Essential Ideas in Electronics: Resistance
This article, from Electronics Education, is aimed at giving guidance to teachers and takes an in depth examination of resistance and conduction. It is also linked with an earlier article Essential Ideas in Electronics: Current. The article describes: • conductors and resistors • atoms, electrons, charges and current…
Essential Ideas in Electronics: Voltage
These articles, first published in Electronics Education, are aimed at giving guidance to teachers and help to describe the concept of voltage in an electric circuit. There are two articles in this resource. The first article introduces the following ideas: • A signal in a system is a voltage • A voltage is a difference…
Essential Ideas in Electronics: Current
Published in Electronics Education, this article is aimed at giving guidance to teachers and explains the ideas and models behind the understanding of electric current. The article begins by discussing the make-up of atoms and describes the charged particles, protons and electrons before moving on to consider charge interactions…
Phones and Health
This Catalyst article explores whether the use of mobile phones increases the risk of cancer, including a recent study from Denmark which investigates the issue further. This article is from Catalyst: Secondary Science Review 2011, Volume 22, Issue 2. Catalyst is a science magazine for students aged 14-19 years. Annual subscriptions…
Energy Control
A Catalyst article about the efficient use of heating systems. Many people complain of being too hot or cold. Coming soon are a new generation of intelligent heating controls which can learn how people live, and then deliver heating efficiently when and where they need it. These devices are known as Wattboxes and the article describes…
The Science of Social Interaction
The Science of Social Interaction document is a one-page summary of some recent Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) research into the area of human interaction. As our society becomes ever more interconnected, with each person experiencing hundreds of social encounters every day, the way we communicate is very important.…
Fantastic Plastic
This Catalyst article looks at the use of polymers in the manufacture of household items. The exciting thing about polymers is that it is possible to make polymers behave in so many different ways by organising their long chain molecules in different ways – polymers are the ultimate designer material. The article looks at their…
5/5- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
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Hot Problems
A Catalyst article about high-level nuclear waste. It is hot, corrosive and a source of intense radiation. The nuclear industry is seeking safe ways to deal with such waste, and wants the public to help shape the decisions that are made. This article presents some information about the options for the storage of radioactive waste,…
Plastics Forever?
A Catalyst article discussing how polymers affect every day of people’s lives. With diverse characteristics and applications their usefulness can only be limited by human imagination. Due to polymers’ widespread and varied use a responsible and systematic recycling programme is both economically and environmentally advantageous. This…
Chemistry in a Blast Furnace
A Catalyst article about chemical reactions that occur in a blast furnace during the steelmaking process. This short article features a diagram of a blast furnace showing the active ingredients used to produce iron from ore. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2006, Volume 16, Issue 3. Catalyst is a science magazine…
Iron
A Catalyst article about iron, a relatively abundant element that humans have made widespread use of since the Iron Age (about 750 BC). The article explores the extraction of iron ore, the chemistry of iron and the blast furnace process. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2006, Volume 16, Issue 3. Catalyst is…
Plants and Mineral Nutrients
A Catalyst article looking at the chemicals that are in plants and trees and the role they play in the life of the plant. Starting with photosynthesis the article moves onto naturally occurring chemicals and explains why plants need fertilisers. Growing salad crops hydroponically is also examined. This article is from Catalyst:…
Nanotechnology
A Catalyst article about nanotechnology, the science of building tiny devices. Opinions differ on the use of nanotechnology, one school of thought is that it will be the answer to many of the biggest challenges in medicine, electronics and defence, another is that it will lead to opening up a dangerous world of technologies which…
- 5/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
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Is Salmon Good for You?
A Catalyst article examining if there are harmful chemicals in farmed fish. Oily fish such as salmon, tuna, sardines and mackerel contain plenty of protein, vitamins and the right sort of fats. They are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which are released when fats are digested. The human body uses these fatty acids to make cells, especially…
Intensive Crop Production Systems
A Catalyst article explaining how much of the food that humans consume comes from systems in which large numbers of plants or animals are grown under closely controlled conditions, designed to maximise production. When they grow plants as crops farmers intervene in various ways to optimise growth, so that the food is produced as…
Can Your Mobile Phone Damage Your Health?
