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Sabtu, 21 Januari 2012

Cerpen : Mengubur Sebuah Impian Besar

Lima tahun lalu…
Vita Elina sari gadis manis yang cerdas, ceria, sedikit nakal namun punya seribu impian, salah satu impiannnya yaitu kuliah ke luar negeri di Harvard University dan jadi psikolog terkenal di Indonesia. Demi impiannya ini Vitaa mati-matian belajar, ia ingin mendapatkan beasiswa untuk kuliah di sana. Vita telah melewati ujian untuk mendapat beasiswa namun hasilnya baru akan keluar sebelum UAN diselenggarakan. Setiap hari Vita menunggu kabar dari pihak penyelenggara beasiswa tapi tak kunjung ada kabar, dia sangat berharap bisa mendapatkan beasiswa itu.

***

Vita akan ke Cambridge yah…” dengan penuh semangat vita mengumumkan hasil tes beasiswanya. Semuanya kaget namun beberapa saat kemudian bertepuk tangan dan tertawa riang. “Kepala sekolah yang memberitahu Vita, kemarin”, lanjut Vita sumringah.
“Selamat ya, nak. Ayah dan ibu bangga sekali sama kamu, semoga semua impianmu terwujud. Nah, sekarang kamu harus belajar lebih giat agar nilai UAN-mu nanti juga bagus,” ucap ayahnya hangat.
“Ya, syukur-syukur bisa dapat nilai tertinggi dan jadi juara umum ya, kak.” celetuk  rendi riang. Suasana makan malam di rumah yang sederhana itu menjadi sangat hangat dan penuh kebahagian.

***
Entah mengapa hari ini langit begitu mendung, matahari sama sekali tak menampakkan sinarnya. Awan hitam bertengger di atas langit dari pagi hingga petang. Anna duduk di teras sambil membaca buku, tapi sepertinya ia tengah melamun
“Kapan hasil UAN-mu keluar, Vita?” tanya buk Ita sambil mengelus rambut putrinya.
“Aah…ibu mengagetkan saja. Dua minggu lagi bu’…” jawab Vita seraya memeluk ibunya  Vita dan buk Ita  larut dalam suasana sore yang hangat.
Tapi, tiba-tiba mereka dikagetkan oleh kedatangan dua orang Polisi ke rumahnya. Pak polisi itu menyampaikan sebuah kabar yang menghancurkan dunia Vita dan buk Ita.
Polisi yang bertubuh jangkung dan tegap menyampaikan bahwa “Pak Budi, mengalami kecelakaan, dan sekarang ada di rumah sakit. Tapi ibu harus sabar, karena Pak Budi tidak bisa diselamatkan. Dia meninggal. Dan kami akan menyelidiki kasus ini,” jelasnya.
“Tidaaakk…” Vita histeris dan menangis sejadi-jadinya. Ibunya pingsan, beberapa saat kemudian sadar, dan menangis. Kemudian buk Ita bergegas ke rumah sakit bersama kedua polisi tadi.
Awan hitam yang bertengger semakin pekat, petir sesekali menyambar. Tak lama kristal-kristal bening turun dari langit, seakan ikut menangis bersama Anna. Beberapa saat kemudian buk Siti kembali bersama ambulan dan jenazah Pak Budii, Vita kembali histeris ketika melihat tubuh kaku ayahnya.
“Ayah…ayah nggak boleh pergi secepat ini! Lihatlah Vita berhasil dulu! Vita akan ke Cambridge, Yah! Vita akan jadi psikolog terkenal, Vita akan buat ayah bangga! Ayah bangun, yah…bangun….” Vita berteriak di samping jenazah ayahnya.
“Sabar, nak, sabar. Ikhlaskan semua, biarkan ayah pergi dengan tenang.” Lirih bu Vita perih.
Keesokan harinya jenazah Pak Budi baru dikebumikan. Buk Ita terlihat tegar meskipun raut wajahnya masih menyisakan duka, matanya masih sembab karena tangis semalam. Vita hanya mematung di depan kuburan ayahnya, sesekali air matanya menetes namun terasa perih karena bulir-bulir bening itu hampir kering seakan telah habis terkuras. Vita memang sangat terpukul atas kematian ayahnya.

