Posts Tagged ‘science’

Hybrid Electric Engines: Some Information

August 19th, 2010

Have you ever wondered about hybrid cars? They definitely look stylish and modern, but what is it about them that makes them so different and so special? After all, many cars look the same these days, do they not? They are all designed by computer to be aerodynamic and aerodynamic is aerodynamic, so they all end up looking indistinguishable to anyone who is not an aficionado.

Well, the fact is that the distinction between a hybrid car and a normal car lies under the bonnet. There are various types of hybrid vehicles as well, but the most common kind has a hybrid electric engine. Therefore, you could say that what makes hybrid cars special from most other, ordinary cars is their engine.

Or engines actually, because hybrid electric cars essentially have two engines. One, the internal combustion engine, runs on gasoline, LPG or diesel and the other, the electric motor, runs off electricity stored in an array of heavy-duty batteries. On the other hand, ordinary cars only have an internal combustion engine. It is a good idea to investigate these two types of engine separately.

First of all the electric motor. Electrical energy is generated by several components on the car and stored in a large bank or array of heavy-duty batteries. The electricity is created by the turning of the internal combustion engine, just as with a standard car, when it is in use, but also by the wheels or / and the car’s braking system. Different models have different methods of creating this electricity, but they are all very hi-tech and very effective.

When the car’s internal computers determine that the car no longer needs the power of the internal combustion engine, it will turn it off and switch to the electric motor instead. The conditions where this might happen are, for example, when you are driving slowly in inner-city traffic, when you are cruising at moderate speed on a flat road or when you are going down hill. This saves a significant amount of fuel, which is obviously a great saving to you.

However, there are times when you need more power than the batteries can give you, for instance, when accelerating hard, when overtaking or when climbing a hill. At times such as these, the electric motor will close down and the combustion engine will take over and start supplying power to the accelerator and electricity to the batteries. When the need for extra power has ceased, the batteries will take over again.

These decisions are all taken by the hybrid electric vehicle’s (HEV’s) on board computer system and you will not notice much other that a surge of power or a quietening of the propulsion system. This works very well in most scenarios, but some drivers of HEV’s would like to have a manual override for abnormal circumstances, such as an undulating landscape.

All in all, cars with hybrid electric engines work very well at reducing fuel bills but they are still too expensive to be much more than a gimmicky toy and a salve to the conscience for the well-to-do.

Owen Jones, the author of this article writes on many topics, but is currently involved with hybrid electric engines. If you would like to know more or check out some great offers, please go to our website at New Hybrid Vehicles.

Calendars – Why They Can Be A Bit Out

July 28th, 2010

Thousands of years ago, ancient Greek astronomers calculated that the track of the Earth’s axis is constantly, even if in a very slow way, shifting in a uniform pattern. The change is very similar to the manner a spinning top slowly leans one way and then another as it slows down. It is a wobble that occurs as its axis changes direction.

This odd movement of the planet is due to several factors, the most important of which is something called ‘precession’. Precession stems from the fact that the Earth is not a perfect globe. It is in fact about twenty-seven miles longer about the Equator that it is about the Poles. The Earth then is oblate, or fat around the middle like middle-aged spread, but it is due to the rotation not to its age.

If you imagine the Earth with its Poles off centre. Then rotate that image and you will find that any point, except the very centre of the axis, will move in a circle. But very, very slowly. So slowly that it takes 26,000 years to go full circle and get back to where it started from.

This point then, any point you choose, is very gradually shifting its location in relation to the stars because the axis is gyrating too. The result of this is that, what we call the North Star (formally known as Polaris, which is in fact one degree off true North) will not be over our North Pole one day. In fact, by about 15,000 AD, Vega will be almost above the North Pole, although it will be about four degrees off true North. But even this will not endure, and by 28,000 AD, Polaris will be back above where it is nowadays.

One of the effects of the precession is that seasons vary. They modify the dates that they take place, so that Summer could come earlier or later. The amazing thing about our calendar is that it is corrected for that (with the leap year). If it were not, the vernal or Spring equinox would shift over 13,000 years from March 21st to September 21st., which is the date of the autumnal equinox, precisely half a year later.

It is for this reason that the precession of the Earth is generally referred to as the “Precession of the Equinoxes”. Although the precession of the equinoxes is very slow, it can be readily observed. The correct year of 325.25 days is the length of time from one vernal equinox to the next vernal equinox, however, it takes 20 minutes and 24 seconds longer for the Sun to appear in precisely the same place with relation to the stars behind it over the same period. This is why accurate star maps have to be stamped with the exact time and date to which they refer.

