Welcome To Chemistry Class

After the summer break, I was introduced to a complex and rousing class called Chemistry. I was interested in the topic because the only thing I knew about Chemistry was the chemical explosions and other fun lab activities. Before doing the fun stuff with chemicals, our teacher introduced us to the topic of Chemistry and how it is relevant to our daily life. For example, Chemistry is really important to everyday life because it provides us with medicines, food processes, and etc. Currently, we are learning about the periodic table: “a table of the chemical elements arranged in order of atomic number, usually in rows, so that elements with similar atomic structure (and hence similar chemical properties) appear in vertical columns.” Moreover, we learn how to calculate the atomic mass, the atomic number, protons, electrons and more by using the Ptable. Even though Chemistry is a complex lesson, but I really enjoy it and can’t wait to see the explosion of the chemicals.         

Engineer Strand

In our engineering class, I got an assignment from my facilitator to do research about our desired famous people who took their path in engineering. I picked Elon Musk because his seminal works introduced me to the path of engineering.

     Elon Musk’s Biography  

Elon Musk was born on June 28, 1971, in Pretoria, South Africa—he is currently 47 years old. He obtained his Canadian citizenship in 1989 because it was easier for him to obtain the American citizenship; he became the American citizenship in 2002.  Musk was a son of a Canadian mother and a South African father. At the age of 10, his parents got divorced while Elon started to develop his interest in computers. He taught himself programming when he was 12, and he made his first ever software game called Blaster. Later in his life, Musk took two years at Queen’s University and transferred to the University of Pennsylvania. He graduated from Wharton School and majored in Physics and Art in Economics. When Musk was 24 years old, he moved to California to pursue a Ph.D. in physics at Stanford University. Two days later, Musk left the Ph.D. program to start a business. In 1995, Musk and his younger brother started Zip2, “a web software company that would help newspapers develop online city guides.”

Musk revolutionized online payments: he was a co-founder of a really famous online transfer service called PayPal–was initially called Zip2. In 2002, PayPal was bought by another big company called eBay for 1.5 billion dollars in stock, and Musk received 165 million dollars from eBay. Moreover, he is the CEO and CTO of SpaceX, one of the most famous space companies in the world, founded in 2002. SpaceX is a space company that does design, “ manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft with the goal of reducing space transportation costs and enabling the colonization of Mars.” He is also the CEO of Tesla, a car company that manufactures electric cars. One of its functions that make Tesla is very well-known is a featured called AutoPilot. He is known for the chairman of the Solar City which concentrates in solar energy services.  Currently, he is one of the most intelligent Engineers in the world because of his crazy ideas and mindsets.

All of his inventions are constantly changing the world. For example, Tesla is an environmentally friendly technology which it only required electricity in order to run the process. This means that Elon Musk wanted to end the use of gasoline because it has an immense effect in term of climate change. His private space company, SpaceX, is trying to find a livable planet for humans because he wanted to prevent the from overpopulated. Moreover, people don’t need to carry out their money to buy what they wish because people can use PayPal instead of the actual currency.

In the future, Elon plans to sent people to Mars by 2025 because he wants to colonize the planet and make it into a living place. He even wanted to create tunnels, a new future transportation system. To begin the project, Elon’s objective is to build a network of underground tunnels in LA that move cars on electric skates at the speed of 125 mph. In the next 20 years, cars will not have steering wheels, so they are able to go fully autonomous in the long-term. He even said that “Aircraft and ships and all other forms of transport will go fully electric. Not half electric, but fully electric.” I think these goals will be achievable for him since he is a crazy and intelligent inventor of the century.  

Elon Musk credits his success to three important steps. The first step is to focus on more than one field; when Musk was back in school, he majored in two areas: Art in Economics and Physics. Musk had been interested in space and rockets for so long that he spent a lot of his own time reading textbooks and consulted with experts about rocket science and engineer. “His ability to understand the details of space and SpaceX products helps to connect with staff and build better products.” Musk studies in many different fields; he is able to understand deeper principles, and applies the principles “ to their core specialty.” The second step, learn to transfer knowledge. When Musk was in school, he is known to read two books per day: science fiction, philosophy, religion, and programming. This allowed him to get exposed to a variety of subjects and principles. Third think different. Elon ambition was to introduce the world to new amazing technology that nobody has ever thought of before. For example, Musk and his space company, SpaceX, was able to create a self-landing rocket. This is the three steps that he took to become one of the most famous engineers in the world. In conclusion, I think he is the top ranking inventor of the century by introducing new inventions to the world.  

