Monthly Archives: May 2020

STEM Students answer Children’s Questions #7

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When visiting schools and museums our Street Scientists often get asked a variety of questions from curious children. Here are the answers to some of our favourite questions!

This week, we’re answering questions on Chemistry.

What happens when a chemical reaction happens and can it be reversed?

-asked by Charlie, 11, from Burnside Primary School

A chemical reaction is a process of transformation of one set of chemical substances to another. When chemical reaction happens, the atoms of the chemical substances (initially called reactants) are rearranged resulting in different substances we call chemical products. No atoms are lost or gained during the reaction, so the total mass of reactants will be the same as total mass of the products.

There are some reactions that are reversible, meaning the chemical products can go back to become reactants. However, there are also reactions that are irreversible, meaning once the reaction occurs, the products cannot be converted back into reactants again.

An Irreversible reaction is like baking. Once the egg, flour, butter, and milk are mixed and baked into a cake, they cannot go back to their original form. An example of an irreversible reaction is combustion process. Combustion involves burning an organic compound (such as wood) and oxygen to produce carbon dioxide and water. Carbon dioxide and water are stable products and therefore they cannot go back to become wood and oxygen.
-Aurelia, Dentistry Student

Can orange juice be turned into a gas?

-asked by Emily, 11, from Burnside Primary School

Orange juice is a mixture of liquid (water) and solid components (i.e. natural sugars, vitamins and other minerals). If you were to heat orange juice to a temperature above 100°C, the water component of the orange juice would evaporate meaning that the liquid water would change into a gas. However, the sugar, vitamins and minerals would be left behind. 
– Jenny, Dentistry Student

What is the most dangerous chemical?

-asked by Alfie, 11, from Burnside Primary School

There are so many dangerous chemicals out there! The dangerous chemicals are usually toxic, volatile, corrosive, or explosive. One of the most dangerous chemical known to mankind is Chlorine Trifluoride which is also called substance N. This was studied by Nazi scientists during The World War II for military purposes. It is a colourless, poisonous, corrosive and extremely reactive gas. It is so volatile and will react with almost anything! It has been known to set fire to glass, sand, rust, and humans! It is usually transported in the form of condensed liquid which is pale- greenish yellow in colour. The United States tried to transport a huge amount of Chlorine Trifluoride before in a tanker and it was a bad move. The tanker spilled in a warehouse and set fire to it. The whole floor was gone, leaving a few feet of dirts and soil underneath. This compound is now of interest for rocket fuels and nuclear reactor fuel processing.
– Aurelia, Dentistry Student

Why does Carbon Dioxide not turn into water since it’s ice?

-Nathan, 11, from Burnside Primary School

Carbon dioxide does not turn into water even though it is ice because water and carbon dioxide are two different compounds each with their own chemical composition, which means that they have different properties. Carbon dioxide, whether it be in gas or solid (a.k.a. dry ice) form, is made of one carbon and two oxygens. Therefore, it is known as CO2. Whereas water in either gas, liquid or solid state is made of two hydrogens and one oxygen and is therefore known as H2O.

CO2 and H2O are very different from each other and when they are frozen, they form different solids because H2O freezes to form regular ice at 0°C and CO2 gas freezes at -78°C to form dry ice. When regular ice melts, it changes from a solid to a liquid and will leave a puddle. On the other hand, dry ice is so called because when it is exposed to temperatures greater than -78°C it does not melt, it actually sublimes, meaning it changes from a solid straight to a gas and leaves no liquid or puddle behind (hence “dry” ice). 
– Jenny, Dentistry Student

If you have any questions that you would like our team to answer, please leave a comment below!

#TryThisTuesday: Walking Water

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Our Try This Tuesday series of experiments to try at home is back with a colourful water-based experiment from Street Scientist, Ailie.

