Playing with water

When we mixed the water and salt together, we noticed adhesion. The salt clumped to the water  and preferred the water to a dry surface such as skin. It was evident that hydrogen bonds are stronger together when we tested the different ratios of salt to water. We started out testing a ratio of more salt than water and realized that the salt did not dissolve as easily. However, with more water the salt grains dissolved quicker. The salt grains became smaller which shows how water is an effective solvent. With the rope, we noticed that the water was strong enough to break the rope’s material. It separated the fibers of the rope. The fibers reminded us about the root hairs that we learned about in lecture. The rope has to overcome the surface tension in order to absorb the water. Through mass flow, the water molecules worked collectively, it was able to move through the rope. The last material we used was clay. From lecture, we learned that liquid water is more dense than solid water. We submerged a piece of clay in water and noted that the material began to break down. When we poured water over a larger piece of clay, we noticed that the water just rolled off, the clay didn't absorb the water much. The clay also changed its form. The clay became softer and more flexible. 

In this water exercise, our group divvied up the materials to experiment on. Half of us tested the effects of water on a sponge, dishwashing pad, and sand. The water absorbed fairly quickly by the sponge. This displayed an excellent example of adhesion. Water didn't change the properties of the sponge, but it definitely dampened it. If one were the squeeze the sponge, all of the absorbed water would spill out. When water was added to the dishwashing pad, there was good adhesion and cohesion that was displayed. The water stuck to the pad as well as to itself. We could see some surface tension through the pores as well. When we poured water onto the pad, a lot of the water "fell off", showing some mass flow. Finally, the sand also displayed cohesion and adhesion by the water. To the touch, the sand went from a grainy solid to a mushy liquid, despite the properties of the sand not being changed. That is the beauty of water!

Once again we noticed the power of play.We manipulate and played around with the different materials given to us. We were able to see just how strong water is and the different things it is able to do. It goes beyond just playing around with material but connects to science because we were looking for something specific. We were observing the way water worked and jotting down what we thought. For those experiment is was definitely better to work with a partner rather than alone. A partner is capable of seeing something that you may have missed. Working together, we were able to take our notes from lecture, apply them to the lab today, and deepen our knowledge of water and its properties. 

Observing the behavior of water

In this water experiment we observed mass flow through experimentation with a sponge and dishwasher pad. We filled a beaker with water, and poured it over both objects; witnessing the effects these different materials have on the flow of water. The sponge absorbed the majority of water that was poured on it, but eventually became over-saturated. Whereas, when pouring water through the dishwasher pad, the water dispersed and created a puddle underneath.

During our lecture this week we discussed the characteristics of water, and during this lab we got to observe them in action. Water coming from the faucet or out of the beaker demonstrates mass flow. Depending on what material was used, water would demonstrate adhesion to different surfaces. Surface tension explains why it would bead up on top of the different materials. Two lectures ago we discussed the different states of water. In lab today we experimented with water in its liquid state. How water was broken up after passing through different material showed its variable size and arrangement in the liquid state.

The abstract forms signals from nature can say a lot. There are endless properties of science simply by looking at nature, and the abstract forms contribute heavily to a scientific narrative. For example, when we are cooking or cleaning using water, we can use the principles of water that we have learned to understand the behind-the-scenes, scientific narratives that are at work. Furthermore, the abstract signs we can observe may lead us to raise further questions, and then the questions we raise can be answered using the emic approach learned in class.

This lab took what we learned in lecture and applied it to a hands on experience. Through this application we are actually able to see the different properties of water instead of just being lectured about it. The different activities--decision making, note taking, visualizing--involved in the experiment activates different parts of the brain. Hence, one is able to retain more information.

In terms of making the “invisible” visible, the sponges provided for this lab are a great help. By dipping a sponge in a pool of water allows us to observe the otherwise invisible mass flow. As we watched the water be absorbed by the sponge, we could apply the new knowledge we have attained about mass flow to imagine the molecules, in a state of cohesion, “climbing” against gravity and then re-forming the hydrogen bonds once within the sponge itself.

The experiments that we did today have certain constraints due to materials and environments. First the choices of materials are limited. The materials that are available for our experiments are far less than those in nature. Also we cannot create real conditions such as tide, river or waterfall. Therefore, our experiments have constraints.

Our subtopic from last week is "constraints and innovations". Although water has no life, we can consider it as a form of evolution. When we pour water on dishwashing pad, sponge, and beaker; we observe that water will change its physical shape to flow through the space as a whole group (It's still in liquid form and water molecule itself doesn't change).

All work, no play?

An insightful and carefully crafted post by my NS 202 students.....

People play in many different ways. Most often, people like to play with others, whether its your friends, parents, kids, pets, siblings, or your imaginary friend is unimportant. You can play with toys or use your imagination to play a make-believe game. Either way, whenever you play you make some pretty interesting discoveries. If you’re playing “house” for example, you take on imaginary roles that you otherwise wouldn’t experience at that point in your life. You discover what it’s like to have the responsibilities of that role and it enhances your understanding of the world. If you’re playing with legos then you discover basic architectural laws. For example, you discover that you need to build from the bottom- up, and you need a strong foundation for the rest of your building.

                     

            Not only do you discover incredible things during playtime that will stick with you and come in handy in the future, but you also come across some things that are surprising. When you’re playing with your dog and it bites you, it’s surprising. Of course, it’s not a pleasant surprise but it’s good to learn early on that not all surprises are good. But you can learn from those surprises. When your dog bites you, you know that you did something that was unfavorable, and you become better adapt to handling dogs and other animals, as well.

