CEPi1 (25)

The CEPi1 team (#25) is from Albuquerque. This year they've submitted a project titled Water Crystals.

Proposal
http://mode.lanl.k12.nm.us/get_proposal1112.php?team_id=25

Our team is purposing to experiment with four different kinds of crystals, water crystals, brilliant blue geode, red tourmaline, and crystal flower. All four of these crystals contain different substances and grow in different shapes, sizes, and densities. These types of crystals we are making need water in order to grow. We want to see is which crystals develop differently. Do crystals grow better in the sun light or complete darkness? Do they need to be in certain temperatures, such as cold, humidity, or dry heat? We also need be able to determine their usefulness in industrial martial after they have grown. By checking on these experiments everyday and recording the results we observe, we can determine if their growing environment had anything to do with their density, size, and shape. We find this to be important because of the potential industrial aspects and applications of the crystals.

Interim Report
http://mode.lanl.k12.nm.us/get_interim1112.php?team_id=25

Problem Definition
In our project we are growing water crystals and trying to figure out how they grow and the reasons to why they need to be grown. We are also trying to make a computer generated NetLogo 3D model to show how they grow in different ways.

Problem Solution
We plan to solve our project with the 3D Netlogo computer model. We plan on doing this by taking apart, an already put together model and seeing how it is constructed, then putting it back together. After we have an idea on how the model together, then we will have a decent idea on how to build our own computer generated model. We plan on making two models, rather than one. The reason why we want to build two models is because we have made several hand-built crystals, which they are not all the same. In time we will have made two models, seven hand-made water crystals, and a report on our models that will be ready for the main event when we bring our stuff to the Supercomputer Challenge.

Progress to Date
What we have done so far is, we grew seven hand-built water crystals and we are still in the process of trying to make our computer generated NetLogo model grow and move. We also are trying to take apart and see how the model runs. We’re sure that after it we take it apart and rebuild it, we would be able to make ours work and run.

Expected Results
What we expect from our project is to make and finish our two NetLogo 3D models. Also we want to show the judges, at the Supercomputing Challenge, that we are able to take apart a model, put it back together, and create and make our own model in a completely different form. Our understanding of NetLogo would help us tell you better of what we have done.

Team Members

 * Jasmine Sanchez
 * Miranda Carlson

Sponsoring Teacher
Jerry Esquivel

Interim Comments
Introduction

Hello, Team 25. I am Cheri Burch, a long-time supporter of the Supercomputing Challenge, with experience as a computer scientist and as a high school computer science teacher.

Progress

Your problem statement indicates you have three goals:

1. Growing water crystals, 2. Figuring how water crystals grow, and 3. Figuring out why they need to be grown.

While your report does not mention how you grow water crystals, I’m hoping at your February evaluation you will make that clear to the evaluators. In your interim report you say that you have accomplished this part of your project.

I wonder what “grow” and “take apart” mean with your water crystals. How are they made? And I wonder how your work will identify why they need to be grown.

Mentors

If you do not yet have a mentor, please contact consult for help in finding a mentor to help you with this ambitious project.

References

I didn’t see your references, but please provide them at your upcoming face-to-face evaluation.

Models

While not one of your stated goals in your problem statement, modeling crystal growth via NetLogo could provide an interesting way to study the crystals’ development and draw conclusions by exploring changes to variables. You will need to model the growth with equations so that you can observe how changes to the environment, i.e. more or less heat, more or less light, more or less impurities of different types, or something else you’ve found to affect growth, alter the water crystals’ growth. If you look at the judges’ rubrics links below, you will see what judges will expect to find when they look at your project.

In light of your modeling, it’s possible you may want to look again at your proposal, where you ask, “Do crystals grow better in the sun light or complete darkness? Do they need to be in certain temperatures, such as cold, humidity, or dry heat?” These should contribute to your Problem Statement. And your experience with growing crystals (if they are real, and not models) may give you some idea of what equations to use and which characteristics to vary in your model.

Face-to-Face Evaluation

Your next milestone is a face-to-face evaluation on February 18th at UNM

Rubrics

The judges will use this rubric to evaluate your projects. Use it as a checklist for what you need to communicate to the judges.

Expo Judges Rubric

Good Luck!!