Zones of the Oceans
Author's Note: I had thought of this content essay on my own since I felt like learning more on the zones of the oceans and the species within them. In addition, I though that you, the reader, might have wanted to learn something new. As I wrote this, I thought about reducing my be-verbs throughout the piece and making the descriptions best as possible. Please give me feedback and comments at the bottom.
Five oceans surround earth: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern. Oceans make up nearly 70% of the earth's surface. They provide home to thousands of unique aquatic animals and plants. As you go deeper down the pressure gets stronger and sunlight dims until no light can get through. Each of the five oceans have five main zones: Sunlight, Twilight, Midnight, Abyss, and Trenches.  |
| Sea Lettuce |
The surface zone, named the Sunlight Zone, extends from the surface to approximately 650 feet underwater. The most visible sunlight exists here hence the name Sunlight Zone. Plants can only grow in the Sunlight Zone since the most light and warmth exists here. Plants like Sea Lettuce give food to the vast amount of animals such as dolphins, sharks, and jellyfish.
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| Bioluminescent Creatures |
Next, the Twilight Zone, which is from 650 feet to 3,300 feet. Light strives to get through, and any shining light appears to be extremely dim. There are unique sea creatures living in the Twilight Zone called bioluminescent creatures that can give off light such as the lantern fish and viper fish. Bioluminescent creatures get food by attracting prey with their light.
Approximately 3,300 feet to 13,100 feet is complete darkness giving the name Midnight Zone. The only light shining comes from the bioluminescent creatures. This deep down pressure can reach 5,850 pounds per square inch, yet a decent amount of animals live here. The Midnight Zone animals look quite unusual such as angler fish and gulper eel. Due to lack of light animals found in the Midnight Zone appear black or red in color.
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| Giant Squid |
Between 13,100 feet to 19,700 feet below the surface is the Abyss. With completely no light, temperatures can get near freezing, 31 degrees Fahrenheit. Since much deeper in the ocean, pressure is so heavy that only few animals can live here. Most of the animals are invertebrates meaning they don't have a spinal column. For example, the Giant Squid has adapted to the Abyss needing to withstand immense pressure, darkness, and frigid waters.
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| Mariana Trench |
The deepest, darkest, and most pressurized zones are the Trenches. The pressure goes up to eight tons per square inch. Incredibly, invertebrates such as starfish or tube fish can still live here and cannot be removed from their habitat. The Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan, is the deepest point on earth reaching 35,797 feet!
An ocean has more than just saltwater and waves; it has zones filled with life. Species of plants and animals that need to withstand pressure, darkness, and freezing temperatures to survive in the various zones of our oceans.
Bibliography
"Bioluminescence - Deep Sea Creatures on Sea and Sky." Sea and Sky - Explore the Oceans Below and the Skies Above. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/biolumiscence.html>.
Durkee, Debra. "Ocean Plants in the Sunlight Zone | eHow.com." eHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/list_7483771_ocean-plants-sunlight-zone.html>.
"Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department." Florida Museum of Natural History. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/education/adapt/adapt.htm>.
"Invertebrate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invertebrate>.
"Layers of the Ocean - Deep Sea Creatures on Sea and Sky." Sea and Sky - Explore the Oceans Below and the Skies Above. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/ocean-layers.html>.
"Ocean Light Zones." MBGnet. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/zone.htm>.
"Photo in the News: Giant Squid Captured, Filmed for First Time." Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061222-giant-squid.html>.
"Sunlit Ocean (Euphotic) Zone - EnchantedLearning.com." ENCHANTED LEARNING HOME PAGE. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/ocean/sunlit/>.
"Three New Marine Monuments in the Pacific Ocean | Surprising Science." blogs.smithsonianmag.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2009/01/three-new-marine-monuments-in-the-pacific/>.
Explosions
by Mai Vo and Madeline Arzbecker
Coca Cola Trial 1
Untitled from Madeline A. on Vimeo.
Diet Coke Trial 1
Untitled from Madeline A. on Vimeo.
Coca Cola Trial 2 (Sorry it's cut off at the end)
Untitled from Madeline A. on Vimeo.
Diet Coke Trial 2
Untitled from Madeline A. on Vimeo.
Scientific Process
Problem/Purpose
What will react more, Mentos in Diet Coke, or Mentos in regular Coke?
