Unit 4
W= f x d
Force is measured in Newtons (N).
Distance must always be in Meters (m).
Work is measured in Joules (J).
Friction
Friction is a resistive force that opposes motion when two surfaces slide past one another. It converts kinetic energy into waste heat, which lowers the overall mechanical efficiency of any system.
Water Management
The strategic practice of tracking, treating, and protecting our water supplies (via structures like water treatment plants, storm drains, and dams) to guarantee clean water for human survival while keeping aquatic ecosystems healthy.
Rainfall in Alberta
Alberta's primary fresh water source originates from winter snowpacks and melting glaciers in the Rocky Mountains, which empty into our major river networks flowing east
Ergonomics
The science of designing furniture, tools, systems, and workspaces so that they match the natural posture and safety needs of the human body.
Open vs. Closed Systems
Open System: A system where matter, fluids, or gases can freely enter or exit the boundaries (e.g., a basic household plumbing drain).
Closed System: A system where fluid or gas is completely trapped and cannot escape the internal boundary lines (e.g., a sealed refrigerator cooling line).
Ice Cap vs. Icefield vs. Glacier
Glacier: A massive, slow-moving river of ice and compressed snow built up over thousands of years that creeps downhill under its own weight.
Icefield: A large, elevated alpine region that feeds multiple distinct glaciers flowing down separate sides of a mountain range (e.g., the Columbia Icefield).
Ice Cap: A massive, dome-shaped sheet of ice that completely blankets a large mountain peak or island, flowing outward in all directions.
Tides
Tides are the predictable, daily rise and fall of coastal ocean water levels. They are primarily driven by the gravitational pull of the Moon
Mechanical Advantage (x2)
Mechanical Advantage (MA) describes how many times a machine multiplies your input force.
MA = Output Force (Load)
Input Force (Effort)
Hydraulic System & Pascal's Law (x2)
Pascal’s Law: Pressure applied to an enclosed fluid is transmitted equally and undiminished in all directions throughout the fluid.
A Hydraulic System utilizes a closed fluid to transfer and multiply force. Because liquid cannot be easily compressed, pushing down on a small input piston (Area1) creates fluid pressure that travels instantly to push upward on a large output piston (Area2), multiplying the lifting force.
How Glaciers Move (x2)
Internal Plastic Flow: The immense weight of the upper ice causes deep ice crystals to warp and stretch, allowing the glacier to ooze downhill like thick silly putty slowly.
Basal Sliding: Tremendous pressure melts the very bottom layer of ice into liquid water. This meltwater acts as a slippery grease, allowing the entire massive block of ice to slide smoothly over the bedrock below.
Pulley
Fixed Pulley: Tied in place. It does not reduce the force required; it only flips the direction of your pull (MA = 1).
Movable Pulley / Block and Tackle: Moves along with the load. It reduces the effort required to lift the load. You can determine the MA by counting the total number of rope segments directly supporting the moving load.
Respiratory System (As an Open System)
The respiratory system is a classic example of an open system. Air is constantly pulled into the lungs from the outside environment and pushed back out again to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide waste.
Glacial Features
Moraine: Large ridges of gravel, dirt, and rock pushed aside and left behind at the edges or front of a melting glacier.
Esker: A winding, snake-like ridge of sand and gravel deposited by a river flowing through a tunnel underneath a melting glacier.
Erratic: A massive boulder carried miles away by a glacier and dropped in an open area where that type of bedrock does not naturally belong.
Striations: Long, parallel scratches gouged directly into hard bedrock by rocks frozen into the belly of a scraping glacier.
Speed Ratio Questions
Speed Ratio looks at the relationship between your input gear (driver) and your output gear (driven). If your driver gear has 40 teeth and your driven gear has 10 teeth, SR = 40/10 = 4
This means the driven gear spins 4 times faster than the driver gear.
Water Underground (x2)
Rainwater filters down into the earth, dividing the underground soil into layers:
Zone of Aeration (Unsaturated Zone): The upper soil layer where the spaces are filled mostly with air.
Water Table: The exact boundary line where the unsaturated ground ends and the completely flooded ground begins.
Zone of Saturation: The deep underground layer where every single pocket space is entirely flooded with water.
Aquifer: A highly permeable underground layer of rock, sand, or gravel that holds massive amounts of harvestable groundwater.