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Metric System

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Metric System

Numbers and measurements in the metric system.

  • The metric system is an internationally used measurement system that is decimal based.
  • The metric system is based on the French measurement system developed in the 17 and 18th century with the French measurement terms – ‘mètre’, ‘are’ (area), ‘stère’ (dry volume), ‘litre’ (liquid volume) and ‘gramme’ (weight).
  • The metric system has it’s own measurements and units for quantities including mass, volumes, time, distance, velocity or speed, acceleration, force, pressure, power, energy and temperature.
  • In 1799, areas of France started following the metric system, starting with kilograms and metres, then litres and Celsius, with more units added over time based on grams, metres and litres, which eventually led to widespread use throughout the world.
  • The United States, Myanmar (Burma) and Liberia do not use the metric system, making up 5% of the world ‘s population not using the system.

Metric System, Measurement, Scales, Grams, Electronic, Utilities, Spoon, Teaspoon, Tablespoon, Cups, Tape Measure, Ruler, Imagine Make Believe, Ten Random Facts,

  • Each unit in the metric system uses an internationally recognised symbol, such as ‘mL’ for ‘millilitres’ or ‘g’ for ‘grams’.
  • In 1960, the metric system was recognised as part of the ‘SI’, or ‘The International System of Units’ which was the establishment of an international standardised measuring system.
  • Prefixes, such as ‘kilo’, ‘centi’ and ‘deca’, are used in front of base measurements, such as ‘grams’, ‘litres’ or ‘metres’, in the metric system.
  • There are many variations in the spelling of terms in the metric system, such as ‘kilometre’ in English and ‘chilometro’ in Italian, or they have different English spellings – ‘gram’ and ‘gramme’, ‘metre’ and ‘meter’.
  • Faulty calculations related to the metric system has resulted in potentially fatal accidents or disastrous economic losses.
Bibliography:
Metric System, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_system>
The Metric System, n.d, Wichita State University Department of Mathematics and Statistics, <http://www.math.wichita.edu/history/topics/metric.html>

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Banana

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Banana

Don’t go bananas!

  • Bananas grow on what some people call ‘trees’, up to 15 metres (49 feet) high, that are actually flowering herbs, or plants, generally from the Musa genus, which belong to the family Musaceae, which also includes the genus of ensetes, similar to common bananas, some of which are also a valuable food source.
  • Bananas can be different sizes or firmness, but are usually a curved shape and have soft flesh, and when ripe, the skin can be yellow, red, purple, green or brown in colour.
  • Bananas are native to South to Southeast Asia, which includes the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, and they are believed to have been cultivated since at least 5000 BC in Papua New Guinea.
  • Bananas can also be known as plantains, although there are some small differences, like plantains are generally cooked, have less sugar than the common fruit, and more starch, and common green fruit can also be used for cooking purposes.
  • Commercial bananas are generally seedless, unlike the wild varieties, and are often eaten raw but can be eaten baked, steamed or deep-fried, dehydrated, made into jam, used as a flavouring addition or added to desserts, salads and main dishes like curry, and also made into flour for baking purposes.

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  • Bananas are the most sold edible fruit and one of the most important food crops in the world, ranking number four after rice, wheat and maize, and in 2011, India produce 29.7 million tonnes (32.7 million tons) of the fruit, which was one fifth of the total world production.
  • The term ‘banana’ is derived from the Arabic word ‘banan’ or the West African Wolof word ‘banaana’, and they are grown in tiers known as ‘hands’, with up to 20 pieces of fruit per hand, and each banana is called a ‘finger’.
  • Commercial bananas are often picked unripe and stored in a refrigerated room at 13 to 15°C (56 to 59 °F) to slow down the ripening process, but if the ripening process needs to be sped up, they can be stored with an apple or tomato for 12 hours or so in a paper bag.
  • Bananas are high in Vitamin B6, and have significant amounts of vitamin C, potassium, manganese and magnesium, and are the most radioactive fruit due to the potassium content, but do little or no damage to the human body.
  • There are between 500 and 1000 varieties of bananas, and the yellow Cavendish variety are the most commonly exported bananas, mainly due to easier transportation.