Hypothesis
I believe that mint Mentos will react more in Diet coke more than regular Coke because Diet Coke has more carbon dioxide, which creates more bubbles, so that it will make a bigger explosion.
Experimental Design
Materials
o 3 bottles Diet Coke
o 3 bottles Coca Cola
o 6 packs of mint Mentos
o 95 inch stick
o Buckets
Variables
o Constant
· Flavor of Mentos
· Amount of Mentos
· Temperature outside
· Elevation of the coke bottle
· Weather
· Amount of Coke
o Independent Variable
· Type of Coke (Diet vs. Regular)
o Dependent variables
· Size of explosion
· Amount of Coke left in the bottle
o Procedure
First we went out and gathered all of our materials. Then we looked at the weather forecast and picked a day that was calm so the wind wouldn't disturb our experiments. Then we brought both the bottles outside in the snow. We set the Diet Coke in a bucket so it won't fall over on a flat surface in the snow. After that, we opened the Diet Coke bottle and taped a tube onto the top and inserted the Mentos. One of us stuck our finger in the tube to keep the Mentos from going into the coke. Meanwhile, the other one of us stood next to the bottle holding a 95 inches stick to measure the explosion. One of us removed our finger from the tube and we watched as the Diet Coke shoot up into the air and using the measuring stick we calculated how high it went. Then we repeated with the Coca Cola. We did both of the experiments two times.
Observation
We did the experiments two times with the Diet Coke and two times with the Coca Cola and we did a test trial with both. In our test trails we tried to get the Mentos all into the coke at once by stringing them one by one on tape. That didn't work because the first time only half of the tape dropped into the Diet Coke bottle and the rest hung out and clogged the bottle so the explosion went two inches high. The second time was with the Coca Cola and it was a tragic blunder because the Mentos didn't stick to the tape and they all fell off before we put them into the bottle. Only about two reached the bottle and the only reaction it made was a little fizz. After that, we did a little research on how other people have done the experiment. We came up with the idea to use a tube with something clogging it to stop the Mentos from going in. We cut a little hole in the tube and I put Madeline's finger in the hole while I inserted the Mentos. That way all the Mentos went in at once. When we did the Diet Coke using the tube method the Coke shot up 80 inches (approximately) into the air and because of a slight draft coming from the south the Coke went to the side and came down on me. Now you probably are wondering why I was standing that close to the explosion. It was because I was holding a 56 inches stick to measure the height of the explosion. We did not expect it to go that high that is why 80 inches high is an approximate height. Then we did the Coca Cola using the tube method and a longer stick. We did the exact same thing that we did with the Diet Coke, but it only when 64 inches.
Just like our hypothesis stated, the Coca Cola when less high then the Diet Coke. That reason was because the Diet Coke had more carbon dioxide to fill in for the high fructose corn syrup. Also, the reason why the Mentos reacted to the Coke is because as the Mentos began to dissolve in the Coke, it released gelatin and gum arabic. Gum arabic a natural ingredient used to make many gummy candies. When these chemical are mixed with caffeine, potassium benzoate, aspartame, and carbon dioxide, which are all ingredients of Diet Coke, it makes a jet-like reaction. Now some of these chemicals are not in Coca Cola which is why it didn't explode as much as the Diet Coke. Then we did both the explosions again using the tube. The results were about the same. The Diet Coke when 76 inches and the Coca Cola went 56 inches.
Conclusion
Our hypothesis was correct. The Diet coke had a bigger explosion than the Coca Cola. The average height of the Diet Coke was 78 inches and the average for Coca Cola was 60 inches. Also the amount of Coke left in the bottle for Diet Coke had an average 2.9375 cups, and the Coca Cola was had an average amount of 3.375 cups left. Therefore, because Diet Coke has more carbon dioxide to make up for high fructose corn syrup, it went higher. Thus there was less left in the Diet Coke bottles. Now, remember to never eat Mentos with Diet Coke, or any other soda with carbon dioxide.
