Solar System Science Project Ideas

Solar System Science Project Ideas Do you have a science fair project in your future? If so, consider focusing on the solar system. Outer space is rich with mysteries and scientific questions to explore, from the phases of the moon to the existence of space dust (micrometeorites). Start with this list of solar system science fair projects. Build a Working Sundial The ancients used sundials to tell time using the position of the Sun in the sky.  You can build your own sundial with two simple materials: a flat surface (e.g. paper, cardboard) and a thin object that can stand up (e.g. a popsicle stick or straw). Once your sundial is functional, test it for accuracy a few times per day by comparing the sundials reading to your watch or clock. Make Your Own Telescope Build a telescope. Galileo did, and so can you. Learn about the basics of telescopes  here, then check out  NASAs page on building your own. The easiest one to build is a Galileoscope, made out of a cardboard tube and some lenses.   Build a Model of the Solar System You can make a scale-model solar system out of paper or in a diorama. First, find out the distances between solar system objects, then do some math to get the distances to scale within your own model. Some tabletop scale-model solar systems contain marbles for the planets, a tennis ball for the Sun, and other smaller pebbles for asteroids and comets. Make a Spacecraft Model Build a model of a NASA space probe. Many of the major probes and space-based observatories have patterns you can download and use to make scale model, including the  Hubble Space Telescope and the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Track the Lunar Phases First, read about the phenomenon of lunar phases here. Then, for a few months, observe the Moon in the sky each night, recording how, where, and when it appears. Record the information in a chart and include a drawing of the moons shape each day.  If you have the materials, you can construct a 3D model of the sun using small balls and a light source to show how the Sun illuminates the Moon and Earth throughout the month.   Study Renewable Energy For many years, NASA and other space agencies have been using solar panels to power their satellites and the International Space Station. Here on Earth, people use solar power for everything from household electricity to powering their watches and other electronics. For a science fair project on solar power, study how the Sun generates light and heat and how we convert that light and heat into usable solar power. Collect Bits of Space Micrometeorites are tiny bits of asteroid that drift through our atmosphere and land on the surface of the Earth.  You can collect them by looking in places theyre likely to end up. For example, rain and snow can wash them off of roofs, and they can flow down the drainpipes and storm gutters. You might also try looking in the piles of dirt and sand at the bottom of a rain spout.  Collect that material, remove anything that obviously is not a micrometeorite (e.g. large rocks and leaves), and spread out the remaining material on a piece of paper. Place a magnet underneath the paper and tilt it. Most of the material will slide right off; anything that does not slide off is magnetic. Study the remaining magnetic material under a magnifying glass or microscope. Micrometeorites will appear rounded and may have pits. Edited and updated by  Carolyn Collins Petersen

5 interview questions you shouldn’t ask potential employees

5 interview questions you shouldn’t ask potential employees We talk a lot about what questions interviewees should be prepared to answer, but what if you’re on the other side of that equation? Are there any danger zone questions (or just plain ineffective) questions you shouldn’t ask? There definitely are, and they range from inappropriate to downright illegal. Let’s look at some of them. 1. How old are you?Age is always a no-no in an interview. Even if the interviewee mentions it themselves or you can deduce the age based on their resume, you can’t ask about it or use it as a factor in the hiring decision. Per the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA), it’s illegal to use age as a discriminating factor in hiring. So by mentioning age, you’re opening the door to potential legal consequences for your company- whether you’re just making small talk or not.2. Are you married/do you have kids?Again, illegal, even if it’s just small talk. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) forbids using gender or family status as an element in hiring someone for a role. A question about family status could make the interviewee think you’re fishing to see if she is planning to take maternity leave, or a question about marriage could make the interviewee think you’re trying to determine sexual orientation. It’s best to leave it alone and find other ways to make small talk. And you don’t want to risk making the interviewee feel uncomfortable about having to discuss personal issues. It’s better all around to keep discussion limited to professional areas.3. If You Were a [blank], what kind of [blank] would you be?This one isn’t illegal, by any stretch. It’s just not a very useful or effective interview question. Knowing which kind of tree the interviewer identifies with or which former member of One Direction they’d like to be doesn’t tell you much of anything about how they’d approach the job at hand. Whenever possible, you should avoid filler questions like these.4. What’s your salary history?What a candidate made before is largely immaterial to what they’d make at your company, unless you’re trying to take the easy way out and determine how low you can go, salary-wise. Either way, it’s not a terribly appropriate or relevant thing to ask someone who’s applying for a specific job. It could put the interviewee on the defensive and steer the conversation away from the job itself.5. What’s your biggest weakness?If you ask this, you’re not going to get a 100% truthful answer. Candidates are on to this game, so you’re going to get an answer with spin on it. No one is going to say â€Å"Yeah, I’m just not good at motivating myself to get work done in the morning† or â€Å"I make a lot of careless mistakes.† And does the spin answer like â€Å"I am too much of a perfectionist† really help you make this hiring decision?When you’re the interviewer and have all the power, it’s important to make sure you’re making a good faith effort to ask the right questions to get someone hired. The last thing you want to do is open legal cans of worms for your company or ask questions that just don’t tell you much about the person you’re hiring to fill this job. Learning to become a great interviewer is just as much a skill as learning to become a great interviewee, and the more you work on what to avoid, the more effective you’ll be.