Stuff to Read, Do, and Think About After You Visit the

TAME Trailblazer

Click on the item in blue to get there quick!

Activity #1

Magical Magnets: A Homemade Compass

Activity #2

Rumbles and Roars: Build a Volcano!

Activity #3

Light Years Away: Solar System Model

The Need for Speed: How Gears Work

Activity #4

The Power of Weather: Waves

Miracle of Medicine: A-A-A-A-CHOO!

Activity #5

Eyes and Ears

Careers

Activities

# 6 & 7

More Fun Activities in Science & Engineering

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A Homemade Compass

Compasses point to the north because the earth has a magnetic field centered near the North Pole. The compass needle is magnetized and is attracted to that large magnetic field. The needle is balanced inside the compass so it can move easily and its “north” end will always point to magnetic north. If you’re lost in the woods or the city and want to find out which direction you are facing, a compass will tell you which way is north. Then, if you have a good map, you can safely head for home.

You can make a compass that really works. Here’s how. You’ll need:

a magnet                       a plastic bowl with lid (Cool Whip container works great!)
a needle                       modeling clay
a cork                           a toothpick

nail polish permanent marker

Directions:

1. Stroke the needle over the magnet at least 50 times in one direction. This will magnetize the needle.

2. Stick a piece of clay to the bottom of the bowl, in the center. Stick the toothpick into the middle of the clay, pointing up.

3. With scissors, trim out the middle of the lid, leaving the edge and about ½” of the top.

4. Make a ¼” diameter and ¼” deep hole in the center of a flat side of the cork. Balance the cork on the end of the toothpick. Later, this will help your cork stay in the middle of the bowl.

5. Fill the bowl with enough water to float the cork without letting it come off the toothpick.

6. Lay the needle on the cork. The needle will swing around and point north. Using nail polish or a marker, color the north end of the needle.

7. Set the lid on the bowl and mark it N, S, E, W to indicate the four directions.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Build a Volcano!

What will I need?

Empty plastic soda or juice bottle (16 or 20 ounces)

½ cup water

½ cup vinegar

5 drops of liquid dish detergent

2 Tablespoons of baking soda

4”x 4” square of tissue (like Kleenex)

Gently mix the water, vinegar, and detergent in the soda bottle. Put the baking soda in the middle of the tissue square and roll it up to fit into the mouth of the soda bottle. Take the bottle outside or into a sink or tub. Drop the tissue full of baking soda into the bottle and watch what happens!

The chemistry behind this experiment…

When you mix vinegar and baking soda, there is a chemical reaction that leaves you with sodium ions, acetate ions, water, and carbon dioxide.

NaHCO₃ + CH₃COOH --> Na+ + H₂O + CO₂ + CH₃COO-

Carbon dioxide is a gas, and it creates the fizzing you see. In a real volcano, there is mostly steam and some carbon dioxide in the eruption. There is also lots of lava released—which can be a great danger to anything nearby. Many volcanoes give some warning before they erupt, rumbling and releasing steam and ash a little at a time before a major explosion occurs. Once the buildup of steam, carbon dioxide, and lava has been released, a volcano usually quiets down, at least for a while.

Your volcano will only erupt once because its energy comes from the chemical reaction between vinegar and baking soda.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Solar System Model

NOT SO FAR AWAY: OUR NEIGHBORS IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM

If you want to see a very cool model of the solar system, go to the National Geographic website, at Virtual Solar System @ nationalgeographic.com and learn about the sun and planets and how they move. If you want to get an idea of how close our neighbors are, try this fun activity from the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (www.astrosociety.org).

You will need lots of space (the playground is a good choice), plus:

■ One roll of toilet paper, 201 sheets or more

■ Felt-tip marker(s) or gel pen(s)

■ Clear tape (for repairs)

Take one sheet of toilet paper and test the pens. (Be gentle! Pens can easily tear the paper.) After learning the best way to write on toilet paper, throw away the test sheet.

Make a dot on the seam between the first two sheets of toilet paper. This is the Sun. Write the word Sun beside the dot.

Use the table of distances provided to mark off the distances to each of the planets. Make a dot and write the planet’s name at the appropriate distance. The second number in the table is the number of sheets of toilet paper needed to reach the orbit of each planet from the Sun. Keep a running count as you go along.