Owen Jones, the author of this piece, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

Calendars And How To Understand Them

July 14th, 2010

The calendar is such a routine, everyday thing, but how much do you actually know about the operation of it. Why is it like that?

A DAY: The Earth turns at a reasonably steady speed about the imaginary line running between the North and South Poles named the Earth’s Axis. The time it takes to spin once is called a ‘rotation’ and this takes just under twenty-four hours. Nevertheless, because the Earth is constantly travelling around the Sun, the precise time from noon one day to noon the next is 3 minutes 56 seconds longer and this makes a day almost precisely twenty-four hours in length.

The actual time from noon to noon differs depending where the Earth is on its celestial course around the Sun, but if you average the days in a year out, it comes to precisely twenty-four hours.

A YEAR: All nine planets in our solar system move around the Sun in approximately perfectly circular routes called orbits. Each trip around the Sun is called a revolution and all the planets orbit around the Sun in the same direction. The direction the Earth takes can be verified by noting its location against the background stars.

In view of the fact that you cannot see the Sun and the stars at the same time, it is obligatory to note the location of the Sun in the morning and the see which stars come out there in the night. You will see that the Sun seems to pass through the twelve constellations of the zodiac during a year.

Earth’s journey around the Sun, which looks like the Sun traveling through the zodiac takes about 365.25 days. This is different from year to year, so astronomers add or delete a second in some years to keep their time accurate with the Earth’s motion.

THE SEASONS: The seasons indicate the change in the pattern of daylight over the span of a year. Because the Earth is tilted off centre, different parts of it get different quantities of sunlight on different stages of its path around the Sun, a path that we call a year. So, between approximately the 21st September and late March, the Earth’s Northern Hemisphere is tilted away from the Sun, which creates Autumn and Winter, giving less than twelve hours of daylight per day.

From April to the 20th September, the Northern Hemisphere receives more than twelve hours of daylight a day, creating Spring and Summer. The exact opposite happens in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Equinoxes occur at the points in the year when there is precisely twelve hours of sunlight and darkness in the day. So, the vernal or Spring equinox is on or around the 21st March and the autumnal equinox is on or around the 21st September. Summer officially commences on the day with the greatest amount of daylight, the 21st June or summer solstice.

The winter solstice occurs on the shortest day, the 21st December. ‘Solstice’ is a combination of two words meaning ’sun standing still’ and the days are so called because they are the days when the apparent movement of the Sun reaches its limits and reverses course again.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with researching Franklin planner pages. If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

The Energy Crisis And Hybrid Cars

June 10th, 2010

It is said that not enough people are doing enough to fight against the energy crisis. Hybrid cars can help, but definitely not enough people are driving them. Here are a few issues related to the energy crisis and how hybrid cars can help.

The U.S. isn’t doing enough really. The United States consumes more fossil fuels than any other country in the world. However, most people believe that all of our energy problems can be solved if we would only look further into the oil deposits in Alaska or if we made full use of the recent oil discovery in the Gulf of Mexico.

Hybrid cars can have the result of us not having to consume other sources of energy to maintain economic growth. Hybrid cars won’t cause Americans to consume an excessive amount of fossil fuel. Rather, hybrid cars make Americans use less fossil fuel.

Fuel consumers just accept increasing fuel prices. People used to care that gas prices are much higher now than they were a few years ago. Now, however, people just take the higher prices in their stride. Furthermore, in the meantime, vehicles are getting bigger and bigger. Car manufacturers are making trucks and SUV’s, which consume more fuel at the higher prices.

These vehicles use more gas, but you wouldn’t believe just how many people won’t give up their petrol-guzzling SUV. Hybrid vehicles do eventually cost their owners less to own than conventional vehicles do. So there is no need to worry about settling for being over-charged by the oil companies.

Soon there could be an end to the “cheap oil period”. Soon, we could all be in over our heads, because not only will we be in an energy crisis, but in a peak oil crisis as well. During this peak oil crisis, there will be gas shortages and natural gas shortages too. The major countries will be forced to compete against one another for whatever small amount of oil remains.

Therefore, everyone may have some problems, and countries may have to compete for who gets oil and who does not. The peak gas crisis can be put off, if more people just drove hybrid vehicles. Hybrid vehicles ensure that people are not always having to be searching for fuel. Furthermore, there are advances being made to hybrid technology all the time.

The plug-in hybrid vehicles, for example, might not need oil at all one day. So, just in case we do have an energy crisis, Americans should really be using the meantime to get their heads together in order to find a solution to the oil crisis in America. Hybrid vehicles are the way to beat the energy crisis, and if countries still want to fight each other over petrol, at least America will know they tried to slow the impending crisis by investing in hybrid vehicles.

