Crystal growing

During the holidays, our Science teacher instructed us to grow sugar crystals for our holiday homework. It was an interesting experiment for me. I'm going to show you the procedures I followed to grow my crystal.

Procedures

1. Put a 3:1 sugar to water ratio into a pan.
2. Heat up the pan and stir the sugar until all of it dissolves and you get a hot solution.
3. Pout the solution into a glass jar or a thermal flask.
4. Tie a string to a wooden chopstick and tie the other end of the string to a seed crystal or a metal clip.
5. Suspend the string into the solution.
6. Keep the glass jar in a place where it will not be disturbed.
7. You should get results in about 1-3 days:D

Here is a video I found on YouTube. You can refer to it if you want to grow sugar crystals.

Thanks for reading!

Personal work samples

In this blog post, I am going to show you some of my work samples. Enjoy!

Worksheet 1

Worksheet 2

This is the Science spelling test in which i got full marks:D

This test will be quite memorable as it is my first test and i got an A1

Worksheet 9

Worksheet 8

Worksheet 7

Worksheet 3

Worksheet 4

Worksheet 5

Worksheet 6

Here are some pictures from > http://benaiahhoong.wix.com/scienceporfolio

Experiment on the boiling point of water

Boiling water

Boiling water picture from above

Chemical experiment with copper sulfate (ll) crystals

Bunsen burner

Thanks for viewing!

Self directed and independent learning

A: Independent Research

Theme 1: Nature of Science

Chapter 1: Introduction to Science and Scientific Method
Topic 1: Interview with Scientist
Imagine that you are given a chance to interview any scientist from the past or present.

• Who would you choose? Give reasons for your choice.

I would choose Isaac Newton. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential scientists of all time and as a key figure in the scientific revolution. Isaac Newton formulated the laws of motion and universal gravitation,which plays a key part in the understanding of Science and dominated the scientists' view of the physical universe for the next 3 centuries.

 Prepare about 4-5 important questions that you would want to ask.

• How did you formulate the laws of motion? 
• What gave you inspiration to persevere, formulate so many laws and study so much, such as the speed of sound? 
• How difficult was it to formulate so many laws? 
• What attitudes should a good scientist show in order to succeed? 

• Now, with the list of questions, imagine yourself to be the scientist you have chosen, how
would you answer those questions.

• One good attitude a scientist should have is perseverance. I persevered and showed true determination, stuck to my beliefs and finally formulated the laws of motion. 
• I was influenced by many other great mathematicians such as Galileo and Copernicus. I was inspired to be even greater than them. I guess it's very important to dream big. 
• It was very difficult. I had to overcome many obstacles on the way. Many people criticized me and believed that everything I wrote about was nonsense. I persevered and proved them wrong. 
• A good scientist must have many good attitudes. A good scientist must be honest, perseverant, inquisitive, brave, open-minded, has a passion for learning and has a desire to improve the human condition. 

Theme 2: Measurements

Chapter 2: Physical Quantities, Units and Measuring Instrument
Topic 2: Measurement units of the past

Since the start of civilization, humans have also asked questions about the world. How far is your
cave, how heavy is a car, how long it takes to travel. Today, 95% of the world uses the metric
system, but this was not always so. A variety of measurement units have been used in the past.
Many of these are easily recognized, however, there are many that are obsolete.
For example, palm, bushel and Troy.

Who: Ancient Egyptians, Ancient Romans and Ancient Hebrews

What: The most widespread unit of measure in the ancient world was the cubit. It was based on the length of the forearm from the elbow to the tip of the middle finger. (17 - 22 in.)

When: Long before 19th Century

Where: Ancient Egypt and Ancient Rome

Why: When humans first started measuring things, they did not have universally accepted artificial measuring devices. They simply used familiar, everyday objects around them to create measuring standards.

reference: http://voices.yahoo.com/how-people-originally-measured-using-familiar-objects-4112461.html

Topic 9: Water in Singapore

Water is a very precious resource on earth. It is important to have reliable water sources to meet
Singapore demand of water. NEWater is highly purified reclaimed water. It is produced from
treated used water that is further purified using advanced membrane technologies such as reverse
osmosis.



reference: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifoU9y3Hq6J517GWSp4iUG7n87zjdz7T_RphoVFY_ZxWebuW0I3ji4QrA5ZQ2szOt9iV2aEufepg-ZiaOfNCicdgG07P2X6PncHzaHp6BJL0ol9jjxD0zjJstt9GoREdY34bIcPlV_FK4/s1600/Desalinated+Water.jpg

1. Four National taps in Singapore

1. local catchment water
2. imported water
3. NEWater
4. desalinated water

2.The R.O. water purification method involves forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane, which filters out a select number of water contaminants, depending on the size of the contaminants.