You will need:

  • Red, yellow and blue food colouring
  • Kitchen roll
  • 6 Clear cups, roughly the same size
  1. Add water to three of the cups so they are 3/4 full. Then add 5 drops of red food colouring to one cup of water, blue into the second and yellow into the third.
  2. Place the cups in a circle with the empty cups in-between the ones with water in (You may want to put some paper underneath the cups if you are worried about spills).

3. Take 6 sheets of kitchen roll and fold them twice to make a thick strip as below. You may want to cut them to be a bit shorter if you are using small cups, I cut off the bottom 1/5th.

4. Place one end of each strip of kitchen roll into one of the cups with water in and the other end into an empty cup next to it. Can you predict what colours might form in the empty cups?

5. Wait an hour then check back in to see if your experiment is working! Mine looked like this:

Eventually the empty cups will be as full as the cups feeding into them!

Colour Theory

Did you notice something the 3 colours you started with had in common? They are the primary colours. Therefore, mixing them creates the 3 secondary colours – purple, green and orange.

This gives us a simplified version of a colour wheel. The colours opposite each other on the wheel, and in our cup circle, are ‘complimentary’ meaning they contrast one another i.e. purple and yellow.

If we were to add more empty glasses in between the colours we have here we would make tertiary colours!

The Science

The water moves up the paper towel through a process called capillary action which is the ability of water to flow through narrow spaces, even against gravity! Capillary action works as molecules in liquid like to stick together (cohesion) and also like to stick to walls of a tube (adhesion). Together these forces act to propel the liquid through the tube or narrow space. The narrower the space, the quicker the water moves and the higher up it can go.

Plants rely on capillary action to move water all the way up from their roots to the leaves at the very top, where it is needed for photosynthesis (the production of glucose for energy). Just as humans have blood vessels to carry important substances around our body in the blood, plants have a tissue called xylem which is made up of millions of tiny tubes. Water moves up through the tiny cubes by capillary action, without wasting any of the plant’s energy.

One way to easily see capillary action working in the xylem is to cut the very bottom off the stem of celery or cabbage and put it into some water with food colouring. Given enough time, you will see the coloured water move to the top of the plant and stain the leaves. When a plant has been picked it is no longer undergoing photosynthesis and producing energy, therefore we have shown that the water is moving up to the top of the plant by a passive process.

Kitchen roll is designed to be very absorbent meaning it is able to hold lots of liquid – great for kitchen spills. To be able to do this, there are lots of little spaces in-between the fibres in kitchen roll which fill with water. Together they form the narrow spaces which the water uses to move up the tissue and into the adjacent empty cup. There, the colour mixes with the water from the cup on the other side to form our secondary colours.

Can you figure out how to make a colourful bunch of “flowers” out of your kitchen roll using this method? Check back for next week’s Try This Tuesday and we will show you!

STEM Students answer Children’s Questions #6

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When visiting schools and museums our Street Scientists often get asked a variety of questions from curious children. Here are the answers to some of our favourite questions!

This week, we’re answering questions on Zoology, the study of animals to celebrate the International Day of Biological Diversity on Friday.

Why is there different animals in different areas?

-asked by Halliemae, 9, Simonside Primary School

Animals are different because they need to survive in the environment they live in. They adapt to their surroundings to achieve this. For example, there are polar bears in the Arctic. Their bodies are covered in white fur so they can camouflage with the ice around them, making them harder to spot when they look for preys. However, their skin is black and their body is huge, this is so they can still absorb heat and stay warm in the cold. Their feet are also big and have a rough surface, helping them to swim and not slip on the ice. Can you imagine if they didn’t have these adaptations, would they be able to survive in that habitat? Other animals that do not have features that help them survive in their habitat will eventually struggle to survive and die. That is why there are different animals in different places as they have different adaptations required to be able to survive.
–Aurelia, Dental Student

Why does a whale have a blow hole?

