LED - Light Emitting Diodes

Discussion G³

Lesson: Light Emitting Diodes

LED with electroluminescence are semiconductor components encased in an epoxy lens in a circuit that produce light. Anvil and post are positive and negative, respectively. When forward biased switched-on, electrons recombine with electron holes, releasing energy in the form of photons. These components are utilized in computers as indicators. LEDs are bright with a frequency range from ultraviolet through infrared. LEDs have an exponentially longer life than incandescent bulbs and consume much less energy.

Check out the infinite uses of LED technology.

ASCII

Discussion F³

Lesson: ASCII Code

ASCII Code is a universal standard utilized in computing. The acronym ASCII means American Standard Code for Information Interchange. When you press a keyboard key, an interrupt signal is sent to the computer’s processor, which prioritizes your action and memorizes the sequence of each keystroke as a preference. The position of alphanumeric characters is predetermined by ASCII. With each keystroke a byte of memory is devoured.  (Count eight bits [0,1] to a byte.) When you type ‘shift A’, it translates to 01000001 and ‘lowercase a’ is 0110001. These zero and one sequences are the way your computer understands your preferences.

Please Google: ASCII to view the ASCII table which includes binary and hexadecimal translations for each keyboard key.

Internet Law

Discussion E³

Lesson: Internet Law

In the pink writing Informative Interesting Reading B³, we talked about the Internet. Today, we will discuss Internet Law. The HICAP Rule is, ‘Never post anything online that you would not say or do in an international court of law’.

The best use of the Internet is for broadcasting. If there is anything that you want the world to know about, post in on the Internet.Conversely, if you want to keep a secret, tell the individual when you have a face-to-face visit.
The B³ Class Discussion, written in white, noted that every keystroke is recorded; this includes all e-mail transmissions. Because e-mail is date/time stamped and documents the sender and recipient's name and location; it is accepted in a court of law as legal documentation. Internet posts are traceable and track-able even if you utilize a moniker.
Internet encryption works for normal folk who don’t have the time, the patience nor the interest to decode. A person with a little more knowledge, and an even greater amount of time, can decode almost anything transmitted by the Internet.
Before cellular data capability, we called the computer  a PC; which means Personal Computer for a very good reason. Computers are for your personal use. And, the owner is personally responsible for all sites visited and the content stored on that computer. Therefore, be a good steward of anything transmitted and saved on your computer.
Your next lesson will cover: ASCII Codes

Discussion D³

Lesson: Periodic Table of Elements

There is a natural order of elements sequenced on the period table of elements, which combine to form every compound in existence. Each element has a unique Atomic Weight: Hydrogen = 1 and Oxygen = 7. The unit of measure for atomic weight is called mole for molecular. The table is exquisitely laid out and harmonically adheres to the Law of Octaves, proving that properties of elements periodically repeat when arranged by Atomic Number; that is why it is know as the Periodic Table of Elements.
The atomic number for gold is 79 and its symbol is Au. The atomic number means that gold is comprised of 79 electrons and 79 protons. The molecular weight of gold is 196.96657 rounded to 197. This theory was not respected until the acceptance of Valence Bonding Theory and the Octet Theory of Chemical Bonding. Proof of each element’s unique visual signature arrived with the introduction of Spectroscopy.

Centered on this methodic masterpiece, between the heavy metals on the left side of the table and the noble gases on the right, lie the semiconductors used to control the processes of computers. Silicon, written Si, is one of the first elements used for this purpose. The area where the majority of computer chips are manufactured in the US is called Silicon Valley, California.

Although co-created by Antoine-Laurent and Stanislao Cannizzaro, and published in 1869; Russian born Dmitri Mendeleev is known as the father of the Periodic Table. Mendelevium, written Md, is a radioactive rare earth element with an Atomic Number of 101 and Atomic Weight of 258; and is named for Mr. Mendeleev. Also, Mendelevium is the name of an impact crater on the Dark Side of the Moon. Mendeleev did an excellent job of identifying and saving space for with atomic numbers for elements not known at that time; and he also, wrote the Law of Periodicity.

Robert Bunson, who the Bunson Burner is named for; heated the elements and discovered that copper burns green, strontium burns red and potassium burns blue. This science is demonstrated in the spectacular firework displays that we enjoy.

To view more, Google: Periodic Table of Elements

Magnetism

Discussion C³

Lesson: Magnetism

Because the computer processes information magnetically, it is important not to have other magnets on or near your computer;this might cause a misread. When purchasing speakers for the computer, make sure that you purchase speakers that are shielded; these are made specifically for the computer. One way to tell if your speakers are shielded is to hold them near the monitor screen. If you notice that the monitor is slightly changing color, the speakers are not shielded.

Magnetism is a powerful force holding our universe together. If the earth was not enveloped in a magnetic field to protect it and us from exposure to merciless solar winds and radiation, we would not exist. The earth, also, has a magnetic core with convection columns extending to its surface. According to scientific theorists, earth’s inner core formed by accretion is a rotating sphere of solid metal growing approximately one millimeter per year with dendrite crystalline vortices tumbling and recording its surrounding magnetic field.

The South Atlantic Anomaly near Brazil stretching over a quarter of the earth’s surface is an area where the earth’s magnetic field has weakened. When the one billion dollar Hubble orbits above this area, sensitive instruments aboard are turned off to avoid damage.

Opportunity to Wish Upon a Shooting Star

With no full moon to obscure tonight’s view of our planet traveling through the radiant shedding of icy fragments igniting through the night sky; this meteor shower  caused by the constellation Orion orbiting the sun promises to be a spectacular event.

Constellations Leo on November 17 and Gemini on December 13 are coming to display their firery works as we end this year.

The Internet-Informative Reading

Last year on October 5, 2011, Steve Jobs passed away and India launched a new personal computer for $60 called Aakash.

Reading B³

LESSON:

From the abacus to virtual 3D systems, mankind has spent centuries in the quest of making computing easier. A computer is nothing more than any other device that has been fashioned to speed up numeric quantifying and record keeping. Computers are designed to do what the user desires. Your computer is not the Internet; your computer carries the Internet. As we discussed in prior lessons, the Internet is accessed by many devices other than the computer, such as cell phones, game consoles, etc.

What we now know as the Internet was funded by ARPAnet, which means Advance Research Projects Agency network. The purpose for this network was to expediently share scientific discoveries with educators. The first message was sent via the net in 1969 by a programmer, Charley Kline from UCLA to a host computer at the Stanford Research Institute; the University of California and the University of Utah round out the four initial participants to access the Internet.

Today, Google boasts a billion daily searches on its browser. The goal of the Internet Society is to assist in the provision of Internet access to seven billion people.