April Science Fun Facts

Here is some useful information about science for you to use in your classroom from different areas of science history that occurred during April.

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General

In 1795, France adopted by law, the metre as the unit of length and the base of the metric system. Since there had been no uniformity of French weights and measures prior to the Revolution, the Academy of Sciences had been charged on 8 May 1790 to organise a better system. Delambre and Méchain measured an arc of the meridian from Dunkirk to Barcelona, so that the metre could be defined as one ten-millionth part of the distance between the poles and the equator.

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Earth Science

In 1845, the first surviving daguerrotype photograph showing details of the sun was taken by French physicists Armand Fizeau and Léon Foucault. The 5-inch (12 cm) image had an exposure of 1/60 second, and showed the umbra/penumbra structure of several sunspots, as well as limb darkening. The photographic process was new: Daguerre perfected the daguerreotype only a few years earlier, in 1838. Fizeau and Foucault had been collaborating with their own experiments on the process since 1839. Fizeau had much improved the durability of a daguerreotype image with a treatment, published in Aug 1840, using a solution of chloride of gold mixed with hypo-sulphite of soda, then heated over a spirit-lamp.

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Biology

In 1953, the journal Nature published a paper with this date from Francis Crick and James Watson, titled Molecular Structure of Nucleic Acids: A Structure for Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid, in which they described a double helix structure for DNA. The diagram published with the caper was captioned, "The figure is purely diagrammatic. The two ribbons symbolize the phosphate-sugar chains, and the horizontal rods the pairs of bases holding the chains together. The vertical line marks the fibre axis."

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Chemistry

In 1944, the first synthetic quinine was produced by Dr. Robert Burns Woodward (on his birthday) and Dr. William von Eggers Doering at the Converse Memorial Laboratory, Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. Quinine, an anti-malarial drug, is an organic chemical with the formula C20H24N2O2.

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Physics

In 1886, German scientist, Dr. Carl Gassner, was issued a German patent (No. 37,758) for the first "dry" cell, which used zinc as its primary ingredient. He encased the cell chemicals in a sealed zinc container. Gassner's battery was much like the carbon-zinc, general-purpose batteries on the market today. Gassner also patented his invention in Austria, Belgium, England, France and Hungary in the same year. A U.S. patent was issued to Gassner in 1887 (No. 373,064). In America, by 1896, the Nation Carbide Company, later Union Carbide and Eveready, produced the first consumer dry cell battery. Two years later, the company made the first D cell. Combined with the invention of incandescent light bulbs, portable electric lights became common.

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And here is a quote for you and your students to ponder and discuss.

I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom. - Bob Dylan

April Science Newsletter

As you wind down to the last few weeks of the 2009-2010 school year, Capital Microscope wants to thank you for another great year. All of us at Capital Microscope appreciate your continued dedication to the important profession of educating the future citizens of our country. Scientific literacy is a critical part of the students’ learning process and we commend the role you play in that process.

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We know that spring is a very busy time for you with testing, prom, spring sports and the myriad of other responsibilities which you have. Let us help you make the best choices for your science equipment and materials in preparation for next year. We look forward to continuing to work with you to give your students an exciting experience in science.

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Don’t forget that now is a great time to schedule the cleaning and servicing of your microscopes. We can get your compound scopes, stereoscopes, and research scopes in top condition for next year. Contact us today to schedule a time during the summer to come to service your microscopes and balances.

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As you start planning for next year and the equipment that you need take time to look at our website, https://www.microscopesandmore.com/. We have the widest selection at the best value for all your science laboratory needs. Contact us for assistance in finding the perfect match for your classroom and your budget. We are ready to help!

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Thank you for your continued support and please don't hesitate to contact us when we can be of assistance. We hope you enjoy the information in this Science Newsletter and find interesting tidbits to share with your students. 