-asked by Isobel, 11, from Marden Bridge Middle School

Whales have blowholes because although they live in the ocean, they are actually mammals, which means they breathe air just like us! Their blowhole is an adaptation to allow them to easily breath in lots oxygen when they come to the surface so that they can dive for long periods of time. 
– Demi, Marine Biology Student

Why are a giraffes’ tongues blue?

-asked by Ellis, 11, from Burnside Primary School

Their tongues are dark blue because they have a large amount of a colour pigment called melanin. Giraffes feed by using their tongues to rip leaves off trees high up in the African savanna. This means that their tongues are in the sun for a long time, nobody knows for certain but some people think that the high amounts of melanin are to stop them getting sunburn on their tongues – a sunburn tongue has got to hurt a lot! We also have melanin in our skin that stops us getting sunburn but not as much as the giraffe which is why it doesn’t need to put suncream on its tongue!
– Lizzie, Biology Student

Why do bees get nectar?

-asked by Finlay, 11, from Burnside Primary School

Bees use the nectar and pollen they collect from flowers as food, nectar is a sweet sugary liquid made by flowers to attract bees and other insects and animals. Flowers use the bees to spread pollen between themselves and other flowers (pollen is what makes people with hayfever sneeze). The bees store pollen in a structure called a pollen basket on their back legs they store nectar in an organ called a honey stomach. Back at the hive the bees that have been out collecting nectar pass it to other bees who make the nectar into honey. 
-Lizzie, Biology Student

If you have any questions that you would like our team to answer, please leave a comment below!

A Week in the Life of a Dental Student

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Hi, I am Aurelia, currently on my 4th year studying Dentistry at Newcastle University. I am going to be talking you through my day to day life studying at the university.

Why do I want to study Dentistry?

I have been a very curious, caring, and crafty. As I grew up, I have enjoyed learning about how the world and human body works, so this naturally drew me towards science related subjects. I particularly enjoy doing the hands-on practicals and communicating with people. Visiting the dentist regularly during my teens for braces treatment inspired to think about Dentistry as a career. Dentistry aligned with my strengths and interests because it is a great combination between science, healthcare, and manual dexterity. So, I arranged to have a work experience at a local dentist and joined a summer programme to observe how dentists work. That experience confirmed my interest!

How does your week start?

I like to start my day with a workout. I live very close to the university gym, so it is very convenient for me to go in the morning. I feel great and ready to start the day after a workout. I make sure I have time to change and get breakfast to keep me going through the day.

As a dental student, I start university quite early compared with other students in different courses.

On Monday, I started my week with an early morning lecture at 8.45 AM (this is the earliest time we have lectures). We had lectures for about 45 mins to 1 hour, leaving some break for us to go to our lockers and get our lab coats for the practical at 10 AM. In the lab, I was studying about how I can restore people’s teeth with crown and bridges. The lab technician helped us to understand the making of the crown and bridges before dentists put it on the patient. That ended at 12.30 PM, leaving me some time to make my lunch at home. I was back to the university at 1.30 PM to prepare for clinics that starts at 2 PM. On Monday, I was in radiology, taking dental x-rays for patients who need it in the hospital to look at any disease in their teeth that we cannot see by eye. This x-ray will then be given to the dentist to help them make a treatment plan that is suitable for the patients.

Tools used for polishing the crown in the teaching laboratory

I have different clinical sessions everyday in which I practice different skills. Here is the typical week in dental school!

So, does that mean you start university at different times everyday?

Yes! In the university, we rely on our academic timetable and we go to different classes (more often also in different places) everyday. We are trained to be independent to do our own learning and be responsible to find our classes. Therefore, looking at our timetable is important so we do not miss anything.

What do you do on different clinical sessions?

