Please help Wichita SWE by signing up for SWEeter Futures and by attending this webinar!
Earn SWEeter Futures credit for participating in this webinar!!
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SWEeter Futures Webinar From Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm
SWEeter Futures? What is it? Why do I care? What can it do for me and my section/MALs/region? Learn more about the tool everyone is taking about! Register herefor either the link to the webinar or the replay if you miss it. Signup here and log your time to get credit for taking this important outreach training!
1) A magnet
2) A sewing needle
3) Thread
4) Pencil or pen
5) Clear empty glass or jar
6) Tape
7) Sturdy paper, like a notecard
Steps:
1) Rub the needle against the magnet to magnetize it, or just leave it stuck to the magnet for a day or two
2) Cut a bit of thread so it’s about half of the height of the jar. Tie one end around a pencil, and tape the other end to a 1″ square of cardstock paper
3) Poke the needle through the paper
4) Set the pencil on top of the jar so the thread hangs down into it.
Questions to explore:
1) Which way does the needle point? What if you spin the jar around, does the needle come around to the same position each time?
2) Does this work with a non-magnetized needle? One that was on the magnet the other way? Toothpicks?
3) What if you hold a magnet or bit of metal outside the jar?
The science:
In this experiment, we’ve created a tiny magnetic field detector! The needle will probably point to or from a magnet, and when the magnet is removed the needle will align itself with the earth’s magnetic field. When you left the needle on the magnet for a few days, its positive and negative atom particles are pulled in the same direction until they’re completely lined up, and ALL want to go in the same direction, all the time. They’ll all seek out the earth’s magnetic field when left to drift without other forces – and the thread in this experiment moves freely enough to let that happen.
1 35 mm empty film canister or empty pill container
Ingredients for Eruptions
Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
Vinegar (Acetic Acid)
Food Coloring Optional
Instructions
Instructions for forming Volcano
Form a conical shape from the clay around the film canister, without filling the film canister. Then, make lava runs down the sides of the structure using a table knife.
Allow to volcano to dry overnight.
Instructions for Eruptions:
1.  Add food coloring to vinegar until desired color is achieved.
2.   Place 1 tsp of baking soda in film canister and then add vinegar solution until baking soda is dissolved.
Tip: This is messy – perform experiment in a container or sink.
Engineering Principles:
Explanation:
Vinegar (HC2H3O2 aq) is an acid (pH 2.5).
Baking Soda (2NaHCO3 s) is a base (pH 8).
When they combine, a reaction occurs.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is released (which causes the foaming).
The pH scale:
The pH scale ranges from 0 (extremely acidic) to 14 (extremely alkaline or basic). The pH scale measures how many hydrogen ions are in an aqueous solution. Acids have higher levels of hydrogen ions.  Each change in pH number represents a tenfold change in acidity. Distilled water has a neutral pH of 7.0.
Our next Expo planning meeting will be Wednesday February 6th at 5pm at the NCAT campus (4004 N. Webb Road). We will go over the final booth layout, then maybe go get something to eat. We’d love to see you there!
The National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) is putting on the annual Block Kids event on February 9 from 9:00 am to noon. Kids in Grades 1-6 will vie to build the best creation using a limited amount of materials. We always have fun helping with this event.
SWE has volunteered to provide an activity for the kids during the judging period. Please contact Barb at barbara.davis@swe.org if you want to help with the activity.
They also need volunteers for judges and for setup and teardown. If you want to help in these areas, please contact Edi (pronounced Eddie) Clark.
Wichita SWEis kicking off a mentorship program with the WSU SWE section and we are looking for volunteers that we canpair with a student! We will have one kick-off event (date and place TBD) to meet your mentee, and after thatmeetings will be casualfor you to arrange with your mentee around your schedule, maybe coffee, lunch, or dinner once a month. This is a great opportunity to make an impact on a future engineer’s lifewith a very low timecommitment!
If interested, please contact Cassie Schroeder (cassiana.schroeder@swe.org), the WSU SWE counselor, and send the following information along with any questions you may have:
The WSU SWE section is staying busy this year! They sent 13 members to the conference this year and have held a number of fun events, including a make your own tie-dye SWE shirt kick-off meeting and an Overnighter at the Cosmosphere. Check out their newsletter here: http://webs.wichita.edu/depttools/depttoolsmemberfiles/swe/Newsletters/November2012.pdf