We’re using 2 sheets of toilet paper to represent the 57,910,000 kilometers between the Sun and Mercury. All the other distances use these same proportions, so Venus, which is a little less than twice as far from the Sun, will be 3.7 squares of toilet paper along the roll. By the time you finish, you will have a scale model of the solar system!

Make a dot and write the appropriate planet name on toilet paper at each distance indicated.

(Ceres, the largest asteroid, is used to represent the asteroid belt.)

Planet (or asteroid)	# of kilometers from the sun	Squares of toilet paper from the sun
Mercury	57,910,000	2.0
Venus	108,200,000	3.7
Earth	149,600,000	5.1
Mars	227,940,000	7.7
Ceres (asteroid belt)	414,436,363	14.0
Jupiter	778,330,000	26.4
Saturn	1,429,400,000	48.4
Uranus	2,870,990,000	97.3
Neptune	4,504,000,000	152.5
Pluto	5,913,520,000	200

_____________________________________________________________________________________

How Gears Work

by Karim Nice

Photo courtesy
Emerson Power Transmission Corp.

Gears are used in tons of mechanical devices. They do several important jobs, but most important, they provide a gear reduction in motorized equipment. This is key because, often, a small motor spinning very fast can provide enough power for a device, but not enough torque. For instance, an electric screwdriver has a very large gear reduction because it needs lots of torque to turn screws, but the motor only produces a small amount of torque at a high speed. With a gear reduction, the output speed can be reduced while the torque is increased.

Another thing gears do is adjust the direction of rotation. For instance, in a car, the power goes to a shaft that runs down the center of the car, and the differential gear has to turn that power 90 degrees to apply it to the back wheels to make the car go forward or backward—and not sideways.

There are a lot of intricacies in different types of gears. On any gear, the ratio is determined by the distances from the center of the gear to the point of contact. For instance, in a device with two gears, if one gear is twice the size of the other, the ratio would be 2:1.

(from http://www.howstuffworks.com/gear.htm)

_____________________________________________________________________________________

WAVES

from http://www.onr.navy.mil/focus/ocean/motion/waves1.htm

Ocean in Motion: Waves

Diagram of Wave Everything from earthquakes to ship wakes creates waves; however, the most common cause is wind. As wind passes over the water's surface, friction forces it to ripple. The strength of the wind, the distance the wind blows (fetch) and the length of the gust (duration) determine how big the ripples will become. Waves are divided into several parts. The crest is the highest point on a wave, while the trough, or valley between two waves, is the lowest point. Wavelength is the horizontal distance, either between the crests or troughs of two consecutive waves. Wave height is the vertical distance between a wave's crest and the next trough. The wave period can be measured in time by picking a stationary point and counting the seconds it takes for two consecutive crests or troughs to pass it.

In deep water, a wave is a forward motion of energy, not water. In fact, the water does not even move forward with a wave. If we followed a single drop of water during a passing wave, we would see it move in a vertical circle, returning to a point near its original position at the wave's end. These vertical circles are more obvious at the surface. As depth increases, their effects slowly decrease until completely disappearing about half a wavelength below the surface.

Wave animation.

*A water droplet moves in a vertical circle as the wave passes. The droplet moves forward with the wave's crest and backward with the trough.*

a point near its original position at the wave's end. These vertical circles are more obvious at the surface. A Cold and hot water have different densities and there is a turnover in bodies of water because cold water sinks and warm water floats. The TAME Trailblazer's mechanical wave simulator uses liquids of different density to show the movement of water. You can experiment with liquids to make cool-looking displays.

Try this: fill a small clear plastic bottle 2/3 full of water. Add a few drops of blue food coloring. Now fill almost to the top with vegetable or mineral oil. Shake it up and see what happens! The lighter (lower density) liquid will float, and the heavier (higher density) liquid will sink!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

A-A-A-A-CHOOO!

Allergies—if you have them, you probably hate them. They can make your nose run, your eyes itch, and your throat feel scratchy and sore. Very small things, like mold spores, animal dander, and pollen, can cause big trouble for people who are allergic to them.

