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Never sit & cry, “Nobody loves me”. Nobody will, until you start loving others. Give love to get love! H H Swami Chinmayananda

Volume 3, Issue 2 (S)

Mar 2013 Chinmaya Fragrance

Hari Om!

Department of Science “What I have done is to show that it is possible for the way the universe began to be determined by the laws of science. In that case, it would not be necessary to appeal to God to decide how the universe began. This doesn't prove that there is no God, only that God is not necessary.”

Stephen Hawking We are very glad to present first E-news letter of science department. The aim of E-news letter is to keep you updated with all the events and happenings of the department in the school and to bring you all the latest news in science. The beauty of the science is, it begins with thinking, imagination and assumptions and ends in realistic fact. I conclude with a humble suggestion that develop a viscous relationship with Science to promote and propagate its importance in real life situations. We hope this initiative succeeds in becoming your one stop shop for all you need to know about the scientific endeavours in the school through science department. Such a path breaking step is possible only because of the continuous encouragement and motivation by our esteemed principal Mr. A.K.Tiwary, teachers from science department and members of editorial board.

Wish you a vibrant and colourful HOLI.

Dr. Jay Singh HOD –Science

Contents - Inter House events - Page 2 to 4 and 13 Celebration - Pages 5 to 8 Sports - Pages 9 to 12 Science Section - Pages 14 to 21

Editorial Board

☺ Mr. Subas Chandra Nath ☺ Mrs. Manju Rawat

INTER HOUSE COMPETITIONS SHLOKA CHANTING (JUNIORS)

ON 25.08.12 HOUSEWISE

1st. FRIENDSHIP HOUSE 2nd. FREEDOM HOUSE 3rd. HONESTY HOUSE 4th. SINCERITY HOUSE

CARTOON MAKING (JUNIORS) ON 31.08.12

HOUSEWISE 1st. SINCERITY HOUSE 2nd. FREEDOM HOUSE 3rd. FRIENDSHIP HOUSE 4th. HONESTY HOUSE

1st. Riya Mishra VIII-A 2nd. Rhea Agarwal VIII-A

3rd. Kaushiki VII-A

POSTER MAKING (SENIORS) ON 31.08.12

HOUSEWISE 1st. HONESTY HOUSE

2nd. FREEDOM HOUSE 3rd. SINCERITY HOUSE 4th. FRIENDSHIP HOUSE

1st. Urvashi Yadav XI-B 2nd. Narmada X-B 3rd. Anupma Rai X-A

MAHASAMADHI DIWAS

JANMASTHAMI

INDEPENDENCE DAY

TEACHER’S DAY

Result of different events organised

By Sports council of NTPC

In Inter School Football Tournament Senior Junior and Sub junior boys’ teams emerged as champi-ons whereas Senior Girls’ team was runner up.

Marathon

Boys - First - Dheeraj Sharma class XI

Second - Himanshu of class IX

Girls - First - Rhea Mishra class VIII

Third - Ayushi of class VIII

Sushmita Priya student of class XII won gold medal in Shot Put Throw and qualified for National Level.

CBSE Cluster meet held at Varanasi

Riya Mishra of class VIII won bronze medal in

800 metre race

ANNUAL ATHLETIC MEET

ANNUAL ATHLETIC MEET

CHHATRA KAVI SAMMELAN (SENIORS) ON 06.10.12

HOUSEWISE 1st. FREEDOM HOUSE 2nd. FRIENDSHIP HOUSE 2nd. SINCERITY HOUSE 3rd. HONESTY HOUSE

SCIENCE SECTION

Dear parents and students, It offords us immense pleasure to introduce to you our school’s first ever Science E-news letter. Science is actually a quest of curiosity, surprise and the urge for learning. Now-a-days it is more through activities. So, here we are bringing to you a compilation of the work related to Science executed by the students un-der the guidance of our science faculty. Go through it, enjoy and do write to us your candid assessment. Yours Editors [ Hari Patil and Kalpana Sharma ]

Science Exhibition : An inter house science exhibition cum innovative model competition was held on 9th July in the school with an idea of inculcating scientific aptitude among the children and expose their innovative creations. The Science exhibition was judged by Hon’ble Mr. Santosh Singh from Saraswati Vidya Mandir and Mr. Sanjeev Srivastava from D.A.V. Public School. The occasion was graced and appreciated by the higher officials of NTPC Mr. S.K.Srivastava, Mr. R. N. Verma, Mr. V.K. Bhatia besides parents and other dignitaries. Inter house Science Activity competition : for Juniors (classes III to V) held on 27th July It is said that we learn the most when we do it. With the same inten-tion , a competition was held for juniors to make the children under-stand the various science concepts more clearly. The judges Mr. Amit Gautam and Mr. Vikram Pandey, Engineers in NTPC, judged the ac-tivities and gave their valuable suggestions to children to improve their knowledge . Health Quiz : NTPC hospital conducted a health quiz in the township auditorium. Our students won Ist prize in both Juniors and Seniors categories and brought laurels to the school.

