Continue reading »]]> Q1. In which battle did Napoleon die?
* his last battle

Q2. Where was the Declaration of Independence signed?
* at the bottom of the page

Q3. River Ravi flows in which state?
* liquid

Q4. What is the main reason for divorce?
* marriage

Q5. What is the main reason for failure?
* exams

Q6. What can you never eat for breakfast?
* Lunch & dinner

Q7. What looks like half an apple?
* The other half

Q8. If you throw a red stone into the blue sea what it will become?
* It will simply become wet

Q9. How can a man go eight days without sleeping ?
* No problem, he sleeps at night.

Q10. How can you lift an elephant with one hand?
* You will never find an elephant that has only one hand..

Q11. If you had three apples and four oranges in one hand and four apples and three oranges in other hand, what would you have ?
* Very large hands

Q12. If it took eight men ten hours to build a wall, how long would it take four men to build it?
* No time at all, the wall is already built.

Q13. How can u drop a raw egg onto a concrete floor without cracking it?
*Any way you want, concrete floors are very hard to crack .

Continue reading »]]> If you are going through the stresses of exams or are doing GCSEs, A levels or a degree, you will want to do all you can to boost your chances. What and when you eat and drink can be important in helping to keep you alert, focused and able to deal with the day-to-day pressure of exams.

It is an old rule but a golden one: during periods of intensive study, breakfast really is vital. Numerous studies have indicated that skipping it affects the ability to concentrate later: those who eat breakfast have better recall, better problem-solving skills and improved scores in maths tests.

The explanation for this is probably that your brain has high glucose requirements yet can store only small amounts of this crucial source of energy. It was always assumed that the body kept the brain optimally supplied with glucose (sugar) at the expense of almost every other organ. But this idea is challenged by the finding that boosting blood sugar after a nights fast aids mental performance.

The precise mechanisms by which blood sugar affects memory are not fully understood, but glucose is certainly needed to raise production of a nerve transmitter called acetylcholine. When drugs block production of acetylcholine, memory is disrupted, with the ability to remember new information being particularly affected.

While a sugary breakfast cereal and white toast, or a pain au chocolat or muffin will certainly give you a sugar rush, it is less likely to keep your blood sugar stable for the morning ahead than the slowly digested carbohydrates that are found in, for example, wholegrain cereals such as porridge and sugar-free muesli, granary toast or some fruit with a yoghurt or fromage frais.

Wholegrain cereals also give you a dose of B vitamins, including the B1 that is needed, along with blood sugar, to make acetylcholine. Meanwhile, the milk that you add to your muesli provides protein, which helps to keep you full and aids concentration.

For mid-morning snacks try to avoid quickly digested refined carbohydrates such as biscuits, cereal bars, fizzy drinks and squash or sweets. A sugar burst followed by a debilitating, energy-draining low can result, which is enough to throw your concentration off kilter in exams or make revision more difficult.

It is also vital to keep well hydrated. Even a small dip in fluid levels can affect our ability to focus and may impair mental agility. During revision, it is better to make frequent trips to the loo than to sit and stare blankly because, deprived of fluids, you can’t absorb information properly. During the exam it is a good idea to keep taking small sips of liquid, provided you have been to the loo before you begin.

While coffee, tea and energy drinks such as Red Bull might seem to help in staving off sleepiness during late-night revision sessions, overdoing these beverages can overstimulate the nervous system, elevating blood pressure and heart rate and putting you more on edge. Stick to no more than five or six caffeine-containing drinks each day. To get the most out of caffine’s short-term ability to improve concentration, it is worth cutting down your daily intake and saving such a drink until just before you really need the boost.

Lunch is as important as breakfast. The last thing you want, however, is the feeling that a rich meal is sitting uncomfortably in your stomach all afternoon. Avoiding fat-laden, mayonnaise-based sandwiches, pizzas and chips is therefore wise.

So, too, is steering clear of meals that are too rich in carbohydrate. Large pasta-based dishes and oversized baguettes will deliver a big dollop of carbohydrate, which can make you sleepy in the hours ahead so that you feel more like a siesta than hard mental work.

Protein, on the other hand, seems to help us to concentrate. Tuna, chicken, turkey, lean beef or ham and eggs make ideal bases for lunch and can be accompanied by slowly digested carbohydrates such as a small pitta bread, tortilla wrap or a slice of rye, sourdough or granary bread.

Surveys of British teenagers show that girls, particularly, are lacking in iron, consuming only about half the recommended daily intake between the ages of 11 and 18. A general lack of B vitamins can strain the nervous system, while too little folic acid (a specific type of vitamin B) can, like insufficient iron, trigger low moods.

