Submission 1 & 2

Alternative Energy

Energy is very important in our life since we use it every day in many ways such as powering our vehicles, warming our homes or lighting the streets and buildings. We also use the energy to make industries like food, electronics and clothing.

Why search for Renewable (alternative) Energy:

Nowadays, people are using fossil fuel energy such as oil, coal and natural gases to power their vehicles, heat or cool their homes and light the streets and buildings. People began to search for alternative energy because they discovered that fossil fuel consumes the natural resources and harms the environment. They also figured that fossil fuel like oil, coal and natural gases are available on earth in limited supplies and we may run out of them someday, so it is good for us to discover an alternative clean and safe power to keep our civilization up  when that happens. (http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/all/elementary/article?articleId=442186)

Alternative energy like wind power, solar power and tidal power is also known as renewable power; renewable power is created by natural resources such as wind, sun and tides which are naturally replenished compared  to the other types of energy like fossil fuels. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_Power)  So in other words, Alternative Energy is energy fuelled in ways that do not use up natural resources or harm the environment. (Oxford Dictionary)

Solar Energy:

The sun produces a high amount of heat and light which also produces an enormous source of energy which can be used to heat or generate electricity. Solar heat is usually captured by a device called a flat-plate collector. “The collector is a large plate of black metal covered with a sheet of glass. It is usually placed on the roof of a building. The plate absorbs sunlight and uses it to heat air or water that flows through pipes behind it. The air or water then goes through the building's heating or plumbing system. It can also be held in a storage tank for later use”. (http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/all/elementary/article?articleId=441724)

We can also use solar energy to generate electricity by using the photovoltaic cells which have been used to harness this energy so they can be used as a power source to generate electricity.

Tidal Energy:

Tidal energy is obtained from the tide shifting from low to high, it is considered as clean energy since it doesn’t consume any natural resources and also it is renewable and inexhaustible because tides always rise and fall due to gravity.

A tidal lagoon is a water containment reservoir that is filled with water when the tide goes up the reservoir and when the tide shifts from high to low level, a difference in pressure will exist and when the natural body of water reaches a very low level due to the low tide, the water within the reservoir will be released using specially made outlets equipped with turbines. The force of the rushing water would spin the turbine and turn a power   generator which produces electricity. (http://www.tech-faq.com/tidal-energy.html)

Winds Energy:

Winds also counts as clean and inexhaustible source of energy, it can create energy by rotating wind turbines which drive a generator and create energy.

Large winds turbines can produce up to 1.8 megawatts of power and the amount of power produced is always based on the wind speed, so higher wind speed can produce more power. (http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/all/comptons/article-9277764)

Problems with alternative energy sources:

All the sources that are mentioned above are considered to be clean and safe sources that don’t harm the natural environment. However, Industries and people have relied on fossil energy for hundreds of year. So changing to alternative energy is expensive and required a lot of changes on the nowadays system. And individuals need some support from the government to provide them with money in order to change their systems to alternative.

Bibliography:

1-    Alternative energy. (2010). In Primary Britannica. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition:http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/all/elementary/article?articleId=442186

2-    Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternative_Power.

3-    Solar energy. (2010). In Primary Britannica. Retrieved November 7, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition:http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/all/elementary/article?articleId=441724

4-    Topbits- Tech community : http://www.tech-faq.com/tidal-energy.html

5-                    wind power. (2010). In Britannica Student Encyclopedia. Retrieved November 30, 2010, from Encyclopedia Britannica Online School Edition:http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/all/comptons/article-9277764

                                          

Fishing

Fishing

Catching fishes from oceans, lakes or streams is one of the oldest pastimes pursued by man. Thousands of years ago men caught fishes in nets and traps woven out of vines. They also fashioned hooks from bone, stone, and thorns and baited them with worms, grubs, or insects. The term fishing applies to the act of catching a fish from its natural home, the water. Taking fishes with nets and seines for food is called commercial fishing; with hook and line for fun, it is called sport fishing.

Fishing is a popular sport because anyone can engage in it, regardless of age, sex, or income. Fishing can be enjoyed from childhood to old age, individually or in groups, with little more investment than a cane pole and a few hooks. Within an hour from most homes, there is usually a place to fish. (: http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/all/comptons/article-9274328)

The most popular fishing methods are Bait and Fly-Fish Method which is used to catch fishes in both salt and fresh water.

