Basic Quantum Physics for 9 year olds

Note from mum: Jack has been saying to everyone that he wants to be a quantum physics scientist. So this week's assignment is a preparation to his ambitious dream. Frist Jack had to try to understand the basic concept of the subject. Then he has to explain it to a pupil 2 years younger than him (9-year-old). So he needs to explain the subject in simple sentences. Andy specified that Jack should not use words more than 3 syllables unless it is a name. Any difficult terminology should be explained in a bracket with in a simple sentence.

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Basic Quantum Physics for 9 year olds






The Big Bang

The Big Bang happened from the remains of other universes which were destroyed by a black hole. According to the Big Bang model, the universe grew from an extremely dense and hot state and still grows today. A common and useful resemblance explains that space is expanding, carrying galaxies with it, like raisins in a rising loaf of bread. Just after a few bits of a second after the Big Bang, quarks and gluons roamed free in a blazing hot jumble of mater: a quark-gluon plasma. But then the plasma quickly cooled, and the quarks and gluon formed more familiar particles such as neutrons and protons which the formed atoms. The quark-gluon plasma reduced and disappeared. The universe was just too cool for the quark-gluon plasma, just as the Earths surface is too cool for a puddle of molten iron.

Particle Accelerators
Scientists have begun to re-create the conditions of the first few bits of a second of the universe. They did this by speeding up heavy nuclei (plural nucleus which is the centre of a particle) at 99.99% of the speed of light and slamming them together. This is achieved by a machine called a particle accelerator(a machine which speeds up particles); CERN’s, a french group of scientists based in Geneva, old accelerator is called the LEP, Large Electron-Proton Collider, which is now being replaced by the LHC, Large Hadron Collider, due to open in late May 2008.

Sub-Atomic Particles
Before we begin, a sub-atomic particle is a particle which either forms an atom or is smaller than one. All of matter is made from atoms which in turn are made from protons, neutrons and electrons. The proton and electron have a positive charge whilst the Neutron has a negative charge. A proton or a neutron are usually the nucleus of an atom and so are classed as nucleons, particles which forms the nucleus of an atom. An electron shell is either a group of electrons or, very rarely, an electron, which orbits and determines what element that atom creates. The number of protons and neutrons also determine the element.

Nuclear Weapons
The nuclear weapon we are going to look at produces their explosive energy, which makes them explode, through nuclear fission alone. These are known as atomic bombs, A-bomb or fission bombs. In fission weapons, a group of fissile (improved uranium or plutonium) is gathered into a supercritical mass, the amount of material needed to start a growing nuclear chain reaction, either by shooting one piece of material into another (known as the "gun" method), or by compressing a sphere of material using explosive chemicals to many times its original density (the "implosion" method).

A Sonnet by Jacques Bara

Note from Jack:
I am proud to present to you, my loving readers, 'A Sonnet by Jacques Bara'.

Enjoy!
Sincerely,
Jacques Bara

At Dawn’s feet I lay waiting
Life grew my mind in Creating.
She threw hurdles at thy
In her mind she was shy
From early times she came to Earth
Hidden by her mourning Dearth
Death came by her younglings soon
Over they were once came the Moon
Finely grew more in time
Great were they, faster than many chimes
More be made from their heavenly wombs
As none were lay in deathly tombs
Grew largely they beautifully did,
As they replaced Life’s mourning grid.

Jacques Almighty

Note from mum: Jack's assignment this time is rather 'radical' or 'controversial'. Religious reader, please do not feel offended.
We asked Jack to imagine that he were god (or God). The Earth is going to be hit by a meteor, and as god he will bring all people on Earth to a 'waiting room' - like Noah's ark - while create a new earth in 7 days. The people will be the same - same emotions, prejudice, multi-cultural, etc - but as god he has the priviledge to make the new earth different. By day 7, he has to put all the people onto the new earth and he has to explain why he arrange things in his new way. Bear in mind that he should learn from the mistakes and wrongs that was happening in the old Earth.
With no further delay, here is Jacques Amighty re-creation of earth.
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Geography

• Firstly this planet would be called Unition after the United Nations.
• Japan (in red) will move to the middle of France, Germany and Russia (black) in order for them to stop the illegal whaling.

