The gas giants have very deep atmospheres
The gas giants – Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune – are made mainly of hydrogen, helium, and other gases.
The giants planet are so large and have such large amounts of these gases that they have a lot of mass. The huge gravitational force from such a large mass is enough to pull the gas particles close together and make the atmosphere very dense.
At first, the atmosphere of a giant planet is thin and cold with haze of gases. A little lower is a layer of clouds that reflect sunlight which causes strong winds and other weather patterns.
Lower down, it is warmer and there are layers of clouds of different materials. As you go farther, it becomes dense enough to call a liquid.
Scientists think that each of the four gas giants has a solid core, larger than Earth, deep in its center.
Jupiter is a world of storms and clouds.
*Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system.
*It is more that 10 times larger than Earth in diameter and more than 1200 times larger in volume.
*If you could weigh the planet, all the other planets put together would weigh less than half as much as Jupiter.
*Even though it is big, Jupiter takes less than 10 hours to turn once on its axis. This fast rotation produces fast winds and stormy weather.
*Jupiter has many more bands than Earth does. Stripes of cold clouds form along the bands. The clouds look white because they are made of crystals that reflect sunlight. The lower clouds are brown or red and made of different chemicals. Sometimes there are clear patches of bluish clouds.
*long lasting storms can form between bands of winds that blow in opposite directions. Scientist are trying to find out which chemicals produce the spot’s reddish color.
Saturn has large rings
Saturn is the sixth planet from the Sun.
It is only a little smaller than Jupiter, but its mass is less than one-third that of Jupiter. As a result, Saturn has a much lower density than Jupiter.
Saturn was the first planet known to have rings. A planetary ring is a wide, flat zone of small particles that orbit a planet. Saturn’s rings are made of chunks of water ice. Saturn’s rings have bright and dark stripes that change over time.
Just like Earth, Saturn ‘s axis is tilted and you can look at Saturn’s rings to tell the seasons. A typical season will last more than seven Earth year.
Saturn is almost ten times farther from the Sun than Earth is, so it takes almost 30 Earth years to go around the Sun once.
Uranus and Neptune are extremely cold.
Uranus and Neptune are only about 15 percent hydrogen and helium. Most of the mass of each planet is made up of heavier gases, such as methane, ammonia, and water. So, Uranus and Neptune are more dense than Jupiter.
Uranus looks blue-green, and Neptune appears deep blue. Each planet has methane gas above a layer of white clouds. Methane gas absorbs red, orange, and yellow parts of sunlight, so each planet’s bluish color comes from the remaining green, blue and violet light that passes back out of the atmosphere.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Science 3.1
Planets have different sizes and distances
You may have seen planet Venus, Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn but it is difficult to see Mercury, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Some planets can be seen because they reflect sunlight.
Distances
Astronomers use astronomical unit, or AU, to measure the average distance of Earth from the Sun. An AU is about 150million kilometers.
Mercury is less than 0.5 AU from the Sun
Jupiter is about 5 AU from the Sun
Pluto gets nearly 50AU from the Sun at times.
The planets are spaced unevenly. They move around the Sun and the first four planets that are close to the Sun define a region called the inner solar system.
The solar system formed from a swirling cloud of gas and dust.
The planets all orbit the Sun counterclockwise and most of them rotate on their axes in this direction.
According to the best scientific model, the solar system formed out of a huge cloud of different gases and specks of dust.
The most of the mass fell to the center and became the Sun.
At the same time, tiny bits of dust and frozen gases in the disk stuck together into clumps and large clumps became planets.
Some of the objects close to the Sun are like rocks or mountains in space and are called asteroids. Other objects, farther from the Sun, are more like enormous snowballs or icebergs. (comets)
depending of its shape, you can understand the size of an object in space.
* Lumpy objects->smaller than round objects
The gravity of each part affects every other part. The pieces pull each other closer and when an object has enough mass, pulling becomes strong enough to make the object round. Any parts that would stick far out are pulled in toward the center until the object becomes a sphere.
You may have seen planet Venus, Mars, Jupiter, or Saturn but it is difficult to see Mercury, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Some planets can be seen because they reflect sunlight.
Distances
Astronomers use astronomical unit, or AU, to measure the average distance of Earth from the Sun. An AU is about 150million kilometers.
Mercury is less than 0.5 AU from the Sun
Jupiter is about 5 AU from the Sun
Pluto gets nearly 50AU from the Sun at times.