Spring Microscope Service

Spring is finally here. With that comes the closing of another school year. This is the perfect time to have your microscopes serviced. Not only will they be clean and working correctly for any end of the year labs that you might have,  but also they will be ready for the start of the next school year. Take a look at our services page on our website to see exactly what we can do for you. Then go to our contact page to find the service technician closest to you. We hope to see you soon.

Announcement

We are proud to announce that we have recently joined the Southeastern Microscopy Society. They are an established society consisting of professional microscopists dedicated to advancing science through the use of microscopes. We suggest that you take a look at their website at http://www.southeasternmicroscopy.org/index.html.

Tips for Buying a Quality Microscope

When buying a microscope there are several things to consider.  Though price will always play an important role in a purchase decision, it should not be the first thing that you should look for when buying a microscope.   A microscope purchase is a  big investment for most people, so you want to get the most out of you money. One common mistake is buying a microscope based on what it looks like in the picture. A microscope may look interesting and modern but is actually constructed very poorly.

One thing that must be decided before going any further is what you are planning to be studying with this microscope. If you want to study things such as blood, bacteria, algae or any smaller specimen you will want to choose a compound microscope. These specimens require a higher power of magnification in order to see all the details. A compound microscope generally has 3 or 4 objective lenses that range in power from 4x to 100x. Providing that you are using a standard 10x eyepiece, this will give you 40x to 1000x magnification.  This is the standard in magnification for grades K-college.  Some cheaply made microscopes claim to have up to 1200X-1400X magnification.  These are microscopes to stay away from.

If you want to study specimens that are larger such as insects, leaves and rocks, you will want to choose a stereo microscope.  These specimens require less magnification to see their detail. A stereo microscope has at least two eyepieces and provides a three dimensional image off the specimen you are looking at. Two common forms of stereo microscopes are dual power and zoom magnification. A dual power stereo microscope has two set magnifications, such as 2x and 4x objectives. Providing you are using standard 10x eyepieces, you will get 20x and 40x magnification. A zoom stereo microscope there is a continuous zoom range from its lowest power to its highest power. One such configuration would give you continuous zoom from 10x to 45x.

Now that you have decided what you want to study and which type of microscope is right for you, it is now time to decide on what brand to purchase.  There are many sources of microscopes on the internet.  One safe rule of thumb is to research several microscope sites and try to find a common brand carried by many companies.  Many reputable manufacturers will not sell directly to the public but do have legitimate web sites where they can be contacted.  This will allow you to see that the microscope is backed by a real company in case warranty work is ever needed.   Many microscopes might meet the same specifications but if you want this instrument to last you will want to choose a reputable microscope manufacturer.

Metal construction, brass gears, approved electrical and glass optics is a must for any microscope. 

One way to make sure that you are getting the best quality microscope is to use a reputable supplier. You want to trust that they did their research when they picked the microscopes to be in their product line. Since 1989, Capital Microscope Services, Inc. has done just that. We are committed to providing our customers with quality products at very affordable prices. You can rest assured that every product that we show on our website meets our rigid standards before we ever put them out there for you, the customer to buy. You may find cheaper microscopes out there but we feel that the microscopes we offer will give you the best instrument for your money. If you should have any questions concerning buying a new microscope, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

February Science Fun Facts

Here are some events from different areas of science history that occurred during February.

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General
In 1973, four metric distance road signs, the first in the U.S., were erected along Interstate 71 in Ohio. They showed the distance in both miles and kilometers between Columbus and Cincinnati, and Columbus and Cleveland. As early as 1790, Thomas Jefferson proposed a decimal measurement system, similar to the metric system. In 1968 a study was ordered by Congress. By 1971, a report recommended a switch to the metric system and established a 10-year target time to accomplish it. This led to a National Metric Conference in 1973, which prompted Ohio to display metric highway signs. The Metric Conversion Act (1975) planned a voluntary conversion to the metric system, which produced little voluntary action.