Senior - First prize Hitarth Rathod of class X Abhishek Sharma of class X Junior – First prize PriyanshuTrivedi of class VII

Rajdeep Naskar of class VIII

SCIENCE EXHIBITION

TOP 10 RARE FLOWERS 10. Campion (Silene tomentosa) Only found in Gibraltar, the Campion was once thought to be extinct by the scientific community in 1992, when all traces of the plant van-ished. Then in 1994, a single specimen was discovered by a climber hik-ing on the high cliffs of Gibraltar. It was propagated at the Millennium Seed Bank and specimens are now grown at the Almeda Gibraltar Botanic Gardens, as well as at the Royal Botanic Gardens in London. For hanging in there on the solitary cliffs of Gibraltar waiting to be found, the Campion flower comes in at number 10.

9. The Jade Vine (Strongylodon macrobotrys) The The Jade Vine, known for its spectacular blue-green, claw-shaped flowers, produces a hanging inflorescence of color seldom seen in any other flower. The flower is pollinated by bats which will hang upside down to drink the nectar. These rare flowers are now hardly seen in the wild and are believed to be threat-ened by the deforestation of their natural habitat in the Philippines. For its beauty to botanists and bats alike, the Jade Vine comes in at number 9.

8. Parrot’s Beak (Lotus berthelotii) Classified as exceedingly rare since 1884, the Parrot’s Beak flower is believed to be extinct in the wild, though some individuals believe it may still be alive. The plant is native to the Canary Islands and is believed to have been originally polli-nated by sunbirds which have long gone extinct. Experiments have been done to see if the flowers could have found new pollinators but, as of 2008, none of these experiments have been successful. For all the efforts made to take this one back home, the Parrot’s Beak flower makes number 8 on our list of the rarest flowers.

7. Chocolate Cosmos (Cosmos atrosanguineus) You may have seen Chocolate orchids, but have you ever seen or gotten a whiff of Chocolate Cosmos? It is a flower native to Mexico that has been extinct in the wild for over 100 years. Still, the species survives as a single, non-fertile clone created in 1902 by propagation. The flowers are a rich deep-brown color and grow to about 3-4 cm in diameter. As the name suggests, Chocolate Cos-mos emit a delicious vanillin fragrance in the summer (also found in vanilla beans, some coffee beans and some cocoa beans). For being so rare and almost sweet enough to eat, the Chocolate Cosmos comes in at number 7.

6. Koki’o (Kokai cookei) Another rare flower comes from a tree in Hawaii. Discovered in 1860, the Koki’o tree has proven difficult to propagate and, in 1950, was deemed extinct. However, 20 years later a sole survivor was found, but was destroyed in a fire in 1978. As luck would have it, one of the branches was saved and grafted into 23 different trees in various places in Hawaii. The tree grows to 10-11 meters high and has hundreds of bright, red flowers that mature trees produce annually. As a flower so willing to adapt, the Koki’o flower comes in at number 6.

TOP 10 RARE FLOWERS contd….. 5. Kadupul Flower (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) This flower is easily cultivated, but is rare for the sole reason that it blooms so rarely. They are found in Sri Lanka in the wild and have spiritual significance to Buddhists. When they do bloom, they bloom only at night and then mysteriously wither before dawn. According to Buddhists, it is believed that when the flower blooms, the Nagas (semi-mythical Sri Lankan tribes) descend from their heavenly abodes to present the flower as a gift to Buddha. The flowers are oddly scented and produce delicate, white flowers. The flower also has a rich history in Japan where its name can be translated as “Beauty under the Moon.” For a flower so shy about blooming and so highly thought of, they take notice on the list at number 5.

4. Ghost Orchid (Epipogium aphyllum/Dendrophylax lindenii) Not only rare but fascinating, the Ghost Orchid is a plant that was presumed to be extinct for almost 20 years and only recently materialized again. The plant is so rare because it is near-impossible to propagate. It has no leaves and does not use photosynthesis to manufacture its own food. It, like the Lady Slipper mentioned below, needs a specific fungus in close contact with its root system to feed it. The Ghost Or-chid can live underground for years and is only found in forests in Cuba, and another variety, in Florida. The flowers emit fragrant odors and bloom between the months of June and August. In Cuba they grow on cypress trees in which they appear to float like ghosts, thus the name. They can only be pollinated here by the giant sphinx moth and if their seeds land on a specific moss. For being so selective as to their grow-ing conditions, the Ghost Orchid drifts in at number 4.

