woodchurch science

play from the beginning to about 13.5min for skyscrapers and glass making and then from about 22.5min to about 27.5min for how to make neon lighting.


Watch James May's 20th Century Ep. 06 in Educational  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

[turn your speakers on!]…then click on this link from rolls-royce and take a journey through a rolls-royce trent jet engine (used on the a380 airbus). watch as the temperature and pressure increases as you pass through each segment of the engine.

here’s a clip from topgear with james may showing us the future of motoring – a hydrogen powered electric car. handy for when crude oil runs out…

here’s a load of links about smart materials for c1a chemistry:
a nickel-based alloy that changes shape in response to a magnetic field is attracting interest and funding from some powerful sectors, including the U.S. military.
trick spoons bend when you stir hot coffee.
dental braces and orthodontic archwires: using memory metal causes less pain for patients, and increases the amount of time between needed visits.
nitinol faqs
car parts: shape memory actuators
all these and more can be found in this informative smart materials activity booklet

two-thirds of teenagers do not believe science qualifications would help them to have rewarding careers. a poll of 1,000 16- to 18-year-olds found that just over a quarter (28%) saw the sciences as relevant. the study said that students were unaware of the range of career options – including in sectors such as fashion and sport – that studying sciences could open up for them.
many young people have preconceived ideas about science subjects leading solely to laboratory jobs and wearing a white coat, it said. read more about the survey here

the science minister, lord paul drayson, said: “i want to shake this image problem that science has. “i’m sure teenagers would agree that lewis hamilton’s formula one race engineers have an exciting life. we need to make them realise it’s because of what they studied at school.”

here is the reource material for 18.6.08 engineering fortnight one day project for year 8 form 8yn

this project is for the whole morning
you can choose as many as you wish
you could do all…or just one…but all must be done in one morning (there ‘might’ be some time later on but don’t bank on it). get it done by lunchtime.

use these links as part of your research
what is soap? google search
history of soapmaking google search
the story of port sunlight google search
william lever and lever brothers google search
pears soap google search
research into soap prices at local supermarkets tesco asda sainsburys
design a survey to find out about peoples tastes in personal care products.
design a new logo for ’soap ‘a’ sonic’
here’s the current one:

try to answer these questions: what is soap? look at the history of soapmaking, what is and how does ’saponification’ work, the story of port sunlight village, the life of william lever and lever brothers, the pears soap story, ivory ‘floating soap’, do some research into soap prices at local supermarkets, how are soap powders made? what’s the difference between ‘ariel’ and ‘persil’? what do proctor and gamble ltd do? how much do soap powders cost at local supermarkets?

lots to choose from…lots to do…now get cracking

australian researchers have designed a bra with sensors built into the fabric giving a more comfortable experience for women. exercising wearing a poorly-fitting bra can raise the risk of long-term injury. the findings, in the journal of biomechanics, may allow more accurate laboratory analysis of breast movement during exercise.
and who says physics is boring?

your mission is to construct robots which can successfully collect precious golden cubes scattered about a variety of hostile zones. robots must be able to navigate their way around each zone to collect the gold cubes while at the same time avoiding hazards and making sure they’ve enough energy by periodically recharging or refuelling. play here at channel 4’s excellent science site. robot constructor.

please contact mrs moulton if you want to get involved with this years robotics project. geoff (the robot) needs rebuilding!

what is nanotechnology?
it’s a broad term used when referring to any science or technology that manipulates things at the atomic level, measured in nanometres. it comprises a diverse collection of fields, touching on biology, medicine, computing, materials, manufacturing, physics and many others.

what’s so good about nanotechnology?
the central theory of nanotechnology is that almost anything that doesn’t contradict the laws of physics can be built atom by atom by scientists. it was first introduced in 1959 by richard feynmann. a key understanding of nanotechnology is that it offers not just better products, but a vastly improved means of production. scientists believe that one day manufacturing will be as easy and cheap as copying computer files. that is why it is sometimes seen as the next industrial revolution.

how big is a nanometre?
a nanometre is one billionth of a metre. for example the width of a human hair is approximately 80,000 nanometres and human fingernails grow roughly one nanometre per second. a nanometre sized particle is also smaller than a living cell and can be seen only with the most powerful microscopes available today.

what is the difference between microtechnology and nanotechnology?
aside from the obvious difference in scale (nanoscale is one to three orders of magnitude smaller than the microscale), nanotechnology is based on the principles of quantum physics, which means different laws of physics apply in the nanoscale.

what is molecular nanotechnology?
it is the concept of building machines out of precisely designed molecules. most nanotech research occurs in this field,

what are the current uses of nanotechnology?
there are numerous products available to industry and consumers today which benefit from nanotechnology. most computer hard drives on the market today depend on nano-thin layers of magnetic materials to increase their storage capacity. nanomaterials are also used to produce anti-scratch surfaces and paints, protective and glare-reducing coatings for glasses and cars, several kinds of cosmetics and stain-free clothing.

how will nanotechnology affect our lives in the future?
the first major improvement will be in manufacturing techniques. due to the precision of working in the atomic scale manufacturers would have a better understanding of the building of things and greater flexibility in the types and quantities to build. consequently the cost of manufacturing would decrease significantly. in medicine the expected applications of nanotechnology are dramatic: machines would be able to travel through blood vessels, cleaning arteries or repairing damaged tissue from the inside. ‘nanobots’ could also be used as a helping hand against cancer cells or infections.

any other questions? please ask at the comments link.