How do allergies work? Your immune system has the job of keeping all kinds of foreign invaders—like bacteria, viruses, and fungi—from entering your body and making you sick or, even worse, destroying your body parts! Cells from your immune system actually “eat up” the dangerous substances. If you’re healthy, your immune system is on guard all the time, killing these invaders and keeping you safe. When you get a cold, your immune system goes into battle mode, and even though the virus makes you feel miserable for a couple of days, eventually your immune system wins. You may get a fever—heat is one way the body tries to kill off viruses and bacteria. Or your nose may run—washing the bad bugs out of your respiratory system. You’ll cough out viruses when your bronchia produce mucus, and you’ll barf up bacteria to rid yourself of those nasty critters. Fun, huh? Well, if your immune system wasn’t working so hard, you’d soon be full of all kinds of horrible stuff, and—well…you wouldn’t last more than a few days.

But sometimes our immune systems are a little too picky about what they attack. You breathe in a few mold spores, and suddenly you’re wheezing and sneezing. Or you eat some strawberries and—uh-oh, you break out in hives. Pollen in the air? Grab the tissues! These are allergies—when your body responds to ordinary substances as if they were dangerous and need to be destroyed. In attacking the allergens, your body produces substances called histamines, and they can make you feel lousy. You get “sick” even when the stuff you’re fighting off isn’t really dangerous.

So if you’re allergic to something, the best thing to do is to avoid it. Don’t eat the chocolate, don’t kiss the cat, and stay away from the roses. If you can’t—for example, there’s pollen in the air every spring—you can use medications called antihistamines that help block allergic reactions. They may not be a miracle cure, but modern medicine is working on it!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Eyes and Ears

Our brains try to make sense out of the images our eyes see—even if the images don’t make sense. Here are three popular optical illusions.

Impossible Trident

This drawing shows something that can’t exist—but our eyes want to complete the lines that show a 3-dimensional object. Can you see how the artist drew in the middle peg of the trident? (Don’t drive yourself crazy with this!)

The Vase

The white vase in the center is surrounded by the profiles of two faces. Can you see them?

Which is longer?

You’d better measure. The V-shaped ends play tricks on your eyes!

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Careers in Science and Engineering

What are you going to do with your life?

Want to find out what an electrical engineer does, or what kind of people enjoy chemical engineering? The National Action Council for Minorities in Engineering has a great website for exploring engineering careers! http://www.nacme.org/prec/guidemenacme.html

Electricity and electrical systems are all around us. It’s no wonder that electrical

TAME has a questionnaire you can use to help you decide on a profession, too. Go to www.tame.org and take the “What Kind of Engineer Can I Be?” quiz. From aeronautics to agriculture, from synthetic bone to shampoo, there’s something here to interest everyone.

Here are descriptions of a few careers to consider, and what it takes to get there… is

AEROSPACE ENGINEER http://www.avjobs.com/careers/aerospace_engineer/index.asp

Aerospace engineers are responsible for developing extraordinary machines, from airplanes that weigh over a half a million pounds to spacecraft that travel over 17,000 miles an hour. They design, develop, and test aircraft, spacecraft, and missiles and supervise manufacturing of these products. Aerospace engineers who work with aircraft are considered aeronautical engineers, and those working specifically with spacecraft are considered astronautical engineers.

Aerospace engineers develop new technologies for use in aviation, defense systems, and space exploration, often specializing in areas like structural design, guidance, navigation and control, instrumentation and communication, or production methods. They also may specialize in a particular type of aerospace product, such as commercial transports, military fighter jets, helicopters, spacecraft, or missiles and rockets. Aerospace engineers may be experts in aerodynamics, thermodynamics, celestial mechanics, propulsion, acoustics, or guidance and control systems.

Education

You can prepare yourself for an engineering degree while you're still in high school. Take physics, electronics, computers -- as much as you can get! Your next step will be college. Attend one that offers a degree in aerospace engineering or aeronautics engineering. Some schools offer aerospace as a subspecialty within mechanical, industrial or systems engineering programs. You will study fluid mechanics (air flow), structures, vehicle performance, and propulsion systems. Your role will be to integrate structure, fluid mechanics, propulsion and controls. If this doesn't appeal to you, but you still want to work in the aerospace industry, consider electrical engineering. Half the people who work in aerospace have an electrical engineering background, because half of what makes up satellites and airplanes are electronic components! Another option is to go into mechanical engineering. This will lead to you work on mechanical components, like the landing gear of airplanes or shuttles.

