, format or shape and others. So basically the DNA is what makes the cell what it is. The genetic information made by me is transported all over the cell by the RNA. I also command the protein production and the RNA who transports information to the Ribosome, who is the producer of proteins and only produces the protein according to the information sent by me.

Eukaryotic Plant Cell

If I had to choose a cell to be, I would like to be a Eukaryotic Plant cell. One of the first reasons of why I choose to be this type of cell is because it is extremely complex and I find myself to be a complex person. Second of all they can produce their own food which is a great advantage since cells need energy to live and work and what gives the cell energy is the food consumed. Plant Cells also have chlorophyll, which gives them the green colour this enables them to use sunlight and transform water and carbon into sugars and carbohydrates, in other words, produce energy. Plant Cells also have a protective wall structure which is a good protective system. Another reason of why I choose to be a Eukaryotic Plant cell is because of their specialized structures: The rigid cell wall, mainly for protection, the central vacuole which is used for storage function, it´s location is on the middle of the cell. There are also the plasmodesmata which are narrow channels that act as bridges to make the communication and transport of materials easier. Last but not least there are the chloroplasts in other words the food producers. The only one disadvantage I found in this cell is the fact that not all of them have the flagellum, the part of the cell that allows it to move. In conclusion I choose this cell the because of its many advantages and its complexity and of course because of the way it makes all that complexity work.

Register project on e-Portfolio: explain how it started, what you had to do, how your team worked, what you discovered, etc, etc, etc. Upload your presentation to your e-Portfolio. Write a self-evaluation: how did this project contribute to your science knowledge? How was it for you to work on different skills (leadership, organizational, time management, teamwork, etc)? 2! (Corect)

Well, this project was complex and completed very slowly. First of all we were put into groups,  we were suppose to act as real nutrition experts and choose one diet for a short term and another one for a long term. For this we had to analyze three menus and choose two. For this we had to research about the six types of nutrients and how they were included in the three diets. After reaching a decision, we had to put all that we have learned together and write arguments, using our new and old knowledge of nutrients and show these arguments for our menu choices in a presentation.  My team was great! We all did what we were supposed to do and had the presentation done before the due date. One of the members did not come for the whole preparation week, but made it up to us by presenting his part just the way he had, just as the rest of the group did. We also gave all of us extra homework and the group did it without any complains, even though the extra homework was simple.  Each one of us had to find good nutrition websites for research, write the arguments for each menu and of course, the presentation so that we could present.  Our group learned many different new things, such as the fact that carbohydrates make up 60% of our daily calories, also that lipids work as insulators and are also our second source of energy (carbohydrates are the first). Proteins can be found in meats and dairy products and that there are a lot of varieties of vitamins and minerals, which can be specified, since each one does something different to our body and provides us something different as well.
We learned that there are six nutrients and that each one of them has a different characteristic and help our body in a different way.

1)      Water- Water eliminates toxins from our body and it helps us reduce calories 3% faster. Water should be taken in abundance, in average eight glasses a day.

2)      Vitamins- Vitamins are very helpful for our body, since they build up a good immune system and some of them are taken for specific things, for example, Vitamin C, which can be found in Carrots, and Oranges, is good for a healthy hair and it also helps the vision. Not all Vitamins need to be taken in by food, for example, if you spend an average of fifth teen minutes in the sun everyday you will absorb Vitamin D.

3)      Minerals- Minerals, like vitamins have a specific “job”, one of them is Calcium, which can be found in dairy products, and helps us get stronger teeth and bones. Iron is also a mineral and it helps transport oxygen to the blood and to the muscles cells.

4)      Carbohydrates- Carbohydrates also known as Carbs, they are our first source of energy. Carbs can be found in many different daily foods, such as bread, pasta, rice and many others. As said above Carbohydrates make up 60 percent of the calories we consume per day. Some Carbs also provide Vitamin B. (Vitamins are also a Nutrient).

5)      Proteins- Proteins which can mainly be found on meat and dairy products. Proteins help build up muscles and muscles tissues and it only makes up 20 percent of our daily calories. When taken in abundance can cause kidney problems.

6)      Lipids/Fats- Lipids also known as Fats ,if are taken in abundant amount everyday and it becomes a routine, they can cause highly serious health problems, such as heart diseases. Apart from this, Lipids/Fats are our second source of energy, they also act as insulators, which means they keep a stable temperature and they protect the organs. Fats/Lipids are also stored so when your body needs something it will take it from that storage.

Self-Evaluation: This project brought me many skills and new knowledge I did not know of. I had no idea of how only one food could contain so many different nutrients. Being the leader of our group was a great experience, since I am new at the school and I got to see how group work works in Science class. Something I was very happy about is that everyone did their work and all presented their parts extremely well!

http://www.slideshare.net/MarinaTF/meals-on-wheals

“What was the purpose of these first two days of school and what are my plans for this year?”

The first two days of school were really dynamic and fun, but it was not for waste. The purpose of doing the Marshmallow Challenge and watching the videos was for us to learn many different things. One of them was that there are many ways to learn something, but whatever method you choose you have to spend a great amount of time on this one thing you want to learn, to actually get it. Another interesting thing we learn was that most successful people worked extremely hard to get where they are today and that if we have a passion for something we should also work as hard as they did. Group work was also implemented in one of our activities. Concluding all of this, the main message I got from these first two days of classes, is that to learn something and to be able to do it perfectly you will have to fail and try again many times.

My plans for this year, besides getting good grades and getting to know how Chapel works are to learn new things and become more organized with handouts and loose papers and of course be able to give in all homework and assignments on time.