In each clinical sessions, we focus on performing different treatments. In Newcastle University, we have 8 different clinical sessions:

  • Radiology: where we practice taking a good x-ray of the patients, whether it is inside the mouth or outside the mouth
  • Endodontic clinics: where we help patients clean the inside of their tooth. This treatment is called root canal treatment.
  • Prosthodontic clinics: where we practice to make dentures for older patients.
  • Outreach clinics: where we go to a community dental practice and treat patients depending on their need. It is a great opportunity for us to get used to practicing in a dental clinic and work as a team.
  • Child Dental Health clinics: where we treat young patients and prevent the progression of tooth decay.
  • Conservation clinics: where we treat adult patients with the aim to prevent tooth disease, save their tooth and educate them about oral hygiene.
  • Oral surgery clinics: where we help patients to treat infection or take diseased teeth out.
  • Dental emergency clinics: where we help patients to understand what was causing them pain and offer immediate help

These clinical sessions are highly supervised by qualified dentists who ensure everyone’s safety, we learn so much from their guidance.

Aurelia in the prosthodontic clinic with a very dental Christmas tree.

Do you have any days without clinic?

In a week we usually have a day or two where we don’t have clinics. This is a perfect opportunity for me to do some independent reading for my modules, or to do some extracurricular activities. I am involved in a society called Brush Up, which is an organisation leading workshops for reception or primary school children around Newcastle. In these workshops, me and other dental students teach kids how to brush their teeth properly. This is such a great extracurricular activity as I get to meet kids and practice how to engaged with them. It is helpful so I can improve on my practice in dental clinics, especially in Child Dental Health Clinics.

What other extracurricular activities do you do?

University offers a lot of activities through societies. You can think of it like a after school club! I love to dance, so I joined dance society! This is where I make friends outside of my course where we share similar interests. I go to dance classes once or twice a week. As this is a student-run society, I also volunteered to instruct one dance class per week as part of the committee. It is a nice break from studying and a great opportunity to sweat!

What do you usually do on the weekend?

On some weekends, I have part-time jobs to do. I am part of the Street Science team at Newcastle University where I teach the member of public, especially school children, about science. Usually, on Saturday, Street Scientists hold a booth in the Great North Museum: Hancock and where we explain science based experiments to the visitors.

My weekend activities varies depending on the university workload. If I have any assignments or revision that I need to complete, I would to do that. However, weekend is a perfect opportunity to recharge and refresh, so I tend to plan some catch up with friends, go to yoga class, or practice some of my dance routine on the weekend.

Do you have any tips for prospective students who are soon going to university?

For those who are deciding to go to uni and not sure what to study: Explore and try new things! It is challenging to decide a subject to study in the university as there are so many things offered there. For example, you like to eat and curious about how the food industry works, maybe try reading magazine or books that give you an insight into that industry and roles involved in it. If you know anyone in the industry, have a chat with them so you can ask your burning questions and get a feel of what working in the industry is like! When you try new things and get involved in more activities that seem to spark your interest or excitement, that will lead you to your answer eventually.

For those who have had a rough (or clear) idea about which subject they want to study in uni: Gain as much experience in those fields as possible! By searching opportunities in the subject area of your interest, in the form of an internship or short observation for example, you will be able to understand the skills needed and whether you suit that kind of environment. Also, look for the type of courses offered and the requirement they ask of you, so you can plan and aim to achieve that. Good luck!

STEM Students answer Children’s Questions #5

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When visiting schools and museums our Street Scientists often get asked a variety of questions from curious children. Here are the answers to some of our favourite questions!

This week, we’re answering questions on Engineering!

How do rockets get so much power to shoot into space?

-asked by Lea, 8, from West Jesmond Primary

Rockets are not too different from regular planes and cars – they all need something called ‘fuel’. The only difference is that rockets need a (lot of) special fuel to allow them to take off. The fuel is burned inside the bottom of the rocket which produces a hot gas (called an exhaust gas). This hot gas is pushed out the bottom of the rocket through something called a ‘nozzle’ (a tube that gets smaller closer to the exit) which makes the gas travel faster (acceleration). It’s this acceleration of the gas that’s used to push the rocket off the ground. Rocket fuel is special as it produces lots of energy compared to regular fuel – the same way some foods give us more energy than others (like chocolate!)
– Jenny, Mechanical Engineering Student

Why are triangles the strongest shape to build lots of bridges?

