Science @ St. Gerald's

2012-02-03T05:08:00.000-08:00

BT Science & Technology Exhibition 2012

Congratulations to Mr. Askin and his students; Donnachadh Barry, Luke Benson & Paul McDonagh (AKA Team SAP Ireland) on winning the Google Trailblazer Award for groups and coming second overall in the senior technology category. Their project was entitled "iCollapse app" which is a very innovative mobile phone application which uses the accelerometer built into the smartphone to detect when a person collapses.

Should a person collapse, an alarm will sound encouraging a passer-by to remove the user’s phone and call the enlisted help contact(s) which will be displayed on screen. It also includes instructions telling the passer-by as to how best to help the user recover. The app locates the person using Google Maps and it is hoped a live service will be possible whereby an SMS will automatically be sent to the help contacts or emergency services giving the necessary details of the user and their location.

Team SAP have decided that this application should be free to everyone!

For more information you can find Team SAP Ireland at http://teamsapireland.com

Recrystallisation of Benzoic Acid & Determination of its Melting Point

2011-11-09T04:18:00.000-08:00

Recrystallisation of a Sample of Benzoic Acid and Determination of its Melting Point

Image From "Leaving Certificate Rapid Revision Chemistry."

By using a the Buchner funnel and flask to rapidly filter the solution, with the aid of a suction pump, there is a lower possibility of the substance crystallizing out on the filter paper or funnel.

If crystallization is slow to take place, either of the following steps can be taken to speed it up:

(a) Evaporate off some of the solvent and allow the solution to cool again, or

(b) "seed" the solution by adding a crystal of the pure compound into the solution.

The crystals can be dried by pressing them between two dry sheets of filter paper and then placing them in a desiccator.

Melting Point Determination

The crystals are placed in a capillary tube and then heated in an aluminium block. The temperature at which the crystals melt is noted. The process is then repeated and the average value is taken as the melting point.

The melting point can tell us whether the substance if pure or just slightly impure. If the substance melts sharply at 122 degrees Celsius, then we know that it is pure. But if the sample melts over prolonged temperatures then we know that the substance is slightly impure and it will melt at lower temperatures that the pure sample.

By Niall Fahey & Stephen Garavan Class 5A1

Making Crystals

2011-11-09T02:10:00.000-08:00

Blue crystals of Hydrated Copper Sulphate

Crystalsare formed when a hot saturated solution is cooled. First we made a saturatedsolution of Copper Sulphate. We ground up the copper sulphate into a fine powder and added it slowly to 50mls of water at 60 degrees celsius, stirring all the time until itdissolved.We kept adding more until it wouldn’t dissolve. We checked thetemputure regularly using a thermometer. We tied string to a pen and put thestring dangling in the blue stuff. We covered it with paper towel using a rubber band and then put it on the shelf, where it cooledslowly for a few days.

After a few days small crystals were formed on the string. We took the best crystal and used it to seed the next saturated solution of copper sulphate.
After a few days this small seed crystal had grown into a large crystal of copper sulphate that you can see in the photograph.

By Finnian Martin & David McNicholas 2A3

BT Science & Technology Exhibition 2012

2011-09-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

This year the exhibition will be held from the 10^thto the 14^th of January 2012 at the RDS in Dublin. Our students are busy at the moment putting together their one page proposals and completing all entry forms. Entry forms,including the one page proposal outlining the project idea must be fully completed and submitted to Mr. Daly by Wednesday the28^th of September. The competition is open to second level studentsfrom Ireland, North & South, who are aged between 12 & 19years on 31^stOctober 2011. Best of luck to all students entering the competition.

Illegal toxic waste spotted from space

2011-06-01T03:13:00.000-07:00

Today's environmental detectives can use radar, helicopters and even satellite images to help them spot illegal toxic waste dumps and help to catch those responsible.

Ironically, the tightening of the restrictions on waste disposal and the enforcement of new recycling laws have made illegal dumping more likely, turning into big business for the criminals involved.

The trouble is digging up suspect dumps to investigate their contents can release toxins into local water supplies.

But with new remote sensing techniques, such as ground-penetrating radar you can find toxic trash without disturbing the soil.

By Ryan McDonnell and Jordan McCormick

Junior Cert Ecology Survey

2011-05-25T02:23:00.000-07:00

2A4: Stephen, Saulius & Gary
Collecting Insect specimens from trees

1st & 2nd year students have just completed the practical aspect of their survey of the Lough Lannagh habitat. There was 2 sections to the project:

Qualitative Survey:

Identify 5 plant and 5 animal species
Assess water quality by testing for pH, dissolved oxygen content, foam content & temperature
Assess Soil quality by testing for pH, moisture & humus content

2. Quantitative Survey of the plant and animal species by measuring the % frequency of species

Students worked in small groups of 3 to 4 to carry out the various tasks in the field. Groups then collaborated in the lab to identify all species collected, take photographs and share data obtained.

This project will form a significant portion of the students assessment this term as it directly covers objectives OB59 - OB63 of the Junior Certificate Science Syllabus. Check out the photographs taken by the students by clicking on the slideshow in the sidebar.

Junior Cert - Coursework B Titles

2011-03-04T04:41:00.000-08:00

Biology:

Carry out an investigation to study the anaerobic respiration of yeast with particular reference to:

(i) The change of temperature with time
(ii) The evolution of density with time

Chemistry:

Carry out an investigation to study the pH changes that take place when neutralisation reactions occur between two named acids and a named base.