The planets are spaced unevenly. They move around the Sun and the first four planets that are close to the Sun define a region called the inner solar system.
The solar system formed from a swirling cloud of gas and dust.
The planets all orbit the Sun counterclockwise and most of them rotate on their axes in this direction.
According to the best scientific model, the solar system formed out of a huge cloud of different gases and specks of dust.
The most of the mass fell to the center and became the Sun.
At the same time, tiny bits of dust and frozen gases in the disk stuck together into clumps and large clumps became planets.
Some of the objects close to the Sun are like rocks or mountains in space and are called asteroids. Other objects, farther from the Sun, are more like enormous snowballs or icebergs. (comets)
depending of its shape, you can understand the size of an object in space.
* Lumpy objects->smaller than round objects
The gravity of each part affects every other part. The pieces pull each other closer and when an object has enough mass, pulling becomes strong enough to make the object round. Any parts that would stick far out are pulled in toward the center until the object becomes a sphere.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
SS Ch.10 Lesson 2
The Aryan MigrationsAryans began waves of migrations from the dry plains near the Black and Caspian Seas to the Indian subcontinent
Aryans, “noble”, traveled across Mesopotamia and Persian to reach the east.
They began settling on the Punjab Plain, which is Pakistan today
They herded and lived in family tribes ruled by warrior chiefs
By the time the migrations ended, a new civilization had developed across the Punjab and Ganges plains
The Aryans migrated to the Punjab
and Ganges Plains. Over time,
their nomadic culture became
a farming culture.
Influences on Indian Culture
The Aryans influence on India today:-Sanskrit-Vedas (knowledge): formed foundation of Indian religion
Four vedas -Vedas contains:
Hymns
Tales
Lessons
Battle songs
Influences on Indian CultureMahabharata-A poem 200,000 lines long
-Within it, the Bagavad Gita is the best-known part
Bahagad VitaDescribes discussion between god and Vedic warrior
Brahmanas“preistly books”
BrahmanismFormed by the Vedas - Ancient Indian religion
India’s Classes
Warrior chief called a raja(rajah) governed each tribe
Divided into two classes:
Nobles and commoners
A third class made up of descendents of the ancient people of India
India’s Classes by 1000BC:
Indian society included 4 main classes
Brahmans (head)Priests and scholars
Kshatriyas (arms)Rulers and warriors
Vaisyas (body and legs)Farmers, traders, and merchants
Sudras (feet)Servants and laborers
Within classes, castes existed
People from different castes had little contact with one another
People beneath the caste system were called the untouchables
Ideas of HinduismMost important Hindu gods are:
Brahma, the Creator
Vishnu, the Preserver
Shiva, the Destroyer
The Upanishads are the most ancient Hindu literature
The basic belief of Hinduism is that people and animals have a soul, or atman
Hinduism evolved from earlier religions. Hindus believe that Dharma and Karma affect how a person will be reincarnated.
Aryans, “noble”, traveled across Mesopotamia and Persian to reach the east.
They began settling on the Punjab Plain, which is Pakistan today
They herded and lived in family tribes ruled by warrior chiefs
By the time the migrations ended, a new civilization had developed across the Punjab and Ganges plains
The Aryans migrated to the Punjab
and Ganges Plains. Over time,
their nomadic culture became
a farming culture.
Influences on Indian Culture
The Aryans influence on India today:-Sanskrit-Vedas (knowledge): formed foundation of Indian religion
Four vedas -Vedas contains:
Hymns
Tales
Lessons
Battle songs
Influences on Indian CultureMahabharata-A poem 200,000 lines long
-Within it, the Bagavad Gita is the best-known part
Bahagad VitaDescribes discussion between god and Vedic warrior
Brahmanas“preistly books”
BrahmanismFormed by the Vedas - Ancient Indian religion
India’s Classes
Warrior chief called a raja(rajah) governed each tribe
Divided into two classes:
Nobles and commoners
A third class made up of descendents of the ancient people of India
India’s Classes by 1000BC:
Indian society included 4 main classes
Brahmans (head)Priests and scholars
Kshatriyas (arms)Rulers and warriors
Vaisyas (body and legs)Farmers, traders, and merchants
Sudras (feet)Servants and laborers
Within classes, castes existed
People from different castes had little contact with one another
People beneath the caste system were called the untouchables
Ideas of HinduismMost important Hindu gods are:
Brahma, the Creator
Vishnu, the Preserver
Shiva, the Destroyer
The Upanishads are the most ancient Hindu literature
The basic belief of Hinduism is that people and animals have a soul, or atman
Hinduism evolved from earlier religions. Hindus believe that Dharma and Karma affect how a person will be reincarnated.
