HuMaNs & TeChNoLoGy

Polarizing Film Experiment

2006-06-07T04:24:00.000-07:00

In words, what does this graph tell you about the relationship between the angle of the polarizing film and the amount of light allowed through?

If x represents the different angles of the polarizing film in degrees and y represents amount of light going through measured in lux, the equation for this relationship is: y= -0.2453x^2(square) – 8.6682x+3988.2
Using this equation, it may be possible to predict the amount of light allowed through at a more presice number.

For example: Perhaps you wanted to know how much light will come through at a angle of 63 degrees.......

y = -0.2453x^2 – 8.6682x + 3988.2
= -0.2453(3969) – 8.6682(63)+3988.2
= 973.5957 – 546.0966+3988.2
= 427.4991 + 3988.2
= 4415.6991

How might your results be innacurate? What possible errors could have occurred that would lessen your confidence in your results?

The light sensor is not the most accurate technology in the world. My data could be a little a off. More so, the equation is close but doesnt quite fit the graph. Those are the only 2 factors that could effect the accurucy of my experiment. Other than that, I made sure that every time i tested a different angle, all the controls were exactly the same.

How might you change the experiment to reduce or eliminate these errors?

Polarizing Film Experiment

2006-06-07T03:44:00.000-07:00

Now these are the variables that are being measured:

The angle of the polarizing film: This is being measured using a chart I made tracing the lines of a protractor (picture to the left). I traced all the angles from 0 going up by tens to 90. Then i placed the cup on the chart and added the lines around the cup to know wat angle it is when i turn it. The bottom polarizing film is already set at 0. The one at the top is the one I will be turning to different angles until its turned right at a 90 degree angle from 0.

The amount of light allowed through the 2 films: As you saw before I, showed a picture with a light sensor. The sensor is placed right underneath the 2 films. It measures the amount of light coming in, in lux. Then it sends all the information to the pocket pc, and charts it.

Well the dependent variable is the amount of light allowed through the 2 films. It is the dependent variable because the amount of light is being effected by the angle of the top polarizing film. Leaving the angle of the polarizing film to be the independent variable.

As for the controls:

The watts is the light bulb: The number of watts gives it a certain brightness. I made sure through the whole experiment I used the same bulb, which was 60 watts.
The distance of the light from the cup: You wouldn't get to same brightness from a light bulb that lets say is 2 inches from your face, opposed to 2 feet from your face. So i marked where the lamp should be leveled at all times, which was 1 inch away from the cup.
The angle of the bottom polarizing film: This one is most important, because if this didn't remain at 0 then my experiment will go completely wrong.

These controls are very necessary because if I were to change the controls, I would get different results. So its very important that those things stay constant through my whole experiment, if not my data I collected wouldn't be quite accurate.

Polarizing Film Experiment: Set-Up

2006-06-06T17:37:00.000-07:00

In the hole that I cut into the bottom of the cup is where I placed the two polarizing films. They are the attachments you put in the front of the lens on a camera to determine how much light you want in the picture.
Underneath the polarizing films, inside the cup, is a light sensor. It "senses" how much light there is. It is being held down by clay so could stay pointing up towars the polarizing film.

The light sensor is connected to this pocket pc in the picture above. This is what i used to graph the results of how much light went through the polarizing films at different angles.

Polarizing Film Experiment: Set-Up

2006-06-06T17:21:00.000-07:00

I bet your curious on how on how I'm going to test this. Well see for youself......

In the picture above is the set-up for my experiment. In it, it has a lamp. Underneath the lamp is a paper cup with a hole cut in the bottom.

Polarizing Film Experiment

2006-06-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

In my deep presentation of my two key parts I mentioned the LCD screen. In the LCD screen, one of the sub-parts is a sheet called polarizing film. Now I've talked about light polarization, but it's time I put it to the test.

Well for staters here is the question I'm going to test:

How much light does the polarizing film allow to pass through at different angles?

Sub-parts of a LCD Screen

2006-06-06T09:27:00.000-07:00

a) is a mirror in the back which is why when you look into the screen you can see yourself, the mirror making it reflective.

b) a piece of glass in with polarizing film attached to the back.

c) a common electrode plane made of indium-tin oxide on top

GO DEEP!

