woodchurch science

here’s a link to the guardian’s tech page which in this episode discusses smart materials and nanotechnology applications. good for a listen while you’re doing something else. you can even download it for your mp3 player.

here are some powerpoint presentations done by 11n: tom hunt, sam copley, gary davies, ben orrell-jones, dan carey

for this chemistry activity (C2 4.0) visit this site (http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk) and use the two tabs at the top, ‘energy saving products’ and ‘home improvements’.
1. list the ways houses are heated, identifying the source of the heat.
2. list the ways houses are illuminated, identifying the source of the light.
3. list the ways houses are insulated and the materials used, for example, carpets on floors.
4. list the range of devices that use electricity. How can consumption be reduced for each of them?
5. give examples of building materials used for houses, are they renewable resources or not?
6. in pairs, identify ways to reduce some of the ways energy is used at home, try to come up with some imaginative ideas.
7. design a poster, leaflet or fact sheet about the best ways of reducing energy consumption at home.

this is a y11 chemistry activity (C2 4.5) visit these sites and prepare a presentation about the production of concrete and its impact on the environment.
peak district quarries, sustainable concrete, history of concrete.

this link should contain the most recent news in the nanotechnology area.

this link from new scientist gives you an idea of how small things are on the nanoscale. you can slow the scale down at the bottom by hovering over it with your mouse cursor.

some excellent work here: laura cross, jenna-leigh rimmer and ross rule, rachel and toni, kate leadbetter, amy cook, richard noonan. well done everyone.

by suspending tiny droplets of oil inside water ‘nanocontainers’ scientists have been able to gently clean old frescoes and renaissance paintings. the university of florence has shown that a liquid made up of these nanobuckets contained 95% less organic solvent than usual so it can lift grime without damaging the paint. this is especially important where paint has been apllied directly to the plaster and so flakes off more easily. here’s the abstract.