Term one chapters

Hello everyone I am Ong Sim Hao from class 1i1 and in this blog I will be sharing with you about science that I have learnt in the three terms that I have been in Hwa Chong.
First off let us start with the first few weeks that we went into hwa chong. We were still young and happy, and there was nothing that we weren't curious about. Imagine our fascination when we first stepped into the laboratory. There we first met our science teacher Mr low. Mr Low taught us many things in our first year in Hwa chong.

But before we started on any chapters, we were presented with such a worksheet about < GETTING TO KNOW THE SCIENCE LABORATORY> In this worksheet was many symbols and signs, many of which I did not understand. For example, the symbol standing for explosives, was represented by a picture of a circular object getting blown up. Whereas a symbol for toxic materials was represented by a skull with two bones crossed behind it. Such symbols sparked my interest. How science could be represented by symbols, how danger could be compressed into shapes... I was amazed. With this came the interest for science.
I remember after learning about how we should be careful when we see the symbols represented in the worksheet, I was amazed and scared at the same time.

Whereas a symbol for toxic materials was represented by a skull with two bones crossed behind it. Such symbols sparked my interest. How science could be represented by symbols, how danger could be compressed into shapes... I was amazed. With this came the interest for science.
I remember after learning about how we should be careful when we see the symbols represented in the worksheet, I was amazed and scared at the same time. How could such an innocent looking laboratory possibly contain so much dangers?
as such, we were given a mini quiz after that about each and every symbol in the laboratory. Guess what I got?


Anyway, the quiz was actually more of a small test to see our standards and where we stand in the class, as well s to see how much we know. Unfortunately, I didn't know much. In the end I got 7 over 15 for the test, I think.
For our first term, we were to learn about flames as well as about density and pendulum.

 ----flames----

For flames, we were learning about how there was a luminous flame as well as a non luminous flame. We were to compare the flames, as well as to analyse them and find out how to get each flame.

It was not very hard, because we were informed on how each flame is supposed to look like. In the image above, evidently number 4 is a non luminous flame, while number 1 is a luminous flame.  Seemingly, we can see how fascinating it is to find out about these flames, as we would be working with them when we are using Bunsen burners. Thus this can help us when we are trying to differentiate the different flames.
When using the Bunsen burner, to prevent a strike back, how we should not fully open or close the air holes located at the base of the Bunsen burner.

----measurement of time-pendulum----
 Besides that, we also learnt about pendulums, about terms used on pendulums, like the bob, the period, as well as an oscillation. We learnt to find out what the period of the pendulum bob was, and what oscillation meant. From this lesson I learnt about how pendulum worked, as well as why people would use pendulums. It occurred to me how the metronome  used while playing the piano sounded like the pendulum, which seemed to emphasis another use of the pendulum.

Like the metronome in my house, this metronome ticks every few seconds or so, at a regular interval to inform us about the timing of our piano piece. during our first term test, these topics came out and I wasn't prepared for them. even though these topics were well taught and emphasized, perhaps I wasn't listening well in class, as I was unaware of each term and their meanings.

- Bob is the word used to talk about the ball at the bottom the string. It must be placed at the bottom of the string to be able to count the number of oscillations made by the pendulum. The heavier the bob, the more the oscillations Also, the higher the bob is lifted, the more oscillations there will be.

-Oscillation means the period where the bob moves a complete two swings. In the diagram above, the oscillation means when the bob moves from point A to C and back to A.

- The period is the time taken for the pendulum to make one full oscillation, when the bob moves from A to C and back to A

 - the frequency* is the number of oscillations  the simple pendulum completes in one second.

* note the difference between the frequency and the period. The period is different from the frequency because the frequency gives the pendulum a certain time limit to see how many oscillations are made whereas the period does not give a fixed timing.
Also, from some science research I could fully understand the uses of a pendulum, like how it is used to keep track of time,

----Density----

Also, in the term test, density was tested. We were to find out densities of regular objects. We were to make use of micrometer screw gauges and marbles in a small plastic bottle. When I was doing the experiment, I felt that the experiment really showed how density could be counted out just by using three simple materials. When I had first come into the lab, I had only a brief knowledge of density and what it was. I did not even know how to calculate the density of certain objects. but after the lesson, I learnt how to use a micrometer screw gauge as well as how to find density of an object.
 the laboratory is probably a very efficient means of getting things sorted out in your head because of the practicals involved. You simply had to weigh the marbles and then make use of the given equation, V=4/3pi(d/2)*    * is 3 and then you can find the density of a marble. All the steps were provided for us.

----term test----

Now that I have addressed all topics that came out in the term test one, let me now share with all of you about the term one test. In the term one test, the topics that came out were the ones that I had elaborated on above. The only difference was the way Mr low tweaked the questions so that they weren't quite the same as the ones we had practiced before. Nevertheless, many of us still scored well for the first test. EXCEPT ME! For that test I scored 23 and a half out of 40.


Why didn't i do well? I asked myself. After analyzing my test paper, I realized that most of my mistakes were due to my carelessness or I had not read up on my facts. My whole test paper was filled with crosses and zeroes, and I was dumbstruck.

I analyzed the test paper and I realized that the reason I had not scored well for the test was because  I had not studied well. Most of the facts I got was either wrong or wrongly phrased. The calculations I made with density questions were wrong to the extent that no method marks could be given. I had forgotten to add something, or had added something extra, resulting in a total mess in the results I had received. For the multiple choice questions, I had only got 10 over 15 and I had not done well in section B either.
After the test was done was returned to us, I reflected upon how I had studied for the test and compared it to the results I had obtained. I had not studied properly and had only done meagre amounts of exercises, resulting in the fact that I got the lowest in class for the test and had only gotten 23 and a half over 40. Also, I had not read up on the notes that were handed to us in huge stacks by Mr Low and so I was unsure of the way I should have phrased my answers when the questions came out in section B of the test.