***

Hasil UAN sudah diumumkan Vita elina sari, juara umum SMA Harapan dan mendapat beasiswa kuliah di Harvard University. Namun, bagi Anna, semua ini tidaklah penting lagi. Ia rasa semua usahanya selama ini sia-sia karena dia tidak akan terbang ke Cambridge. Semua mimpi-mimpinya terpaksa dikubur. Kuliah di Cambridge dan jadi psikolog terkenal hanya tinggal impian.
Vita teringat ucapan ibunya dua hari yang lalu, “Nak, sepertinya mimpimu untuk kuliah di Prancis tidak dapat ibu wujudkan. Sekarang keadaan kita sudah beda. Ayahmu sudah tidak ada. Ibu minta maaf, nak. Ibu tak sanggup membiayaimu jika kamu kuliah di luar negeri. Lebih baik kamu kuliah di sini saja. Maafkan ibu nak”,
Vita
tertegun mendengar ucapan ibunya. Matanya berkaca-kaca, bibirnya bergetar, perasaan kecewa tertancap dalam di hatinya. Ia tak sanggup mendengar kata-kata itu. Tapi, cepat-cepat ia sembunyikan perasaannya. Walau berat ia berusaha untuk tersenyum.
Sejak Pak Budi meninggal, keluarga Vita semakin sulit. Ditambah lagi ibunya yang sering sakit-sakitan dan adiknya yang akan segera masuk SMA. Dua semester telah berlalu, sekarang Vita memang sedang kuliah di salah satu universitas terkenal di kotanya. Namun, karena keadaan keluarga yang sepeti itu, Vita memutuskan untuk berhenti kuliah. Dengan berat hati Vita mengambil keputusan untuk berhenti dari kuliahnya dan ingin mencari pekerjaan. Kali ini impiannya benar-benar harus dikubur. Hatinya sangat sakit seperti tersayat sembilu tapi inilah hidup dan takdir, manusia hanya bisa berkeinginan.

***

Langit begitu pekat karena tak ada satu pun bintang yang menghiasi. Sang dewi malam sepertinya juga enggan menampakkan diri, Malam ini terasa sangat sunyi, hanya sesekali terdengar suara jangkrik, hewan malam lainnya sesekali juga ikut berdendang, seakan ikut larut dalam hawa dingin yang menusuk tulang. Jam dinding yang bergerak perlahan tak pernah lelah menggeser waktu dari detik ke menit, menit menjadi jam, begitulah takdirnya. Sudah sepertiga malam waktu berlalu, Vita terjaga dari tidur nyenyaknya. Ia segera bangkit dan berjalan menuju kamar mandi, lalu berwudhu. Vita selalu terjaga di pertiga malam. Dia bertahajud mengadu pada Illahi Rabbi. Kadang ia bercerita tentang kejadian-kejadian yang dialaminya dengan senyum kebahagiaan tapi sering kali ia tergugu dihadapan-Nya.
Malam telah berlalu dan berganti pagi yang cerah. Secerah senyuman buk Ita, wanita setengah baya yang sangat dihormati dan disayangi Ita, yaitu ibunda tercintanya. “Nak, ayo sarapan, ibu sudah siapin makanan kesukaanmu.” Suara buk Ita mengalun lembut ke kamar Vita.
“Ya, buk, sebentar…”Vita bergegas dan berlari menuju dapur.
limatahun sudah ayahnya meninggal dan Vita telah berubah menjadi gadis yang dewasa, santun dan penyayang. Saat ini Vita bekerja di salah satu perusahaan terkenal di kota kelahirannya, keadaan keluarganya mulai membaik dan ibunda tercinta tak lagi sering sakit-sakitan. Namun di lubuk hati terdalamnya masih ada kekecewaan yang tak bisa dihilangkan. Memang impian untuk kuliah di harvand University dan jadi psikolog terkenal tak dapat ia wujudkan, tapi melihat kebahagian kecil yang ia hadirkan dalam keluarganya membuat lukanya lambat laun dapat terobati.
Dalam hati kecilnya Vita masih berharap suatu saat nanti bisa tetap pergi ke Cambridge walaupun bukan untuk menimba ilmu. Karena Anna sudah menyadari ilmu tidak hanya didapat dari bangku sekolah, tapi pelajaran yang paling berharga adalah pelajaran yang di dapat dari kehidupan.
Vita, tunggu aku…” teriakan itu menghentikan langkah gadis manis berwajah oval dan berhidung mancung yang berjalan agak tergesa-gesa itu. Dia menoleh ke asal suara. Seketika senyumnya merekah melihat sahabat karibnya, senyum tulus yang menenangkan hati setiap orang. Lalu mereka berjalan bergandengan di bawah sinar mentari yang cerah, segera memulai hari dengan penuh semangat demi masa depan yang cerah.