Physics:

Investigate the factors that determine the force of friction between a wooden block and the surface on which it is resting.

Finding the inner you: Google's Body Browser!

2010-12-19T03:12:00.000-08:00

"Google Maps and Google Earth already allow us to find our way across the planet. Now Google's latest innovation, the body browser, is designed to help you navigate your body! Whether you're looking to find nerves and neurons or travel from your oesophagus to your intestine, the Body Browser lets you zoom across the human body, through skin, muscle and bone, just as Google Maps lets you zoom in from continents to city streets"

Djuke Veldhuis, contributor to New Scientist magazine.

This resource is sure to revolutionise the study of Human Anatomy and it's free of charge!

To try the Body Browser for yourself go to:
http://bodybrowser.googlelabs.com/

Science News: Fetal genome mapped from mother's blood!

2010-12-10T02:29:00.000-08:00

For the first time, a fetus has had its entire genome mapped from a sample of its mother's blood. This technical tour de force could open the door to new methods of prenatal genetic diagnosis of conditions like:

Down's Syndrome, Cystic fibrosis, Haemophilia, Rhesus disease and many more.

To find out more go to: http://www.newscientist.com

Life Electric: Bacteria that wire up to share energy!

2010-12-04T04:13:00.000-08:00

Researchers at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst have evolved a very unusual colony of symbiotic bacteria. The bacteria, which belong to two different species, cannot live without each other and grow biological wires to share energy in the form of electrons.

"They can just wire themselves up to each other," says Derek Lovley, a microbiologist at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. "I think it's probably one of the most surprising things I've seen working in microbiology."

To read more go to: www.newscientist.com

The Science of Snowflakes!

2010-11-27T12:05:00.000-08:00

Since the country is covered in a blanket of the white stuff, why not follow the link below and discover the wonder and science behind the humble snowflake!

Starry Skies

Mayo Science Week Blog Competition

2010-11-26T11:43:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Barry Redmond Class 2A4 on winning the Science Week Blog Competition run by Mayo Education Centre!

Barry's post to the Mayo Education Centre Blog proved to be the most thought provoking to the thread "Do violent video games and television programs encourage people to become more violent?" His prize was a Sony Ericsson Android Smart Phone! Not bad for an evening's science homework!

To find out more about the Mayo Education Centre go to http://www.mayoeducationcentre.ie

Mayo Science & Technology Exhibition 2010 Photos and Report

2010-11-24T11:39:00.000-08:00

The T.F. Royal Theatre was the venue for the Science & Technology Exhibition 2010.

Here is a sample of some of the exhibits on display. It was a great day's entertainment and education for all the family.

The Main Performances on the day were:
Supermarket Science
Recycle Magic with the Magician Marvin
Fun with Science
Life in your own backyard with Dale Treadwell
The Night Sky with Astronomy Ireland
Madlabs - electronics workshop
Space encounters - Planetarium
Teen Zone

There were many stands displayed by various organisations including:
The Defence Forces
An Guarda Siochana
Fort Wayne Metals
Ballinaboy Corrib Gas Project
Sligo Institute of Technology
Coca cola
Mayo County Library

More photos of the exhibition will be uploaded soon to the slideshow

Science Library

2010-11-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

Books can now be requested by filling out the online form linked to this blog. The Science library is located in the Biology Lab (Mr. Daly's Room)

There are many interesting titles available including New Scientist magazines, Encyclopaedias, Revision texts, Topics such as: Astronomy, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Maths, DIY and much more.

When returning books you must give the book directly to Mr. Daly so he can check the book back in.

Top 10 Leaving Certificate Biology Websites

2010-11-20T13:09:00.000-08:00

1 www.biology.slss.ie
This is the official website of the biology support service. It contains a wealth of relevant and useful information. It includes links to other websites and a very useful forum for biology teachers to discuss matters if mutual interest.

2 www.biozone.co.nz/links.html
This New Zealand based website contains a most extensive list of biological information. It is a superb portal for a vast range of biological sources.

3 www.biology.arizona.edu
Contains many useful links, some of them a little too complex for second level biology. Good animations and videos in the cells-alive section.

4 www.biology.ieesp.leaving-cert-biology-stuff.php
Contains a wealth of Irish-related material, especially in the realm of ecology.

5 www.sip.ie/sip069/documents/biologypage
Contains a list of about 70 websites of relevance for Leaving Cert biology.

6 www.ingeniousireland.ie
Designed for Junior Cert science but has some good material for LC biology.

7 www.bbc.co.uk/sn
Contains a wealth of reliable, high quality modern biological information. Has a facility to view recent documentary material shown on TV.

8 www.newscientist.com
An excellent site for those wishing to keep abreast of modern developments in biology (and other sciences). Has a very useful search facility.

9 www.wellcome.ac.uk
Contains material that is of wider interest to many.

10 www.youtube.com
An often overlooked site which is excellent for video and animation clips of features such as cell division, DNA replication and protein synthesis.

Mayo Science & Technology Festival 2010

2010-11-20T05:09:00.000-08:00

This is running from 15th to the 21st of November. There are lots of events taking place all over the county, to find out more information go to www.mayoscience.ie

The main event is the Open Day Science Fair taking place in the TF Royal Theatre on Sunday 21st at 1pm. There will be a host of interactive science displays, demonstrations, experiments and lots more on the day. There is sure to be something for every member of the family.

Admission is free, tickets are given on a first come first served basis. It promises to be a great day of education and fun, so check it out!