Employment and Earnings

Aerospace engineers held about 53,000 jobs in 1998. Almost one-half worked in the aircraft and parts and guided missile and space vehicle manufacturing industries. California, Washington, Texas, and Florida—States with large aerospace manufacturers—employ the most aerospace engineers. Median annual earnings of aerospace engineers were $66,950 in 1998.

ASTRONAUT

from http://www.space.com/teachspace/module_astronaut_0900/become_astronaut_0900.html
Prepare to blast off.

Members of the US Astronaut Corp come from diverse backgrounds. Follow these tips for making the team.

1. Know what you're getting into.

Setting -- If you become an astronaut in the next 15 years or so, you'll probably land on the International Space Station, an orbiting laboratory/dormitory more than 200 miles (330 kilometers) above Earth. Astronauts will spend at least three to four months growing plants, making crystals and performing other experiments in near-zero gravity.

Work -- What would you actually do for those months? It depends on what kind of astronaut you are. There are two different types of astronauts:

Flight engineers (formerly called "pilot astronauts") fly the shuttle and navigate the space station. Flight engineers may become commanders. They will also be trained to help with daily activities and perform science experiments on the space station.

2. Astronaut researchers (formerly called "mission specialists") conduct scientific experiments in space and perform spacewalks. They also take care of the less glamorous chores like checking the computer systems, heating up food and housecleaning. Did you ever try to clean up a floating glob of juice?

Pay -- You wouldn't starve as an astronaut, but it's not a way to get rich quick either. Astronauts get paid the same as other federal government workers on the same level. In the year 2000, astronauts made between $42,000 and $71,000 in a year.

Age -- There's no minimum or maximum age for becoming an astronaut, you just need to fulfill the requirements. The average age for acceptance is 36.

Click To Download 2. Get Ready! (It's never too early to start)

Study science and math -- Astronauts have college degrees in science or engineering. Early preparation helps. Popular fields for potential astronauts: Aerospace engineering, physics, medicine, electrical engineering.
Be nice to your friends and family -- In choosing astronauts, NASA wisely looks for people who get along well with others.
Know how to do a lot of things -- Astronauts need to know science and math -- and much more. The space station is an international project, so NASA is more likely to select people who've learned other languages and know about history and other cultures. NASA also gives plus points to people who are good communicators -- both writers and public speakers.
Avoid run-ins with the law -- A criminal record will keep you out of the Corp.

Stay in shape and learn to swim -- To be accepted to astronaut training, you'll need to pass a tough physical exam. During your first month of training, you'll swim three lengths of an Olympic-size swimming pool in a flightsuit and sneakers!

Scout? -- Boy or Girl Scout membership is not required for astronauts. But strangely, about two-thirds of all astronauts have been scouts. You figure it out.
Develop a strong stomach -- Part of astronaut training is diving so fast in the "vomit comet" airplane that you feel the near-zero gravity of a free fall for 20 seconds at a time -- and you may have to experience this up to 40 times in one day!
Become a U.S. citizen -- NASA Astronauts must hold U.S. passports. Several astronauts are naturalized citizens, including Mike Foale, Franklin Chang-Diaz and Andy Thomas.
Do well in school-- Astronauts go to all kinds of colleges, from community colleges to Harvard University. What really counts is that they go to a good graduate school -- or substitute three years of relevant work experience -- and perform very well.

3. Get Set. Here's what you'll need.

The minimum requirements for becoming an astronaut are: 1. A bachelor's degree in engineering, biological science, physical science or math. 2. Three years of related job experience and/or a graduate degree. A master's degree can replace one year of experience, a Ph.D. can be substituted for all three years. Most astronauts have graduate degrees plus some experience. 3. Pilot astronauts also need flight experience.

Willingness to fill out a lot of forms! You can check out the application forms on the web at: http://www.nasajobs.nasa.gov/jobs/astronauts/aso/astroapp.htm.

