To make sure we have plenty of energy in the future, it's up to all of us to use energy wisely. We must all conserve energy and use it efficiently. It also ups to those of you who will want to create the new energy technologies of the future.
Fossil fuels enable human ingevnovnuity and gave rise to the Industrial Revolution. Coal-fired electricity empowers humankind's evolution in the Information Age. Humans harness earth's abundant fossil fuels resource - formed from the remains of prehistoric plant and animal life - as our primary source of energy. In a very real sense, using fossil fuels recycles the product of solar energy locked-up during photosynthesis over millions and millions of years. Whether using coal to make most of the world's electricity, petroleum as the lifeblood of transportation or, along with natural gas, as a feedstock for myriad industrial and commercial uses, fossil fuels are keys to our industrial evolution. Where Fossil Fuels Come From There are three major forms of fossil fuels: coal, oil and natural gas. All three were formed many millions of years ago during the time of the dinosaurs -- hence the name fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are made up of decomposed plant and animal matter. Plants change energy they receive from the sun into stored energy. This energy is food used by the plant. This is called photosynthesis. Animals eat plants to make energy. And people eat animals and plants to get energy to do work. When plants and dinosaurs and other ancient creatures died, they decomposed and became buried, layer upon layer under the ground. It took millions of years to form these
Renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
Renewable and non-renewable energy sources Energy resources can be described as renewable and non-renewable. Renewable energy sources are those which are continually being replaced such as energy from the sun (solar) and wind. If an energy resource is being used faster than it can be replaced (for example, coal takes millions of years to form) then it will eventually run out. This is called a non-renewable energy source. Renewable energy sources: Solar Power: Solar energy is light and heat energy from the sun. Solar cells convert sunlight into electrical energy. Thermal collectors convert sunlight into heat energy. Solar power is used in watches, calculators, water pumps, space satellites, for heating water, and supplying clean electricity to the power grid. There is enough solar radiation falling on the surface of the earth to provide all of our energy needs. Advantages Disadvantages * There is enough solar radiation falling on the earth to provide for all of our energy needs. * It is a lot cleaner than using fossil fuels and does not harm the environment. * It is good to use for heating water (Solar thermal electric generating plants) * Solar power does not store or travel well. It looses a lot of energy when done so. * At the moment, solar power is more expensive than using fossil fuelled power stations. * Solar power would only be effective in some places in
Affects of Inter and Intra Specific Competition between Wheat and Mustard plants
Ahsum Khan AD Bio C Period 0/14/09 Affects of Inter and Intra Specific Competition between Wheat and Mustard plants Abstract: A study was conducted to address the problem if interspecific competition occurs between mustard and wheat plants; and if intraspecific competition occurs within the plant species of mustard and wheat. It has hypothesized if plants of different or the same species are planted within vicinity of one another that there is a possibility of competition between them then competition will occur and one of the competitors will eventually be eliminated from that specific location. Intraspecific competition was explored for wheat and mustard plants by varying the density of plants per pot, from 2 seeds to 34 seeds. Interspecific competition was explored for wheat and mustard plants by planting several mixtures of the two species in the same pot. In addition, "control" pots containing only one plant (wheat or mustard) were planted, as well. After six weeks of occasional (daily to weekly) watering, and constant sunlight (except at night), the plants were analyzed for results (number of individuals and total biomass). Finding did not support the original hypothesis, due to the fact of interspecific competition did not eliminate the opposing species, and intraspecific competition did not eliminate the opposing competitors of the same species. Findings suggest
Fighter Pilot A Statistical Analysis of Reaction time and its Correlation with Dominant & Non-Dominant Hands