Quick tips for smart candidates

• Boost your omega3s. Omega3 essential fats are vital for optimum brain functioning, helping messages to reach nerve endings effectively. Two servings a week of oily fish such as salmon, mackerel or anchovies, plus regular intakes of flax seeds and omega-3-enriched eggs, orange juice and milk are worth eating.
• Avoid junk food, cakes, biscuits, pies and ready meals that contain trans fats (labelled as partially hydrogenated oils/ vegetable fats) in the ingredients list. It is believed that these can block the passage of messages between nerve endings in our brains.
• Have plenty of citrus fruits, berries and vegetables, which are great for vitamin C. Our adrenal glands, which pump out adrenalin when we are stressed, need good supplies to keep our bodies in balance. As vitamin C is needed for a robust immune system as well, these fruits and vegetables may also help to reduce the risk of being laid low with a summer cold that could upset your revision and exam performance.
• Replace some of your caffeine-rich, sugary drinks with camomile tea: the active plant constituents can help to reduce stress.

(Source: Times Online)

Continue reading »]]> Hi,

It has been a fantastic year for Animated Science with lots of new content being added for KS5 Physics and also some older items repurposed in our new blog. We have certainly gone worldwide with the appeal of the site with users across the globe accessing all the resources. The Charcuterie Section is also shaping up nicely with our top worldwide google ranking for “Pork and Sage Sausage”. I will be adding more as I have a new android phone so I will be adding some cool videos as well as images to this section.

Looking through the statistics it has been amazing; we have served pages to over 60,000 unique visitors, who have viewed 401,896 pages. In total we have had over 2 million hits and users have downloaded over 192GB of data through the site.

It seems that mobile use is now building and the site is now fully optimised for Android/iPhone or the newer smart phones. We have a full menu system with icons and able to rotate and scale for every modern phone or tablet on the market.

The most exciting launch is our Kindle venture with notes of nearly 10,000 words for Unit 1 AQA Revision in the Amazon store. We will see how this goes but more will follow when time allows and the price has fallen due to dollar / pound exchange rates so good news there!

Thanks for all the support and please come back!

Daniel Powell

(Animated Science Admin)

Continue reading »]]> The slideshow below is a fraction of the amazing ceramics created by a Gloucestershire Potter Stephen Powell.

The colour of the glazes are a vivid eclectic mix. The collection here inspired in part by functional items but also includes others of a purely artistic merit.

Stephen is an accomplished artist in his own right and has certainly moved the production of pottery to a new level.

Continue reading »]]> Welcome to the Animated Science blog.  This blog is a mixture of mainly A-Level Physics resources for my students (some password protected) and other  items which anyone can view.  The other part of the site is all about Charcuterie which I have been exploring over the past few years. I have lots of recipes which I am happy to share. However, I take no responsibilities or liabilities for the accuracy of items of content on this site. I am not an official publisher so don’t have an army of people to help me.

Also you cannot take these resources and use for a profit in any way. Some items contain copyright information which I am able to use as a teacher or by agreement with other publishers. Also other items are my own copyright. However, I am happy for any school worldwide to use the resources non-profit for their students. Also the site is only supported by ads so heavy users please bear this in mind. If you have any questions please contact us. Also you can donate to Animated Science as well to keep the site going by pay-pal. (see link on the right)

I am also full time Head of Physics in a UK college as well as running his site so if you have a question please contact me through the contact form with any comments or help and give me time to respond. I also do sometimes work on requests for animations or consultancy during school holidays when I have time and I have produced various content and advised on ICT for the educational sector to various different organisations in the past.

Daniel Powell

Continue reading »]]> This page is an introduction to the quick revision notes I am producing which are text only and designed for a mobile phone in the main. If you want a media rich experience then go to the main pages for each topic. However, this area will be quick revision bites which can be viewed easily on a mobile phone.

To use the topics simply pick from the menu at the top of the screen. In Android/iphone there is a down arrow on the menu bar above the search button. Just click here and then look at the topic you want. I have set it up so that it mirrors the Nelson Thornes topics which follow AQA Spec A Physics. At the moment there is just Unit 1 but more will follow when I have some time. Any comments please let me know.

I have also created an Amazon kindle book which you can use on kindle and also a free app for Android or iphone. Just click here to download so you can use offline as well on your phone (0.86p fee from Amazon).

Finally I am adding a quick quiz to the bottom of each page, Matter and Radiation is complete already!

Daniel Powell (Animated Science)

Continue reading »]]> Understanding Engineers – Take One
 
 Two engineering students were walking across campus when one said, Where did you
 
 get such a great bike?”
 
 The second engineer replied, “Well, I was walking along yesterday minding my own
 
 business when a beautiful woman rode up on this bike.
 
 She threw the bike to the ground, took off all her clothes and said, “Take what
 you want.”
 
 ”The second engineer nodded approvingly, “Good choice; the clothes probably wouldn’t have fit.”
 
 
 
 Understanding Engineers – Take Two
 
 To the optimist, the glass is half full.To the pessimist, the glass is half
 empty.To the engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.
 
