Group Five: Data

We studied the power consumption of four electronic devices popular among students. We used Watts up Pro and logger pro to study power consumption of the water heater, lamps, fans and space heaters. We collected the data paying in mind the variations in power consumption, for example, we studied the power consumption when the fan was on high, low and medium in relation to the room conditions. This was to help us estimate the average power consumption depending on the conditions of the different types of rooms.

We made questionnaires that will help us determine the number of students using these devices and others that we have not mentioned.

Questionnaire

Power Consumption Data Table

Group 1 Data

We collected data from 50 different phones. We laid each phone down in front of the RF meter and then measured the maximum electric field (Volts/meter) being emitted by the phone when it (a) made a call and (b) sent a text message. We then sorted the data based on (1) maker of the phone , (2) service provider and (3) whether it was a smart phone or a basic phone. The smart phones are highlighted in yellow and the highest electric fields in each category are in red.

Raw Data

Data Sorted By Maker

Data Sorted By Service Provider

Data Sorted by Smart or Basic Phone

Group 10 Abstract/Plan..

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I plan on using a GPS around campus going on a specific path first walking, and then bicycling. I will do this to measure altitude, speed, and distance throughout the campus. After collecting data, I plan to make some kind of artistic representation of the information. I would do this to make some kind of graph on top of a map using different colors to indicate various things. I would also want to include walking around various buildings, so i will most likely sketch those buildings as well and make  a graph over that as well.

Group 3 Data

Here is the data our group gathered for 14 phones. We plugged each phone into its charger and then into the Watts Up Pro to measure the rate of energy used while it made a one minute long phone call. We simultaneously measured its maximum radiation in volts/meter using the RF meter. We took down the phone type and whether or not it is considered a smart phone. Our results follow:

Watts used while plugged in Max Radiation in Volts/meter Phone Smart Phone?
2.0 0.465 Droid Incredible 2 y
2.4 0.720 Verizon LG n
2.6 0.783 Verizon flip phone n
3.0 2.087 Verizon LG n
3.7 1.929 Droid 1 y
3.8 1.361 Verizon LG n
4.0 1.843 Verizon LG n
4.3 0.884 Droid 2 y
4.4 3.145 Samsung n
4.5 1.262 Droid X y
5.0 1.333 Droid 2 y
5.0 0.992 IPhone 4 y
5.1 2.111 iPhone 4 y
6.0 1.507 iPhone 4S y

Group 9 Plan

Roles/ Methodology

Josh will use the program Reaper to adjust the decibel levels of songs in order to have equal volume regardless of dynamic range for the songs clips that will be used for our preference testing.  Reaper will also be used to remaster a song in the manner found to have the highest “sound quality” rating by our test subjects.

Gio will use a microphone as well as Reaper to measure the dynamic range of each of the recordings used in the test as well as collect the mastering preference data from test subjects as well as create the tables, charts and graphs of our collected data.

The testing of subjects will entail listening to several 30 second clips (randomly selected to be original or remastered) and asked to rate their sound quality on a scale from 1 to 10.  All clips will be adjusted to have equal volume.

The Science and Technology Involved:

Our project revolves around different types of sound encoding, analogue (vinyl) vs digital (mp3).  Furthermore, the mastering processes during the recording of music effects the dynamic range of said recordings and the measurement and personal preference to type of mastering is also of concern.  Therefore, microphones, a recording and mastering program (Reaper), and a consistent sound system for testing purposes are all required for our project.

Expected outcome:

As volume has been boosted over the years, we expect clipping to have occurred.  Therefore, we expect people to prefer the original recordings over the remastered ones when they are adjusted for volume.

Project Plan: Group 6

Roles/ Methodology:

David-Contact departments to find out # of computers (Assume: all computers powered from 9-5) per department and gather information regarding class use of rooms. (Assumption: lights are only on when rooms are in use). Make calculations based on assumptions and Emilio’s findings.

Clement-Contact departments to find out which special devices are used, and how often (ie: scientific equipment). Make price calculations based on David’s results and local power company rates.

Emilio-Use “watts up pro” to calculate computer/equipment energy use

Technology Involved:

Watts Up Pro- Used to calculate computer/special equipment device energy usage

Dates:

Individuals will make there findings and calculations this week. We will meet on the weekend of Friday November 18 to combine data/price results into an excel file

After Thanksgiving, we will meet to identify exactly how we will make the creative campus map based on energy use/costs

Expectations:

We expect that scientific departments (ie: equipment use departments) will have relatively higher usage and costs as compared to other departments. Also, a department like theater, that uses a lot of light in a space like the Theater or Cinema will have higher usage/costs.

Group 7 Project Abstract

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Our group will be creating holograms using the holography tools in an attempt to gain a better grasp of how they are made and the processes behind their creation. We also plan to explore the various types of holograms that we can create with the tools available to us. While we run across holograms in many different forms and applications in our daily lives, we–and many others, have little to no understanding of the actual technology at work. We anticipate that this will be a very engaging experiment.

Group 4 project plan

For our project we plan to ultimately produce a map of campus, showing the strength of the wireless signal at different points around the school.  We will walk around campus with the RF meter, mapping wireless internet signals as we go.  This can be done by two people at a time, one to read the meter and one to record it on the map.  Then we will compile the data and make a colored map showing hot spots around campus.   We can use this to experimentally find the location of the wireless routers.  We will also look into additional functions of the RF meter to see what else it can tell us about internet access around campus. We will meet on Sundays until we finish gathering our data, and if we find we need to meet more often we will communicate via e-mail to schedule those. We will do research into the science and technology, namely the RF meter and what wireless internet is and how it works. We expect the signal to be relatively consistent across the main bulk of campus (around all the dorms and academic buildings).  The signal might get worse in open places, like the library lawn or the middle of the quad, and the signal should be significantly worse in places like Sunset Lake, that are removed from the main part of campus.

Project Plan – Group 2

Roles

Tyler – Data collection in the laser lab.

Luke – Research on examples of lasers in pop culture, as well as evaluating their validity based on our data/outside research.

Alexa – Research on use of lasers in military, and how our data explains why lasers make sense to use in these military contexts.

What is the science/technology involved?

The science/technology we are investigating is lasers, and we are studying how they can be used as weapons in a variety of different ways.

Activity Plan – How will you take the data, what equipment do we use, dates and meeting times?

We plan on taking data from a high-class laser in Vassar’s laser lab. We will test the laser on different surfaces of varying thickness. We want to measure certain variables such as penetration ability, energy output, and optical cavity size. We will meet at 6 o’clock on Mondays, and 6 o’clock on Thursdays.

What outcomes do we expect?

We expect that our data will reveal that lasers carry a great amount of potential for use as weapons. We also expect to find that the portrayal of lasers in science fiction isn’t plausible and doesn’t reflect the actual properties of lasers.