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
SS Ch.10 Lesson 1
The Indian Subcontinent
Ancient India -> Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh
The tallest mountains in the world, The Himalayas, separate the Indian subcontinent and Asia
The northern plains
Flat, low land with fertile plains
The Deccan
High, hilly land
The Indus and Ganges River both lie in the northern plains
Carved wide river plains
Importance of Floods
Indian rivers often flooded during
summer monsoon. The floods were
harmful, but they also deposited fresh
silt on the farmlands,
creating the fertile soil.
Well-Planned Cities
The people of the Indus River Valley built farming village on large mounds of mud and stones to keep above the flood level
Three largest cities1. Harappa
2. Lothal
3. Mojenjo- Daro
Indus River Valley often called Harappan civilization
Well-Planned Cities
Each city-state had a grid divided into blocks of brick building
Each had a citadel
Inside the walls-
Government building, palaces, religious buildings, and granaries
City-states used same script, units for measuring length and weight, leading scholars to believe that they were linked in some way
Harappan Trade
Harappan civilization traded cloth, figurines, pots, jewelry, and tools for timber, grain, and metalsThey marked their goods with stone seals with writings and drawings of animals
Trade was important to Harappan cities.
Harappan goods were traded
as far away as central Asia,
Mesopotamia, and the Persian Gulf.
Mohenjo-Daro
The city was a model of thoughtful planning, which suggests that they had a strong government
35,000 people lived in Mohenjo-Daro
Wealthy people lived in multi floor brick houses
Most people lived in huts
Most homes had separate rooms for cooking, sleeping, and bathing
The best known Indus city is
Mohenjo-Daro. Mohenjo-Daro and
the Harappan civilization declined
after 1750 B.C. Possible reasons
are floods, invaders, and earthquakes.
Ancient India -> Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh
The tallest mountains in the world, The Himalayas, separate the Indian subcontinent and Asia
The northern plains
Flat, low land with fertile plains
The Deccan
High, hilly land
The Indus and Ganges River both lie in the northern plains
Carved wide river plains
Importance of Floods
Indian rivers often flooded during
summer monsoon. The floods were
harmful, but they also deposited fresh
silt on the farmlands,
creating the fertile soil.
Well-Planned Cities
The people of the Indus River Valley built farming village on large mounds of mud and stones to keep above the flood level
Three largest cities1. Harappa
2. Lothal
3. Mojenjo- Daro
Indus River Valley often called Harappan civilization
Well-Planned Cities
Each city-state had a grid divided into blocks of brick building
Each had a citadel
Inside the walls-
Government building, palaces, religious buildings, and granaries
City-states used same script, units for measuring length and weight, leading scholars to believe that they were linked in some way
Harappan Trade
Harappan civilization traded cloth, figurines, pots, jewelry, and tools for timber, grain, and metalsThey marked their goods with stone seals with writings and drawings of animals
Trade was important to Harappan cities.
Harappan goods were traded
as far away as central Asia,
Mesopotamia, and the Persian Gulf.
Mohenjo-Daro
The city was a model of thoughtful planning, which suggests that they had a strong government
35,000 people lived in Mohenjo-Daro
Wealthy people lived in multi floor brick houses
Most people lived in huts
Most homes had separate rooms for cooking, sleeping, and bathing
The best known Indus city is
Mohenjo-Daro. Mohenjo-Daro and
the Harappan civilization declined
after 1750 B.C. Possible reasons
are floods, invaders, and earthquakes.
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
Javascript hyperlink to learn more about motion of the Earth
Copy the javascript below to your window address bar.
http://www.onr.navy.mil/focus/spacesciences/observingsky/motion4.htm
http://www.onr.navy.mil/focus/spacesciences/observingsky/motion4.htm
Monday, July 23, 2012
Friday, July 20, 2012
Science 2.1
2.1 Earth rotates on tilted axis and orbits the Sun
Earth’s rotation causes day and night.
Earth’s gravity pulls objects toward the center of Earth. You are turning as Earth turns. You keep the same position with respect to what is below your feet, but the view above your head changes.
*No matter where the person stand, the direction of down will be toward Earth’s center
Earth rotates around axis of rotationThe ends of the axis are the north and south poles.