In general, if the contaminants are larger in size than water molecules, those contaminants will be filtered out. If the contaminants are smaller in size, they will remain in the drinking water. Reference: http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/reverse-osmosis-water.html.


Here is a video on Yotube about reverse osmosis.

Here are some of the benefits of using reverse osmosis to purify water

Pure and clean drinking water
Minimal maintenance
No unwanted odors or tastes
More cost effective than other water purification methods
Convenient

Theme 7: Personal Health

Chapter 7: Respiration and Circulation

Topic 13: Asthma in Singapore

Asthma is an illness that is increasing in frequency worldwide. One reason for this may be
increasing levels of air pollution.

1 and 2. The cause of asthma is poorly understood, but it may be partly inherited.Everyone's lungs are sensitive to different things such as pollen, air pollution, or strong chemicals. In simple terms, people with asthma have lungs that are more sensitive than average.

There are 3 processes in the lungs that produce asthma symptoms. First, the inner linings of the airways become inflamed. They swell up, leaving less room for air to pass through. Second, the muscles around the airways can tighten, closing them further. Finally, the airways produce mucus in response to the inflammation, clogging the shrunken tubes.

Asthma is in part an allergic response. It may be triggered by some external substance that particularly irritates your lungs. These triggers are often small protein particles called allergens. Some people are sensitive to more than one trigger. Common allergens include:
animal dander
cockroach particles
grass, tree, and ragweed pollen
house dust mites
moulds

Other people can get an asthma attack from something they swallow rather than breathe. Examples of these triggers include:
ASA* and other anti-inflammatory medications
nuts or shrimp
preservatives found in some drinks or foods

While most people develop asthma as children, adults can become asthmatic by being exposed to allergens, irritants, or occupational sensitizers for a long time. People who work with the following products may be at increased risk:
antibiotics
cotton and flax
detergents
foams and paints
grains and cereals
insulation and packaging materials

Asthma attacks can also be triggered by non-allergic irritants, such as:
laughing hard, crying, shouting
smog and smoke
strong smells (e.g., paint fumes, perfumes, cleaning products)
suddenly breathing cold air
vigorous exercise
viral infections such as the common cold or the flu
reference: http://bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=137&channel_id=2014&relation_id=94590

3. It is well understood that air pollutants often act as a trigger to make people’s asthma symptoms worse.

In 1995 the Committee on the Medical Effects of Air Pollution (COMEAP) concluded that ‘exposure to ambient concentrations of air pollutants is associated with an increase in exacerbations of asthma in those who already have the condition’, and more recent evidence has only served to confirm this.

Asthma UK, partners of the Healthy Air Campaign, say this: “Two-thirds of people with asthma tell us that traffic fumes make their asthma worse and 42% find that traffic fumes discourage them from walking or shopping in congested areas. And 85% of people with asthma tell us they are concerned about the effect that increasing vehicle fumes will have on their and their family’s health in the future.”

However, the question of whether air pollution causes asthma is still open for debate. There is some strong evidence to suggest causation. Asthma UK believe that pollution plays a role in causing asthma in children and adults, as well as being a trigger that can make people’s asthma symptoms worse. The Aphekom Study, which took the work of 60 scientists across 12 countries in Europe suggests that living near busy roads could be responsible for some 15-30 percent of all cases of asthma in children.