2006-05-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

GPS

GPS stands for global positioning system. It is made up of 24 satelliltes that orbit around the earth. When your using GPS , you are located and on from there, you are given directions to where your going, plus places near by so you know your going the right way. Since a cell-phone is built like a radio, just more advance, they figured out a way to put it into phones.
You see the way GPS works is, you have towers/base stations nears you. These towers have a system of cells. Everytime your near one you low-power transmitter sends a signal its tower. Telling where you are depends on the strength of your signal. Lets say if your close to one one the towers, than your signal should be strong. But if your walking out of one cell to the next, your signals will be decreasing from one tower and increasing at the next. Now in order to locate you, they have to find 3 satellites above you in space. When located there draw spheres around them. Then they point to coordinates, one in space and one on the ground. The one on the ground is where the 3 spheres drawn, intersect, that being your location. That's how GPS works.

Light Polarization

The scientific definition is, where rays of light take different directions, where the vibration goes through one plane and depending on the position of the other plane its get blocked out. When you look up light polarization there arent really scientific terms that you need to look up its all really self-explanatory and straight forward. Here is a link with 2 different flash pictures to give you a clear view on how it works... http://health.howstuffworks.com/sunglass4.htm

Liquid Crystals

Liquid Crystals are a organic liquid whose physical properties resemble those of a crystal in the formation of loosely ordered molecular arrays similar to a regular crystalline lattice and the anisotropic refraction of light. Crystalline lattice basically means that its has the same structure as a crystal. Anisotropic, correctly stating a anisotropic liquid is what a liquid crystal is. An anisotropic liquid is one which has the fluidity of a normal liquid, but, unlike water or chloroform, which contain no structural ordering of the molecules, they have an average structural order relative to each other along their molecular axis.

Amish Reflection

2006-05-01T11:27:00.000-07:00

1) Who are the Amish and why do they avoid certain technologies?

The Amish are people who do not believe in the use of technology based on thier religion. The reason they dont believe in technology because they feel that it posions the mind of human beings and is taking over the earth.

2) According to Howard Rheingold, how do the Amish go about adopting a new technology? What criteria do they use to decide whether or not to allow it?

When they want to adopt some type of technology then the have the community get together and decide. They base their decision on wiether the technology is good for them and how will it effect human beings.

3) Do you think we should be more careful about which technologies to allow into our lives? Explain your opinion. How should we decide this? Give examples of positive and negative technologies to illustrate your ideas.

I don't think it is as much that we should be careful about what technology we use but how we use it. I mean dont abuse the privelage. Don't over do it and be on the computer 24/7 for other purposes than work. But sometimes , for example, in moves they used technology for weapons and it ends up turning on them. Just little example though it may not seem real.

Postman Questions

2006-04-03T11:17:00.000-07:00

1. In this quote, Postman claims "technological change always results in winnners and loser." He point to the printing press as an example. How does Postman think society changed as a result of the printing press? Who are the winners and who are the losers according to Postman? What changed as a result?

Before the printing press they're were only a few copies of books, so a book of course was going to be very rare, which means very expensive. So the only people who got the chance to read these books were the people who can afford to go to the universities that had them, or the church. So this being the case, average people couldn't read these books, and for that matter, they did not know how to read because what was the point? So the winners were obiviously the rich, and the church. Leaving the less fortunte average people being the losers. But now, after the printing press, and there being more copies of books everybody had the privelege of reading. More people learned to read. Before, since there werent copies of the Bible, people took the priest's word as God's word. Now that everybody was getting there own copy of the Bible, they also had their own beliefs. And that's what started the Protestant reformation, which was when some renegade christians had different beliefs and formed their own religion.

2. According to Postman, whats is the relationship between technology and education? Does Postman think technology is a threat education? How? Can education be used to stem the rapid advance of technology? How?