Earth turns on its axis in 24hours. When a location is in sunlight, it is daytime and night when a location is in darkness. When a location is in the middle of the sunlit side, it is noon and midnight when the location is in the middle of the unlit side.
Earth’s tilted axis and orbit cause seasons
The gravity causes Earth and other objects near the Sun to be pulled toward the Sun’s center. Earth moves sideways, at nearly a right angle to the Sun’s direction.
*It takes a year for Earth to orbit the Sun once.
*In astronomy, a revolution is the motion of one object around another and can also mean the time it takes an object to go around once.
*Earth rotates at about a 23 angle, or tilt, from this lined up position.
*Earth’s orbit is not quite a perfect circle. In January, Earth is closer to the Sun than it is in July. However, the combination of Earth’ motion around the Sun with the tilt of Earth’s axis does cause important changes of temperature.
Angles of Sunlight
The Angles of sunlight change with the seasons. Energy from sunlight is most concentrated when the Sun is high in the sky, resulting in shorter shadows. Because the sunlight is more concentrated, more of the Sun's energy warms the ground. When the Sun is lower in the sky, sunlight is less concentrated, shadows are longer, and less of the Sun's energy warms the ground
Near the equator, the noonday Sun is almost overhead every day, so the ground is warmed strongly year round. In the middle latitudes, the noon Sun is high in the sky only during part of the year. In winter the noon Sun is low and warms the ground less strongly.
Lengths of Days
Lengths of days change with the seasons.
The greatest changes occur near the poles, which experience six months of daylight and then six months of darkness.
The least amount of change occurs at the equator, where periods of daylight and darkness are almost equal all year long.
Earth’s rotation causes day and night.
Earth’s gravity pulls objects toward the center of Earth. You are turning as Earth turns. You keep the same position with respect to what is below your feet, but the view above your head changes.
*No matter where the person stand, the direction of down will be toward Earth’s center
Earth rotates around axis of rotationThe ends of the axis are the north and south poles.
Earth turns on its axis in 24hours. When a location is in sunlight, it is daytime and night when a location is in darkness. When a location is in the middle of the sunlit side, it is noon and midnight when the location is in the middle of the unlit side.
Earth’s tilted axis and orbit cause seasons
The gravity causes Earth and other objects near the Sun to be pulled toward the Sun’s center. Earth moves sideways, at nearly a right angle to the Sun’s direction.
*It takes a year for Earth to orbit the Sun once.
*In astronomy, a revolution is the motion of one object around another and can also mean the time it takes an object to go around once.
*Earth rotates at about a 23 angle, or tilt, from this lined up position.
*Earth’s orbit is not quite a perfect circle. In January, Earth is closer to the Sun than it is in July. However, the combination of Earth’ motion around the Sun with the tilt of Earth’s axis does cause important changes of temperature.
Angles of Sunlight
The Angles of sunlight change with the seasons. Energy from sunlight is most concentrated when the Sun is high in the sky, resulting in shorter shadows. Because the sunlight is more concentrated, more of the Sun's energy warms the ground. When the Sun is lower in the sky, sunlight is less concentrated, shadows are longer, and less of the Sun's energy warms the ground
Near the equator, the noonday Sun is almost overhead every day, so the ground is warmed strongly year round. In the middle latitudes, the noon Sun is high in the sky only during part of the year. In winter the noon Sun is low and warms the ground less strongly.
Lengths of Days
Lengths of days change with the seasons.
The greatest changes occur near the poles, which experience six months of daylight and then six months of darkness.
The least amount of change occurs at the equator, where periods of daylight and darkness are almost equal all year long.
Monday, July 16, 2012
SS Ch.9 Lesson3
The Peloponnesian War Begins
400s B.C.
Athens and Sparta were most powerful Greek city-states
Athens wanted greater power over the other city-states
This rivalry led to a long series of battles known as the Peloponnesian Wars
Athens controlled the city-states within the Delian League
Used wealth to strengthen their defense walls, The Long Walls
The Peloponnesian War Begins
The Long Walls protected the movement of grains and good from the port to the city.
The growing of Athens navy and rule over city-states alarmed Sparta
The tensions exploded into war for the next 15 years both experiencing defeats and victories
The Peloponnesian War Begins
In 445 B.C., both sides agreed to sign the Thirty Years Peace
The Treaty did not resolved bad feelings between them and it did NOT last for 30 years…
The Peloponnesian War Begins
Renewed FightingAfter 14 years of signing the treaty, war broke out again and this time it lasted for 27 years
Golden Age of Athens came to an end
When Attica was attacked, people flooded to Athens for safety, shelter, and food
A plague weakened and killed many Athenians including Pericles
After Pericles, many leaders known as demagogues ruled
Demagogues: popular leaders who told the people what they wanted to hear
Sparta built it’s navy with the help of the Persians and attacked a fleet near Hellespont and destroyed it.