So, there you have it then. America’s mass adoption of hybrid cars would make it so that Americans need less fuel. But Americans also have yet to gain from the huge amount of money being made from the manufacture of hybrid vehicles. The majority of popular hybrid vehicles come from Japan. Therefore, Americans need to bring that money back into the country by making hybrids at home and do something about the current energy crisis at the same time.

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How To Study

May 28th, 2010

Any of you who have taken a class like anatomy, or chemistry, know how hard it is. I started taking these classes when I was an underclassmen in college. It has hard for me to balance school, with my social life, and my sport. It seemed like every other class was easy for me to study for, except for anatomy. My roommates were also in this class with me, but they all studied differently than I did. We then decided to put all of your studying techniques together to make the ultimate study plan for any challenging class.

First:

Find a study group. My roommates and I studied together, and it worked! If you have people to study with it will help. Using the study guide as a tool to divide up amongst your group will help a lot, encause then one person doesn’t have to spend all their time filling out the who study guide. The faster you can get the study guide done, the quicker you will be able to move onto actually learning the material.

Second:

Be organized. This is the most important part when trying to study for a test, especially if its classes such as anatomy or chemistry. Once you have finished the study guide and know what is on the test, organize your notes into chapter by chapter order. Separately take down and re-write the important notes. If you keep writing down the notes over and over again it will help you apply what you have learned by doing something other than looking at the paper for hours.

Three:

Understand the pictures. If you are learning about the human body it is almost pointless if you don’t know where the certain functions are taking place. My advice is to understand all the diagrams and pictures before you start to learn about what is going on. Therefore you will visualize what is going on in the actual spot that it is happening in.

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Electric Hybrid Cars

May 27th, 2010

There are various modes of travel that people can use. Among those is the electric hybrid car. The various makes of electric hybrid car allow people the choice of having a stylish looking vehicle which at the same time conserves fuel.

Additionally, the environment benefits from less pollution from these electric hybrid cars. The types of hybrid cars which you will see included in the range of electric hybrid cars will be the popular SUVs, sports cars and pick-up trucks. You will be able to see those latest electric hybrid cars which are due to come on to the market. As there are many types of electric hybrid cars you should look to see if there are any performance reviews available.

This knowledge will help guide you when you are trying to make up your mind about which electric hybrid car to buy. You will need to realize that some of the electric hybrid cars will not be that easy to repair or have their parts replaced. This is one factor that you should keep in mind while you are shopping for the electric hybrid car that suits you.

There will be times when you will not be able to find the exact model of electric hybrid car that you want. In order to diminish this frustration, make a list of several different electric hybrid car types, (include some of the best known electric hybrid car types).

You may also want to make a list of the most important qualities that you are looking for from an electric hybrid car. Don’t forget that you ought to visit the car showrooms to inspect the electric hybrid car of your dreams, as I’m sure you would appreciate seeing what sort of hybrid vehicles are available before you purchase one.

Since there will be times when you will not be able to see details of all of the cars which can be bought, you should find some way of getting this information. Of the different ways that you can look up the many models of electric hybrid car, the Internet can provide you with pictures, descriptions and reviews of the different makes of electric hybrid car. You can access information for the current stable of hybrid Honda cars or the previous models. Among the many details that you can find are the seating, safety and engine specifications of these hybrid cars.

There are, as you can guess, many different kinds of hybrid car on the forecourts. These will, for the most part, be from the well-known car ,manufacturers. You will find that Honda, which is a world-famous manufacturer of cars using modern technology has their own versions of hybrid cars as well. One of their most popular hybrid cars with the general public is the electric hybrid car.

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Holy Days In Christianity

April 22nd, 2010

Christmas – is the celebration of Jesus’ birthday. Although the precise date of his birth is unknown, December 25th was probably selected because it coincided with a pagan mid-winter festival. The ‘Twelve Days Of Christmas” mark the days between Christmas and Epiphany (January 6th), which was the day of the wise men’s visit.

Easter – is the most important day in the Christian calendar, because it celebrates Christ’s Resurrection, which gave / gives Christians the hope of salvation and eternal life. Easter always falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the vernal (Spring) equinox, which is on 21st March.

Shrove Tuesday – (Mardi Gras or Fat Tuesday) was initially a day of penance, but is now marked by merrymaking. It is the day before the commencement of Lent.

Ash Wednesday – is derived from the marking of a cross on the forehead of believers with the ashes from the burnt palms used on Palm Sunday.

Lent – 40 days of atonement and fasting

Palm Sunday – the Sunday before Easter, remembers the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem, where palms were strewn on the road before him.

