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Bot Miner

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$300 billion dollars! How would you like to make that amount of money in a relatively short time? It’s there and waiting for you; you just have to find a way to get to the right asteroid and mine the valuable substances found in its surface. Platinum, gold, and silver await you; if you have the right stuff to do some deep space mining.

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Planning and Carrying Out Investigations

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What is speed?

Speed is defined as the total distance traveled by an object in an elapsed time. For instance, if a car travels 60 miles in 2 hours, the car's speed is 60 miles/2 hours, which is 30 miles per hour. The greater the distance moved by an object in a smaller amount of time, the greater the object's speed.

How do rockets rendezvous with other space objects?

The term rendezvous means for two or more objects to arrive at the same location at the same time. The distance of each rocket to a rendezvous point and each rocket's speed must be factored into an equation to ensure both objects arrive at the same location at a given time. For instance, if two rockets wanted to meet up in 1 hour and rocket A was 10 miles east of the rendezvous point and rocket B was 20 miles west of the location, rocket A would travel at 10 miles per hour and connect in one hour, while rocket B would have to move at 20 miles per hour to reach the same location in one hour.

What is an electromagnetic spectrum of an object?

The electromagnetic spectrum of an object states all of the forms of electromagnetic radiation either absorbed or given off from an object. Examples of electromagnetic radiation include light, infrared or heat, ultraviolet, and X-rays. For instance, the Sun gives off a variety of electromagnetic waves, including light, heat, radio, and a host of other forms of radiation. Objects can also absorb electromagnetic waves. A blue-colored shirt absorbs all colors of light other than blue and reflects blue light, which gives the shirt its blue appearance.

What is a spectrometer?

A spectrometer is a device that measures various properties of electromagnetic radiation as it impacts and is released from a given material. The interaction of the electromagnetic radiation with the material is often used to identify the material.

What is the difference between an absorption and an emission spectra?

When a material is heated, usually in the gas phase, the electrons in the material change their energy states. As the electrons return to their normal state, energy in the form of light is given off or emitted. This is called the material's emission spectra. The material's absorption spectrum is due to light contacting the material and not due to heating effects. Light hits the material, is absorbed, and electrons are again excited. The amount and type of light absorbed by the material is its absorption spectrum.

What is an LIBS UV emission spectra?

LIBS UV stands for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy using ultraviolet light. Although this sounds like a mouthful, LIBS UV is really just a way to identify materials through their emission spectra. However, a laser is used instead of a simple heat source to excite the electrons in the material to create the material's spectra.

Here are some definitions to help you in your Grade 3-5 Lesson 1 investigation.

Asteroids - small, rocky objects that orbit the Sun
Motion - when an object changes its location or position
Patterns - something that happens in a repeating way
Prediction – stating what will happen in the future
Observation – using senses to gather information
Fastest - something that takes the least time to move a distance
Slowest – something that takes the longest time to move a distance
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