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Is Cloud Cover One of the Effects of Climate Change?

Summary
The research we conducted attempted to investigate the effects of cloud cover. Our research wanted to see if cloud cover acts as a shield to insolation, allowing less insolation to reach Earth’s surface, allowing the Earth to cool. We did this by investigating the relation of cloud cover and sun insolation. We hypothesized that insolation would reduce as the cloud cover increased, which we assessed by calculating insolation and cloud cover using data collected from a pyranometer and a time lapse camera, and then relating them with each other. Our data suggest that our hypothesis was correct. As cloud cover increased, the insolation decreased. It appeared that clouds block out insolation, meaning they might not be a cause of global warming.

Daniel Crair, Kelsey Peeples, and Dr. Suzanne Banas

Click here for PDF file: March2014(1)

More Efficient Helicopter Blades Based on Whale Tubercles

Summary
The goal of this project was to increase the efficiency of the helicopter blades on the Double Horse 9053 RC Helicopter by adding tubercles based off those of a humpback whale. Increases in efficiency were determined by measuring the wind speed of control blades at three different speeds and then comparing these speeds to the wind speeds of tubercle-designed blades. The control blades had no tubercles while the tubercle blades had a set of 8 or 4 tubercles per blade. After analysis of increases in wind speeds based off the control, it was found that the 8-tubercle blades often had an increase in speed. The 4-tubercle blades had a decrease in output. The data supports the idea that the number and placement of tubercles matters. This small-scale experiment shows potential for improvements in the efficiency of full-scale helicopters.

Sam Weitzman and Ann Lambert

Click here for PDF file: December2013

Mystique of that Smile

Mona Lisa was painted by Leonardo da Vinci in approximately 1503 AD. It features the figure of a woman identified as Mona (or Madame) Lisa La Giocando who was the wife of a wealthy Florence businessman of the time. The painting originally included a column on either side of Mona Lisa which framed a mountainous background. It was painted on wood, and after Leonardo da Vinci’s death, the panels were cut down on either side resulting in the panel we see today.

Mona Lisa’s beautiful smile appears to change and her eyes seem to follow you as you move about her. Her proportions have been examined extensively, and Leonardo seems to have made extensive use of the golden proportion (PHI) in its creation.

We have outlined some of the more obvious uses of PHI in the painting here. In the overall portrait, the distance from the bottom of Mona Lisa’s right fingers to the top of her forehead is 1.618 times the distance from the bottom of her right fingers to the base of her neck. The right side of her face is then in smaller proportion to the original golden rectangle.

Some other ratios that are in golden proportion (1.618: 1) are as follows:

  • The distance starting from the base of the neck to the centre of the pupil, and the base of the neck to the top of the forehead.
  • The distance from the right side of the face to the right side of top of the nose, and the width of the face at that point.
  • The bottom of the chin to the bottom of the lips, and the bottom of the chin to the bottom of the nose

There are other examples of the use of the golden mean throughout this and other of his masterpieces. Leonardo da Vinci believed there was an aesthetic link that connected humanity and nature in the Golden Proportion. Today, the Golden Proportion is prevalent in art, architecture, music, nature – and some say even in the stock market. The balance and harmony achieved using this ratio can be readily transferred into your home’s design and décor, and can be incorporated into one of our customized rugs – ensuring a naturally pleasing addition to your home. It is important that you take the time to ensure your new rug will suit in your setting. With Coastal Style, your new rug can be custom crafted to meet your needs to the inch.

 

Student: Sourav Malakar