4. Go!

The NASA training program tries to get astronauts as close as possible to being in space without leaving the ground. Trainees study science, math, space-shuttle operation and scuba diving. In full-size models of the shuttle and space station, trainees practice skills that include taking out the trash and making dinner. In huge pools they practice spacewalk maneuvers. Mission specialists practice operating the mechanical arm that releases and retrieves payloads such as satellites and space-station components. Astronauts also learn about most everything that could possibly go wrong -- such as engine and electrical failures or doors to space that become stuck. NASA training sessions are so comprehensive, trainees say that the only things missing are the noise and vibration of launch and the weightlessness of orbit.

AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEER

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, automobiles have entered the lives and livelihoods of almost everyone. Ford, Toyota, BMW, Saab, Honda and General Motors are a few examples of large automobile companies that produce new vehicles annually. Cars have enabled people to do so many more things and travel around quicker than we used to. We have become so accustomed to this luxury that we sometimes take for granted that there are people who design and make cars for our efficiency, convenience and safety.

These people are automotive engineers and many of us owe our "post-license" lives to their speedy creations. Remember that when you drive a new car off a dealership lot, you are taking with you the research, design and efforts of several engineers -- the automotive engineer in particular. Automotive engineers research, design, evaluate, install, operate and maintain automotive products, equipment, systems and processes. They develop new or improved designs for automobiles including the structure, engine and transmission, to name a few. If it were not for automotive engineers, our world would have no safe or modern automobiles . . . imagine that!

Most automotive engineers specialize in a particular area once they become established. Specialty areas such as structural design, exhaust systems and engines are a few different options. Nevertheless, all specialized automotive engineers perform similar duties in at least one of three general areas: research, design and testing. Researchers formulate theories and generate innovative ideas using mathematical and scientific projections and determining whether or not a plan will work. Designers take research products and put them into practice, trying to manufacture them. Testers literally test the products for safety and quality before they hit the marketplace. In smaller, independent engineering firms, automotive engineers may do all three of these tasks.

Automotive engineers make an average of $60,000 a year. They need a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related engineering field. Some engineers also get mater’s degrees in specific areas, such as automotives.

What do you want to make? Cars that run on hydrogen? Trucks that carry dangerous cargo safely? This could be your future, if you become an automotive engineer!

BIOMEDICAL ENGINEER http://www.bmes.org/careers.asp

A Biomedical Engineer uses traditional engineering expertise to analyze and solve problems in biology and medicine and improve health care. Students choose the biomedical engineering field to be of service to people, to partake of the excitement of working with living systems, and to apply advanced technology to the complex problems of medical care.

Click To Download What’s an example of something a biomedical engineer might do? When a person is badly burned, many layers of skin can be destroyed. It’s a dangerous situation for the patient, because skin keeps out infection and protects everything inside. So it’s important to get the healing process started as soon as possible and restore the protective covering. In the past, only human skin grafts—pieces of skin taken from other parts of the body—could be used. Now, there are biomedical engineers who work in laboratories studying new kinds of artificial skin—synthetic tissues that can temporarily or permanently take the place of the skin lost to a burn accident. Others may be designing sophisticated computer-driven wheelchairs that let people control their activity with their breath, while still others work on better systems to clean the blood of people whose kidneys have failed.

The biomedical engineer works with other health care professionals including physicians, nurses, therapists and technicians. Biomedical engineers may be called upon in a wide range of capacities: to design instruments, devices, and software, to bring together knowledge from many technical sources to develop new procedures, or to conduct research needed to solve clinical problems.

CHEMICAL ENGINEER from http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos029.htm

Chemical engineers apply the principles of chemistry and engineering to solve problems involving the production or use of chemicals, building a bridge between science and manufacturing.

Chemical engineers work in a variety of industries other than chemical manufacturing, such as electronics, photographic equipment, clothing, and pulp and paper. They also work in healthcare, biotechnology, and business services. Chemical engineers apply principles of chemistry, physics, mathematics, and mechanical and electrical engineering. Their products range from shampoo to vitamins, from paint to food preservatives. Many specialize in a particular area, such as pollution control or the production of specific products such as fertilizers and pesticides, automotive plastics, or chlorine bleach. They must be aware of all aspects of chemicals manufacturing and how it affects the environment, the safety of workers, and customers.

A typical chemical engineer earns between $50,000 and $80,000, perhaps making products like these!

