Effects+of+the+environment+on+human+physiology

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//Group Members: Charlie, Tiff Lay, Mika, Azfar, Jerald and Ika // =__**1. Analyzing Friction** __=

//**How effective are different types in producing friction on different types of surfaces in TAS?**//

For this experiment, we set out to analyze how much friction is produced by two types of surfaces in the school. In order to do so, we sampled four different types of shoes that [we thought] represented the type of shoes worn in the TAS community. We then measured the mean static friction and mean kinetic friction produced by each shoe on each surface.

i. Variables
//Independent -// The types of shoes and surfaces //Dependent -// The [amount of] friction produced, both the static and kinetic friction

Two different types of surfaces were used: the hallway and the tracks. Four different types of shoes were equally used on both surfaces: cleats, flats, flip flops and casual shoes.

//a. Cleats // //b. Flats //  //c. Flip flops //  //d. Casual shoes //

**ii. Materials **
Force Probe (unit in //N// Newtons) <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Logger Pro and Computer <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Two 500g mass <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> Four different shoe types <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Two different surfaces <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Stopwatch <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Meter stick

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**iii. Procedure**
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">1. Place the two masses into the shoe, one inside towards the toe part of the shoe and the other in the heel part in order to the distribute the mass equally. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 2. Hook the force probe onto the shoe, and connect the force probe to Logger Pro. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 3. Pull the shoe at a horizontal angle parallel to the surface. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 4. Start collecting data as you pull the shoe along the surface; keep pulling the shoe for one meter. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 5. Repeat steps 1 to 4 for five trials. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 6. Repeat steps 1 to 5 for each shoe. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 7. Repeat steps 1 to 6 for both surfaces. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 8. Calculate the //mean// kinetic and static friction for //each// trial for //each// shoe for //each// surface. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 9. Calculate the //mean// kinetic static friction of //all// the trials for //each// for //each// surface.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">iv. Processed Data
//<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">a. Mean static friction and kinetic friction of shoes in surface 1 (hallway) // //<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">b. Mean static friction and kinetic friction of shoes in surface 2 (tracks) //
 * **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Shoes ** || **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Static Friction (//N//) ** || **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Kinetic Friction (//N//) ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Cleats || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8.374 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">11.678 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Flats || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2.327 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8.020 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Flip flops || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4.591 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">9.267 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Casual shoes || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6.356 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">10.632 ||
 * **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Shoes ** || **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Static Friction (//N//) ** || **<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Kinetic Friction (//N//) ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Cleats || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 6.283 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">9.738 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Flats || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">4.103 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">8.601 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Flip flops || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6.063 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">9.714 ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Casual shoes || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">6.151 || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">10.659 ||

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">v. Data Analysis


<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 80%;">//*error in graph titles; "friction" instead of "force"// <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 80%;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">From the bar graphs above, we infer that the mean force static differs //significantly// for each shoe between the surfaces. We see that the flats, for example, only produces a mere 2N of force static i.e. it takes only 2N of force to move flats from rest in the hallway, suggesting that either the hallways are rather too slippery for flats or the design of flats pose some hazards, or both. In contrast, we see that it takes 8N of force static to move cleats, thereby demonstrating the unsuitability of using cleats in the hallway (though, that would not be a concern for many TAS students save athletes who, for some reason, may walk in the hallways with cleats on). Casual shoes and flip flops on the other hand, fare better (less for the latter), producing a mean force static of about 6N and 4.5N respectively in the hallway. Though flip flops do better than flats to produce friction, it is still arguably low. However, if we analyze the mean force static for shoes on the tracks, we see that all produce a relatively higher amount of friction, suggesting that it is arguably safe to walk on the tracks with any of the footwear used in the experiment.

**<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">vi. Evaluation **
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The nature of our investigation, as well the nature of friction itself, forces us to be empirical and generalize many things; therefore there is no particular law/general equation that we can come up with that applies to //all// types of shoes on //all// types of surfaces. Much evaluation can be produced. In regards to the methodology, it is rather unrealistic to use cleats as an example of shoes the TAS community would wear around in school, particularly the hallways, but it is justified choice as we attempted to investigate the amount of friction produced by these footwear on the track. Though, perhaps we could have chosen to use running shoes instead of cleats. Additionally, there were some difficulties we encountered during the procedure. We found that it was rather difficult to control the horizontal angle one pulls the shoes at. As a result, we found that some of the data we generated were unusable. Some showed a higher mean force static than the mean force kinetic, which could not have been produced other than as a result of a distortion in the experiment. Though there are many possible scenarios, we highly believe that the main distortion is the inability to keep the hand pulling the shoe constantly parallel to the surface. In retrospect, there was no real need to control the distance or the time it took for the shoe to be pulled across a meter, rather; what we should have done was to find a way to control the angle. Perhaps, we could have designed something to be attached to the force probe perpendicular to the surface in order to keep the angle constant.

