Accelerometer

We just learned about the Altimeter.

Another part of rocket science is the Accelerometer.

This is something in the rocket that tells the rocket how fast it is accelerating.
This isn't the same as it's speed, which is just how fast it is going.
Acceleration is the difference in speed over time.

So think about it like if you are walking, and then you are jogging, and then you are running as fast as you can.
When you switch from walking to jogging, there is a difference in speed, and it however long it takes you to get from walking speed to jogging speed is the acceleration.

Gravity is another way to think about acceleration.
If a rock is dropped off of a tall building, it starts falling slowly, but then gets faster and faster, and by the time it hits the ground could be going fast enough to really hurt if it crashed into something.

The difference in how fast it is falling every second is the acceleration.
That is what the accelerometer measures, so that the rocket knows how much faster it is getting every second.



(from: wikipedia - accelerometer)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Plasma Cutting

Armhook Squid

We just learned about the Broadclub Cuttlefish.

Another cephalopod is the Armhook Squid, also called the Gonatidae.

These are a type of squid that don't have just normal suction cups on their arms.
Most squids have rows of two cups all the way down their arm, but the armhook squid has four, and some of the suckers are actually more like hooks.

They are red, purple or brown, they live in the ocean, and they grow to about 10 inches.





(from: wikipedia - gonatidae)



The Hidden Ocean, Arctic 2005: Boreo Atlantic Armhook Squid - oceanexplorergov

Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Pacman Frog

Maxillary Second Molar

We just learned about the Maxillary First Molar.

Another tooth is the Maxillary Second Molar.

These ones are just like the Maxillary First Molars, just further back on the jaw.
They have 4 cusps, and they work to help grind up the food.

Some people get another row of teeth behind these, but for other people these are the last teeth in the mouth.


(from: wikipedia - maxillary second molar)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nail Plate

Bran Castle

We just learned about the Malbork Castle.

Another famous castle is Bran Castle, built in 1300s in Romania.

This castle is sometimes called "Dracula's Castle" because the famous ruler Vlad Țepeș stayed in this castle a few times.

The book Dracula by Bram Stoker is just a made up story, but the writer Bram Stoker used the real person Vlad Țepeș (also known as Vlad the Impaler) as part of his book and made up a story about him being the vampire Dracula.

Vlad was a real person and Dracula was a fake story, but since Vlad stayed in Bran Castle they like to tell stories about this castle!



(from: wikipedia - bran castle)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Nova Scotia

Amplias - Bishop of Odyssus

We just learned about Andronicus, Bishop of Pannonia, one of the seventy disciples.

Another of the seventy is Amplias - Bishop of Odyssus, also known as Ampliatus.

Paul the Apostle talks about Amplias in the book of Romans and says "Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.".

Historians believe he went on to the country of Bulgaria to help spread the word of God.


(from: wikipedia - ampliatus)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Proverbs 16 - Wisdom better than Gold

Mao Gong ding

We just learned about the Da Ke ding and the Da Yu ding.

Another ancient Chinese sculpture is the Mao Gong ding.

Along with the other two dings, these three are some of the most famous Chinese sculptures.

This ding weighs 75 pounds, and is made of bronze.
People think it was made around 800 BC.

There are carvings on the inside of 497 characters telling about the history of the Kings of China in the old days.



(from: wikipedia - mao gong ding)


Kid Facts - Blast from the past: Leonardo's Horse

Greek - Fifteen

We counted to 10 in Greek, now let's learn some bigger numbers!

11 ένδεκα (éndeka) - sounds like AY-n-day-kah
12 δώδεκα (dódeka) - sounds like DOH-day-kah
13 δεκατρία (dekatría) - sounds like day-kah-t-DEE-ah
14 δεκατέσσερα (dekatéssera) - sounds like day-kah-TAY-say-dah
15 δεκαπέντε (dekapénte) - sounds like day-kah-PAY-n-tay


(from: wikipedia - center for the greek language)

ASL: eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen

Italian: undici, dodici, tredici, quattordici, quindici

German: elf, zwölf, dreizehn, vierzehn, fünfzehn

Spanish: once, doce, trese, catorce, quince

French: onze, douze, treize, quatorze, quinze