Maundy (Holy) Thursday – the day of the Last supper.

Good Friday – is the day of Christ’s crucifixion.

Holy Saturday – is the day before the Resurrection.

The Annunciation – March 25th is celebrated by Catholics as the day that Archangel Gabriel told Mary about her impending pregnancy.

Trinity Sunday – is celebrated by some denominations in honour of The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. It was declared part of the holy calendar in 1334 by Pope John XII.

Corpus Christi – Catholics remembers the presence of the body of Christ on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday.

All Saints Day – this mainly Catholic celebration is on November 1 and honours all Christian saints.

Advent – a religious season that begins on the Sunday nearest to November 30 and lasts until Christmas Day. It celebrates the birth of Jesus and anticipates his Second Coming. It was once a period of fasting, but now no longer.

Holy Days Of Obligation – are feast days in the Catholic calendar marked by attendance at mass and the avoidance of unnecessary work. There are six in the USA: Solemnity of Mary – January 1: Christ’s circumcision, ie his first shedding of blood Ascension – 40 days after Easter Assumption – August 15: Mary is accepted into Heaven All Saints’ Day – November 1 Mary’s Immaculate Conception – December 8 Christmas Day – December 25.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many subjects, but is currently involved with Franklin Covey planner refillss If you have an interest in calendars, organizers or promotional calendars, please go over to our website now at Promotional Desk Calendars

Home Schooling and Young Children

April 16th, 2010

In recent years, home schooling has become very popular especially with middle and upper-middle class families. There have been lots of arguments before about home schooling. Experts claim that there are advantages as well as disadvantages in home schooling but it seems that the former outweigh the latter and therefore, a lot of families are now selecting home schooling over the traditional schools.

Cultures vary and somehow the relations within the family are affected too. In some cultures, family ties are quite strong, but there are also those who don’t have very good relationships with other family members. However, through home schooling, family ties and relationships can be improved. Parents will spend enough time with their children because of the home schooling program and the children will have to listen to their parents as well. Communication is much improved and both parties have to learn about the importance of speaking and listening.

A lot of families prefer home schooling because of its flexibility. However, since the cost of home education is a bit higher than normal schools, the financial position of the family is very important. However, even without thinking about money, many parents will still go for home schooling, because it can ensure their kids’ safety. Public schools often have dangerous environments that can influence kids terribly, but if they are in a home schooling program, they can stay away from these situations and their parents will be there to supervise them.

Instead of placing the children at a public school, many parents prefer home schooling because the educational environment in the public schools is not that conducive. In public schools, very young pupils may experience difficulties that can affect them socially, mentally, and academically for a long time. Pedagogues that have conducted studies, claim that children learn better in a safe environment surrounded by loved ones. A further advantage of home schooling is that children can learn according to their capacity. You can’t just give a new lesson, if the previous one hasn’t been learned yet. It may take longer, but the results are better.

As mentioned earlier, home schooling is a bit more expensive. If you think that you might be able to reduce the educational expenses of your child, you’re wrong. Home schooling expenses are almost the same as those of traditional schools. However, if you participate in the forums of the parents of home-schoolers, you will discover that there are ways to reduce costs. Naturally, you will need to spend on the resource materials, computer, and internet, but you can also use outside resources like cultural events, public libraries and lots of others.

You will get even more cost-saving ideas, if you contact other parents. The Internet offers endless possibilities and with a bit of research and homework, you can surely come up with a way to ease the costs. If you don’t want to hire teachers, then you will have to learn the lessons as well. You have already studied the various subjects in your kids’ educational program, so you only need to review them. You can get further educational material online or the bookshop and later on, teach your kids.

Therefore, it is obvious, that home schooling is definitely the best choice, particularly, if your child is still rather young. So, it all depends on you and your child, whether they decide to continue this kind of education until they graduate for college.

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Home Schooling and Learning by Computer

April 14th, 2010

There is access to a computer in almost every household in the West these days and the rest of the world is catching up very fast. So, it is very important for you to have one at home too, because of the many benefits it can bring, especially if you have an Internet connection. Nowadays, you need to have have some computer experience, if you want even a reasonably-paid job, so learning how to use a computer must start at school. You and your children can have a unique educational experience with a computer at home. Children of today should learn about this extremely important machine at the very earliest age possible and one of the best ways to do that is through home schooling computer programs.

Currently, even pre-school children are being taught how to use computers and their associated peripherals. If you decide to go for home schooling, you and your child will also spend most of your time making use of a computer and the Internet. Educating your children can be much better when done online, because of the diverse resources available there. Your child will be provided with exceptional educational resources, from which he/she will benefit hugely not least because employment market trends today involve the Internet.