=<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">2. Light Intensity =

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Purpose**
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">The purpose is to find the light settings for the ideal educational environment, and finding the implications of the current settings on the average student.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Background**
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Ideal Setting for Study:__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Different tasks require different light settings. As we mostly partake in writing and studying in the educational environment the minimal light intensity is around 1000 lux. The lighting used in the classrooms is fluorescent lights. Every classroom has a window. Often teachers will turn off all lights in a classroom while teaching off of a projector.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**Variables:**
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Direction in which light enters classroom || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Investigating all different types of light that typically enter classrooms will help to find out whether our classrooms will fit the ideal light settings for studying. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Different classrooms have different positions in the school relevant to the sun’s positioning in the sky. || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Extraneous light || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Same positioning of probe to light source will allow us to compare data. <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Setting conditions of the classroom to only sunlight/only fluorescent/only LCD light will ensure extraneous light doesn’t affect the dependent variable. ||
 * || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Variables ** || <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Explanation of Variables: ** ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Independent ** || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Light type (sunlight, fluorescent light, LCD screen light)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Dependent ** || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Light intensity (lux) || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Measuring light intensity will allow us to compare with research to determine optimum light settings for studying. ||
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Control ** || <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Positioning of probe in relation to light source

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Materials **
<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Light probe <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Tape measure <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Clamp <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Clamp stand <span style="color: #000000; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 16px;">- Laptop

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">** Method **
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 1. Turn off all lights and open all curtains to allow sunlight into the classroom. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 2. Position the light probe at a set height and distance from the window, preferably at the center of the window, and record distance/height measurements. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 3. Set the light switch on the light probe to 0-6000 lux. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 4. Click “Collect” in logger pro, and gather data for 10 seconds. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 5. Repeat steps 1-4 in at least two other classrooms that have different angles from which sunlight enters. Use the measurements for height and distance from window that you used in step two. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 6. Close all curtains (to mimic a possible classroom setting) and turn on all lights. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 7. Position the light probe at the same set distance from the fluorescent lighting in the classroom as from the window. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 8. Click “Collect” in logger pro, and gather data for 10 seconds. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 9. Close all curtains and lights (to mimic another possible classroom setting). <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 10. Position the light probe at a normal distance in which people sit from the computer screen. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> 11. Click “Collect” in logger pro, and gather data for 10 seconds.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Sunlight:__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;"> <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Laptop:__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 1.3em;">** Data Collection **
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">**[table here]** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 1.3em;">Data Analysis
The fluorescent lamps had the highest average light intensity, as observed from the tabular and graphical data. We measured all the light sources from a meter away, however while we measured sunlight a meter away from the window, its source is in fact much further away. It would be impractical and difficult to measure 1 meter away from the sun. In addition to that, we are not one meter away from and facing the fluorescent lamps when we work, and neither are we 1 meter away from our computers. Also, we are not always the same distance and direction away from the windows. But in order to compare the light intensity of these different sources, we have to control them to a certain extent.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Effects of Fluorescent light:__ <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Fluorescent light is Ultra Violet light transformed into visible light. Due to this process the relative intensity of light in certain narrow band lengths are disproportional. This is what causes colors to look harsh or “unhealthy” under fluorescent lighting. <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">__Effects of Excessive Fluorescent light on Humans:__
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Dizziness
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Headaches
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Blurred
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Eyestrain
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Floaters
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Skin rashes
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sinus problems
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Fatigue
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Nausea
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Sleep disturbances
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Mood swings
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Georgia,serif;">Irritability

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif;">Conclusion
<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 11pt;">The graph above clearly shows that the intensity of the LCD screen light is much lower than the sunlight and fluorescent lighting and therefore doesn't contribute greatly to the overall lighting of the classroom. The low lux of the screen light is at an acceptable range for light reading though. There is also almost a 1000 lux difference between the sunlight in some classrooms and fluorescent lighting. The results could indicate that there is too much fluorescent lighting in the classrooms, which would produce the side effect mentioned above. However, before we hasten to replace our fluorescent lights with full spectrum lights, we need to acknowledge that full spectrum lights have their own limitations as well. Like natural sunlight, full spectrum lights, as its name implies, projects the full spectrum of wavelengths. However, unlike natural sunlight, the full spectrum lights possess the limitation of artificial lights: they oscillate at the same rate as fluorescent lights. While the full spectrum lights are not as harmful to our body, they are less energy efficient, and more harmful to the environment. As a result, we have to find a middle ground between our body's health and the environment's health. Thus, until we can get around the limitations of different artificial lights, we should work towards a solution which requires incorporating more natural light into the classroom.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 11pt;">Works Referenced

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