Project Description:
For this project we worked on all sorts of things related to the field of electronics.We started off with designing wind turbines. Then, our groups started work on all sorts of concepts related to circuits and bread boards. Also, we dissected motors to understand how they function. Afterwards, we moved on to Arduinos, which are like less advanced computers that we could do some electronics and programming on. We made a art show that we programmed on the Arduino and constructed with circuits. Our project was a song that we coded onto the Arduino. After this, we went on a field trip to learn about micro grids. Then, we started a project in which we designed a micro grid for Novato, or San Marin. Our group chose Novato. This involved a lot of research about power usage there. Also we had to research information about what sorts of power we would want to use.
Then, we presented our projects and finished the unit.
Reflection:
As always, there is room for improvement in my collaboration skills. My group was easily distracted and that frustrated me. Also, they lost their temper quickly when faced with a frustrating task. I did have some personal low points and high points in this project. Firstly, sometimes I was a little unfocused and zoned out from what we were doing, especially in some of the hands on experiments. Additionally, I would be asked for help by my group when I was trying to do one thing. Some high points were finally finishing the Blinky Light Quiz, a very difficult challenge that my group struggled with. Also, when we moved on to programming we moved at a better pace and enjoyed the lessons more. This was partly due to prior programming experience on my part; however, my group had also hit our stride by then. In overall, the project tested our ability to persevere and work as a group.
Concepts:
Charge:
Charge is a property of a object that makes it react to electricity and magnets/ static electricity. Charge is measured in Coulombs.
Voltage:
Voltage is the measure of the electric potential of the flow of electricity. It is like the push that electricity has.Voltage is measured in volts. V= I(current) x R(resistance)
Current:
Current is how much flow electricity has through a circuit. The more current, the faster electricity flows and more flows through. Current is given the letter I in the equation V= IR.It is measured in amperes.
Resistance:
Resistance is how much the wires resist the flow of electricity. It is measured in Ohms and given the Greek letter omega in equations, or the letter R.
Micro grid:
A micro grid is a power grid that is independent of the larger power grid. It generates its own electricity. Micro grids also manage their excess electricity.
Programming:
Programming is when human operator gives a computer specific instructions for a task the computer will then perform. Usually these instructions are in a programming language, or if someone is a masochist, they are in binary code.
Programming Languages:
Naturally, computers understand binary code. To a human binary code is a meaningless string of 0's and 1's.To solve this, we invented programming languages, which group binary code into easily understandable operations like /print or /read.