 

Bibliography:
All About Bananas, n.d, Bananalink, <http://www.bananalink.org.uk/all-about-bananas>
Banana, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana>

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Abraham Lincoln

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Abraham Lincoln

“Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” – Abraham Lincoln.

  • Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer and politician born on 12 February, 1809 and was assassinated by an actor, John Wilkes Booth, on 15 April 1865.
  • Abraham Lincoln was the 16th United States President, during 1861 to 1865, being responsible for taking major action in the American Civil war, ending US slavery and improving the US economy.
  • Abraham Lincoln was self-educated and came from an uneducated family, and is commonly ranked the greatest United States president of all time.
  • In 1840, Abraham Lincoln was engaged to his future wife, Mary Todd, however they broke up and did not marry as planned in 1841, but later came back together eventually marrying in late 1842.
  • Abraham Lincoln and his wife Mary had four children, although only one survived till adulthood, and the last descendant of Abraham died in 1985.

Abraham Lincoln, Print, Bank Note, Face, US, $5, Ten Random Facts, Free Digital Photos

Lincoln
Image courtesy of Gualberto107/Free Digital Photos
  • A portrait of Abraham Lincoln can be seen on the American penny and $5 note, and he received a patent in 1849, for a boat floating device.
  • Abraham Lincoln has his face sculpted on Mount Rushmore, and has a memorial and a museum dedicated to him.
  • Abraham Lincoln was a well known wrestler in his younger age, and is said to have defeated nearly all of the 300 wrestlers he wrestled against, and he also served in war as a captain and a private during a three month period.
  • Abraham Lincoln was originally a member of the Illinois House of Representatives and later became the Illinois member for the US House of Representatives.
  • Lincoln’s assassins’ brother, Edwin Thomas Booth, saved Abraham Lincoln’s son, Robert Todd Lincoln, from a train accident, a few months before Lincoln was assassinated.
Bibliography:
Abraham Lincoln, 2013, Bio, <http://www.biography.com/people/abraham-lincoln-9382540>
Abraham Lincoln, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln>

 

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Burr Puzzle

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Burr Puzzle

Is the Burr puzzle too puzzling?

  • Burr puzzles are interlocking puzzles, assembled by placing notched wood, plastic or metal  sticks together strategically, to make a type of open cube or rectangular prism.
  • A burr puzzle most commonly has 6 pieces and quality burrs are made very accurately allowing pieces to fit together snugly while easily sliding on each other.
  • The term ‘burr puzzle’ is probably reference to the shape of the puzzle being similar to a burr from certain plants, and has been adapted for use with other puzzles without sticks.
  • Although the origin of burr puzzles is unknown, one is depicted in the 1968 engraving by Sébastien Leclerc entitled L’Académie des sciences et des beaux-arts meaning ‘The Academy of Sciences and Fine Arts’.
  • It is said that there are 837 different pieces that could be made for a 6 piece burr puzzle, and there are almost 6 billion possible ways to fit these together to make a puzzle.

Burr Puzzle, Wood, Two, Notches, Skeleton, Light, Dark, Ten Random Facts

  • Some suggest that burr puzzles are of Chinese origin, like many other puzzles, such as tangrams, and reference to traditional Chinese yarn winders, furniture and other items that are constructed in a similar style point to that theory.
  • There are many types of burr puzzles, ranging from 3 to at least 12 pieces, diagonal burrs and holey burrs, and other varieties are also available.
  • With some burr puzzles, pieces are turned or twirled to move them into the correct position, however this is not the case with traditional burrs.
  • The first accepted patent for the burr puzzle was in 1916 by O W Brown, an American, although an earlier patent by J W Keiser was filed.
  • A burr puzzle is known by many other names including ‘six-piece interlocking cube’, ‘puzzle knot’, ‘six wooden sticks’, ‘Devil’s knot’, ‘Lu Ban locks’, ‘Kong Ming locks’ and ‘Chinese Cross’.
Bibliography:
Burr Puzzle, 2013 Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burr_puzzle>
Traditional 6-Piece Burrs, n.d, Rob’s Puzzle Page, <http://home.comcast.net/~stegmann/interlocking.htm>

