Science Blog

Lift Off!!!!

2008-03-14T02:24:00.000-07:00

This week is National Science and Engineering Week and to mark the event we held a rocket launch. Here is our rocket before lift off. We had to measure out a 3m exclusion zone round the rocket before a safety key was placed into the ignition launch pad and then !!!!

Here is our rocket in the sky. We used altimeters to measure how high the rocket went - about 50 metres. Pretty high!

We managed to launch the rocket again before the rain and then we lost the rocket when it landed in some very tall trees!

Yeast - and what it can do!

2008-02-28T13:47:00.000-08:00

S1 are studying biotechnology just now. Here are some pictures from our visit to the auchentoshan distillery in Glasgow.

The barley that they use to make the whisky

Gets added with lots of water into the mash tun.

Scott finds the whole thing very smelly and has to keep his face covered all the time!

The wash back room. The liquid from the mash tun has all the sugars from the barley in it and is called wort. It goes through into the wash back room. This has huge wooden vats and the sugary water and yeast are added. The yeast ferments the sugars making the alcohol and lots of carbon dioxide seen here as bubbles.

The alcohol water mix gets distilled three times

The whisky is stored in wooden casks

HIgher Biology Post

2008-02-01T04:27:00.001-08:00

Today we have been doing a presentation on proteins. I have learnt they are made from amino acids. Jason

David says do not read! but here is a picture of our poster on globular/ conjugated and fibrous protein

Steven - I am amazing at posters - here is a picture of our masterpiece. Protiens make the body go round!

Jennie - DNA codes for all the proteins in our body!

Emma - Some hormones are proteins

Primary 7 Renewable Energy

2008-01-17T04:09:00.001-08:00

We think it would a good idea to have a wind farm in Greenock because we need more electricity for energy. We should put the wind mills up in the hills though not near the houses. There is a wind turbine at the new Inverclyde Academy but it keeps making the scaffolding fall down! Euan, Kerr, David and Rhys We also think its a good idea to have wind farms to save energy and it doesn't make radioactive waste like nuclear power plants. We want to save the world for as long as possible. Kerri,Chloe,Lauren, Jennifer and Jessica. We think a nuclear power station would be a better idea than a wind farm because it makes lots more energy and gives a lot of jobs. We would build a science research centre to look into new ways a getting rid of the radioactive waste. Connor, Angus and Stuart Our class vote was 6 for a wind farm in Greenock and 6 against and 6 for a nuclear power plant with 6 against - so the jury is still out!

Primary 7 Steam Engine

2008-01-11T01:53:00.000-08:00

Today is Friday and we did an experiment with a steam engine. We used fuel tablets to get us started and we put then under the boiler. The steam was then sent to the turbine and as the wheels turned electricity was made to light the street lamp. COOL!

Lauren

Just now we are doing a topic on energy and here are some pictures of our steam engine.

Kerri & Chloe & Jessica.

Today we used the steam engine using high pressure steam. We used fuel tablets and after 5 minutes everything started to work. The motor started moving and powered the lamp.

Angus

We have been doing an energy topic learning lots about energy. Today we did an experiment with a steam engine. The fuel tablets heated the water in the boiler and then the steam turned the motor and the lamp went on.It was Cool!!!

Euan