• America and the UK (Green) will be moved nearer to the Equator so that they will see the effects of global warming better and will hopefully stop using non-eco-friendly.
• Replacing America would be Africa, the continent, turned at a 90degree turn also this would help the Africans.
• Iraq (yellow) and Afghanistan (blue) will be separated by moving Iraq south-west to the Pacific Ocean where it will touch no land as there is a chance of another war and then Afghanistan south to the Indian Ocean where they would face becoming an island.

Fuels and Resources

• Oil (in black and measured by the largeness of the spot) will be founded in harsh places in order for people to abuse the advantages of oil and pollute the world again.
• Buried deep underground are small gold and diamond mines (yellow spot) which are so deep so that less people won’t recognise it and so won’t create fights and/or robberies.Whilst everything else stays the same apart from a few little changes, read on to see what they are.

1st Day of Creation (again)

I began to shape Unition by the natural particles which I used for Earth. The basic form of Unition is a perfectly rounded sphere the same size as Earth. I created first a centre of gravity in mid-space where Earth used to be stationed. Because of this rock and dust began to form on to the gravity sphere growing slowly bigger which made my job much easier. Since I was sometimes an impatient man, well God, I sped the cycle which then finished in a day. Unition looked marvellous, well if you imagine it hard enough, it felt as if my new planet moulded itself perfectly in Earth’s path and began its orbit around the Sun. Also I created a new moon since the original got hit on one of its sides and floated off into another universe where Andy and Adeline Almighty, my parents, commanded the universe. I did the same process as Unition only with a smaller centre of gravity. More dust quickly came to this centre of gravity and soon formed the moon which orbited Unition as the original did.

2nd Day of Creation

As I remembered my basic chemistry I quickly gathered 2hydrogens and 1oxygen and merged them into water. I placed my newly formed water into my ‘spray can’ and ‘sprayed’ water onto the Unition. Cautiously I placed the right amounts of water in each part as I don’t want say the UK plunging deep into the oceans. Using asteroids from near by I shaped each country or continents and place them ever so carefully into where they lay on Earth unless I plan to change them.

3rd Day of Creation

I created another atmosphere, ozone layer and placed basic particles which I used for Earth in the atmosphere. Oxygen quickly formed from the particles I gave it and then other gases began to form such as helium, nitrogen etc.

4th Day of Creation

I gave certain places certain climates. Everything was based on the original and so Oceans are Oceans, deserts are deserts; ice caps are ice caps etc. From this these lands are now inhabitable and await the animals and humans of Earth.

5th Day of Creation

Plants formed from the fertile soil I provided them. Most of these plants are copies of the original models but have improved themselves by evolving slightly in order for them to change very quickly if the climate changes.

6th Day of Creation

The waiting room began to empty as one by one the animals and humans habited the Unition. Most people took everything as it was pretty well and so I have one less thing to worry about. The animals accepted the changes and quickly found their new homes.

Economy

I decide that there would be no such thing as money as this will corrupt the minds of many people. America and the UK will become one small continent and will have many resources split between them as they will both become more diplomatic with each other.

Materials

Paper will be made of thin, boiled silk which will then be dried and later pressed to make it as thin as paper. Cotton and wool will be only created by sheep, because then places such as Uzbekistan will not treat their children harshly as they did on Earth. Plastic will be made from oxidising rubber and then boil for a short amount of time. Some gems may be copied and produced by humans but their quality will be less unique and also they will be more fragile.

Time

No children will be born on 29th of February as it will be unfair that their age is less than usual.

Other Things Concerning Unition

Everyone will be as lucky as everyone else as it will not be fair if someone is luckier than the other. In addition to luck, there will be no bad luck or good luck charms as it will unbalance chances. Although people may posses what they think is a good luck charm such as their favourite teddy bear. Food chains will always have a plant as the producer unless it concerns a Venus Fly Trap which will be a secondary consumer.