Jumat, 20 Januari 2012

Background for power point




Defining Physical Science

Physical Science is the study of non-living systems, as opposed to a study of biological sciences or living systems. It consists of physics, chemistry, astronomy and earth science. It also includes scientific method and experimentation.
Questions you may have include:
  • What are non-living systems?
  • What are the specific studies in physical science?
  • What is scientific method?
This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.
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Physical science concerns non-living systems

Physical science is concerned with the study of non-living objects and systems. This includes the study of matter and its interactions, from the very small atomic level to the massive interactions of galaxies in the universe. A system is considered a combination or set of interrelated objects.
Anything that is living—or once was living—is studied under the life sciences, although there are some overlapping studies.

Specific studies in physical science

Physical science is broken into several specific areas of study.

Physics

Physics is the fundamental science that states rules and laws of matter and energy. The other physical sciences, as well as biological sciences, apply these rules and laws on a larger scale. Physics also tries to explain the structure of matter—such as the atom and some atomic particles— as well and does the different forms of energy.

Chemistry

Chemistry is the study of how the various elements and molecules interact and combine, as well as ways to separate molecules into simpler forms. It also is concerned with special properties of the various molecules.
Organic chemistry overlaps into the life sciences, since it concerns the chemistry involved in living objects.

Astronomy

Astronomy looks at how the various planets, stars, galaxies and other large objects in space move and interact. It is also concerned with relationship of the Earth with respect the Moon, other planets in the solar system and the Sun.
One aspect of astronomy concerns whether there is life on other planets within the Universe.

Earth science

Earth science is concerned with the formation of the Earth, its structure and changes through the years of its existence. It also looks into rock formations and weather patterns.
Environmental issues are sometimes included in earth science.

Scientific method used in physical science

Physical science uses techniques of experimentation and scientific method to study and measure various physical effects. It emphasizes the importance of learning scientific method to make studies and draw conclusions about matter, energy and their interactions.
It is important to study all factors that can vary and to keep most of them constant in an experiment. You should take data to observe trends before drawing conclusions about an experiment.

Summary

Physical Science is the study of non-living systems, and it consists of the studies of physics, chemistry, astronomy and earth science. It also includes scientific method. measurement and experimentation.

Fundamental Units of Measurement

You measure things in terms of multiples of units.
A fundamental unit of measurement is one that they cannot be described as a function of other units.
Distance, time and mass are the fundamental units.
  • measuring in units
  • Suppose there are 7 units.
  • Other possibilities
Questions you may have include:
  • What is distance?
  • What are the units of time?
  • How is mass defined?
This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson.

Measuring in units

In order to measure something, you need to define a unit of measurement. "Unit" refers to 1. In this way, all measurements are multiples of that unit.
Originally, the English unit foot was the length of the King's foot. Thus, a distance of 25 feet was 25 time the foot unit of measurement.
Unfortunately, each King had a different sized foot, so that brouhgt about some confusion. Finally, they agreed on a standard length for a foot that would not vary.

