How can breakage fees be best handled in connection with the high school laboratory sciences?
Will you describe the method followed by the weather bureau in weather forecasting?
When you blow burns the better. or fan a camp fire it When you blow a candle it goes out. What is the reason for the difference?
Should static electricity be continued as a part of the high school physics course

Cable, E. J.

Getchell, R. W.

Kadesch, W. H.

Read, O. B.

University of Northern Iowa

Science Bulletin Volume 3 Number 2 Article 7 10-1930 Question Box R. W. Getchell Iowa State Teachers College E. J. Cable Iowa State Teachers College O. B. Read Iowa State Teachers College W. H. Kadesch Iowa State Teachers College Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/science_bulletin  Part of the Health and Physical Education Commons, and the Science and Mathematics Education Commons Let us know how access to this document benefits you Copyright ©1930 by Iowa State Teachers College Recommended Citation Getchell, R. W.; Cable, E. J.; Read, O. B.; and Kadesch, W. H. (1930) "Question Box," Science Bulletin: Vol. 3: No. 2, Article 7. Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/science_bulletin/vol3/iss2/7 This Contents is brought to you for free and open access by UNI ScholarWorks. It has been accepted for inclusion in Science Bulletin by an authorized editor of UNI ScholarWorks. For more information, please contact scholarworks@uni.edu. Offensive Materials Statement: Materials located in UNI ScholarWorks come from a broad range of sources and time periods. Some of these materials may contain offensive stereotypes, ideas, visuals, or language. SCIENCE BULLETIN SCIENCE BULLETIN Editor-in-Chief: W. H. Kadesch. Ad-visory Board: Dr. L. Begeman, Head, Department of Physical Science; Dr. E. J. Cable, Head Department of Natural Science. Ii16ued Monthly. Entered as second class mail matter at the post-office, Cedar Falls, Iowa, under the act of Aug-ust 24, 1912. 5c per copy or 35c per year outside of Iowa. THE QUESTIONNAIRE The request for suggestions which was sent out with the September num-ber of the Bulletin brought a flood of unexpected magnitude. The editor was quite inundated, and even now has only partially emerged. But it was a wel-come flood, which showed clearly what the science teachers of Iowa wish in :such a bulletin-wish individually. Col-.lectively they ar e not in all respects agreed. For example, in response to the -question concerning the type of article ,desired many expressed a wish for con-.tent, many for method, and many for both, or as some said, fifty-fifty. In other matters there was also an inter-esting variety in the demand. The response also showed that the science teachers of the state are up and eoming, alive no less to the opportuni-ties of their respective situations than to the r esponsibilities. In their efforts to make the Bulletin serve its purpose as effectively as pos-sible the contributors and management will be greatly aided by the many ox-collent suggestions r eceived. 'l'he num-ber of these is so great that it will be impossible to take advantage of all of them in the course of a single year. However, we shall &rive to satisfy as well as possible the most general de-mand. Incidentally let it be emphasized that the time for suggestions· and critic-isms has not expired with the rnturn of the questionnaire, but that any such word our r eaders may have for us will be gladly received at any time. The readers of the September num-ber were unanimous in their response on one point. "Yes", they said, "con-tinue the question box.'' That clears the way for us to say that the Box is yours, and that it will be a useful feature of the Bulletin if by your ques-tions and your interest you make it so. Questions received before the end of the mol)th will b e answered in the next number of the Bulletin if the necessary wisdom can be found before the time of going to press. QUESTION BOX Question: How can breakage fees be best handled in connection with the high school laboratory sciences f w. s . Answer: First choice. Print breakage tickets carrying one dollar's worth of credit, simi.lar to a meal ticket. Require pupils to purchase these; punch off breakages as they occur ; return balance in cash at the end of the course. Second choice. Check all apparatus out to pupils on an apparatus slip or file cards; k eep a record of breakages as articles are returned; require pay-ment at the end of the course and be-fore grades can be awarded. Third choice. Require a breakage deposit when the pupil enrolls; k eep a record of breakages and deduct the amount when returning the balance of the deposit. Fourth choice. Require that the pupil :make settlement at the Superintend-ent's office at stated intervals, per-haps monthly, and submit the receipt before -being allowed to continue lab-,oratory work. R. W. Getchell. IOWA STA'l'E TEACHERS COLLEGE 5 Question: Will you describe the method follow-ed by the weather bureau in weather forecasting i L . G. B. Answer: Each morning at 7:00 o'clock Eastern Standard time two hundred weather bureau stations throughout the United States, Northern Mexico and Southern Canada report to Vvashington weather data which has been collected during the last 24 hours. This information consists of pressure, temperature, con-ditions of sky, kinds of clouds, wind direction and velocity, relative humidi-ty, forms of moisture and any other in-formation which will be of value in forecasting the weather. All of this. in-formation is sent over telegraphic wires in cipher code. After a number of sta-tions have reported, the information is relayed to other stations throughout the country. The forecaster at each forecasting station then ·locates the high and low pressure centers