Narrative
Madeline and I had some ups and downs for our Coke and Mentos project. Though we had a great time, we had some conflictions in our process. Our project used almost all sections in the core competencies rubric. We used the problem solving core competency to solve our input problem of the Mentos. Then it worked very well when we did the tube. We also used creativity and innovation by creating a different way to input the Mentos by using a tube and finger. We also collaborated and communicated with each other and teachers to share ideas and facts. In addition, we used a fair amount of technology throughout the project when we made graphs, taped videos, and used blogs. For college and career readiness, we mastered the scientific process! We are very proud of project and how great it worked. We learned to move on and learn from our mistakes.
Goals for Next Project
1. Do a better job logging time2. Do more research before we start our experiment
3. Use more out of school resources
Bibliography
"Soda and candy eruption - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_Coke_and_Mentos_er
Spangler, Steve. "Mentos Diet Coke Geyser at Steve Spangler Science." Science Projects Experiments, Educational Toys & Science Toys . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2011. <http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000109>.
"Why do mentos make diet coke explode?." Food Allergy Symptoms | Living with Food Allergies. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2011. <http://babyandkidallergies.com/diet-coke-mentos.php>.
Leaves
Leaves are an extraordinary sight during autumn when the colors change, and you can see the bright oranges, yellows, reds, purples, and browns. But, do you really know why those colors are there, and why it is only some trees? Do you have other questions? I am 100% sure that you do.
Why do leaves change color in autumn?
When summer ends and autumn begins, days will become shorter. Then, there won't be enough sunlight or water for the trees to go through photosynthesis. But what is photosynthesis? Photosynthesis is the process of how plants make food for itself. Plants would take water by their roots and a gas called carbon dioxide from the air. Sunlight would be used to make the stored water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and glucose (sugar). The glucose is the "food" for energy and growing. A pigment called chlorophyll also helps the process of photosynthesis. Chlorophyll makes plants have the green color. Chlorophyll also allows plants to get energy from light. When photosynthesis stops, the chlorophyll will fade away, which would bring out the bright, beautiful colors.
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| Maple Tree |
What kind of trees or leaves change color?
Leaves change color on many deciduous trees, shrubs, and plants. Deciduous means their foliage will fall off during autumn. Oak and maple trees are two of the many deciduous trees that will lose foliage during autumn.
Is there a reason why leaves will change color?
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| Trees in winter |
What colors do the leaves turn? Why?
Red & Purple | Trees such as maples will have glucose trapped in the leaf after photosynthesis stops. When the nights are cool and little sunlight shows, the glucose will turn into a red or purplish color. That will make the leaf a red or purple color. |
Orange | Orange is the color the green chlorophyll turns when it fades. Also there are carotene pigments in the leaf that make it orange. |
Yellow | Somewhat like the color orange, when the green chlorophyll fades, the yellow comes out due to xanthophyll pigments. |
Brown | Brown is the color the leaf turns when there is waste left inside the leaf from glucose. |
Chart made by Mai Vo
How did the colors get into the leaf?
In fact, the colors were always in the leaves. It just couldn't be seen. During the summer and spring, there is a lot more chlorophyll in the leaves. All of the green will cover up the orange and yellow pigments until autumn. Then the red, purple, and brown will come during autumn when photosynthesis is concluding. It may be a bit confusing for how the color changes, but it is because of each leaf's process. (Look back at the chart if you need to.)
What We See
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| Wavelengths |
Thank you for reading through my project. Please leave a comment about it.
Resources:
"Deciduous - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deciduous
"Autumn Leaves - Fall leaf colors - Why do autumn leaves change color and fall?." Science projects, ideas & topics - science fair projects - easy kids science projects & experiments, science articles. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. <http://www.sciencemadesimplehttp://www.coolquiz.com/trivia/explain/docs/leaves.asp
"Leaf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Oct. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leaf
"Autumn Leaves." Kidzone - Fun Facts for Kids!. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. <http://www.kidzone.ws/plants/autumn1
"Autumn Leaves." Kidzone - Fun Facts for Kids!. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. <http://www.kidzone.ws/plants/autumn1
Unknown, Pat. "Star*Dreamer's Thanksgiving." Star*Dreamer's Corner. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2010. http://www.star-dreamer.com/11/.
Horton, Jennifer. "HowStuffWorks "Anthocyanins"." Howstuffworks "Science". N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Oct. 2010. http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/botany/leaves-turn-red1.htm.
"Blog Improvement Overview: 9 Areas to Improve Your Blogging | Visionary Blogging." Social Media Strategy Help -- Visionary Blogging. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. http://visionaryblogging.com/blog-improvement-overview/.