Bait fishing, also called still fishing or bottom fishing, is certainly the oldest and most universally used method. In British freshwater fishing it is used to catch what are called coarse (or rough) fish. A bait is impaled on the hook, which is “set” by the angler raising the tip of the rod when the fish swallows it. Common baits in fishing include worms, maggots, small fish, bread paste, cheese, and small pieces of vegetables and grain. ( http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/eb/article-2331)

Fly-fishing is a method of angling employing a rod 7 to 11 feet (2.1 to 3.4 meters) in length, a simple arbor reel, and a heavy plastic-coated line joined to a lighter nylon leader. The rod is used to cast artificial flies—made of hair, feathers, or synthetic materials and designed to imitate the natural food sources of the fish. The fly-fisher snaps the long rod back and forth, allowing the heavier weight of the line to propel the nearly weightless fly forward. The fly needs to land as gently as possible upon the water to avoid startling the fish. A simple reel is used only to contain the line and to help in tiring a hooked fish. Species fished include trout and salmon, but by the end of the 20th century virtually all game fish, from panfish to muskellunge, were fished with. ( http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/eb/article-9343163)

In saltwater fishing, all the methods mentioned previously are used. Fly-fishing in salt water became very popular during the last quarter of the 20th century. Saltwater fishing is done from a beach, off rocks, from a pier, or from a boat, which may vary in size from a rowboat in inland waters to oceangoing craft of considerable size. Fish usually caught from shore include striped bass, bluefish, tarpon, bonefish, and permit. Saltwater anglers fishing from boats take grouper, flounder, snapper, mackerel and many other species by trolling or bottom fishing.( http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/eb/article-2332)

Bibliography

1-      fishing. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition: http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/eb/article-2332

2-      fishing. (2010). In Britannica Student Encyclopedia. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition: http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/all/comptons/article-9274328

3-      fly-fishing. (2010). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved October 12, 2010, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition: http://0-www.school.eb.co.uk.library.hct.ac.ae/eb/article-9343163

Survive a lightning strike

Survive a lightning strike

Lightning is one of the most violent natural phenomena on Earth. A lightning strike can discharge electrical currents reaching hundreds of thousands of amps and raise temperatures up to 30,000 C.

Lightning and people can be a lethal combination.  A study in Oxford Brookes University found that males are getting lightning strikes more than females. The best way to survive lightning is to get yourself indoors and stay away from electrical equipment. If you are nowhere near a building when a storm blows up, then you should use your car as a shelter and as long as you keep your hands away from the metal bodywork, it will act like a Faraday cage to keep you safe in the event of lightning. Don’t even try to shelter under a tree or otherwise you could be electrocuted by side flash. If you are in the middle of a lightning storm and there is no place to hide in, the best way to stay safe is to squat down and perch on the balls of your feet. You might also want to shut your eyes and put your fingers in your ears.

Parsons, Paul. "Survive a Lightning Strike." BBC: Focus Sept. 2010: 49. Web

Research 1

Bibliography:

Kharma, N., & Hajjajj, A. (1989). Errors in English Among Arabic Speakers: Analysis and Remedy. Essex: Longman. pp. 137 - 142

(1) Who did the original research? Kharma, N & Hajjajj, A
(2) What was the name of the book? Errors in English Among Arabic Speakers
(3) Who was the publisher? Longman
(4) Where was the book published? Essex
(5) When was the book published? 1989
(6) What format has been used? MLA

My introduction

My introduction

My name is Obaid AlMehairi. I come from a large family and I have three sisters and two brothers.

I like studying hard and I don’t like wasting my time in useless things. I am interested in  studying electronic engineering because our life is full  of electronics and I want to know more about them and  how  they work and how we can fix them .

At the weekend, I like going to the mall with my friends and watching a good movie in the cinema. I also like fishing, swimming and jet skiing.

In the summer, I like to travel with my family and spend my holiday in different places like Turkey, Europe and KSA.

I have many goals and aims to achieve; one of them is to get the bachelor’s degree in electronic engineering and complete my higher education. After that I want to get a good job with a good salary, and last but not least I want to get married and have a huge family .