reference: http://healthyair.org.uk/air-pollution-and-asthma/

4. SMART Automobile rolled out Singapore’s fi rst fl eet of 100 commercially-run Mercedes-Benz CNG-petrol bi-fuel E200 NGT (Natural Gas Technology) taxis in December 2005. These bi-fuel vehicles give SMART drivers the fl exibility to run on petrol should the vehicle run out of CNG. With more environmentally-friendly modes of transport available, the public can also do their part for the environment.Besides CNG vehicles, hybrid vehicles are also increasingly popular. Toyota launched the second generation Prius in Singapore in May 2006, while the second generation Honda Civic Hybrid was launched in June 2006. Powered by a combination of petrol and electricity, hybrid cars generally consume about half the average amount of petrol compared to their conventional equivalent and emit less air pollutants. Hybrid cars have also proven that they perform well under city-driving conditions and can double the mileage attained. For example, the Toyota Prius can achieve as much as 23km per litre of petrol compared to between 10 to 12km per litre for an equivalent conventional car. As at end 2007, there were about 1,062 hybrid vehicles on our roads, which include those under the car-sharing scheme operated by Honda Diracc. With more hybrid models becoming available, car owners will be able to take advantage of the Green Vehicle Rebate to reduce their impact on the environment.

Our land transport system plays a critical role in facilitating economic development and enhancing Singapore’s attractiveness as a place to live and work. An efficient land transport system that provides good linkages to our air and seaports is crucial to firmly anchor Singapore’s economy with the rest of the world. As a small and dense city state, choosing public transport as the choice mode for day-to-day commuting ensures our city’s liveability and high quality of life. Over the next 10 to 15 years, the Ministry of Transport (MOT) aims to increase the current public transport modal share of 63% to at least 70%, so as to achieve a high quality and sustainable land transport system that is able to handle a significantly larger population base. This target, if achieved, will help ensure that Singaporeans continue to enjoy a high quality urban living environment.

However, patients with medical problems like asthma, chronic lung disease, chronic sinusitis and allergic skin conditions may experience more severe symptoms. Children and the elderly in general, may also be more likely affected. NEA closely monitors the haze situation. During severe haze conditions, the public is kept informed of the PSI at three-hourly intervals. Health authorities will also alert Singaporeans on preventive measures to take at such times. State of the Environment 2008 Report Singapore Chapter 1 p24 On the international front, Singapore has been working closely with the Indonesian local authorities as well as relevant ASEAN countries to tackle the trans-boundary smoke haze. NEA assists the Indonesian authorities in their fire-fighting efforts by providing satellite pictures of hotspots to help them locate the fires on the ground. At the 10th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on the Environment (AMME) held in the Philippines in November 2006, Singapore pledged US$50,000 to the ASEAN Haze Fund. In addition, Singapore accepted Indonesia’s invitation to collaborate with the Muaro-Jambi Regency to enhance its capacity to deal with land and forest fires.As the custodian of air quality in Singapore, NEA will sustain its initiatives and strategies to safeguard air quality. What inspires and spurs us on is our desire to ensure that generations to come will continue to enjoy clear blue skies with clean and fresh air.

Reference: http://app.mewr.gov.sg/data/imgcont/1233/016-025%20Air.pdf

B: Critical Reviews

Controlling body movement with light

Neuroscientists report that they can inhibit muscle contractions by shining light on spinal cord neurons. The main question is: How is light able to control body movements?

Neuroscientists have shown that they can control body movements by applying optogenetics to the spinal cords of animals that are awake and alert. They have done this experiment on mice. A light-sensitive protein that promotes neural activity was inserted into a subset of spiral neurons. Light was shone on the mice and their hind legs became reversely immobilized. Results have roved that they were right.

I believe that this article is an eye-opener for many. The findings offer a new approach to studying the complex spinal circuits that coordinate movements and sensor processing. This article really makes me reflect on the wonders of Science. If humans eat the light-sensitive protein and light is shone on them, will the results still be the same? Will our legs become immobilized? Nobody has tested it on humans so I'm not sure if the results will still be the same. All we know is that Science will be taking us on a roller-coaster ride.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140626122047.htm

Early life stress can leave lasting impacts on the brain.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison ave shown that for children, little bits of stress can last a long way, impacting the child's development. The question is: How does early-life stress affect a child?

A team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have shown that early-life stress, such as poverty, physical abuse and neglect can change parts of a developing child's brain responsible for learning, memory and the processing of stress and emotion. Different forms of stress can impact different parts pf the brain.