"Chlorophyll - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlorophyll
"BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian - Free." BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian - Free. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bibme.org/>.
"BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian - Free." BibMe: Fast & Easy Bibliography Maker - MLA, APA, Chicago, Turabian - Free. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Nov. 2010. <http://www.bibme.org/>.
My mom for taking pictures of leaves in/on the way to Wausau
Professor Donna Fernandez, Department of Botany- UW Madison
Mr. Roehl
Mr. Johnson
The sun is an important part of our solar system. It provides light and heat to meet our essential needs. The sun’s mass is over 99% of the mass of the solar system. The circumference of the sun is approximately 2,720,960 miles. Basically, the sun is a big, hot ball made up of gases and layers.
The sun is made up of a large variety of gases. The gases are as listed from most to least: hydrogen (73.46%), helium (24.85%), oxygen (0.77%), carbon (0.29%), iron (0.16%), sulfur (0.12%), neon (0.12%), nitrogen (0.09%), silicon (0.07%), and magnesium (0.05%). When some of these gases are mixed together or fused, they will create something new and make energy for the sun.
How the Sun Works
Author’s Note: I had a science essay due and I decided to do it on the sun because I thought it was an interesting topic that I have not learned much about.
The sun has been shining bright out into the solar system for 4.6 billion years! How could it possibly last that long without burning out? There were a couple different theories, but Albert Einstein was the man who figured it out.
The sun has been shining bright out into the solar system for 4.6 billion years! How could it possibly last that long without burning out? There were a couple different theories, but Albert Einstein was the man who figured it out.
The sun is an important part of our solar system. It provides light and heat to meet our essential needs. The sun’s mass is over 99% of the mass of the solar system. The circumference of the sun is approximately 2,720,960 miles. Basically, the sun is a big, hot ball made up of gases and layers.
The sun is made up of a large variety of gases. The gases are as listed from most to least: hydrogen (73.46%), helium (24.85%), oxygen (0.77%), carbon (0.29%), iron (0.16%), sulfur (0.12%), neon (0.12%), nitrogen (0.09%), silicon (0.07%), and magnesium (0.05%). When some of these gases are mixed together or fused, they will create something new and make energy for the sun.
The mixing together of the different gases contributes to the creation of separate layers. The sun is made up of different layers, in which each layer plays a different role. The one thing each layer has in common is energy moving through them and to the next layer until it reaches the surface. First, there is the core, which is the innermost part of the sun and where energy is formed. Next, is the radiative zone where the energy from the core moves by waves, also known as radiation. The convective zone is third. In the convective zone gases move in a circular motion also known as a convection, hence convective zone. Following that is the photosphere. This is where energy is turned into light which will shine on Earth. This is the only layer that is visible from Earth, unless there is an eclipse. In fact, photosphere means light ball in Greek. The chromosphere is the fifth layer of the sun. When a total eclipse happens, the chromosphere is one part of the sun that can be faintly seen. Lastly, is the outermost part of the sun: the corona. Like the chromosphere, the corona can be seen in a total eclipse. Instead of a little ring, the corona will create a thick crown around the sun.
Before the energy makes it through all of the layers, there is energy forming in the center of the sun. Albert Einstein answered how the sun lasts without burning out. The process is called nuclear fusion in which two or more nuclei (plural for nucleus) fuse or unite forming another nucleus. During nuclear fusion, energy is produced in the center of the sun, and that is the source of the sun’s energy. For instance, if four hydrogen nuclei unite, then it can fuse which creates one nucleus of helium. Then, the energy from the fusion will be sent through the layers of the sun, which keeps the sun burning. This process takes over one million years!
The sun is an important and elaborate part of our solar system. All of the energy that is needed to keep us alive has to go through years of a complex process and numerous layers. With Albert Einstein’s discovery, we have a better understanding of how the sun functions.
Resources
"NASA - Sun." NASA - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2010. <http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/sun_worldbook.html>.
Astronomy . Austin: Holt Rinehart and Winston, 2007. Print.
Resources
"NASA - Sun." NASA - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Dec. 2010. <http://www.nasa.gov/worldbook/sun_worldbook.html>.
Astronomy . Austin: Holt Rinehart and Winston, 2007. Print.
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