-asked by Rosie, 10, from Ravenswood Primary School

Shapes that have straight sides are called ‘polygons’. Triangles are special because out of all the polygons, they have the least number of sides. Because triangles only have three straight sides, they are harder to squash than other shapes, for example: squares. If you look at the picture below, you can see how applying a force to a square would make it deform (squash), whereas no matter how you apply force to a triangle, this can’t happen because each side supports each other, which is why triangles are so strong! This is why engineers use triangles in their designs, to make their bridges as strong as possible.
-Jenny, Mechanical Engineering student

How was electricity made?

-asked by Emily, 7, from Simonside Primary School

When we refer to electricity, we mean the movement of tiny particles called electrons through a material that will allow them to pass through called a conducting material. An example of a conducting material is a copper wire which we usually see covered by rubber – if you have a charger for a tablet or phone then that is a great example.

To generate electricity, you usually need a fuel source. This could be in the form of coal or gas and nowadays hydropower and wind are becoming increasingly common sources of fuel. Electricity is generated through a machine called a generator which takes one form of energy and converts it into electrical energy. A common visual example would be a wind turbine. You can often find these in large empty fields or sometimes when you go to the beach you can see wind turbines far out in the ocean. Wind causes the blades of the turbine to spin which means magnets inside the wind turbine will also spin. These magnets are surrounded by copper wires which allow electrons to flow through them when the magnets spin around them and this flow of electrons is what generates electricity.
– Sidra, Mechanical Engineering Student

How do TVs and computers work?

-asked by Yedam, 8, from West Jesmond Primary School

Computers and other electronic devices like TVs, phones and tablets all work in a similar way – they take instructions in the form of ‘code’ – code is just a language that computers can understand. These coded instructions are called ‘programming’. A computer scientist ‘programs’ a computer to work before we buy it so it can recognise our instructions – this is the computer’s ‘software’. When we give our computer an instruction (such as turning it on, clicking the mouse or going onto the internet) the ‘software’ tells the physical parts (the ‘hardware’) what to do.
– Jenny, Mechanical Engineering Student

If you have any questions that you would like our team to answer, please leave a comment below!

Top tips for Applying for Medicine

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So, you’d like to go to Medical school… here is some valuable advice on preparation and applications from 4th year medic, Ailie.

The process from making the decision to become doctor to walking into the first day of university may seem long and challenging but fear not, there are lots of brilliant resources to help! I would recommend having a look at the very thorough application guide at www.themedicportal.com. But first, here are my top 5 tips!

Ailie on her medical elective in Zanzibar

1. It’s never too early to start thinking about your personal statement.

Try to stand out, medical schools expect to hear about why you are dedicated to this path and why you deserve the heavily coveted place (very hard to fit into 4000 characters!). Ideally, you want as much medical work experience and volunteer work as possible to show you have explored the field and are willing to care for those around you. As it can be hard to find, start early and seize every opportunity.

2. Pick the right A levels

Most medical schools require 3 A’s at A level, although some require an A* or 2, and require certain subjects. Almost all want at least two science subjects, generally including biology, chemistry, physics or maths. Some are more specific, so it pays to check before you choose subjects and before you apply. However, remember that A levels require a lot of work and it is important to pick subjects you are interested it.

Newcastle University doesn’t require any specific A Level subjects for Medicine, they teach you all the Biology you need once you start the course.

3. Choose the right university for YOU.

You can only apply to 4 medical schools out of the 33 on UCAS and there’s lots of factors to think about including distance from home (not to be underestimated), campus vs city university, cost of the city/accommodation/transport. The structure of the course is very important, think about how well it fits with your individual learning-style. Some medical schools have a traditional teaching format comprising of mainly lectures, some teach problem-based learning where groups of students learn through case-studies independently. Other medical schools lie somewhere in the middle, luckily all of this information is available online. Remember to apply to your strengths!