                       

            During playtime, your brain gets excited and stimulated. You use parts of your brain during playtime that you don’t use during other times, such as your imagination. Imagination and creativity can enhance your learning process and it can show you that learning doesn’t always have to be hard, boring work. Unlike popular opinion, there is no one way to learn. It doesn’t have to involve sitting obediently at a desk while your teacher throws information at you. Sitting at a desk can actually be counterintuitive to learning important skills that traditional schooling doesn’t teach you.

                     

            To be successful in life, you must, for instance, have problem solving skills which are developed on the playground more often than in a classroom. When you’re playing with your friends and you run into a problem, you have to solve that problem or stop playing. And no one wants to stop playing, so you’re really only left with one option. Solve the problem.

            Today in lab, we had to build a planar molecule as a group. Obviously, as is true 

whenever you work in a group, we ran into some problems, for example, some people got bored and wanted to create cool sculptures outside of the guidelines. Others were very focused, and got annoyed with people who were having too much fun. Creativity and focus shouldn’t be a bad thing, but sometimes too much of it can be. We realized that if we mesh the focus of some group members with the creativity of others, we could be successful and achieve the perfect balance of the two.

Constraints and innovations with the coolest, most innovative people

....Another post by my NS202 people


Natural constraints aren't only bad things. They simply shape the way in which the system is able to grow and develop. The constraints are what guided our zometools into the shape that it eventually evolved into. However, we were restrained in terms of creating a shape due to the strength and shapes of the materials. Because there were only a certain set of lengths of lines, we had to make sure we positioned the balls in appropriate ways. Additionally, we worked with our constraints to make the model a complete body (rather than small, awkward parts). As we formed one giant organism and became more familiar with our constraints, we were able to evolve and work more efficiently.

                                               

Because nature (and the external environment) is always evolving, there is no "final product" in nature. All organisms are constantly evolving to become more adapted and efficient in the ever-changing environment. The constraints that we faced during this process were not all visible ones. The thinness of the materials and the size of the task is clearly visible, but things like time, actual strength, alignment, and other challenges come about.

                                                

An innovation that we have discovered is the innovation of zometools. Humans created these as a tool for teaching and exploring the world in which we live. Human's unwavering sense of curiosity causes us to innovate daily as we invent new tools some of which, like zometools, are used to learn even more!

Bioinspiration

.....Another interesting post from my NS 202 students.....

After viewing today's lab and seeing the constraints in building our molecules, it is easy to see the connection made with nature. In the lab, we had to build a molecule with limiting factors such as the shape, size and lack of flexibility of certain pieces. Also, we began by each individually building a part of the larger structure, and putting it all together proved challenging because each individual had a different approach to building their piece.      

 

                    

When humans design buildings, for example, they need to take into account similar constraints, like weather, foundation, and natural disasters. The freeze thaw phenomenon is an example of a constraint that can affect humans design systems. This phenomenon affects architecture made of materials such as stone or rock because if a crack develops and water seeps through the cracks and eventually freezes, the hydrogen bods will expand, causing the stone construction to destabilize.  

                   

In order to prevent these types of catastrophic scenarios in which human beings would be put at risk, we should look towards nature to develop new technologies and harness new resources. For example, similar to our lab in which we created a flexible molecule, developers should rely on a more appropriate weather materials specific to their region and country. In a real life situation, Floridian homes experience extreme flooding causing developers to create new infrastructures for housing in which they need to elevate their homes. 

                      

In conclusion, people should look towards nature and those resources as a way to combat real life problems. Different locations offer new challenges and new resources that can deter constraints. Basic labs like today help us find inspiration for complicated problems. 

Different views of molecular structure

Here's a post my students wrote last evening as our lab was just finishing up.

Playing with zometools is similar to playing with legos. Having a hands-on experiment, it has helped us to relate when building these types of models, there is no set rule or process. Today professor Hammer presented our group with the opportunity to build a model with couple of rules in mind: NO LINES, to cover the whole table and to have no flat lines. Our group took a general approach on planning our build. We decided to separate our tasks into different “sectors” to promote efficiency and stability of our model. While this may seem like a non-productive activity compared to the normal labs we have, we still have to work together as a group and figure out a way to put all the pieces together and make sure the entire product does not break apart when we lift it up.

         

After we completed the structure we attempted to raise our final product. With haste, Professor Hammer came to the rescue and took some quick pictures and videos demonstrating the structure’s strength before it fell apart. Although a couple bonds broke apart, our structure was still very well put together. This was because we made sure to connect as many parts together as we possibly could. In relating this to the biological world, there are always imperfections but there are also ways and solutions to fix those imperfections. We also realized that our complex structure kind of resembled a termite tunnel system. Each bond represents a pathway just like the pathways of a termite tunnel.

                         

To relate this lab work to our lecture today we thought about the covalent bonds formed between hydrogen and oxygen atoms in a water     molecule and the hydrogen bonds formed between the negative and positive ends of several water molecules. This lab has reinforced the concept that not all molecules have an exact shape and size. The structure we created was similar to hydrogen bonds because our model has different lengths and variations and could not remain stable under a lot of movement. This could be implied to the different states of water: gas, liquid and solids.

In conclusion, this lab has provided us with the opportunity to understand the properties of water in a different perspective and how molecules do not have a specific size and shape. We put them in different shapes so that it would be easier for us to learn them.