CIVIL ENGINEER

http://www.enc.org/features/calendar/unit/0,1819,164,00.shtm

One of the oldest of the engineering disciplines, civil engineering involves the design and construction of large stationary structures. Over time, projects have ranged from (now ancient) Greek temples to highways, bridges, dams, airports, and urban transit systems. And the scope of work keeps on expanding. Civil engineers have even helped work on the International Space Station!

One current focus of civil engineering is the design and development of central-city areas. Civil engineers often join with architects to design buildings, and they also work with mechanical engineers and contractors on transportation systems, public utilities, and public services.

If you like to plan or build structures, this is a field to consider! Civil engineering is a broad category that includes building city streets and expressways, dams and reservoirs, bridges and tunnels, skyscrapers and subway stations--and more.

As a CE, you generally would work in one of the following areas:

1. In Private Practice: Plan, designs, construct and operate physical works and facilities used by the public.

2. In Academia: Teach students the fundamentals of civil engineering. Also involved in research.

3. In Public Practice: Involved in city and/or regional planning, layout and construction of highways and pipelines.

For lots more information on civil engineering, go to the American Society of Civil Engineers’ website, www.asce.org.

DOCTOR

Why become a doctor?

Click To Download Medicine is about helping people - treating illness, providing advice and reassurance, and seeing the effects of good and bad health from the patient's point of view. You’ll have to examine the symptoms of your patient and consider a range of possible causes. You have to test your diagnosis, decide on the best course of treatment, and monitor progress. The science is people - how our bodies and minds work. The art of medicine is how you use the science to help people with disease and ill health. Most doctors came into medicine because they wanted to work with people. Click To Download

What’s great about being a doctor? Doctors rarely complain of boredom. Very few doctors are unemployed. Your qualifications can open doors to work around the world. You will be well paid, and your long-term career prospects are excellent.

Click To Download What’s not so great? Medicine is demanding. Your education will be longer and more intense than in most other subjects. You will learn to cope with pressure, and take overall responsibility for the health of people in your care. You may be on call at any hour, whenever your patients need you. It's a serious vocation!

Click To Download So, how do you become a doctor? In high school, take lots of science and math courses—the most advanced you can find, including chemistry, calculus, and anatomy and physiology . In college, you will probably major in biology, chemistry, or a related field, although some future doctors choose liberal arts or other degrees. (You still need those tough science courses, though!) You’ll also want to do plenty of volunteer work in the healthcare field, both to get experience and to be sure this is really the field you want to enter.

ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

Some electrical and computer engineers are most involved in design of integrated circuits. Others invent and try out new ways of manufacturing electrical components. Still others try to understand the chemistry and physics of electronics—how the molecules and atoms themselves are involved. A lot of that work uses very powerful microscopes and measuring tools, because everything that’s happening is too small to see with your eyes. These are just a few of the things electrical engineering has to offer. Electrical Engineering began over 100 years ago and has been expanding into new fields ever since.

An Electrical Engineer is somebody who can…

design and build a fiber-optic transmission module for a high-speed telephone network;
develop and program a computer control system for an automated production line;
plan and supervise the electrical distribution network between a remote electrical generating station and the end-users hundreds of kilometers away.

Electrical Engineering can be classified into two broad areas:

Energy - the transfer of energy from one point to another. This could be over large distances from a hydro-power dam to a power user, or it could be from a central transformer to a manufacturing plant. It can also involve moving electricity within the tiniest of spaces—the inside of a laser, for example.
Information - the transfer of information from one point to another. Both the message sent and the devices used to transfer the information are part of this field. The information maybe be sound—your favorite music, for example; data—statistics you need for a history assignment; or images—the sophisticated cartoon figures in your favorite video game. This transfer of information may take place in satellites, televisions, computer systems, telephone networks, portable radios or sound systems.

If you’d like to be an electrical engineer, you’ll need a strong math and science background, especially in physics, and a bachelor’s degree (or higher) in electrical engineering from a college or university. Want to know more? Check out college websites, like the University of Texas at Austin’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at http://www.ece.utexas.edu/ and see what they have to offer!

Written using materials from http://www.ece.uwaterloo.ca

METEOROLOGIST http://www.utexas.edu/student/careercenter/careers/meteorologist.html