4. Admissions tests.

Most medical schools require one of two admissions tests, UCAT or BMAT, that play a big in role in who they invite to interview. UCAT is an aptitude test with 5 sections, supposedly you can’t prepare for it but there are great books with practise questions. BMAT has 3 sections: an aptitude section, science knowledge and written communication, again practise is vital.

Newcastle University requires the UCAT test and uses these scores as an indicator of who to invite to interviews.

5. Interview preparation is key.

Make sure you know what kind of interview to expect. Some medical schools have a traditional panel interview’s while others, including Newcastle, have multiple mini interviews (MMI). Often, you’ll be asked to talk through your personal statement so make sure you know it through and through and can expand on what you have written. You may also be asked how to respond to an ethical dilemma or to comment on current events in healthcare, a mock interview can help refine your skills.

And remember, although competitive, getting a place at your ideal university is very achievable with hard work in all the right areas. Don’t be disheartened if you don’t get in first time. MANY of my course mates took a gap year, worked on their personal statement, gained some life experience and were much more prepared a second time around.

Good Luck!

STEM Students answer Children’s Questions #4

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When visiting schools and museums our Street Scientists often get asked a variety of questions from curious children. Here are the answers to some of our favourite questions!

This week, we’re answering questions around Medicine and Health.

What is blood made of?

-asked by Lacey, 8, from Simonside Primary School

There are many things which make up blood! The easiest way to think about it is that it contains liquids and solids. The liquid part of blood is called plasma which is mainly water with some salts dissolved in it and also some proteins. The plasma allows blood to flow, carrying the solids around the body to where they are needed. The salts are important in controlling how much water is in the body, this is why it is dangerous to eat lots of salt!

The plasma makes up around half of blood, the rest is made up of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Red blood cells have a dip in the middle which gives them lots of space to carry oxygen from the lungs to the body. Oxygen bound to red blood cells is what makes blood red.

The white blood cells come in lots of different types and are part of the immune system which protects the body from germs like bacteria and viruses. They recognise germs which don’t belong in the body and kill them in lots of different ways before they can make us sick.

Platelets are important in allowing us to form scabs when we cut ourselves. The platelets all stick together over a cut and stop us losing too much blood. 
-Ailie, Medical Student & Evolution and Human Behaviour Masters Student

Why do people get allergic reactions to things?

-asked by Abbie, 11, Burnside Primary School

Allergic reactions happen in some people when the immune system overreacts to something harmless, called an allergen, because it thinks it is dangerous to the body. Our immune system is very important to keep our bodies safe from germs such as bacteria and viruses that can cause disease. While the red cells in our blood carry oxygen all around the body, the white blood cells make up the immune system.

The white blood cells are very clever at recognising germs in the body and realising that they don’t belong and can be harmful. When they find a germ, they activate other white blood cells to attack the germ in lots of different ways. Some white blood cells can swallow a germ whole and then dissolve it – this is called phagocytosis. Other white blood cells release antibodies which stop the germs being harmful and cause them to all stick together, others release chemicals such as histamine which causes swelling and brings in more white blood cells to help.

However, in some people the white blood cells get confused and think something safe, like peanuts or shellfish, are harmful to the body. Scientists haven’t figured out why this happens to some people but not others although sometimes it runs in families and is linked to other conditions like asthma and hay-fever. When people with allergies eat or touch something they are allergic to the immune system becomes activated causing redness, swelling and itching. In a serious case the throat may swell up making it hard to breathe, this is why some people with allergies carry an EpiPen which contains adrenaline to stop the swelling.
-Ailie, Medical Student & Evolution and Human Behaviour Masters Student

How many medicines are in the world?