3. Yellow and Purple Lady Slippers (Cypripedium calceolus) A rare wild orchid once found across Europe, Yellow and Purple Lady Slippers are now grow-ing in Britain, but in only one odd location: a golf course. It has been under strict police protec-tion since 1917 in order to preserve it from people (and golf balls of course). A single cutting can be sold for $5,000 US, which is unheard of considering how the plant is very difficult to propagate. Another rare Lady Slipper flower (Cypripedium reginae) is just as difficult to propagate; even Charles Darwin failed to successfully cultivate it. The seeds of the flower pro-vide no nourishment for the growing plant and so it lives in a symbiotic relationship with a spe-cific type of fungus that nourishes it. Once the plant has reached maturity, the fungus lives off the adult plant. The flower has dark purple to almost red-brown tendrils and bright-yellow “slipper or moccasin” shaped flowers. For being so rare, so temperamental, and so fungus-friendly, the Yellow and Purple Lady Slippers dance in at number 3.

2. Youtan Poluo (no scientific name) Discovered by a Chinese farmer named Mr. Ding when he found it growing in his steel pipes, and then later by a Chinese nun named Lushan who found it growing under her washing ma-chine, the mysterious Youtan Poluo has no scientific name and is made up of 28 pieces of minuscule, white sweet-smelling flowers measuring a mere 1mm. It is a flower that has been mentioned in Indian myth and was believed to only bloom when the Sage King of the future visits the present world. In Sanskrit the name means “an auspicious flower from heaven”. The flower is also mentioned in Buddhist scriptures and botanical experts say that the flower only blooms once every 3000 years (now how would they know that?). For blooming but every 3 millenniums, the Youtan Poluo flower is quite a wonder at number 2.

1. The Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum) Native to Sumatra, this rare and striking plant has flowers that reach up to 6 feet in height and 3 feet in diameter. The Corpse Flower is found on low-lying rainforest floors in Indonesia and looks like something out of the prehistoric age (or perhaps a Star Trek episode). It is considered the world’s rarest, largest, and most endangered flower. Also known as Rafflesia, its survival is interdependent with the Tetrastigma vine. Bodiless, stemless, leafless and rootless, it requires the vine for its nour-ishment and support. It emits a pungent rotten flesh smell (hence the name, “Corpse Flower”) which attracts flies and beetles to pollinate it. The flower blooms for about a week before dying. For breaking the stereotype of all that a flower is or should be, the Corpse Flower comes in at num-ber 1.

CBSE Regional Project Making Competition

Participants - Anand Vardhan Singh, Rahul Singh Abhishek Sharma & Toshendra ku. Singh

Teacher in charge - Mr. Sushil kumar Pandey

AMAZING SCIENCE

1. It’s impossible to sneeze with your eyes open! 2. The average person falls asleep in seven minutes. 3. Alexander the great discovered banana 327 BC when he con-

quered India. 4. Pumpkin was once recommended for removing freckles &

curing snake bites. 5. Elephants can swim for as long as six hours at a time and as

far as 48 kilometers without a break. 6. Kangaroos can jump more than 30 feet in one hop. 7. The highest known jump by a pig is 27.5 inches. 8. Most spiders have 8 eyes. Some have no and others have as

many 12 eyes. 9. Bamboo can grow @ 3 Feet per day. 10. Ostriches can grow as tall as 9 feet. 11. The blue whale calf grows about 91 kilograms heavier every

day in its first year. 12. Finger nails can grow nearby 4 times faster than toe nails. 13. Most butterflies can not fly if their body temperature is less

than 300 C. 14. On an average each person in the world uses 633000 liters of

water every year.

Ashwin Raj Singh 5 – A

Fuel Cell

A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used. Welsh Physicist William Grove developed the first crude fuel cells in 1839. The first commercial use of fuel cells was in NASA space programs to generate power for probes, satellites and space capsules. They are used to power fuel cell vehicles, includ-ing automobiles, buses, forklifts, airplanes, boats, motorcycles and submarines.

Working On the anode side, hydrogen diffuses to the anode catalyst where it later dissociates into protons and electrons. These protons often react with oxidants causing them to be-come what is commonly referred to as multi-facilitated proton membranes. The pro-tons are conducted through the membrane to the cathode, but the electrons are forced to travel in an external circuit (supplying power) because the membrane is electrically insulating. On the cathode catalyst, oxygen molecules react with the electrons (which have traveled through the external circuit) and protons to form water — in this exam-ple, the only waste product, either liquid or vapor. In addition to this pure hydrogen type, there are hydrocarbon fuels for fuel cells, in-cluding diesel, methanol (see: direct-methanol fuel cells and indirect methanol fuel cells) and chemical hydrides. The waste products with these types of fuel are carbon dioxide and water.

Harsh Vardhan X – A

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