Apple Completing Circuits to Space and Beyond

We had a huge day of learning and fun on Wednesday or as we know it, day three of 4-H Bio-tech II the Sequel. We started our day by heading to Raleigh to the IMAX theatre. We caught a double feature complete with popcorn and sodas. The first movie was Hubble 3-D, where we learned the history of the Hubble telescope and went along on the last mission to fix and update this important scientific tool. Our next movie took us through the desserts and gave us a better understanding of Arabia in 3-D. After all of that international and intergalactic travel we headed to N. C. State University where we ate lunch in a real college dining hall.

After filling our stomachs (and seeing Coach Lowe who was eating in the dining room we were in) we headed over to Centennial campus to Science House. There we split into groups with graduate students and conducted some really awesome experiments. There were seven stations each with a unique experiment.

At one station we measured the temperature of chemical reactions. Another we experimented with metal that moves, based on temperature. One of our favorite stations involved two apples with different metal rods sticking out of them. The youth hooked different cables with alligator clips to different combinations of rods to see how much energy could be generated. After the experiment the Science House Pre-College Outreach Coordinator, Dr. Lisa Grable, told the youth that one of the best conductors of energy is Diet Coke. Now they know why Miss Shea Ann has so much energy as she conducts programming.

The youth also worked with circuits, found a way to make a windmill, played with solar energy and calculated the wattage of incandescent light bulbs versus CFL bulbs. What they found was the amount of money saved over time is much greater than the amount spent on buying the initial bulbs. The youth had so much fun working the experiments we were sad to leave for the ride home.

However tomorrow is going to be a ton of fun as we visit Noah's Landing and see all kinds of animals and what it takes to care for them. Stay tuned to the blog for day for of our scientific adventures.