Friday, 22 April 2011

Online lesson #5 (Maglev train)

1. What is a maglev train? How does it work using magnetic force?
Maglev train is abbreviated from Magnetic Levitation train. It is a mode of transportation, wherein the vehicle is suspended, guided and propelled with the help of large magnets. The working of maglev train is like the basis law of magnetism- like poles repel each other, while unlike poles attract each other. The three important components of the Maglev train system include the source of power, a track made from metal coil lining and the large magnets attached beneath the vehicle.



2. What advantage(s) would be achieved using this technology?
  • The maglev train doesn’t have moving parts as conventional trains do, as a result of which the wear and tear of parts is minimal - and that reduces the maintenance cost of the Maglev System by a significant extent.
  • There is no physical contact between the train and the track, as a result of which there is no rolling resistance.
  • While electromagnetic drag and air friction do exist, that doesn’t hinder the maglevs ability to clock an amazing speed exceeding 200 mph with ease.
  • Absence of wheels also comes so we don’t have to deal with the deafening noise.
  • Maglevs also boast of being environment friendly as they don’t resort to internal combustion engines.
  • These trains are weather proof, which means rain, snow, or severe cold don’t really hamper their performance.
  • These trains are a lot safe than their conventional counterparts as they are equipped with state-of-the-art safety systems, which can keep things in control even when the trains is cruising in a high speed.
3. Find out the countries that had introduced this technology to the people. List them.
  • China
  • Taiwan
  • Korea
  • Japan
  • Spain
  • U.K
  • Germany
  • France
  • Canada
4. What is the average speed of the maglev train and which country claimed the fastest moving one?
The below trains are the top 10 trains in the world. The first would be China.

1. CRH2 of China
The CRH2 is a modified E 2-1000 series Shinkansen design and is one among the fastest train models in China. It is also the second Shinkansen model of train that was exported. The other one was the 700T series.



2. THSR – Taiwan
The Taiwan High Speed Rail is roughly 335.50 kms and runs along the west coast of Taiwan. It runs to Kaohsiung city from Taipei City and is said to have started its operation on January 5, 2007.



3. KTX – Korea
South Korea’s high-speed rail system, the Korea Train express (KTX) is operated by Korail. It has a high speed of 350km/h and its technology is based on the French TGV system. Its speed can be limited to 300 km/h for safety during normal service. This super-fast train reached a great speed of 352.4 kms per hour on December 16, 2004.


4. Shinkanzen – Japan
A network of super- fast trains connects Honshu in Japan with other major cities. It also connects Fukuoka on the island of Kyushu and Tokyo. The super-fast trains of Japan are known as shinkansen. These trains of bullet types are run by Japan Railways.



5. Ave – Spain
AVE is an abbreviation for Alta Velocidad EspaƱola meaning High Speed. It can also imply bird in Spanish. Ave is a network of high speed trains that operate at speeds of up to 300 km/h and connects all important towns and cities in Spain.


6. Eurostar – UK
A high speed train service in Western Europe, Eurostar connects London and Kent in the United Kingdom, with Brussels in Belgium and Paris and Lille in France. There are also seasonal trains to France and limited services to Disneyland Resort Paris.


7. TGV- France
A high speed train service of France, the TGV rail service was developed by the French national rail operator, SNCF and GEC-Alsthom (now Alstom). The TGV rail network connects Paris with other important cities of France and also nearby countries.



8. MLX01 – Japan
This is an older version of the maglev Shinkansen and it ran at a speed of 320 mph (515 km/h) in 1990. This was a fastest train in Japan during the 1990’s.



9. TR-07 – Germany
The TR-07 was a German maglev train which ran from Hamburg reaching a speed of 270.3 mph in 1989. Its noise level was very much reduced owing to the engine design. Transrapid is a German monorail which is presently amongst the quickest of all the trains in the world. It is run by magnetic levitation. During its trial, the train was able to reach speed up to 450 km/hour. The newer and latest versions even reach a speed of over 500 km/hour.


10. MLU001 – Japan
The MLU001 was a Japanese Maglev Train which ran at a speed of 248.9 mph (400.4 km/h) in 1987. This marked the way for other super-fast trains that made its appearance in the 1990’s and 2000’s.

5. Which is faster? F1 racing car or Maglev train?
Maglev train is faster as the faster speed of the maglev train is 580km/h. For F1 racing car’s speed is only around 300km/h.

6. Would you want the maglev train to be introduced in Singapore? If yes, why? If no, why not?
I would like to introduce the maglev train in Singapore. As it would be convenient to use the maglev train for transportation and it is considered as environmental friendly. Plus we also can reduce the time being used in transport.

Source: wikipedia.com, buzzle.com, google.com.sg, top-10-list.org

Thursday, 21 April 2011

Video link on Maglev train



          I chose this video among thousands online because the video explains how the train works and gives lots of information about the Maglev train. It also contains details about the Maglev train, even includes experiment on how magnetic force help in it. I learnt a lot of key points from the video.

Tuesday, 5 April 2011

The differences between Mass and Weight

             Mass is a measure of how much matter an object has.Mass is always at a constant at any place and any time. It is a scalar quantity. The SI unit of mass is kilograms.Mass is measured using a pan balance.
            Weight is a measure of how strongly gravity pulls on that matter. The weight of an object depends on the gravity at that place.It is vector quantity. The SI unit of weight is newtons.Weight is measured using a spring balance.
           Thus if you were to travel to the moon your weight would change because the pull of gravity is weaker there than on Earth but, your mass would stay the same because you are still made up of the same amount of matter.


















Thursday, 31 March 2011

Online lesson #4



                                                           Salmon

1. Research on the organism and list down 5 facts about the organism.
                             
                                    5 facts about the salmon

·        All Pacific salmon die shortly after spawning, but Atlantic salmon are capable of surviving and spawning again.

·        The Chinook salmon is the largest species of salmon.  It averages about 9kg but can weigh up to 45kg.

·        For the earlier stages of their life, salmon species prefer large, cool rivers and streams.

·        Salmon are anatropous fish, meaning they are able to travel between freshwater and salt water.

·        About 90% of salmon return to their place of birth to spawn, laying eggs in the exact same river where they hatched.

2.   Describe the behavioural adaptation of this organism in the area of reproduction. How does this adaptation benefit its predator?
        
           Salmon migrate up to 4,000 miles from the ocean to freshwater areas to spawn (or lay eggs). They also must swim against very strong ocean currents just to reach freshwater, and then swim upstream against the powerful flow of the river. Additionally, they must leap clear of the water to get above falls, and do all this while avoiding predators. They do all this only to die only minutes after spawning. After that, its predators would be eaten by the salmon found on the surface of the water. It also benefits the predators as they could eat the salmon without hunting.

3. Explain why there is a need for the female to spawn about 3000 - 15000 eggs in one spawn run.

        There will be many eggs being eaten or damaged, so the more eggs the more chance of survival and also ensure the population of the salmon would not extinct.



Online lesson #3

Decomposers

Online lesson #2