Personally, I believe the researchers are right. Children under a lot of stress have gone suicidal, and some even going crazy. I had experienced stress before during the PSLE. As a result, I had problems trying to sleep and easily got tired in class. Stress can also be health hazards when we get short-term memory loss. This article should serve as a deterrent to parents and I believe that parents would be more careful of their child after reading this article.

Article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/06/140627133107.htm
Thank you for reading!

Reflections on Science performances and experiences

Termly Science Performance
My target is to get A1 for all my Science exams.

My plan to achieve target
1. I have to listen attentively in class
2. Be an inquisitive learner
3. Ask when in doubt
4. Revise consistently
5. Persevere to ace the subject

Improvements
1. I need to read and understand the question better before understanding. To do this, I will analyse the question carefully before answering to prevent any careless loss of marks.

2. I need to understand and revise the topics more consistently and thoroughly before the exams so I will have an ease of mind when answering as I had already revised it before.

3. I need to use key words when answering the questions to prevent careless loss of marks. When answering in the common test, I did not use key words thus losing marks although I knew the answer. I will try memorizing key words found in my notes so that I can ace my tests.

Reflection on Science experiences

Name of activity: Basic lab orientation
Venue: Science lab

reference: http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/1-bunsen-burner-flame-.jpg

reference: http://www.scienceprofonline.com/images/science-image-library/microbiology/equipment/bunsen-burner-adjusting-flame-SIL.jpg

 reference:http://joashpoh.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/img_0063.jpg

What I have learnt from the activity

I learnt how to properly use a bunsen burner and how to change the flame from luminous to non-luminous and back. I learnt about the different lab equipments such as the burette and pipette and what their used for. I also learnt what to do when a "strike-back" occurs when lighting a bunsen burner. I think this activity was an eye-opener for me as this is my first time in the school lab, which is spacious and well-ventilated.

What do you like most and least about the activity?

I liked the fact that we were able to turn on the bunsen burner ourselves and observe how the flames turn from luminous to non-luminous.

I disliked memorizing the different lab equipments as there is a wide range of equipments.

What do you learn about your partner from the activity?

I learnt that my partner, Enoch, is actually a person who can project a calm demeanor when faced with adversity. We were unable to light the bunsen burner for the first few times and i was very anxious as most of my classmates have already done so. However, my partner was calm and we finally managed to light the bunsen burner.

Reflections on Science experiments

Name of activity: Making observations

Venue: Science lab

references: http://jonathonscienceblog1i3.wordpress.com/

What I have learnt from the activity

I learnt about the differences between an inference and an observation. I also learnt that when I have to make a lot of observations, it is really helpful to organize them into a table or graph for further manipulation. I learnt a lot of new terms from our Science teacher Mr Tan such as effervescence. I also learnt about the difference between mean, mode and median.

What do you like most and least about the activity?

I like observing the chemical reactions between sodium carbonate and vinegar as it was really cool to see the effervescence of the gas and the sodium carbonate dissolving.

I disliked dripping the methylated spirit on my hand as it felt cool and awkward. I did not like the feeling of it.

What did you learnt about your partner from the activity?

I realized that my partner, Enoch, is really fun and engaging. He helped me a lot with the experiments such as pouring the vinegar to a depth of 1cm, which was really hard.

Reflections on Science experiments

Name of activity: Boiling Point of water

Venue: Science lab

   

reference: http://benaiahhoong.wix.com/scienceporfolio

What I have learnt from the activity

I learnt that we should read the readings of the thermometer at eye level to prevent parallax error. I also learnt about what to do if I accidentally break the thermometer a it is hazardous and poisonous. 

What I liked and disliked about the activity

I liked watching the temperature of the thermometer rising as I found it intriguing. I could also try to plot a temperature over time graph on the thermometer.

I disliked handling the thermometer as there is mercury inside and I am afraid of breaking it.

Thank you for reading!

Issues in teaching and learning Science

Problems I faced in the learning of Science

1. I could not tell the difference between a Scientific law and a Scientific theory. To overcome this problem, I did some online research and finally understood the difference.

Scientific Law: This is a statement of fact meant to explain, in concise terms, an action or set of actions. It is generally accepted to be true and universal, and can sometimes be expressed in terms of a mathematical equation. They explain what will occur in a given circumstance.