Athens surrendered to Sparta in 404 B.C.
The Thirty Tyrants
Spartans broke up the Athenian
Empire and took control of the
Athenian government. Instead of
democratic rule, Athens was ruled by
a dictatorial oligarchy, known as the
Thirty Tyrants.
Athens Regains Independence
Exiled Athenians received help from other city-states
An exiled Athenian general along with the help of Thebans, they recaptured the port of Piraeus
In the battle, the leader of Thirty Tyrants died
Sparta realized what the Thirty Tyrants had done was cruel and so they refused to help
Athens Regains Independence
The Three Thousand of Athens regained control.
A new Athenian council took control
Athens Regains Independence
Competition Among City-States
The Corinthian Alliance consisted of Corinth, Athens, and Argos
They tried to defeat Sparta but was unsuccessful
Athens and 70 other city-states defeated Sparta and broke up the Peloponnesian League
Helots were freed to return home to Messene
Competition for power and wealth made Greece unstable
400s B.C.
Athens and Sparta were most powerful Greek city-states
Athens wanted greater power over the other city-states
This rivalry led to a long series of battles known as the Peloponnesian Wars
Athens controlled the city-states within the Delian League
Used wealth to strengthen their defense walls, The Long Walls
The Peloponnesian War Begins
The Long Walls protected the movement of grains and good from the port to the city.
The growing of Athens navy and rule over city-states alarmed Sparta
The tensions exploded into war for the next 15 years both experiencing defeats and victories
The Peloponnesian War Begins
In 445 B.C., both sides agreed to sign the Thirty Years Peace
The Treaty did not resolved bad feelings between them and it did NOT last for 30 years…
The Peloponnesian War Begins
Renewed FightingAfter 14 years of signing the treaty, war broke out again and this time it lasted for 27 years
Golden Age of Athens came to an end
When Attica was attacked, people flooded to Athens for safety, shelter, and food
A plague weakened and killed many Athenians including Pericles
After Pericles, many leaders known as demagogues ruled
Demagogues: popular leaders who told the people what they wanted to hear
Sparta built it’s navy with the help of the Persians and attacked a fleet near Hellespont and destroyed it.
Athens surrendered to Sparta in 404 B.C.
The Thirty Tyrants
Spartans broke up the Athenian
Empire and took control of the
Athenian government. Instead of
democratic rule, Athens was ruled by
a dictatorial oligarchy, known as the
Thirty Tyrants.
Athens Regains Independence
Exiled Athenians received help from other city-states
An exiled Athenian general along with the help of Thebans, they recaptured the port of Piraeus
In the battle, the leader of Thirty Tyrants died
Sparta realized what the Thirty Tyrants had done was cruel and so they refused to help
Athens Regains Independence
The Three Thousand of Athens regained control.
A new Athenian council took control
Athens Regains Independence
Competition Among City-States
The Corinthian Alliance consisted of Corinth, Athens, and Argos
They tried to defeat Sparta but was unsuccessful
Athens and 70 other city-states defeated Sparta and broke up the Peloponnesian League
Helots were freed to return home to Messene
Competition for power and wealth made Greece unstable
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Science 1.4
Atmosphere
Through studying bodies in space, we also learn about Earth’s atmosphere.
e.g. By comparing Earth with planets close to Earth (Mars and Venus), we can see how liquid water has affected the development of Earth’s atmosphere.
e.g. Scientist also learn how changes visible on the sun’s surface can cause periods of cooling.
Space exploration provided us with technology that makes life on Earth easier.
Satellites collect data from every region of our planet. The data are sent to receivers on Earth and converted into images. Scientist have learned from the space program how to enhance such images to gain more information.
Weather satellites – scientist can provide warnings of dangerous storms long before they strike populated areas.
Other satellites – used for wildlife preservation, conservation of natural resources and mapping.
Technology spinoffs
NASA often creates advanced technology to meet the special demands of space travel.
Design techniques developed to meet the need of spacecraft have improved devices used on Earth. (tools for diagnosing diseases, devices that help people overcome disabilities, protective suit for firefighters, systems for purifying air, water, and food. )
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