Postman thinks that the relationship between technology and education, is that we should question technology. We question it because it can have an effect on our lives that may not be so good. For example, a family who used to eat dinner at the table together, now can eat dinner in their own rooms sitting in front of the television or by the computer. Postman doesn't think that technology is a threat to education but thinks that it might actually improve it. People will be more encouraged to learn about the works of technology. It's like a big puzzle, it all fits together. So this being that education can be used to stem the rapid advance of technology.

3. Do you think the rapid advance of the internet has resulted in winners and losers? Explain how you think it has changed, or will change, the nature of human interactions.

Yes i do think that the advance of the internet has resulted in winner and losers. I think so because back then only the rich people could offered technology, the poor people where the losers. Then time passed by people started getting betterjobs, and there is a very small percentage of people who do not have a computer at home. But that doesnt mean that they can not get reach of one. Our community is a epidemic of computers. From work offices, school computers, public libaries, computer cafes, IM messagers on cellphones, and even some payphones have internet on them. People have several ways to get use of a computer. I think that the internet did change the nature of human interactions. Big encouragers of this are websities like, myspace, sconex, nycblogs, and so forth. You can have thousands of friends and talk to each one of them at the same time. It might seem tiring but it's possible. Then they have these smiley faces that show most expressions. Now most people rather go on the internet to find the perfect match, then doing to old fashion dating scene. Dating game 4.0.

The First cell phone call

2006-03-13T16:05:00.000-08:00

You can find this story at this website...
Martin Cooper

History of the cell phone

2006-03-13T16:00:00.000-08:00

You can find this story at this website...
History of the cell phone

My table

2006-03-13T15:01:00.000-08:00

Part Name	Function	Important connections and/or sub-parts
Antenna	A usually metallic device for radiating or receiving radio waves.	The antenna is connected to the main circuit board.
GPS Reciever	The Global Positioning System (GPS) is actually a constellation of 27 Earth-orbiting satellites. A GPS receiver's job is to locate four or more of these satellites, figure out the distance to each, and use this information to deduce its own location.	The GPS receiver is connected to the Antenna.
Keypad	The keypad is for dailing numbers, and getting around through out your phone.	The Keypad is connected to the circuit board
Speaker	The speaker is where you hear the sounds from the phone from.	The speaker is connected to the circuit board.
Mic	A mic is the part of the phone that you talk into during a phone call or voice recording.	The mic is connected to the main circuit board.

Democracy And Technology by Richard E. Sclove

2006-03-13T11:52:00.000-08:00

In this expret of the book the author talks about technology and its effects towards the world. He explains how technology effect the world socially, economically, ect. He also talks about the Amish and how they allow certain technology in their world.

My Assignment

2006-03-09T11:20:00.000-08:00

Vocabulary

Electric Circuit: an electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow
Electrical Conductor: objects that allow electricity to flow through it and carry on to the next object.
Electrical Insulator: objects that prevent electricity from flowing through it; can not pass on electricity.

Questions

How can you test to determine whether a material is a conductor or an insulator?

Conductors have to have some sort of metal inside of it in order to pass on electricity.

How do you know when a circuit is a CLOSED circuit?

When electricity is flowing through the circuit and allowing the bulbs to light.

How do these concepts apply to your object?

If your object is a insulator and is preventing the blubs from lighting then it would be considered a closed circuit. Most of my object is a conductor because it need the electricity in order to work/power on.

What parts are made of conductors? Insulators? How did you know?

The circuit board, GPS receiver, and the sliver plates in the phone are all examples of conductors. The plastic part of the circuit board, the speaker, the mic, and the keypad are all examples of insulators.

Are any circuits are present? How can you tell? Use pictures to explain, if you want.

The circuit board is the main, well circuit.

What do you think a semiconductor is? Predict the meaning....Then look it up.

My prediction to what a semi-conductor is, a object that can only pass electricity for a short amount of time.
The dictionary meaning is, any of various solid crystalline substances, such as germanium or silicon, having electrical conductivity greater than insulators but less than good conductors, and used especially as a base material for computer chips and other electronic devices.

Are there any semi-conductors in your object. Where? What parts are made of semi-conductors and what special roles do they play?

There arent no semi-conductors in my object.