on a · map. He knows on an average, the course these pressure areas take, the r ate at which they move and the nature o~ weather accompanying each. The sky appearances and the indications of local instruments indicate whether a coming or developing low, a coming or develop-ing high is to control the weather. As soon as this is determined, the probable sequence of weather changes for the next 24 hours or 48 hours is at once apparent. The accuracy of weather forecasting may be considered on about the same level as the practice of medicine. The expert forecaster can diagnose the pres-ent conditions of the atmosphere with as much precision as a physician can determine the bodily conditions of his patient. There are many local factors which may influence the movement of pressure areas such as surface topography, pres-ence of snow and ice, and the surround-ing meteorological conditions. If the value and relative importance of these factors could be determined from the study of many weather maps of the entire continent, it would be possible to make very accurate forecasts. The ·weather Bureau Service now makes two types of forecasts, one for 48 hours and one for the week. The 48 hour forecast is the more reliable. A world study of the sun's radiation is now being made to determine wha.t effect a var,iation in color radiation may have upon the weather. If this study in the next decade or two proves fruitful it may then be possible to make long range forecasts. A forecast a year in advance at present is worth-less. E. J . Cable. Question : When you blow burns the better. or fan a camp fire it When you blow a candle it goes out. What is the reason for the difference f H . J. Answer : The difference in the results is due to the different character of the burn-ing substances. The construction and material of the candle is such that the natural draft of air is the best. When the candle is burning the parafin is first converted into a liquid and then into a gas which continues the burning by coming in contact with the blaze and hot wick. The size of the candle and wick are so proportioRed that the air coming in is just sufficient to oxidize the gas produced. Any puff of air blows the gas away from the heated region and brings cold air in its place, and the candle is extinguished. In th~ case of the camp fire the burn-ing -substance is largely of a solid nature, carbon . It does not volatilize but burns as the air comes in contact with it when it is above its kindling temperature. The natural draft bring_~ oxygen in contact with the heated car-bon too slowly for rapid burning. By blowing gently there is a larger quanti-6 SCIENCE BULLETIN ty of oxygen provided, hence the in-creased oxidation. If the blowing were too vigorous, the heat would be blown away and the carbon cooled below its burning temperature and the fire ex-tinguished, just as in the case of the candle. 0. B. Read. Question: Should static electricity b e contin-ued as a part of the high school phys-ics coursei M. S. Answer: By all means. While it is true that electrostatics is of little importance in an elementary study of motors, dy-namos and transformers, it is of the greatest importance in other connec-tions, two of which will be mentioned. In the first place there is nothing in nature more fundamental than an elec-trostatic charge. Science has reached the conclmion that matter itself, every-thing material in the universe, con-sists of nothing else-positive and negative electrons associated together. I~ the second place electrostatics has in ;recent years risen to a place of com-manding importance in engineering. This has been due chiefly to the devel-opment of long distance telephony and radio, in which electrostatics assumes a major role. W. H. Kadcsch. Outline for Elementary P,hysics (Continued from page 3.) 6. Miscellaneous: g·lass rod or flask; hard rubber rod or sealing wax; silk cloth; woolen cloth; pieces of fur; corn pith; rect angular support for pith balls suspended from silk threads. GROUP PROJECTS IN CURRENT ELECTRICITY Methods of Producing Currents 1. By means of batteries. 2. By means of dynamos. 3. By means of thermo-cells. Nature of an Electric Current 1. Units of measurement: ampere, volt and ohm. 2. Ohm's la.w. 3. Calculation of power from volts and amperes. 4. Problems. Effects of an Electric current 1. Chemical Effects: Electrolysis of ·water and Chemical Salts, Electroplat-ing. 2. Magnetic Effects: Electro-mag-net; Applications of the Electro-mag-net. 3. Heating and Lighting Effects. 4. Problems. Current Induction 1. Faraday's law. 2. Lenz 's law. 3. Applications of current induction in dynamos, induction coils and transform-ers. 4. Nature and production of an alternating current. 5. Problems. Modern kdvances 1. X-rays. 2. Radium. 3. Wireless telegraphy. 4. Radio receivers and transmitters. APPARATUS FOR CLASS INSTRUC-TIONS IN CURRENT ELECTRICITY 1. Tumblers; carbon and zinc rods; sulphuric acid; potassium bichromate to illustrate acid voltaic cells; keys. 2. Section of old dry cell to show its structure. 3. Bent glass tube with platinum elec-trodes to illustrate elec trolysis; electro-plating. 4. Potassium sulphate solution colored blue with litmus; silver cyanide solution for electroplating. 5. Sections of electrotypes and lino-types to illustrate various ways of printing books and newspapers. 6. Sheet lead for lead plate of a sim-ple storage cell; tumblers and holders for plates with wire terminals. 7. Apparatus and iron filings to show the magnetic field of a current. 8. Solenoid with loose iron core to show the construction of an electro-magnet. 9. Apparatus to show the interaction of parallel currents. 10. Electric b ells ; relay; sounder, keys. 

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