References:

https://www.biography.com/people/elon-musk-20837159

https://www.oakton.edu/students/8/iiliev5728/Final%20Progect/Elon_Musk_Biography.htm

https://www.investopedia.com/university/elon-musk-biography/elon-musk-success-story.asp

https://www.quora.com/What-has-Elon-Musk-achieved

https://www.investopedia.com/university/elon-musk-biography/elon-musk-early-life-and-education.asp

https://ecotechdaily.net/how-elon-musk-is-changing-the-world

SAT Practice

In our math class, my classmates and I are working really hard to get prepared for the SAT test in October. We are doing a multitude of practices and finding techniques that are able to help us with the preparation. As I mentioned in the previous post, all of the Academy students were taken a two weeks long PSAT boot camp; however, we are still improving on the sections that we are struggling with. For example, one of the topics that some of the students are currently struggling with is the percentage change. We find it difficult with the percentage change word problems since we need to understand clearly about the context so that we can implement the formula to solve for the solution. To solve for the percentage change questions, first, we need to take the New value to subtract it to the Initial value, divide everything by the initial value and multiply it by 100.  

Percentage change = (New value – Initial value)/(Initial Value) = X * 100              

PSAT Bootcamp

It was unusual to come back to school and started working on the PSAT Bootcamp. It was two weeks long, and we got to work with the two young professional tutors from the Princeton university—Amanda and Kim. I was so amazed by them because they taught us a multitude of strategies that we could implement into the real SAT test. I found out that reading was the most challenging part for me because it took too much time just to understand the meaning of the passage. Moreover, I will do the real SAT test in a few weeks; I’m so nervous and feared that I will not do a great job on the test, and I feel like the SAT test is a complex way of looking for university and scholarship.

Khmer MUN

It was my first time to wear professional apparels and participated in the first-ever Khmer Model United Nations (MUN). On the 23rd of May, all the senior students were dressed up professionally to get ready for the whole day event. Three weeks before the event started, we discussed and came up with two suitable topics:  feeding the world growing billions and air quality control and pollution. “The delegate of Mexico please come up to give your speech,” I was so anxious when the chair called out my country to give my introduction speech to other delegates.

 

My introduction speech:

ជាបឋម គណៈប្រតិភូនៃប្រទេសមុិចសីុកូ សូមគោរពទៅដល់ប្រធានអង្គប្រជុំ គណៈប្រតិភូ ​​អ្នកសម្របសម្រូលកម្មវិធី  និងភ្ញៀវកេត្តិយសទាំងអស់ដែលមានវត្តមាននៅក្នុងអង្គកិច្ចប្រជុំពិភិក្សាគំរូ នៃអង្គការសហប្រជាជាតិជាទីគោរព!អង្គវិទិកាទាំងមូលជាទីគោរព! គណៈប្រតិភូនៃប្រទេសមុិចសីុកូមានចិត្តសោមនស្សរីករាយឥតឧបមាដែលមានឪកាសចូលរួមក្នុងអង្គប្រជុំមួយនេះ។  គណៈប្រតិភូនៃប្រ

ទេសមុិចសីុកូបានសង្កេតឃើញ ហើយយល់ច្បាស់ថា បញ្ហាដែលទាក់ទងជាមួយ ការចិញ្ចឹមកំណើនប្រជាជនក្នុងពិភពលោកគឺមានសារៈសំខាន់ដែលអង្គប្រជុំទាំងមូលគួរតែដាក់ចិត្តដាក់កាយដើម្បីពិភិក្សាអំពីបញ្ហាខាងលើនេះ។  នាពេលបច្ចុប្បន្ន មនុស្សជាង 1 ពាន់លាននាក់រងគ្រោះដោយភាពអត់ឃ្លាន។

នេះមានន័យថា មនុស្សម្នាក់ក្នុងចំណោមមនុស្ស 6 នាក់នៅជុំវិញពិភពលោកមិនបានទទួលអាហារគ្រប់គ្រាន់ដើម្បីផ្គត់ផ្គង់ការរស់នៅ ក៏ដូចជាទទួលទានអាហារដែលគ្មានផាសុខភាព​។

នៅក្នុងឆ្នាំ២០១៨នេះតែម្តង មនុស្សចំនួនប្រមាណជាជាង 36 លាននាក់នឹងស្លាប់ដោយសារភាពអត់ឃ្លាន! ប៉ុន្តែអ្វីដែលមិនគួរឲជឿនោះគឺ ជិតពាក់កណ្ដាលនៃអាហារទាំងអស់ដែលបានផលិតនៅជុំវិញពិភពលោកត្រូវបានបាត់បង់ឬខ្ជះខ្ជាយ ដោយសារតែទង្វើររបស់យើងរាល់គ្នា។