A Catalyst article investigating if mobile phones produce harmful radiation. The short article compares the view points of a concerned parent, protester, scientist, official report and a complacent citizen. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 16, Issue 1. Catalyst is a science magazine for students…
- 4/5
- Publication year: 2000 - 2009
- Article
Aluminium
A Catalyst article about aluminium, a shiny silvery metal, which is extracted from its ore by electrolysis. Further addition of other metallic elements results in an alloy, which can be cast into various shapes using moulds. The article looks at the processes of extraction, casting, patterns, moulds and finishing. This article…
Diamond's Brilliant Light
A Catalyst article about a brilliant new light source under construction in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside - the Diamond Light Source. Diamond will be a source of synchrotron light. Many of the everyday commodities people take for granted, from chocolate to cosmetics, from revolutionary drugs to surgical tools, have been…
Do U Wan2 Tlk> ;-)
A Catalyst article about mobile phones. This article looks at the science behind this popular piece of technology, such as the use of radio waves, aerials and cells. The article also explains how mobile phones are able to use short aerials. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2005, Volume 16, Issue 1. Catalyst…
Diamonds
A Catalyst article about diamonds. The element carbon exists in a number of allotropic forms, but diamonds have always held a special allure, whether it be for their hardness or for their transparency. The article examines how they can be made artificially and looks at some of their uses. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science…
Damian Murphy: Music Technologist
A Catalyst article about the work of Damian Murphy a music technologist. Acoustics and sound are examined in addition to the physical modelling and acoustics of buildings and environments, both real and virtual. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2007, Volume 17, Issue 3. Catalyst is a science magazine for…
Salt
A Catalyst article about why human beings need salt (sodium chloride) in their diets to survive, but too much can be toxic. Where does salt come from, and what is it used for? This article looks at salt extraction and mining in England, the domestic and industrial uses of salt as well as its molecular structure. This article…
It's a Material World
A Catalyst article about working in materials science and engineering, the process of deciding which material is best for each application. The structure of materials, processing them and working in jobs and careers with them are explained. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2007, Volume 17, Issue 3. Catalyst…
TBL@WWW
A Catalyst article about Tim Berners-Lee, the founder of the World Wide Web. The article looks at the difference between the internet and the web and what is required to create a web that links computer users from around the world. This article is from Catalyst: GCSE Science Review 2006, Volume 17, Issue 1. Catalyst is a science…
Food Technology - Careers
A Catalyst article about careers in the food industry.T he food and drink industries are part of a chain linking farming and growing through to food processing, manufacture and finally to the sale of food in supermarkets and restaurants. This article describes some of the many career areas in food technology together with qualifications,…
Body Sensor Networks
A Catalyst article about the use of tiny electronic sensors to monitor the movement of people. As electronic devices get smaller and more powerful, they are finding new uses in monitoring human activity. This article describes a project to develop sensors with uses in medicine, sport and electronic gaming. This article is from…
Silent Flight
A Catalyst article describing how engineers have designed an aircraft which will produce much less noise as it approaches and leaves the airport. The Silent Aircraft Initiative is a collaboration between scientists and engineers at two universities, Cambridge (UK) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA). With air travel…
Food Additives
A Catalyst article about food additives. Some additives are natural and some are manufactured by the chemical industry. Some, like vitamin C, can come from either natural or artificial sources. As with every other component of food all additives are chemicals. Even organic food can contain a certain number of additives; this article…
Do Mobile Phone Signals Harm Our Health?
A Catalyst article about people who believe that their health is affected by mobile phone radiation. The World Health Organisation has labelled this condition Idiopathic Environmental Intolerance with attribution to Electromagnetic Fields (IEI-EMF). Idiopathic describes a disease with no known cause. The article reports on some tests…
Would You Be a CLEVER Driver?
A Catalyst article about the CLEVER car, which has been designed to be a compact, energy-efficient car. As more and more people want to get about within cities and towns, the problems of congestion and pollution are increasing. Motorcycles and bicycles take up less space and produce fewer emissions than conventional cars, but they…
Wave Power
A Catalyst article looking at renewable energy. To tackle climate change and all the challenges imposed by the need to find alternative and reliable energy sources, there is one major resource that has remained untapped until now: wave power. This article describes the size of this resource and presents the leading technological…
Darwin's Digital Children
This Catalyst article is about using computer models which use natural selection to evolve new products. Computers can be used to simulate evolution showing how some species die out and how others evolve and thrive. Products used by humans in everyday activities also evolve and this article describes how their design evolves. This…