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The Three Gorges Dam is the largest hydro-electric dam in the world. Yet questions abound over environmental and social issues, not to mention the logistic problems of moving ships up and down the river. An ingenious system of ship locks has gone towards solving that problem, echoing the techniques of Banaue farmers in the Philippines who mastered the art of managing water over two thousand years ago.
(Source: DCMP)
The Timeblazers go on an adventure through the ages to see how inventions are born and how each one-big or small- has the potential to significantly alter the course of history. For example, if it hadn't been for the invention of the primitive "wheel," the locomotive wouldn't have been invented. And without the locomotives, highways, overpasses, underpasses, on ramps, off ramps, traffic lights, rules of the road, or brakes wouldn't have been invented!
Wind is a natural resource that is readily available and virtually everywhere. Humans have been harnessing the power of the wind for around 2,000 years. The Dutch made the windmill famous. Defines the process of turning the kinetic energy of the wind into electrical energy. Shows how the large wind turbines are built using a simplistic design and modern technology. Explores how the use of wind power is growing and becoming widely used throughout the world.
Part of the "A 3-D Demonstration" series. Investigates the application and limitations of Ohm's Law. Describes series circuits and parallel circuits. Using equivalent resistance, practical exercises are developed in the application of Ohm's Law to series circuits, parallel circuits, and circuits of greater complexity. Specific modules include Ohm's Law, Series Circuits, Series Calculations, Parallel Circuits, Parallel Calculations, and Complex Circuits. Correlates to all National CTE Organizational Standards (including the provisions of the Perkins Act).
Part of the "A 3-D Demonstration" series. Presents both the theory of electric circuits and basic practical methods of managing circuits safely. Investigates the benefits and dangers of ground circuits together with safety devices, such as fuses and ground fault interrupters. Introduces the concept of electric resistance. Specific modules include Completing a Circuit, Fuses, Circuit Breakers, Ground Circuits, Ground Faults, Ground Fault Interrupters, Resistance, and Electrical Resistance. Correlates to all National CTE Organizational Standards (including the provisions of the Perkins Act).
Solar power is defined as the energy produced by converting sunlight into heat or electricity. It is one of the most abundant and affordable sources of energy available. However, it is difficult to harness (and even impractical) in some parts of the world, so it is important to explore the process of converting sunlight to power. Shows three primary ways to produce solar power on a large scale: solar power–generating plants, photovoltaic cells, and solar thermal heaters.
For centuries, land travel was restricted to how fast and far humans or animals could walk. In the 19th century, the invention of the bicycle transferred human energy to a set of wheels. During the Industrial Revolution, the invention of the steam engine led to the railroad, a change in transportation that created the tourist industry. In the early 20th century, the invention of the automobile forever changed how humans travel, and with the assembly line, Henry Ford forever changed how goods are manufactured.
With support from the National Science Foundation, Center Director Doug Keszler and his team in the College of Science at Oregon State University are developing the next generation of electronic circuits, starting with the basic computer chip. In the manufacturing process, they want to replace bulky carbon compounds with metal oxides, in order to put more transistors onto a chip. The new process would be cleaner, faster and cheaper. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
Students design and build magnetic-field detectors and use them to find hidden magnets in this activity from "Design Squad Nation." They also learn how NASA uses magnetometers to learn what is going on inside a planet or moon. As they build their magnetic detectors, they use the engineering design process, apply a variety of science concepts, and learn how a planet's or moon's magnetic field gives NASA scientists insights into its structure. Part of the "Design Squad Nation" series.
Modern society is very much defined by its access to electricity. What if researchers could advance sustainable energy technologies to the point where everyone around the world had access to clean, cheap energy sources? Richard Smalley, 1996 Nobel Prize winning chemist, called it the greatest challenge facing the world in the 21st century and coined the phrase "terawatt challenge." Researchers at the Quantum Energy and Sustainable Solar Technologies (QESST) Center are hoping to meet much of the terawatt challenge with solar technology alone by vastly improving the performance of photovoltaic cells. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
To change a spacecraft's speed and direction, NASA engineers use a planet's or moon's gravity, a process called a "gravity assist." In this video, students design and build systems that use magnets to control the speed and direction of a rolling ball. As they build their systems, they use the engineering design process, apply a variety of science concepts, and learn how NASA spacecraft use gravity to help them explore the solar system. Part of the "Design Squad Nation" series.
Revolutionary technologies now make it possible to harness a completely renewable energy resource-the natural power of the sea. Explores ways that electric power can be drawn from tidal forces or from fluctuations in ocean currents. Highlights several innovations, including a tide-driven rotor off the coast of Cornwall in the United Kingdom, a multi-rotor locks system in the English Channel, an OTEC (i.e., ocean-thermal energy conversion plant) in southern Japan, and another OTEC facility in Hawaii. Commentary from the inventors, designers, and managers of these systems is included along with animation that illustrates how each mechanism works.
Timeblazers Sam and Jen meet some geniuses of the past, including Nicholas Copernicus, the first to map out the Solar System; William Shakespeare and his magnificent Globe Theatre; Benjamin Franklin, a great inventor, printer, and philosopher; Thomas Edison, who invented the first practical incandescent light bulb; Eratosthenes, who used a stick to figure out the size of the earth and that the planet was round; Plato, a great philosopher and thinker; Jean-Francois Champollion, who unlocked the mystery of the Rosetta Stone; Magellan, who was the first to sail around the world; and the "Renaissance Man," Leonardo da Vinci.
The rate of a chemical reaction is affected by a number of factors, including temperature and the concentration of reactants at the beginning of the reaction. While the chemical equation may show reactants turning into products as a straightforward process, it is actually involved and precise. How exactly do reactants turn into products? Sometimes, the answer is as simple as two atoms bumping into each other and forming a bond. Most of the time, however, the process is much more complex. Controlling the rate of reactions has implications for a variety of applications, including drug design and corrosion prevention. Part of the series Chemistry: Challenges And Solutions.
There’s a new renewable energy player in town, and it’s about to make waves in the industry. Despite its massive potential as a source for renewable energy, the ocean is unlikely to contribute meaningfully to electricity supplies without dramatic, innovation-driven reductions in the cost of energy conversion. That’s where engineers Balky Nair, Rahul Shendure, and Tim Mundon come in with their company, Oscilla Power. With support from the National Science Foundation, they’re developing a utility-scale wave energy harvester called the Triton. This technology shows promise as a means for delivering utility-scale electric power to the grid at a price that is competitive with conventional fossil or renewable technologies. Part of the National Science Foundation Series “Science Nation.”
Part of the "A 3-D Demonstration" series. Explores the basic principles behind the operation of AC and DC motors. Explains how one or more fixed magnets, either permanent or electromagnetic, can cause linear movement or rotation of a current-carrying wire. A hand rule is developed to predict motor force. Motor torque is explained as a prelude to the practical design of a direct current motor. Specific modules include Motors and Magnets, Current and Magnet Interaction, Left-Hand Rule, Motor Force, Motor Torque, and DC Motors. Correlates to all National CTE Organizational Standards (including the provisions of the Perkins Act).
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A collection of simulations from PhET.
A collection containing 15 resources, curated by Charles LaPierre
