Class Response: Density

In class these days, we have been learning about matter, volume, mass, and the density of an object. Matter is anything that has mass and volume (solid, liquid, gas) and can be found almost everywhere. Did you know that light, electricity, and sound are not matter? Mass is the amount of matter in an object. Mass is usually measured in grams, or kilograms. Volume, on the other hand, is the amount of space an object takes up. Volume is usually measured in centimeters-cubed if the object is a solid, or milliliters (mL) if it is a liquid. Density is the measurement of how much mass is contained in a given volume of an object; mass per unit volume. The formula to find the density of an object is mass divided by the volume of the object. In class, we learned to draw a triangle to help us remember the formulas for finding the mass, volume, and density of an object. It is really helpful. Overall, this subject in science is pretty interesting, and I like learning about it.

My sources: Science Class with Treasure =]

Giant rat and tiny possum discovered in Indonesia jungle

As the article states, "Finding new species of mammals in the 21st century is considered very rare." Recently, in Jakarta, Indonesia, a giant rat and a tiny possum was discovered by a team of American and Indonesian scientists. The animals were found in the Foja Mountains rainforest in eastern Papua province. "The giant rat is about five times the size of a typical city rat," said Kristofer Helgen, a scientist with the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. "With no fear of humans, it apparently came into the camp several times during the trip." The article also says that the possum was described as "one of the world's smallest marsupials." This discovery made me wonder whether or not there are even more new, exotic species of animals out there in the world. If there are, then our world has so many more magnificent creatures waiting to discover. My opinion on this article is that discovering more new animals is a fantastic thing, and this article really enlightened me.

I found my information at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22290101/

Omega Meme : 6 Questions

I’ve tagged students for the Omega Meme!

The rules are as follows:

Each player answers the six questions posted on this blog.

The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those answers are listed.

At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their blog names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Then follow the instructions about adding a page element at omegascience.blogspot.com.

6 Questions:

1. My favorite TV show is House because I like how they solve medical mysteries and the interesting patients they cure from various diseases and problems.

2. My favorite meal is Thai food because it tastes really good.

3. My favorite non-school activities are playing basketball, dance, and being with friends because I like to play sports and my friends are amazing.

4. Someone I look up to is my parents because they always support me and tell me to always think positive.

5. My goal for the future is to be some kind of doctor.

6. In the first hour after school I usually watch TV, go on the computer (AIM), hang out with friends, or do homework.

Class Response: Wikis and Earthquakes

In class, we've been learning about earthquakes, and why and how they occur. I find this subject very interesting. Earthquakes occur when the tectonic plates rub together, and the movement forces waves of energy to come to the earth's surface, causing the earthquake. Long ago, earthquakes were undefined, and unexpected. No one could tell the difference between 2 earthquakes, because they did the same exact thing. But the the seismograph was invented, still making earthquakes unexpected, but it created a seismogram, which is a picture of the motion of the earthquake, for future records. This helps scientists figure out the where the earthquake began, and what direction its moving in. Earthquakes are tragic happenings, and can cause serious injuries, and even death. They can cause building to fall and freeways and roads to fall or cave in. In addition, in class we are also learning how to post up wikis, and I find it fascinating. For future partner projects, a wiki is something I definitely plan on using. All in all, what I've been learning in class is really interesting.

I got my information and facts in school, in class.

Wikis and

Scientists unearth Superman's 'kryptonite'

Apparently, 'Kryptonite' which in the movie Superman Returns kills or takes away Superman's powers, has actually been discovered as a real mineral, that actually exists. On April 24th, 2007, this mineral was found by geologists in Serbia, and shares same chemical composition as the fictional kryptonite from outer space, used by Lex Luthor in the movie to weaken Superman. Chris Stanley, a mineralogist at London's Natural History Museum, was the one to discover the true identity of the mineral after searching online for its chemical formula, sodium lithium boron silicate hydroxide.

"I was amazed to discover that same scientific name written on a case of rock containing kryptonite stolen by Lex Luther from a museum in the film 'Superman Returns,'" Chris Stanley says.

After many tests, this substance has been confirmed as a new mineral by scientists at the Natural History Museum in London and the National Research Council in Canada. But instead of the large green crystals in Superman comics and movies, the real thing is actually a white, powdery substance which contains no fluorine and isn't radioactive. This mineral, to be named Jadarite, will go on show at the London's Natural History Museum.

I found my article at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18289647/

Class Response: Waves

In class, we are learning about waves. The waves we learned about are Longitudinal waves and Transverse waves. Longitudinal waves are waves that move the medium parallel to the direction in which the wave is travelling. Transverse waves are waves that move the medium at right angles to the direction in which the waves travel. Did you know that the highest point of a transverse wave is called the crest, and the lowest point is called the trough? We also learned a little bit about Electromagnetic waves, but these aren't visible. Most waves need a medium to travel through. A medium is the material through which a wave travels. The different types of mediums that waves can travel through are liquid, gas, and solid. But Electromagnetic waves don't need a medium to travel through. In longitudinal waves, there are compressions and rarefactions that occur. A compression is the part where the coils are close together, and a rarefaction is just the opposite, when the coils are spread out. Energy moves in waves.

The basic properties of waves are amplitude, wavelength, frequency, and speed. Amplitude is the maximum distance that the particles of the medium carrying the wave move away from their rest positions. Wavelength is the distance between corresponding parts of a wave. Frequency is the number of complete waves that pass a given point in a certain amount of time. Lastly, speed is the rate at which an object moves. This is one of the many things I learned in Science class, and waves are definitely fun to learn about.