How Do Our Ears Work?

There are three parts of the ear: the outer, middle and lower ear. These parts work together to capture the vibrations of sound that travel through the air.  When you hear something such as your best friend's voice calling your name. The vibrations that make up your name travel through your ear canal to you ear drum. the ear drum is what magnifies the vibrations.  the waves travel across three little bones, into your ear to the snail shell looking organ called the cochlea. Inside the cochlea is a part that acts as the "reader" of the sound. The cochlea is covered in little hairs that read the sound of your name. Once the Cochlea has done its job, then the sound goes to your brain and you recognize that your friend is calling your name. This is why it is bad to listen to loud music or any sort of sound without hearing protection. Loud noises cause the little hairs to die and weakens your ear drum. So even if ear plugs are annoying, it's better to be safe with protection!

 

Image courtesy of http://bbs51.org/parts-of-the-ear/

When We "Lose" Fat, Where Does It Go?

This is an excellent question! We all know that a healthy diet and exercise is the best way to lose weight. But where is the weight going? How can fat just "burn away?"

Our cells are the parts of our bodies that store fat. This fat is stored in a couple of different forms. One of the main forms is called a triglyceride. When you exercise, your body needs energy which it finds from either food or the fat that is stored in your body. When your body takes the energy from your fat, it breaks it down and releases it into your blood stream. This sounds pretty gross buy its actually normal. These little pieces of fat are transferred to other cells in your body (much like sugar is) and is then combined with oxygen. The oxygen helps turn the fat into Carbon Dioxide and ENERGY. 

Your body uses the energy and the carbon dioxide is exhaled through your respiratory system. So essentially you are EXHALING YOUR FAT!! 

Homeschool Science Ocean Currents

Ocean Currents

Adapted from www.education.com

Objective:

 Learn about how the global conveyor transports ocean water around the world.

The purpose of this experiment is to simulate the global conveyor on a small scale and to observe the effects of wind, density and temperature of water movement.

Research Questions:

• What is the path that ocean currents take?
• What affects the flow of water in the oceans?
• Why are ocean currents important for the health of the oceans and the marine life in them?
• What would happen if there were no ocean currents?

 

Background:

Though there are different oceans in the world, they share the same currents. Pollution that affects one ocean can travel into another ocean. Ocean currents are effected by temperature, wind, and other factors.

  Materials:

• Food dye
• A large glass baking dish
• A bowl that, when turned upside-down inside the baking dish, blocks most of the water flow from one side of the dish to the other. This dish should not take up more than 1/3 of the total volume of the baking dish
• Two tea candles
• Two bricks
• An ice cube tray
• Salt
• Dried herbs, such as basil
• (optional) a small electric fan

Experiment:

1. Make fresh water ice cubes to simulate the polar ice caps. Start by filling an ice cube tray with water.
2. Drop 3 drops of blue food dye into each compartment and mix thoroughly.
3. Allow the ice to freeze completely (at least 4 hours).
4. Fill the glass baking tray about 2/3 full with water.
5. Place 10-15 drops of red food dye in the water.
6. Place 5 tablespoons of salt in the water.
7. Place 3 Tablespoons of dried herbs in the water (these will represent the nutrients on the bottom of the ocean.)
8. Mix everything in the water thoroughly. The water should be pink but still transparent.
9. Place the baking dish on top of the bricks so that it is balanced high enough off the counter so that the tea candles fit underneath.
10. Allow the water to settle completely. Most of the herbs should sink to the bottom. The salt will remain dissolved, though the water may be slightly saltier on the bottom (this is okay because the oceans are like this, too).
11. Place the bowl upside-down in the center of the baking dish, creating two oceans.
12. Place the tea lights under the baking dish near the center and at opposite edges of the bowl. These will help make the water warmer at the “equator” of your baking dish.
13. Place 12 ice cubes in the water. Try to keep them on the edges to the “north and south poles” of the baking dish.
14. Light the candles.
15. Observe the flow of the water. It may take a while for the current to start up.
16. Draw a picture that shows the flow of the water. You should be able to watch the movement through the movement of the herbs and the movement of the fresh, blue water, as it mixes with and moves along the red salt water.
17. (optional) Repeat steps 1-16 and add a small fan to create a surface current.
18. (optional) Observe the changes in the currents caused by the fan.

References:

• http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/gl/Global_conveyor_belt
• http://www.windows2universe.org/earth/Water/circulation1.html
• http://climate.nasa.gov/kids/bigQuestions/oceanHappening/