Mini-Project 3

I love eating many different types of fruits. Today, I made a fruit smoothie.

Here are the ingredients:

-pineapple

-orange

-mango

-watermelon

All I did was blend these ingredients together to make a smoothie. You can add any amount of fruits you want. It depends on what fruits you like to eat. You can add ice to the blender if you want a cold drink.

Science: Blending fruits is a physical change. The fruits also become liquified. Fruits are healthy to eat. They are very nutritious and are neccesary for your daily needs. Pineapple juices have a variety of positive effects on the skin and promotes skin elasticity while removing dead damaged skin. They improve hydration and moisture in the skin. Orange has a lot of Vitamin C. It is beneficial in asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, rheumatism, arthritis, and high blood pressure. It prevents kidney stone, helps lower cholorestrol, and helps prevent diabetes. Mangoes contain phenois, this phenolic compound have powerful antioxidant and anticanser abilities. Mango is high in iron and effective in relieving cloged pores of the skin. It is valuable to combat acidity and poor digestion. Mango is high in antioxidants and low in carbohydrates. It is a rich source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin E, and Selenium which help to protect against heart disease and other ailments. Watermelon is a good source of the antioxidant vitamins C and A to protect us from diseases. It reduces the risk of dehydration.

photocredit: Brian Ng

Mini-Project 2

Today, I cooked some red bean soup. It is a type of Chinese dessert. It is characterized as a tang sui (literal meaning: sugar water) or sweet soup. It is served cold in the summer and hot in the winter. The two types of sugar used interchangeably are rock sugar and sliced sugar.

Here are the ingredients:

-about 1 lb of red beans

-about 1/4 lb of lotus seeds

-rock sugar or sliced sugar (It depends how sweet you want the soup to be)

-enough water to cover the red beans and lotus seeds

Here are the steps to make the red bean soup:

1. Wash the red beans.

2. Put the red beans and the lotus seeds in a medium sized pot.

3. Fill the water over the the amount of dry ingredients.

4. Boil this for about an hour on low heat.

5. Turn off the fire and let it sit for about 45 minutes.

6. Add in the desired amount of sugar (you can add some more water if the soup is too thick) and boil the mixture for another 30 minutes.

The red bean soup should be a little thick. The beans and seeds should not be too hard. If it is, boil the soup a little longer. Enjoy.

If you want to eat this cold, you can put some ice, red bean soup, and ice cream inside a blender and blend them together to make a cold smoothie.

Science: In the beginning, the red beans and the lotus seeds are hard and dry. Then, when you boil the beans and seeds, they expand and become pasty and thick. Molecules are denatured. According to Chinese herbs, lotus seeds are good for the liver. Red beans increase the amount of blood in your blood.

photocredit to Kenneth Ng and Yvonne Ng

Mills Canyon Field Trip

On Thursday, April 29, 2010, we walked to the Mills Canyon for our first chemistry field trip. We had a great time at Mills Canyon exploring the wildlife and nature. I love nature!!! Biology is chemistry. I saw a lot of evidence of chemical reactions. On some parts of the trails, there was mud. I had to carefully walk through or go through a different path. I liked the biodiversity at Mills Canyon, but I wish I could have seen more animals. I plan to come here again with my family over the summer.

View From Mills High School to Mills Canyon in a larger map

Mills Canyon

On Thursday, May 29, we went on a field trip to Mills Canyon. We walked there and back. We explored around in the park and saw a lot of different types of plants. There was poison oak at Mills Canyon, too. I saw evidence of at least three chemical reactions. They were photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and iron and oxygen reacting to form rust. I also learned about the carbon cycle. Biology is chemistry!

Chemical reactions are happening everywhere around us.

Mini-Project 1

Today, I baked Poor Man's Oatmeal cookies.
Here are the ingredients:
-2 cups of rolled oats
-1 cup of brown sugar
-1 cup of flour
-1/4 cup hot water
-1 tsp. baking soda
-1 stick butter (1/4 cup)
-1 tsp. vanilla
I mixed the oats, sugar, and flour together first. In a separate bowl I mixed the water and baking soda. In another bowl, I mixed vanilla and butter. Next, I combined everything together. I scooped the mix into balls and put them on top of the cookie tray. I baked these trays in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. The result was yummy cookies.
SCIENCE: The baking soda caused the cookies to rise. The flour, which provides the framework, was the principal structure builder in the recipe.

Photocredit: Yvonne Ng

IProposeWe Make Glowing Bubbles

IProposeWe Make Make Glowing Bubbles

Links:
How to Make Glowing Bubbles
How to Make Bubble Solution
How to Make Glow Solution

Materials: bubble solution, glow in the dark solution (can use washable glow paint or can make glow solution), bubble wand

Procedure:
1. Mix bubble solution with glow solution.
2. Make sure you have enough bubble solution to make strong bubbles and enough glowing solution to get a good glow.
3. Try a 50:50 mix to start. You can add more glow liquid or more bubble solution, depending on your results.

Safety precautions:

• Protect eyes with goggles.
• Try to use non-toxic washing glow paint or non-toxic highlighter pen.
• Blow bubbles outdoors.

Scientific Principles:
1. Stir solutions.
2. Explore the different concentrations of glowing solution.
3. The glowing solution is the solute. The bubble solution is the solvent.

Las Vegas, Hoover Dam, Grand Canyon

During the spring break I was out of town. I went to see my brother's karate tournament in Las Vegas. My sister drove part of the way to Las Vegas. It was the 2010 international Ozawa karate Cup. Although my brother did not win, he gained experience. After the tournament, we went to the Las Vegas. We stayed at Luxor. We went to Las Vegas Chinatown to eat dinner. The next day, we swam at the Luxor pool. Then, we drove to Las Vegas Chinatown teahouse to eat lunch. The food did not taste that good. After that, my siblings and I bought bread and were shopping at the mall. Then we returned to the hotel and parked the car. We went out and walked on the Las Vegas Blvd. We went to the M&M store and bought 3 pounds of chocolate, which costed about $66. We went to the new mall. For dinner, we ate at BBQ King. The food tasted good. At night, we went to Circus Circus.
On Monday, my dad drove to Hoover Dam. Then, we drove to Grand Canyon. At the Grand Canyon, it was only 40 degrees. The next day, I woke up and looked out the window and saw frost on the tops of cars. It was only 27 degrees! We took many pictures at the Grand Canyon.
Overall, vacation was great but I think I was sleep deprived. It was a road trip and we were in the car a lot.