One of the biggest ethnic groups that prefers to make use of home schooling is the African Americans because some see certain society issues and they can keep themselves abreast of their own heritage by home schooling. The parents of children from minority groups can assist their children learn more effectively by having an Internet connection at home. The children’s education can be better encouraged by parents and they can also assist in strengthening the psyche of their children as well. Parents can teach their children about their own particular history by means of the various online resources.

It is important to remember that home schooling will only work well, if the parents are willing to give their kids their complete support. They must also be committed and prepared for the challenges that they will encounter. The parents should look for a rally good computer program or book that can help their children to learn about using computers. Frequently, the lessons are separated into various parts or series in order that the children can cope with them more easily. Children have different learning abilities and since too often traditional schools cannot cope with that, the use of computers is a perfect opportunity for you to bring out the best in them.

Home schooling is no longer new, so if you think that your child is not performing well in school, consult with his teachers and get some feedback regarding your child. The guidance counsellor can also help you to determine the best education for you child. Home schooling is already accepted and maybe it can assist your child to learn more in the comfort of your own home.

If you are prepared to commit yourself to home schooling, you will need to discuss the matter with your child. You could start by asking your child about his experience in school and then raise the subject of home schooling. See how your child reacts to the idea. Explain its benefits. Say that computer learning will be more beneficial. It’s better if you and your child both agree to home schooling, since you have to work closely together. It might not be easy to persuade your child to give up traditional schooling, where he has all his friends, so you will have to spend time with your kid and know his/her interests. Explain that computer programs in home schooling can help a lot. Tell your child that they can learn more about their particular interest, if they know how to use a computer.

So why not start searching for the most appropriate home schooling computer program right now? You could talk to your friends, ask at the library or / and go online and do your research. There are lots of home schooling programs to choose from and it could take a while before you can find the right one.

If you are thinking about home schooling then please pop along to our site at http://home-schooling.the-real-way.com

Astronomy – Important Dates BC

April 5th, 2010

There is no doubt that astronomy is the oldest science and there is also no hesitation that astronomy was being studied by everyone, not only the wise men, thousands and thousands of years ago.

We do not understand exactly why they did it, but we can deduce that early man noticed a correlation between the weather and the stars, which were themselves not fully understood, of course.

Early man, probably even as far back as Neanderthal man, noticed the relationship between the weather and herd movements and crop growth, or at least fruit and nuts on local trees, if they did not have planted crops.

This means that people could see a connection between the stars and food availability. This relationship was probably ritualized into some sort of religion like early Wicca. Therefore, the stars became a very important part of the lives of every single person and it is likely that astrology and astronomy were widely intermixed by the average person.

However, there were also people who did not only use the stars as some vast celestial clock and who tried to make sense of the whole shebang. I am going to relate below, eight of the most significant dates or years in the history of astronomy before Christ walked on the Earth. Never forget that they had nothing but an abacus to do there calculations and no telescopes, which came about two thousand years later.

585 BC: Thales of Miletus (c. 625- c. 547), a Greek, predicted a solar eclipse in Asia Minor purely on the basis of his observations and calculations. It was not a lucky guess!

c. 400 BC: the astronomer Oenopedes (5th. century). also a Greek, announces that the Earth is tilted on its axis with respect to the Sun.

352 BC: the Chinese report what they called a ‘guest star’, a supernova, which was the earliest reported sighting.

340 BC: The astronomer, Kidinnu (b. Babylon c. 379 BC) discovers the precession of the Equinoxes, ie the apparent change in the position of the stars caused by the Earth’s wobbling on its axis.

c. 300 BC: a ‘committee’ of Chinese astronomers compile star maps of the visible universe.

c. 240 BC: Chinese astronomers observe and make notes about Halley’s Comet. Also Eratosthenes of Cyrene (c. 276 – c.194 BC), a Greek, correctly calculate the Earth’s dimensions.

165 BC: Chinese astronomers notice sunspots for the first time.

c. 130 BC: the astronomer Hipparchus of Nicea (b. 147 BC), a Greek, correctly calculates the distance to the Earth’s Moon and also rediscovers the precession of the Equinoxes.

You will see from the dates above that obviously not everyone let nature and the stars govern their lives, as the common farmer or hunter did. Some men actually took pen to paper, but before pen and paper even existed, and tried to work out ‘why these manifestations occurred?’.

These individuals must have been remarkable men to have worked these measurements out by calculation, observation by the naked eye and rationalization alone.

If you are fascinated by astronomy, then why not visit our website at: http://astronomy.the-real-way.com