-Asked by Ruby, 10, from Simonside Primary School

It is impossible to know exactly how many different medicines there are, it will be thousands and thousands! The types of medicines used in different parts of the world are very varied and medicines are always changing.

Doctors used to think that all sickness was due to ‘bad blood’ so they put leaches on sick people to suck it out! Luckily, they don’t do that anymore. For most diseases there are many treatments available. For example, there are lots of different inhalers for asthma which are different colours depending on which medicine is inside, and there are tablets you can take too. Which medicine works best depends on the person, sometimes doctors have to try a few before they find the right one. Medicines come in lots of different forms, sometimes you may take an antibiotic as a pill, drink it as a liquid, or have it as an injection.

In summary, there are too many medicines to count! Some things we use every day such as garlic and ginger can be used as medicine if you know what you are doing! Luckily for everyone Scientists and researchers are creating more medicine and treatments every day!
-Ailie, Medical Student & Evolution and Human Behaviour Masters Student

I would like to work in Tropical Medicine. How long would I need to study for?

-asked by Liam, 11, Burnside Primary School

Lots of people work in tropical medicine including biomedical researchers, epidemiologists, doctors and microbiologists to name a few. So the length of time you have to study for will really depend on what aspect of tropical medicine you want to end up in, most researchers for example will have done 4 or 5 years of university and doctors need to have done 5 years of university and 9 years of specialist training. People who work in tropical medicine are always learning new things even after they’ve officially stopped studying.
-JC, Medical Student

Engineers Abroad: A Semester in Australia

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Chemical Engineering student, Rosie, tells us all about her studies in Australia for her semester abroad.

At Newcastle University I studied a 4 year integrated masters in Chemical Engineering, and during my final year I studied a semester at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Melbourne, Australia. During my time studying abroad, I was required to complete a research project and write a report containing my findings. There were other options of universities I could have studied during this semester abroad, and each university offered a different research area for my project. I was particularly interested in a project relating to Green Energy, therefore when I found out the project at RMIT was about different catalysts for producing bio-diesel, this university caught my attention. From my first day arriving in Melbourne, I found everyone at the university friendly and welcoming. A typical day at university included mostly working in the laboratory, carrying out chemical reactions or using analytical equipment to follow reaction performance. I also read scientific papers relating to my research area, and later in the project I wrote my report detailing my findings from the laboratory work I performed while studying at RMIT. 

I found a large part of studying abroad is the experiences outside of learning at university. Just like at Newcastle University, RMIT had many societies that students can join. I started playing Australia Rules Football, which is comparable to a combination of rugby and soccer, and is a very big sport in Melbourne. Everyone was really friendly and I found this was a great way to meet people from university outside of my course. Experiencing Australian culture was another thing I loved about my time in Melbourne. I knew little about the country’s rich history and enjoyed discovering this through the many museums in Melbourne, and also talking to friends who were Australian about these topics. The way of life in Australia I also found varied a lot from Newcastle, with hot weather in Melbourne encouraging a lot more time spent outdoors enjoying the many parks in the city or vast scenery out of the city. I am grateful I have had the opportunity to have these experiences and really take advantage of my time studying abroad. 

Being on the other side of the world to my family, friends and everything I knew, I found a new level of independence, different to when I made the move from my home-town to Newcastle for university. This move didn’t scare me but I actually found it more exciting, and I now feel that I will feel comfortable moving for work when I graduate.

Space Day: Structure of the Planets

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This year for Space Day, Earth Science student, Jade, explains all about the structure of the sun, moon and the planets in the solar system.