Fighter Pilot A Statistical Analysis of Reaction time and its Correlation with Dominant & Non-Dominant Hands Introduction This experiment seeks to determine reaction times in two groups of matched subjects; dominant and non-dominant hands, using the ruler drop test. Reaction time experiments are performed to measure the alertness of the mind and will give an indication of the speed of the reflexes that different groups of varied individuals have. The experiment tests how long it takes the brain to translate visual information into the voluntary motor commands, actions which lead to a ruler being grabbed. The shorter the length at which the ruler is grabbed, the shorter time and therefore the faster the person's reaction. The controls of these processes within the human body are the responsibility of the nervous system which is the seat of voluntary and involuntary movements along with language, emotion and memory. (1) The experiment begins with an environmental stimulus via light reflected from a moving ruler being dropped from a height above the subject's hand. (1) This transmits into a sensory nervous impulse within the optic nerve. Beginning in the retina of the eye, information is detected by photoreceptors (rods and cones) they relay the visual signals on to bipolar cells which transmit on to ganglion cells. (2) The axons of all ganglion cells in the retina of each
The Role of the Respiratory and Circulatory Systems in the Provision of Oxygen and the Removal of Carbon Dioxide from the Body
The Role of the Respiratory and Circulatory Systems in the Provision of Oxygen and the Removal of Carbon Dioxide from the Body The purpose of breathing is to supply a continuous supply of fresh oxygen into the body and to remove carbon dioxide. Oxygen is essential for cells to function. Blood acts as the transport mechanism for gases to move between the lungs and tissues by passive diffusion. These gases will diffuse down their pressure gradient from areas of high pressure to areas of lower pressure. Atmospheric air contains approximately 79% nitrogen and 21% oxygen plus negligible amounts of water vapour, carbon dioxide and pollutants (Boyle & Senior, 2008). Air needs to enter and leave the body in a continuous, rhythmic pattern to sustain the body. Cardiac muscles rhythmically contract and relax to empty and refill the heart; respiratory muscles also act in a rhythmic pattern to fill and empty the lungs with air. These two actions are performed involuntary - the heart by means of a pacemaker and the respiratory muscles at a brainstem level. Specialised neurones called dorsal medullary respiratory neurones produce a cycle of activity that occurs every few seconds to establish the basic routine of respiration When air is breathed in, the external intercoastal muscles, of which there are eleven on each side of the body, contract and pull the ribcage upwards and outwards
ATP or Adenosine Triphosphate.
ATP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate and is the immediate supply of energy for biological processes. The ATP consists of an organic nitrogenous base, Adenosine, which is one of the four bases found in a DNA strand, it also consists of a ribose sugar with three phosphates joined by high energy bonds. The energy itself is stored in the form of high-energy chemical bonds; this energy is released on hydrolysis, i.e. by the reaction with water, in a similar way peptide bonds are hydrolysed in proteins. ATP is adapted to is highly suited to its function and role within living organisms as it is easily broken down and is thus a store for immediate energy; it is also a small molecule and can easily move around cells and through membranes. The production of ATP is usually associated with two principalities including respiration and mitochondria. It is common knowledge that respiration, which happens in all living organisms, produces energy and is expressed by the equation of: Glucose + Oxygen Carbon Dioxide + Water + Energy Respiration can be, aerobic, occurring in an oxygenated environment or anaerobic, occurring in oxygen lacking environments. The latter producing 2 molecules of ATP and the former producing between 36- 38 ATP molecules. The energy released from the respiration of glucose is used to add inorganic phosphate to ADP, producing ATP. This is achieved by glycolysis,
To investigate the energy content of different foods.
Food for fuel Aim: To investigate the energy content of different foods. Introduction: We can show that food is a fuel by burning it, using this, we are going to investigate the energy content of four different foods; peanut, bread, pasta and a Brazil nut. Food is also a fuel in another sense. Plants and animals use food to get their energy. Different foods contain different types and amounts of energy. When food, and all other fuels (e.g. coal, oil, etc.), is burned, energy in the form of heat is transferred to it's surroundings warming them. The body's most basic need is for energy. To get energy it needs food as a fuel and oxygen to burn it. The amount of energy foods can produce is measured in units called calories. A food calorie, or kilocalorie, is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram (2.2 pounds) of water 1 degree Celsius (1.8 degrees Fahrenheit). The body changes the calories in food into energy, which is necessary for every act from blinking an eye to running a race. Energy is also used for the growing process, for rebuilding damaged cells, and for regulating body systems. The number of calories needed each day depends upon how much energy an individual's body uses. An active child can need more calories than an adult who works at a desk. The body needs more calories in cold weather to stay at an even temperature.