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Earth Science
In 1966, the U.S. launched its first operational weather satellite, ESSA-1 to provide cloud-cover photography to the U.S. National Meteorological Center for preparation of operational weather analyses and forecasts. The spacecraft was an 18-sided polygon, 42-in. diameter, 22-in. high and weight 305-lb. It was made of aluminum alloy and stainless steel, then covered with 9100 solar cells. The solar cells served to charge the 63 batteries. Its two cameras were mounted 180 degrees opposite each other along the cylindrical side of the craft. A camera could be pointed at some point on Earth every time the satellite rotated along its axis. ESSA-1 was able to view the weather of each area of the globe, photographing a given area at the exact same local time each day.

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Biology
In 1944, DNA was identified as the hereditary agent in a virus, published in a report by O.T. Avery, Colin MacLeod, and Maclyn McCarty. This crucial discovery in molecular genetics - that genetic information is carried in the nucleotide sequence of DNA - arose incidentally while studying pneumococcus to monitor the epidemic spread of pneumonia. Since 1928, when British physician Frederick Griffith had found that extracts of a pathogenic strain of that virus could transform a harmless strain into a pathogenic one, scientists had searched for the "transforming factor." The work by Avery, et al., now identified the transforming molecule as DNA, having ruled out, through extract digestions, RNA, protein, and polysaccharide capsular material.

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Chemistry
In 1863, John Newlands, an English chemist (1837-1898), organized the known elements by listing them in order by atomic weight, according to his "Law of Octaves." This was based on noticing that after each interval of eight elements, similar physical and chemical properties reappeared. He thus created natural families and periods. The article "On relations among the Equivalents," appeared in Chem News, vol. 7, pp. 70-2. The English Chemical Society ridiculed the idea. So little significance was then attached to atomic weights, he was once asked why not just order elements by their initial letters. He was belatedly recognized in 1887 by the Royal Society with the award of the Davy Medal, but only after Mendeleev had more successfully introduced his table.

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Physics
In 1939, the journal Nature published a theoretical paper on nuclear fission. The term was coined by the authors Lise Meitner and Otto Fritsch, her nephew. They knew that when a uranium nucleus was struck by neutrons, barium was produced. Seeking an explanation, they used Bohr's "liquid drop" model of the nucleus to envision the neutron inducing oscillations in a uranium nucleus, which would occasionally stretch out into the shape of a dumbbell. Sometimes, the repulsive forces between the protons in the two bulbous ends would cause the narrow waist joining them to pinch off and leave two nuclei where before there had been one. They calculated the huge amounts of energy released. This was the basis for nuclear chain reaction.

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And here is a quote to bring hope and joy to you and your students.
I happen to feel that the degree of a person's intelligence is directly reflected by the number of conflicting attitudes she can bring to bear on the same topic. - Lisa Alther

February Newsletter

Boy, winter has been interesting for us down here in the South. It seems that everyone has gotten snow, ice, and rain at least once and sometimes more. I hope you are able to continue the important job of teaching science in spite of the rough weather and confusing schedule. But don’t worry; spring is coming.

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During these cold winter days take time to check out our website to find the newest and most exciting additions to our many offerings. For example we now carry the latest Swift microscopes. The new models are shown on our website at https://www.microscopesandmore.com/catalog/390 and at https://www.microscopesandmore.com/catalog/429. These are completely redesigned Swift microscopes offering LED illumination, convenient carrying handle, and the high quality that you expect from Swift.

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We also have the newest Swiftcam digital camera systems. They are shown on our website at https://www.microscopesandmore.com/catalog/435. All of these cameras come with the new Swiftcam Imaging II software allowing you to capture images, video, and time lapse as well as making measurements.

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We continue to have the best selections and pricing on all types of microscopes. We offer compound microscopes, stereoscopes, and digital microscopes. Take the time to peruse the sections on our website dealing with microscopes at https://www.microscopesandmore.com/catalog/2.

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And don’t forget that our professional service can clean and repair your microscopes. Now is a good time to schedule a visit for the cleaning and servicing of your equipment. You can also find information about our microscope service on our website at https://www.microscopesandmore.com/node/271.