Scientific Theory: A theory is an explanation of a set of related observations or events based upon proven hypotheses and verified multiple times by detached groups of researchers. They explain facts and, sometimes, laws.

A law governs a single action, whereas a theory explains an entire group of related phenomena.

2. I had problems with units conversion and faced difficulties in the term 2 class quiz on physical quantities. To overcome this problem, I tried worksheets on unit conversion but still had doubts on my abilities. I am still facing this problem today but I will try my very best to ace units conversion.
Here is a video found on Youtube demonstrating how to convert units easily.

 

Scientific concepts I have learnt

 

1. Organisation

2. Structure and function

3. Systems

4. Cause and effect

5. Attitudes

 

How are these knowledge and skills useful and relevant to the real world?

 

As a student, organisation is really important as I have a lot of notes. If I do not organise my notes properly, I might not be able to find it at a crucial moment such as when I need it to revise for my exams. I need to have the attitude of being meticulous so I can refer to my notes easily. I should also have the attitude of integrity by not copying my friends work. The knowledge of structure and function helps me as when my friend has a bone fracture, I will understand which part of his body is not functioning properly due to the fracture and how I can help him. Understanding systems also help me understand simplest of things such as the heat change of boiling water when ice is submerged in it.

 

What I have learnt which is beyond my textbook/notes knowledge?

1. I found out that there are 5 states of matter, 2 more than the 3 I know of. The 5 states are gaseous, liquid, solid, plasma and Bose-Einstein condensate. These further piqued my curiosity in Science and I went on to find out its structure. (Kinetic Particle Theory)

 

2. I learnt that clocks from the olden days use the concept of pendulums to tell time as the pendulum never stops swinging, so it will be able to tell time correctly. Most watches we use now use batteries and it might slow down in the future.

 

3. I learnt that the phones now are able to store 64 Giga bytes of data, some even more! That's 10^9! All that data is stored in a tiny microchip that will be inserted into the phone. This made me more interested in prefixes.

 

Fun videos:D

To watch more videos, simply click here > AsapSCIENCE

Thank you for reading! 

 

 

 



 





Solutions,suspensions and solubility

Solution
A solution is a homogeneous mixture.

• The particles of solute in solution cannot be seen by naked eye.
• The solution does not allow beam of light to scatter.
• A solution is stable.
• The solute from the solution cannot be separated by filtration (or mechanically).

Suspension

A suspension is a heterogeneous mixture.

• A particles of solute in suspension can be seen by the naked eye.
• The suspension does not allow beam of light to scatter.
• The solute from the suspension can be separated by filtration.

Solubility

The solubility of a substance is the maximum amount of that substance that will dissolve in 100g of solute at a given temperature.

References from Wikipedia 

Separation Techniques

How do you separate a liquid from a soluble solid?
How are you going to separate a liquid from an insoluble solid?
Today's blog post is about separation techniques.

Filtration
This method is used to separate a suspension into its components - the liquid and the insoluble solid. The use of the filter allows the filtrate (liquid) to pass through and retains the insoluble solid particles (residue).

Crystallisation

This method is used to separate a solution into its components - the liquid and the solute (dissolved solid). The solute is obtained in the form of pure crystals. Crystallisation can either be carried out through the rapid cooling of a saturated solution or the slow evaporation of a solution at room temperature. 

Sublimation

This method refers to the direct state change of solid to gaseous state without passing through the liquid state. This method is used to separate a mixture of solids, one of which sublimes. It may be used to obtain a pure sample of the solid which sublimes.

Magnetic separation

This method is used to separate a magnetic material from a mixture containing other non-magnetic materials. A strong magnet is held near the mixture, allowing it to attract magnetic substances while leaving a residue of non-magnetic materials.

Distillation

This method is for the separation and purification of liquids based on the differences in boiling points or volatility of the liquids.

The two main methods of distillation are:

Simple distillation, which is used to separate a pure liquid (solvent) from a solution containing dissolved solids.

Fractional distillation, which is used to separate mixtures of miscible liquids, which have widely different boiling points.

Separating funnel

This method is used to separate immiscible liquids.

Chromatography

This method is used to separate and identify small amounts of substances that are dissolved in solvents, to to determine if a sample is pure.

Thank you for watching. Videos from youtube and pictures from google.