Download Mad Science of Colorado

And
Name
Mad Science of Colorado
7100 West Grandview Ave.
Suite #5
Arvada, CO 80002
303-403-0432
www.colorado.madscience.org
While enjoying Elitch Gardens, spend some time at each of the five Mad
Science Stations. You could win a Mad Science Party for your classroom
by completing the challenge.
Each of the stations will cover the following topics:
Sun
Wind
Water
Earth
Ecosystem Explorers
Each of the Mad Science Stations will have valuable information for each
of the topics listed above. Correctly answer the questions and receive a
special Mad Science Bead. Collect beads from each of the stations to
build your own Mad Science UV bracelet or key chain. Once you have
completed the challenge please fill out the form on the last page of this
booklet and return it to a Mad Scientist. This will enter your class into the
drawing for a Mad Science Party.
The Sun:




dwarfs all the planets in the Solar System and contains 99.8% of its mass
has a north and south pole, just as the Earth does, and rotates on its axis
is made of approximately 75% hydrogen and 25% helium
reaches temperatures of 15 million degrees Celsius in its core.
Role
A planet's distance from the Sun largely determines whether it can sustain life.
Those too close experience extreme temperature ranges, while those too far away
are so dark and cold that life cannot take hold. The light from the Sun is so intense
that even here on Earth, some 93 million miles away, it is dangerous to look at the
Sun with the naked eye.
The Sun is the dominant presence in our Solar System and the source of heat and
light that sustains life on Earth. Without its light, plants wouldn't be able to
photosynthesis and provide us with oxygen. Without solar radiation, there would be
no rain, as this owes its energy to the Sun. And without the Sun, there would be no
solar heating - which means no convection currents and no moving air in the
atmosphere.
Wind is the flow of air. More generally, it is the flow of the gases which compose an
atmosphere; since wind is not unique to Earth. Simply it occurs as air is heated by
the sun and thus rises. Cool air then rushes in to occupy the area from which the
hot air has now moved. It could be loosely classed as a convection current.
Wind has affected the development of human civilization, by expanding the range of
transport and providing a power source for mechanical work, electricity, and
recreation.
It also affects ecosystems by helping seeds travel great distances. Winds can also
shape landforms affecting their use by humans.
Bernoulli's Principle states that as the speed of a moving fluid increases, the pressure
within the fluid decreases.
There are many different types of features on Earth’s surface due to the complexity
of our planet. The surface is unique from the other planets because it is the only one
that has liquid water in such large quantities. Over 70% of the Earth’s surface is
water. Water forms some of Earth’s features including rivers, oceans, beaches and
lakes.
Water freezes at 32o Fahrenheit (F) and boils at 212o F (at sea level, but 186.4° at
14,000 feet). In fact, water's freezing and boiling points are the baseline with which
temperature is measured: 0o on the Celsius scale is water's freezing point, and 100o
is water's boiling point. Water is unusual in that the solid form, ice, is less dense
than the liquid form, which is why ice floats.
Water is unique in that it is the only natural substance that is found in all three
states -- liquid, solid (ice), and gas (steam) -- at the temperatures normally found
on Earth. Water can also convert to another state. Freezing is the transformation of
a liquid to a solid. Melting is the transformation of a solid to a liquid and
evaporation is the conversion of a liquid to a gas.
The Earth has a diameter of 12,756 km (7,972 mi). It’s
interior consists of rock and metal. It is made up of four
main layers:
1) the inner core: a solid metal core made up of nickel and
iron (1200 km diameter)
2) the outer core: a liquid molten core of nickel and iron
3) the mantle: dense and mostly solid silicate rock
4) the crust: thin silicate rock material
The Earth's Crust is like the skin of an apple. It is very thin
in comparison to the other three layers. The crust is only
about 3-5 miles (8 kilometers) thick under the
oceans(oceanic crust) and about 25 miles (32 kilometers)
thick under the continents (continental crust).
The Earth’s “skin” is made up of rock and soil. Soil begins
as rock, which is eroded by wind, rain, water movement and other processes.
This recurring process eventually breaks the rock into small particles, from
almost microscopic to easily visible pieces. Rock fragments make up about 45
percent of soil. The rock itself is an aggregate of minerals, and so are the tiny
particles. When dissolved by water (about 25 percent of soil), these minerals
become broken down to the molecular level. At this point, the minerals become
available to microbes. Add oxygen (the remaining 25 percent) and sunlight to the
brew, and the microbes are able to prosper. These microbes continue to break
down the minerals in the rock. Living, eating, digesting, evacuating, multiplying
and dying, these microbes add more nutrients into the mixture. A big component
of the cycle involves decomposers and scavengers.
Decomposers and scavengers break down dead plants and animals. They also
break down the waste (poop) of other organisms. Decomposers are very
important for any ecosystem. If they weren't in the ecosystem, the plants would
not get essential nutrients, and dead matter and waste would pile up.
An ecosystem is made up of living organisms (plants, animals and microbes) existing
together in a group or community in conjunction with the nonliving components (air,
water and soil) of their environment, interacting as a system. These components are
regarded as linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. As ecosystems
are defined by the network of interactions among organisms, and between organisms
and their environment, they can come in any size but usually encompass specific,
limited spaces (although some scientists say that the entire planet is an ecosystem).
The energy that runs through an ecosystem is obtained primarily from the sun. It
generally enters the system through photosynthesis, a process that also captures
carbon from the atmosphere. By feeding on plants and on one another, animals play an
important role in the movement of matter and energy through the system. By breaking
down dead organic matter, decomposers release carbon back to the atmosphere and
facilitate nutrient cycling by converting nutrients stored in dead biomass back to a form
that can be readily used by plants and other microbes.
This synergy or symbiosis can also be affected by changes to the system. Introduction
of new species or changes in climate can have a profound effect on an ecosystem.
Complete these questions and turn in the form below to any Mad
Scientist at the park.
1.
What is the composition of the sun?
2.
What is Bernoulli’s Principle?
3.
Where does water boil faster, in Denver or at the Beach? Explain.
4.
Why does ice float?
5.
What are the four layers of the earth?
6.
What role do decomposers have in an eco-system?
7.
How does the sun help us breathe?
STUDENT NAME
GRADE
SCHOOL NAME
TEACHER NAME
CITY
NAME OF CHILD’S SCHOOL
COMMENTS
What was your favorite Mad Science activity?