Green Wastewater Treatment: Using Graphene Oxide produced from Date Pits to Degrade Organic Dyes via Novel Microwave Technique
Water treatment is considered as one of the top research priorities in Saudi Arabia. It has been reported by World Health Organization that, 50,000 people die every day from diseases caused by contaminated water. This research attempts to degrade organic pollutants present in wastewater by using Graphene Oxide synthesized from Saudi natural source. Physical activation of date pits was carried out by carbonizing the samples at different temperatures to produce active carbon. Hammer’s method was employed for the purpose of Graphene Oxide production. The resulted Graphene Oxide has been characterized using FT-Raman, XRD and SEM techniques. Methylene Blue (MB) dye was used as a model organic pollutants to examine the ability of Graphene with the aid of a microwave-system to remove such pollutants. A modified domestic MS furnace with a variable power was used to supply microwave energy. The MB solution 2.5x10-6M was mixed with 0.1gm of Graphene Oxide. The applied microwave power was ranged between 100 to 700 W and the time was set between 0 to 12 minutes. The samples were centrifuged and then filtered through a millipore filter to remove the Graphene Oxide dispersed particles. It is found that, 98% of the initial concentration of MB is removed effectively within 12 minutes under microwave power of 500 W. Chemical oxygen demand is shifted from 450 to 87 mg/L while biological oxygen demand was decreased from 270 to 12.8 mg/L which indicating the degradation of organic constituents. This method can be used for water purification from organic pollutants.
Project Motion in Sports
A projectile refers to any body that is thrown in space and falls under the influence of gravity and the motion of such a body is called projectile motion. In this context we will ignore the effects of air resistance to make calculations easier. Through the usage of trigonometric ratios and vectors it is possible to accurately predict the position of a body after a certain time, the maximum height attained by it and the horizontal distance it covers from the point of projection. Horizontal displacement or range of a projectile is the main index of performance in many cases of projectile motion. If air resistance is negligible, there is no net force in the horizontal direction (ΣF = 0; ax = 0) Through this topic we aim to explain the science behind the performed actions and movements in sports such as Golf, Football, Basketball and Javelin throw. Factors Affecting Distance traveled by a projectile: 1. Relative height of release 2. Speed of Release 3. Angle of release Projectile Motion: Theory v/s reality Theoretically optimal angle is about 45° however taking air resistance into consideration the angle reduces to about 42°. Long jumpers use angles of 17-23°. This is because when traveling at ~10 m/s, there is not enough time to generate a large takeoff angle. The game of Golf is based on the trajectory followed by the golf ball as it moves through the air and in this sport we have addressed issues such as the required club face angle and swing speed for the ball to go in the hole. For instance if we have a ten degree driver it will carry the ball lower than a 60 degree wedge and hence it can be deduced from the above statement that a greater angle of the club face launches the ball at a greater angle. Effects of Air resistance can be very large in case of golf. Therefore, the golf ball has dimples on its surface to negate the effect of air resistance. To depict the application of projectile motion in football, we have shot a video on our school’s football field showing the trajectory followed by a football and have addressed issues like horizontal and vertical velocity required depending on the nature of the kick. In the sport of Basketball we shot a video showing a student shooting a 3 pointer. Furthermore with the help of charts, we have calculated the velocity required for a basketball to go inside the hoop at different angles of projection such as 30, 45 and 60 degree. Finally we have included a question to determine whether a ball hit by Sachin Tendulkar will be a six or not using kinematical equations as well as equations related to projectile motion. Hence by shedding light on this wonderful topic we attempt to reveal how an athlete’s brain functions and through years and years of practice and hardwork he is able to accurately predict distances and achieve his goals.
The use of Square shaped wheels in ship harbouring using an inverted catenary surface
Riding around on a flat tire is no fun. It feels really bumpy. But a square wheel may be the ultimate flat tire. There's no way it can roll over a flat, smooth road without jolting the rider again and again. Here, I have constructed a bicycle with square wheels. It's a weird contraption, but you can ride it perfectly smoothly. My secret is the shape of the road over which the wheels roll. A square wheel can roll smoothly, keeping the axle moving in a straight line and at a constant velocity, if it travels over evenly spaced bumps of just the right shape. This special shape is called an inverted catenary. A catenary is the curve describing a rope or chain hanging loosely between two supports. Turn the curve upside down, and you get an inverted catenary--just like one of the bumps in my road. Make the road out of a whole bunch of those bumps all in a row, and you can take your square-wheeled bike for a quick spin. Just as a square rides smoothly across a roadbed of linked inverted catenaries, other regular polygons, including pentagons and hexagons, also ride smoothly over curves made up of appropriately selected pieces of inverted catenaries. As the number of a polygon's sides increases, these catenary segments get shorter and flatter. Ultimately, for an infinite number of sides (in effect, a circle), the curve becomes a straight, horizontal line. In the end, I conclude with possible enhancements in the project that might take us to a whole new world.