SI base units

The International System of Units (SI) defines seven units of measure as a basic set from which all other SI units are derived. These SI base units and their physical quantities are:[1]
The SI base quantities form a set of mutually independent dimensions as required by dimensional analysis commonly employed in science and technology. However, in a given realization of these units they may well be interdependent, i.e. defined in terms of each other.[1

Distance or length

Distance or length is a fundamental unit of measurement. It is one of three dimensions in space. The only way distance can be measured is to establish some arbitrary length and assign it a value of 1 unit.
Distance is usually denoted by the symbol d.
The meter is the unit of length in the metric system. A kilometer is simply 1000 meters. In the English system the inch is usually considered the unit of length, because larger units—such as the foot or yard—are made up of inches.
Area is length times width, with the units of square meters, square inches or such.
Volume is length times width times height, the units of cubic meters, cubic inches or such.

Mass

Mass is is a fundamental unit of measurement. We aren't sure what it is, but we know it is "stuff" that takes up space and has a volume. That means that mass is also somewhat dependent on distance. But it is not a function of distance.
A unit of mass is established by taking an arbitrary amount of a material and defining it as 1 unit. The unit of mass in the metric system is 1 gram. In the English system, the effect of gravity on a unit of mass is measured, such that 1 pound is the unit of weight in that system.
Mass is usually denoted by the symbol m.

Momentum and energy

With the fundamental units of distance, time and mass, we can define momentum as mass times velocity. Momentum is usually denoted by the symbol p, so p = m*v or p = mv.
Energy (E) is 1/2 of mass times velocity times velocity or E = ½mv².

Time

Time is a fundamental unit of measurement. It is often considered the fourth dimension in the space-time continuum. The only way time can be measured is to use some regular periodic motion and define one period the value of 1 unit.
Time is often denoted as the symbol t.
But note that the measurement of time is dependent on distance, since motion is the change in position over a period of time. Still, it is not a function of distance.

Various units

For example, the rotation of the Earth around the Sun is defined as 1 year, one revolution of the Earth on its axis is defined as 1 day, and one cycle of a pendulum of a certain length defines 1 second.
There are 60 seconds in a minute, 60 minutes in an hour and 24 hours in a day.
Unfortunately, a revolution of the Earth on its axis is not exactly 24 hours. Also, the relationship between a year and a day are not very exact, since about 365.25 days equals one year.

Speed and acceleration

From fundamental units time and distance, we can define other measurements.
Speed is distance divided by time. Velocity is speed that has a specific direction and is usually denoted by the symbol v. Thus, v = d/t.
Acceleration is velocity divided by time. The equation is a = v/t. that can also be written as a = d/t².

Electric current

"The ampere is that constant current which, if maintained in two straight parallel conductors of infinite length, of negligible circular cross-section, and placed 1 metre apart in vacuum, would produce between these conductors a force equal to 2 × 10−7 newton per metre of length."
Electric current means, depending on the context, a flow of electric charge (a phenomenon) or the rate of flow of electric charge (a quantity).[1] This flowing electric charge is typically carried by moving electrons, in a conductor such as wire; in an electrolyte, it is instead carried by ions, and, in a plasma, by both.[2]
The SI unit for measuring the rate of flow of electric charge is the ampere, which is charge flowing through some surface at the rate of one coulomb per second. Electric current is measured using an ammeter.[1]

Temperature

Luminous intensity

Amount of substance.



Problems or disagreements

Electric current

Since electric current is the movement of electrons in a conducting wire, it appears to require a man-made device. To me, this does not seem to be a good candidate for a base of fundamental unit of measurement.

Summary

Units of measurement that are considered fundamental, such that they cannot be described as a function of other units, are distance, time and mass. It can be seen that other measurements are derived from these fundamental units.