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Clownfish

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Clownfish

The clownfish certainly don’t clown around!

  • Clownfish are fish from the family Pomacentridae, which is also includes the family of damselfish and the scientific name for the fish is ‘Amphiprion’.
  • There are over 25 species of clownfish, that vary in colour and often have stripes and blotches that are yellow, orange, white, red and/or black in colour.
  • Clownfish grow to 10 to 18 centimetres (3.9 to 7.1 inches) in length and can be found in shallow waters and reefs.
  • It is suggested that clownfish are called so because of their bright and patchy or stripey colouring, while others say that the name is derived from its interesting swimming style, where it has a bobbing motion rather than a smooth motion.
  • Clownfish are native to the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and parts of the Pacific Ocean and are not found in the Mediterranean, Caribbean or the Atlantic Ocean.

Clownfish, Anemonefish, Anemone Orange, White, Black, Colour, Malaysia, two, Ten Random Facts, Coral Reef Alliance

Clownfish
Image courtesy of Steve Turek/Coral Reef Alliance
  • Clownfish live among anemone in a small group, eating zooplankton and other scraps trapped by the stinging creature, and the fish defend their anemone host if it is intruded.
  • Clownfish have a mucus coating that protects the fish from an anemone’s sting.
  • Anemones protect the clownfish, also known as ‘anemonefish’, and provide food and shelter, while the fish cleans the anemone and helps the marine creature  to grow.
  • Clownfish live for 6 to 10 years in the wild and lay 100 to 1000 eggs at one time, which hatch into males after 6 to 10 days.
  • Clownfish are always born males and the strongest male will take an irreversible change into a female, which happens when the female of the school dies.
Bibliography:
Anemonefish, 2013, Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphiprioninae
Clown Anemonefish, 2013, National Geographic, http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/clown-anemonefish/

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Petunia

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Petunia

Pretty petunias.

  • Petunias are ornamental plants that have showy flowers, that attract insects and hummingbirds.
  • There are 35 species in the Petunia genus and they are from the family Solanceae, which is the family of nightshades, which includes tomatoes, potatoes, tobacco and eggplants.
  • Petunias are commonly hybrid annuals, with many different sizes and forms and some will flower all year.
  • Petunias are native to South America and are best grown in tropical areas.
  • Petunias are available in two main types, ‘grandiflora’ and ‘multiflora’, with grandifloras having larger but fewer flowers, and mulitfloras having plentiful but smaller flowers, and millifloras are also available which are mini plants with mini flowers.

Petunia, Pink< Purple, Red, Violet, White, Group, Lots, Flower, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • The word ‘Petunia’ is from a native South American word ‘petun’, the name for ‘tobacco, of which it is a close relative.
  • Petunia plants range from 15 cm (6 inches) up to 120 centimetres (4 ft) in height and are generally grown from seed.
  • Petunias flowers can be white, yellow, pink, purple, red and blue in colour, as well as bicolour, and can be used as cut flowers.
  • Petunia flowers can have flowers as large as 10 cm (4 inches) in diameter, and they have five lobed petals, with varieties including double flowers and ruffled petals.
  • Petunias can be grown in the garden or in pots, and prefer sunny conditions, and to keep them flowering, dead flowers should be removed regularly.

 

Bibliography:
Petunia, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petunia>
Plant Profile: Petunia, 2011, Gardening Australia, <http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s1866725.htm>

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