Succession is the progression of plant and animal species in an area from smaller simpler organisms to larger more complex organisms, eventually leading to a climax community.
Succession Introduction Succession is the progression of plant and animal species in an area from smaller simpler organisms to larger more complex organisms, eventually leading to a climax community. The climax community is reached when the species found in the area remain constant over time with few or no species being wiped out or starting to grow- there is an equal balance between births and deaths and gross primary productivity is the same as total respiration. The climax community exists as long as biotic and abiotic factors allow. Things which could devastate a climax community include forest fires and drastic changes in climate, or biotic factors like Dutch elm disease, a fungus transmitted by European and American bark beetles which killed millions of elm trees in the 1980's. The climax community arises in stages called seral stages. There are two types of succession, primary and secondary. Primary succession A primary succession is one that takes place in an area or piece of land which was not previously populated by other organisms. Examples of places where primary successions can take place include newly bared rocks, sand dunes, river deltas where fertile silt is deposited, hardened lava from a volcanic eruption or in a freshwater lake. A xerosere is the name given to a succession which begins on dry rock and the plants which grow there are called
Why is pyramid of biomass important in illustration than pyramid of numbers?
Task - Providing information about biomass; two examples of studies or research into biomass. Why is pyramid of biomass important in illustration than pyramid of numbers? Information about biomass - A biomass is a measure of the amount of living material present such as the biomass of plants in a rainforest or of worms in the soil. Biomass is expressed in units such as gm-2. These units reflect both the mass and the size of the sample. Because the amount of water in living organisms is very variable, samples are often dried, in which case the term dry biomass is used. It is not essential, however, to use dry biomass. There are some circumstances where it is far more sensible and convenient to consider fresh or live biomass. Pyramids of biomass may be expressed in terms of biomass at each trophic level. Information from: http://www.tutorvista.com/content/biology/biology-iv/ecosystem/biomass-pyramid.php "Pyramid of biomass is the graphic representation of biomass present per unit area of different trophic levels, with producers at the base and top carnivores at the tip". The total amount of living or organic matter in an ecosystem at any time is called 'Biomass'. In a terrestrial ecosystem, the maximum biomass occurs in producers, and there is progressive decrease in biomass from lower to higher trophic levels. Thus, the pyramid of biomass in a terrestrial ecosystem is
The effect of caffeine on the heart rate
The effect of caffeine on heart rate Aim: To investigate the effect of caffeine on the heart rate of Daphnia (water fleas). Introduction: Plants produce caffeine as an insecticide. Cocoa in South America, coffee in Africa and tea in Asia have all been used for hundreds of years to produce 'pick me up' drinks containing caffeine. These days, caffeine is also used as a flavour enhancer in a wide range of cola and other soft drinks. In addition, it has medicinal uses in aspirin preparations, and is found in weight-loss drugs and as a stimulant in students' exam-time favourites like Pro-plus and Red Bull. In humans, caffeine acts as a stimulant drug, causing increased amount of stimulatory neurotransmitters to be released. At high levels of consumption caffeine has been linked to restlessness, insomnia and anxiety, causing raised stress and blood pressure. This can lead to heart and circulation problems. Daphnia are small, planktonic crustaceans commonly called water fleas because of their saltatory swimming style (although fleas are insects and thus only very distantly related). They live in various aquatic environments ranging from acidic swamps to freshwater lakes, ponds, streams and rivers. Hypothesis: Caffeine will increase the heart rate of the Daphnia (water fleas). Equipment needed: * Culture of Daphnia (water fleas) * Cavity slides * Dropping pipettes *