ដូច្នេះ តើគណៈប្រតិភូនៅក្នុងអង្គប្រជុំទាំងអស់ គួរតែអង្គុយចាំសង្កេតមើលស្ថិតិនៃការស្លាប់របស់មនុស្សកើនឡើង ឬក៏យើងពួតដៃគ្នាដើម្បីដោះស្រាយបញ្ហានេះ ? សូមគណៈប្រតិភូទាំងអស់ពិចារណាអំពីបញ្ហាដ៏ធំសម្បើមមួយនេះ។

ជាចុងក្រោយ គណៈប្រតិភូនៃប្រទេសមុិចសីុកូនឹងបើកចិត្តបើកកាយអោយទូលំទូលាយក្នុងការពិភិក្សា និងស្វែងរកនូវដំណោះស្រាយផ្សេងៗដែលអាចជួយផ្តល់នូវសុខសន្ថិភាព សុវត្ថិភាព និងយុត្តិធម៌ទៅកាន់ពិភពលោកទាំងមូល។ សូមអរគុណ។

It was such a great experience for to me to be a part of this amazing event. Even though I was struggled throughout the day but I did learn a bunch of stuff about Khmer MUN especially Khmer vocabulary.       

RC-Airplane

For the past few months, I realized that I am so passionate in Aerospace Engineer. When I was a kid, I always wished to travel on the airplanes only because they can fly. Moreover, I got an opportunity and participated in a Vex Robotics competition in Thailand; we traveled by airplane. The flight was awesome, I saw beautiful clouds, tall mountains, and amazing landscapes. I have a bigger dream, and I wanted to become an Aerospace Engineer. I started to build my own simple RC airplane that will able to lift, turn, and land by itself. The components that I use to build the airplane are a 7.4V battery, step-down converter, jumper cables, DC motors, receiver, transmitter, landing-wheels, servo motors, propellers, and foam KT. Currently, I am trying to figure out how can I control the speed of the DC motors when the airplane is in the air. Even though it is completed, but I will try my best to find the solution that able to improve my RC-Airplane.

Physic Behind Superman

    In order for Superman to fly he needs to have a thrust force that equals his drag force. According to the Flight Mechanic, “Thrust is the forward force produced by the power plant that overcomes the force of drag.” The drag force is a force that acts in the opposite direction of the moving object through a fluid or gas. Moreover, in order for the Superman to balance himself when he moves up, down, right, or left his lift force needs to equal to his weight. “Lift is the force that directly opposes the weight of an object and holds the object in the air.” How does he overcome drag force? There is a speculative theory that actually being studied by some scientists. One of the theories is that gravity is carried by subatomic particles (particles much smaller than atoms) that are called gravitons. Scientists have not know is graviton do exist in our world or not, but they believe that gravitons travel in the wave as much as the light wave or electromagnetic wave. Therefore, if Superman has a way of generating gravitons within his own body, which means he could travel or fly close to the speed of the light by riding on the wave of gravity. Moreover, he could also create attractive force, and all matters on earth have a gravitational connection between them all. So, he could fly toward something by making a very strong gravitational pull towards it by sending a lot of gravitons to it. Even though this is just a theoretical concept, but scientists still continue to find the real explanation behind gravitons; gravitons might also be the clue for scientists or physicist to do a further investigation toward the concept of the flying human. In the other side, Superman was born on a massive planet called Krypton, a much larger planet compared to Earth. According to the comic, the Krypton’s dense core is unstable and about to explode so that they came up with a decision and sent Superman to our Earth. On earth, he would be the strongest human due to power that he has on earth, which is the power that he did not have back in Krypton. Moreover, Krypton is where its gravity is greater than our earth’s gravity, therefore he grew up to be stronger than normal human being. For example, if we someone that weighs 400 pounds on earth and we put them on the moon which has ⅙ of the Earth’s gravity, they would weigh around 67 pounds on the moon. Due to the gravity of the moon is less than our Earth, they would jump at a greater distance than they could jump on Earth. Same as Superman, if he came from a planet that has a higher gravitational force than earth, which means that his weight would be less on Earth so that it is easy for him to leap or fly between buildings. Moreover, if he were to lift a cup back in Krypton is would be as easy as lifting a car on earth due to the difference of the gravity. Clearly, both of the above theories are understandable, but the only thing that scientists need explain is to prove the concept of gravitons and the planet of Krypton. If gravitons do exist in our world, it is possible for the human to fly because we can somehow generate our gravitons so we could overcome the drag force and able to lift ourselves up.       

