Today is Valentines' Day. To me, it's a day when I get free candy, someone's birthday, and my dad buys my mom roses and take us all out to dinner. It is also a holiday where I hope the Valentine cards I made are given away! I made around fifteen cards and sold most of them. Yippee!
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| Butterflies |
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| Pusheen |
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| Winnie the Pooh |
But this year, it is a day when I spend time alone with my friend as we race to the end of finishing our Physics project!
Yes...Physics. A wonderful subject that explains the incredible phenomena this universe has and a subject in which my friend and I look to each other with apprehension and a sigh. However the class is pretty fun when we both work together even though it does drive us crazy.
For the past three days, we have been working nonstop on our energy machine. Our original plan set a fire to a string holding a tissue with baking soda. The string would break and the baking soda would fall into a cup of lemon juice that would soon bubbled out into a straw. The straw would then direct the liquid to a turbine that would rotate and power a motor to hit a tiny box.
Our plan in theory would worked, but in reality it was greatly modified as we experimented numerous methods of generating and utilizing electricity using a water turbine, a motor/generator and lemon juice. We tested the idea last Friday, and that idea quickly fizzled out when we realized the water turbine could not produce enough electricity. The next day, we then switched to test how much electricity lemons produce. Enough to power a LED light bulb but not a motor. After five hours of experimentation, we took a break and a quick ice cream break with a side nap.After our break, my friend suggested to use a battery to give a boost of energy and lemon juice to complete the circuit. Not a bad idea.
Today we used copper, galvanized steel, lemon juice, baking soda and batteries to power the motor. Our current plan was that the as the baking soda-lemon juice foam flow out of the cup, the liquid would flow down the cup into a bowl and fill it up. When the bowl is full, the copper and steel would have a connection and be able to complete the circuit. The circuit has two batteries and a motor with a stick attached. Once the circuit is complete, the motor would move and complete its job. Again, our plan would work in theory but not somehow not in reality.
After a few trial and errors for about two hours, we ran out of ideas and decided to take a little nap break. I could not nap well, so I returned back the project and had an idea. I got some Styrofoam and shaped some pennies and wires into it and then attached it to the circuit. After my friend woke up, I suggested that when the foam flows in the cup, the Styrofoam with the copper attached would float up and be able to connect with the steel hovering about it, thus completing the circuit. We then tested the idea four times, but we had to stop because the fire we initially set burned a bit out of control and I inhaled the smoke as I was frantically blowing it out. Note to self: doing that may trigger a slight asthma reaction. I gradually recovered with a little fresh air and my friend's inhaler, but we need to finish the project quickly since I have to be home within an hour. We set up one more time, and ....it worked fine. We then decided to celebrate with ice cream and a nap!
So why did I share this story with you guys? First take breaks and nap because ideas seem to flow once your head is rested with some ice cream. :D
Okay, the reason is that I want to show that Valentine's Day could be a special or a regular day, depending on you do on that day. And the same message goes with any other day.Yes, Valetine's Day is a day of love and Lent (I recently went to my first mass with my Physics buddy). However to me, today's Valentines Day is day I spent time with my family and friends with the knowledge that spring is right around the corner.
Enjoy the pictures.
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| I'm not sure what they are called. Almond flowers? |
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