The Sun

  • The sun isn’t a planet, it’s a star in the Yellow Dwarf stage of its life.
  • The sun is in the middle of the solar system and is a ball of hot gases (mostly helium).
  • Even though it is made of gases it still has 6 layers within it:
    • Core – Where solar energy is generated which is where the heat comes from.
    • Radioactive zone
    • Convection zone – Where the heat travels up to the surface.
    • Photosphere – Visible surface
    • Chromosphere – Thin layer of gas
    • Corona – Thick atmosphere extending for millions of miles and it’s only visible during a solar eclipse

Mercury

  • Mercury is the smallest planet in the solar system.
  • It experiences extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. The heat is from being so close to the sun and the cold is due to the lack of atmosphere which causes the heat to escape.
  • Mercury’s interior is made up of a solid inner core, liquid middle core and a solid layer of iron sulphides. Then there is a mantle and a crust which together are around 400km thick at and mostly made from silicate minerals.
  • On the surface it has craters from meteorite impacts and lava plains from past volcanism that ended around 750 million years ago.
  • Although it has extreme heat there is ice at the poles, even during the heat as the ice is in the shadows of craters.

Venus

  • Second closet planet to the sun.
  • It has an iron core, a rocky mantle and a thin crust, similar to Earth.
  • As the rocky mantle moves underneath the crust it bulges and forms mountains and volcanoes.
  • There isn’t any water on Venus due to its high temperature.
  • It has an atmosphere mostly made up of Carbon Dioxide, but it doesn’t have any wind due to its slow rotation.
  • It can sometimes rain sulfuric acid.

Earth

  • Solid inner core made of iron and nickel.
  • Liquid outer core also made out of iron and nickel.
  • Rocky mantle which is mostly a fluid which convects heat from the core to the surface. As it convects, it forces the plates of the crust to move around forming mountains and volcanoes as they collide or move away from each other.
  • The crust made up mostly of silicon and oxygen (the crust is thinner under the ocean than the rest of the crust).

The Moon

  • Similar to Earth in composition but no longer has volcanism as there are no plate tectonics.
  • The composition is so similar because they were made from the collision between a small planet and the Earth and the moon was the bit left over.
Mars

Mars

  • Mars has a solid inner core made of dense iron, nickel and sulphur.
  • It has a rocky mantle and a crust mostly made of iron, magnesium and aluminium.
  • Previously it had tectonics which formed volcanoes and the largest canyon in the solar system (Valles Marineris).
  •  It also has similar sedimentary processes to Earth such as dunes.

Jupiter

  • One of the gas giants mainly made up of hydrogen and helium.
  • Structure similar to the sun. It is unclear what the core of Jupiter is made up of, but it is surrounded by metallic hydrogen formed when the hydrogen is under so much pressure that the electrons are squeezed off making it electrically conductive like metal. The upper layers of Jupiter are then more hydrogen either as a liquid or gas (the high pressure and high temperature makes the hydrogen a liquid).
  • Jupiter spins so fast that it generates a magnetic field.
  • It has 63 moons, one of which is Europa:

Europa (a moon of Jupiter)

Europa has an iron core, a rocky mantle, an ocean of salty water, and a lot of ice.  

Saturn

  • Another gas giant mostly made of helium and hydrogen.
  • Saturn’s core is made up of dense metals like iron and nickel and some rocky material.
  • Saturn’s density is less than water which means it could theoretically float on a giant mass of water.
  • Saturn is the only one of the gas giants with visible rings as the rings are mostly made of ice which reflects the light well.

Uranus

  • This ice giant rotates at nearly 90o from the plane of its orbit, which makes it look like it’s spinning on its side.
  • The icy mantle surrounding the small rocky core is made up of dense water, methane and ammonia.
  • The atmosphere is made up of methane gas which give Uranus it’s blue-green colour.
  • It’s bigger than Neptune but it has a smaller mass.
  • It has 27 moons.

Neptune

  • Neptune is shrinking and releasing heat.
  • It has a similar structure to Uranus as its mostly made up of icy materials made of dense water, methane and ammonia fluids around a small rocky core.
  • It’s atmosphere is mostly made form hydrogen, helium, and methane and it doesn’t have a solid surface (similar to all of the gas giants.)
  • It has 14 moons.