The James Webb Telescope is readying for a universal chemistry experiment. Once operational, Webb will split the light from targets that it observes into spectra, which measures the amount of light within specific electromagnetic wavelengths. This information will shed light on mass, temperature and chemical compositions of galaxies and exoplanets. The James Webb Space Telescope is designed … Continue reading James Webb Telescope Ready To Examine The Chemistry Of The Universe
The Basics of the Periodic Table
Perhaps the most famous diagram in science and a chemist’s best friend is the periodic table, created in 1869 by Russian chemist, Dmitri Mendeleev. The periodic table organizes every fundamental atom according to their valence electron numbers, size, type, electronegativity, and much more. The first 92 elements on the periodic table are naturally occurring, the … Continue reading The Basics of the Periodic Table
The Fundamentals of the Protein Molecule
Proteins make up approximately 55% of the dry mass of a human cell. They perform an uncountable number of tasks that help keep an organism alive. Because of this, proteins are often called the cellular machinery or the muscle of the cell. Calling them the muscle of the cell is kind of funny, as they … Continue reading The Fundamentals of the Protein Molecule
James Web Space Telescope Arrives at Final Orbital Destination
NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope has reached its final orbital destination. It is an orbital place in space referred to as "L2," or the "Second Lagrange Point." If all goes well the most sophisticated space observatory ever built will spend 20 years or more peering into deep space, providing us with an unprecedented look into … Continue reading James Web Space Telescope Arrives at Final Orbital Destination
Observations of the Rate of Leaf Disc Photosynthesis in Solution
Objective The objective of this experiment was to measure the rate of photosynthesis at different concentrations of CO2. To determine this, leaf discs were placed in different solutions of bicarbonate and their flotation times were measured. Procedure To begin, 30 leaf discs were extracted from spinach leaves using hole punchers. It was made sure that … Continue reading Observations of the Rate of Leaf Disc Photosynthesis in Solution
Observations of the Respiration Rate in Small Organisms
Objective The objective of this experiment was to use respirometers to measure the total volume of oxygen consumed by small organisms during respiration. The data obtained for volume would then be used to calculate the metabolic rate. Procedure Six tablets of potassium hydroxide (KOH) were placed at the bottom of a large test tube. A … Continue reading Observations of the Respiration Rate in Small Organisms
Observations of Osmosis in dialysis tubes and Potato Samples
PurposeThis was a two part study with a purpose to observe different aspects of osmosis. The purpose of part one was to determine the permeability of different substances to dialysis tubes. The purpose of part two was to determine what concentration of sucrose created an isotonic environment for a certain potato mass and determine its … Continue reading Observations of Osmosis in dialysis tubes and Potato Samples
Analysis of the Effects of Indole-3-Acetic-Acid on Mitosis of Onion Cells
ObjectiveThe purpose of this experiment was to determine the effect of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), a plant growth hormone, on the mitosis of onion root cells. It was hypothesized that the presence of IAA would increase the number of onion root cells undergoing division. Molecular structure of Indole-3-acetic acid (credit: Google Images) ProcedureTwo plastic cups were … Continue reading Analysis of the Effects of Indole-3-Acetic-Acid on Mitosis of Onion Cells
SENTRY II, NASA’s New Asteroid Monitoring System Is Now Online
The new system will improve the capabilities of NASAs JPL’s Center to monitor asteroids and their impact risks as they approach earth. Astronomers have discovered close to 30,000 near-earth asteroids to date and continue to discover more at a rate of roughly 3,000 new objects each year. As technology advances so does our instrumentation and … Continue reading SENTRY II, NASA’s New Asteroid Monitoring System Is Now Online
The Basics of One Dimensional Motion
One dimensional motion is built upon four very important measurements: velocity, time, displacement, and average acceleration. Before jumping into the discussion on these measurements, it should be made known that all of these measurements, except for time, are vectors. Vectors are measurements that describe both magnitude (size or value) and direction. The other type of … Continue reading The Basics of One Dimensional Motion
Exploring Science 