 
 
 Understanding Engineers – Take Three
 
 A pastor, a doctor and an engineer were waiting one morning for a particularlyslow group of golfers.
 
 The engineer fumed, “What’s with these guys? We must have been waiting for 15 minutes!”
 
 The doctor chimed in, “I don’t know, but I’ve never seen such ineptitude!”

 The pastor said, “Hey, here comes the greens keeper. Let’s have a word with him.”
 
 ”Hi George! Say, what’s with that group ahead of us? They’re rather slow, aren’t
 
 they?”The greens keeper replied, “Oh, yes, that’s a group of blindfirefighters.
 
 They lost their sight saving our clubhouse from a fire last year, so we always let them play for free anytime.”The group was silent for a moment.
 
 
 The pastor said, “That’s so sad. I think I will say a special prayer for them tonight.

“The doctor said, “Good idea. And I’m going to contact my
 ophthalmologist buddy and see if there’s anything he can do for them.”
 
 The engineer said,”Why can’t these guys play at night?”
 
 
 
 Understanding Engineers – Take Four
 
 What is the difference between Mechanical Engineers and Civil
 Engineers?Mechanical Engineers build weapons and Civil Engineers build targets.
 
 
 
 Understanding Engineers – Take Five
 
 The graduate with a Science degree asks, “Why does it work?” The graduate with an Engineering degree asks, “How does it work?”
 
 The graduate with an Accounting degree asks, “How much will it cost?”

The  graduate with an Arts degree asks, “Do you want fries with that?”
 
 
 
 Understanding Engineers – Take Six
 
 Three engineering students were gathered together discussing the possible designers of the human body.
 
 One said, “It was a mechanical engineer.”Just look at all the joints.”
 
 Another said, “No, it was an electrical engineer.The nervous system has many thousands of electrical connections. ”
 
 The last one said, “Actually it must have been a civil engineer. Who else would run a toxic waste pipeline through a recreational area?”
 
 
 
 Understanding Engineers – Take Seven
 
 Normal people believe that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.
 
 Engineers believe that if it ain’t broke, it doesn’t have enough features yet.
 
 
 
 Understanding Engineers – Take Eight
 
 An architect, an artist and an engineer were discussing whether it was better to
 
 spend time with the wife or a mistress.
 
 
 The architect said he enjoyed time with his wife, building a solid foundation
 for an enduring relationship.
 
 
 The artist said he enjoyed time with his mistress, because the passion and
 mystery he found there.
 
 
 The engineer said, “I like both.”
 
 ”Both? ” enquired the others. The engineer replied; “Yeah. If you have a wife and a mistress, they will each assume you are spending time with the other woman, and you can go to the lab and get some work done.
 
 
 
 
 ”Understanding Engineers” – Take Nine
 
 
 
 An engineer was crossing a road one-day when a frog called out to him and said,
 
 
 
 ”If you kiss me, I’ll turn into a beautiful princess.”
 
 
 
 He bent over, picked up the frog and put it in his pocket.
 
 
 The frog spoke up again andsaid,
 
 
 ”If you kiss me and turn me back into a beautiful princess, I will stay with you for one week.”
 
 
 The engineer took the frog out of his pocket, smiled at it and returned it to the pocket.
 
 The frog then cried out, “If you kiss me and turn me back into a princess, I’ll stay with you and do ANYTHING you want.”
 
  
 Again the engineer took the frog out, smiled at itand put it back into his pocket.
  
 
 Finally, the frog asked, “What is the matter? I’ve told you I’m a beautiful princess, and that I’ll stay with you for a week and do anything you want.
 
 
 Why won’t you kiss me? The engineer said,
 
 
 ”Look, I’m an engineer. I don’t have time for a girlfriend, but a talking frog, now that’s cool.”

Continue reading »]]> I thought I would share this photo of the Moon rock I saw the National History Museum in London this half term holiday. It is rather a small rock only 128g but it was brought to Earth by the Apollo 16 Astronauts in April 1972.

Now although small I gazed upon the surface and oddly of all the things we saw that day this was the most fantastic and special. I looked up and imagined how far they had gone and all the technology and skills which mankind had used to get there and back. Simply quite fantastic!

Lunar rock differs from terrestrial rock as it lacks the elements lost during heating, such as water, and is rich in elements created at high temperatures. This suggested that the moon had once been heated to very high temperatures.

The lunar rocks were also much older than expected, the oldest being 4.4 billion years old. This is much older than the oldest Earth rocks, which are around 3.8 billion years old. This is because the moon’s volcanoes have stopped spewing new lava to the surface and there is no wind or water to erode the surface, whereas the Earth’s surface is continually changing. Little has changed on the moon’s surface for billions of years.

Also in plain language it really does look like the surface of the moon from which it has came which made my day. I would also add that the rest of the minerals are pretty cool as well!

If you want to look it is in the red zone.