 

References:

http://www.flight-mechanic.com/thrust-and-drag/

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/blogs/physics/2014/05/what-are-gravitons/

https://io9.gizmodo.com/5810945/the-physics-of-superman

https://prezi.com/ztqmpi4d1bvy/superman-vs-laws-of-physics/

https://stanford.edu/~jbboin/doc/superman.pdf

http://www.nuskool.com/learn/lesson/the-physics-of-superman/

https://io9.gizmodo.com/what-are-gravitons-and-why-cant-we-see-them-1643904640

 

New Hope For Cambodian Children

On Friday, March 2, 2018, my exploration, HIV/AIDS in Cambodia, went to visit a place called New Hope For Cambodian Children. There were around 200 kids that is currently live in the orphanage, and they are all HIV-positive. Before I met the kids, I thought that they were skinny, sad, and careless; it blew my mind when I went to the place because they were healthy, happy, and lovely kids. The place was a really needed area for those who are HIV-positive because discrimination was forbidden and support was also given. For those students, their level of English was high enough that they could easily communicate with the foreigners. Moreover, I was amazed by the director of the orphanage when she told us that the kids had their own garden. When the crops were harvested, the kids sold it to a stranger because she gave them a better price. Furthermore, I was so upset when I had lunch with them because they thought that I would discriminate against them, but I only wanted to make friend with them. Even though they didn’t talk to me during lunch but I talked to them a lot during our friendly football game.

Thailand Trip & Vex Robotics

On Friday, February 02, 2018 my team and I went to Thailand, and it was my first time to travel abroad. The flight was amazing because I got to see the view from the top and able to travel above the beautiful cloud. Our first dinner, at Thailand, was the spiciest noodle that I ever ate in my entire life.

On the next day, we went to the NIST international school to get ready for the upcoming competition. Right before the competition started, we had a problem that was completely devastated our destination. The robot and the joystick (remote control) was not able to connect to each other.

After our first match, we figured out another immense problem. The motors were stalling so that it does not have the ability to create any movement; the competition was the game of alliance, The Judge will randomly pick us a companion (a team), and we did terribly on the first three games because our alliances were having a difficulty with their robots.

Then, we decided to modify our entire design, and we were so frustrated because we missed our fourth game. We performed so well in our last game, and the ranked 4 team immediately invited us to be their allies. For the last three games, our average points were somewhere around fifty-five.

Sadly, our alliance had a problem with their robot so that they did not make any point. Even though we did not win first place, but it was an enormous jump for us to move from the 17th place to 3rd place.    

Lack of Division of Labor Leads to Divorce

“It isn’t the money that predicts the risk of divorce – the cash stuff doesn’t matter,” said the author, Alexandra Killewald, a professor of sociology at Harvard University.

A breadwinner must be a male.

A homemaker must be a female.

These are many stereotypes that are deeply ingrained in our society today. Women are considered to be a housewife, although men are considered to be the wage earner.

The breadwinner is the one who earns money and supports the family, while homemaker is the one who manages the home.

Naturally, when we hear the term breadwinner, we consider of men, and while hearing about homemaker, we consider of women.

The division of housework is immensely important to every individual and family, and it is the main obstacle that might lead to divorce in a family. According to Live-Science, the divorce between spouses does not cause by money issue. Rather, it occurs because of the behaviors of both wife and husband. However, “Women are more likely to initiate divorce,” stated McKinley IRVIN. The key reason is that women are getting really exhausted from doing the domestic responsibilities.

“Traditionally, in a family, the wife would assume most of the household and childcare responsibilities, while the husband would have taken the responsibility of providing income.” Currently, there are more women starting to work outside of their home, and they also need to manage time between their job as well as doing housework; this is called the second shift of work. According to the Copyright-Land,  more women have gone out to work, and more have divorced. This is because when some women work outside the home, they often feel more independent, think more highly of themselves, and as soon as they start working, they want a new man.

Domestic responsibilities are the weapons of many marriages. Marriage usually begins with a willingness of both spouses to share them. Newlyweds, commonly doing most of the housework together such as cooking, washing, cleaning, and more. The weapons are starting to waylay the relationship when children arrive, and the domestic responsibilities starting to change. Children could create an immense need for the family, “both a greater need for income and greater domestic responsibilities.” Both spouses should be considered on their individual responsibility, men are more likely becoming the breadwinner while women are having no choices rather than doing housework. In most contemporary marriages, both spouses work outside the home for income, “ leaving the domestic responsibilities to whoever will volunteer.” Currently, there is a multitude of working women, because they end up doing most of the household work and take care of their children. Therefore, women would have a feeling that their husbands showing a lack of support.

A quote stated, “Don’t shower me with love and kisses -just whisper softly, I’ll do the dishes. This is where REAL LIFE happens in a marriage. When couples accomplish the tasks in life TOGETHER, they free up time to pursue other interests, enriching their relationship.” Both spouses need to be organized about the division of the responsibilities, and you just need to put yourself in someone else’s shoes. There will be many obstacles that could affect the relationship, yet the word “I’ll do it” will ways help to find the solution and able to generate true love.