Volcanoes

 How do Volcanoes form? 
When the tectonic plates are being pushed together or pulled apart, volcanoes are created. Volcanoes formed when the magma from the Earth's mantle rises to the earth's surface. As the volcano continues to erupt, it will get bigger and bigger.
When a volcano erupts, it releases a toxic ash that can spread miles away. It also causes earthquakes, floods, mudslides, and rock falls. The lava can travel really far and it destroys, burns buries everything in its path.

Olympus Mons
Olympus Mons is a volcano on Mars and it is also the largest volcano in the solar system. The Olympus Mons is 3 times taller than the Mt Everest. It is located in the Tharsis region of Mars along with the three other large volcanoes. It was formed from a hotspot that flowed for thousands or millions of years.

Facts about Olympus Mons

• It is the largest Volcano in the whole solar system
• Olympus Mons is 3 times taller than Mt Everest
• The size of the Olympus Mons is almost the size of Arizona
• The entire chain of Hawaiian island would fit inside the Olympus Mons

Cool facts about Volcanoes

• Volcanic lighting occurs within the cloud of ash during an eruption, and it is created by the friction of the ash rushing to the surface. 
• When a volcano is erupting, it can trigger tsunamis, flash floods, earthquakes, mudslides, and rockfalls.
• There are more than 500 active volcanoes around the world. More than half of these volcanoes are part of the "Ring of Fire".
• The sound of an erupting volcano can be quiet and hissing explosive and booming. The loud cracks travel hundreds of miles away and can cause hearing loss and broken glass.
• 'Dormant' is called to the volcanoes that didn't erupt for years but still active.

Particle Theory of Matter - Convection

Aim -  To observe convection in a liquid
Equipment: 200 mL beaker, water, tweezers, a crystal potassium permanganate, a drinking straw, Bunsen burner, heat mat, tripod and gauze mat.

Method: 

1. Set up a Bunsen burner on a heatproof mat. Put the gauze mat on the tripod but leave it just to one side of the Bunsen burner.
2. Fill a 200 mL beaker with 150 mL of cold water.
3. Place the beaker on top of the tripod and gauze and allow it to settle for a few minutes.
4. Carefully insert a drinking straw down one side of the beaker, ensure the straw is touching the bottom of the beaker. Be careful as you do not want to disturb the water too much.
5. Using tweezers, drop a crystal of potassium permanganate down on the bottom of the beaker.
6. Very gently, so to not disturb the water, remove the straw.
7. Light the Bunsen and slide it under the tripod so that you are only heating the outside of the beaker where the crystal is. Observe. 

 Observation:
The crystal dissolved and made a thick purple cloud and dissolved more rapidly on the side of the beaker. The purple moved up the beaker side and then formed a big circle and made its way up around the beaker.

Explanation:  This is because of the convection current

Robotics and Mechatronics - DTE