Problem: Article: The battery is what actually produces the electrical current and so the alligator clips provide the pathway for transporting that current to the water. You need to attach one clip to the positive terminal and one to the negative terminal.  Use a 6-volt battery but if you cannot find one, use a 9-volt battery. You can find this size of battery at pretty much any convenience store or supermarket. Make sure that the metallic part of the alligator clip is connected to the graphite of the pencil. You may have to shave down a little bit more of the wood from the pencil just to make sure that the alligator clips are completely connected to the graphite. Doing this completes the connection to the battery and allows the current to be transferred from the battery all the way through into the water. The way you cut the cardboard earlier means that it should sit nicely on top of the glass. Try to do this gently so that the pencils that are stuck through the cardboard don’t get disturbed from their position. For this experiment to work, the graphite of the pencils needs to not be touching the side of the glass so just double check that here and adjust the pencils if need be. At this point, bubbles start to rise from the submerged points of graphite. This is the hydrogen and oxygen gas being split. Hydrogen gas will be bubbling from the pencil connected to the negative terminal and oxygen will be bubbling from the pencil connected to the positive terminal.  Once you connect the alligator clips to the battery and graphite, the current begins to flow immediately. There will be more bubbles coming from the hydrogen pencil because there is twice as much hydrogen as oxygen in each water molecule.
Summary: Connect one end of each alligator clip to the terminals of the battery. Connect the other end of each alligator clip to each pencil. Place the cardboard on top of the glass so the pencils are submerged. Watch the separation of hydrogen and oxygen occur.

INPUT ARTICLE: Article: Sow grass and plant trees, shrubs and other greenery in bare spots in your yard or garden. The foliage will absorb excess water and protect the topsoil from the impact of rain, heavy wind and foot traffic. The roots of the plants will also help anchor the soil once they take hold, safeguarding the soil beneath from water runoff.   Grass and plant roots also serve to draw nutrients from deep in the soil closer to the surface, improving the healthiness of the topsoil. Ryegrass and clover make excellent choices for basic groundcover, as their roots spread deep and hold fast. Other useful anchoring plants include grains such as wheat, barley, and rye and crops of root vegetables like radishes. If you have a field or flat, wide open space on your property, considering growing a row of trees to act as a barrier from the wind. This is known as a windbreak cover and is an efficient means of combating wind erosion often employed by landscapers. A windbreak cover will cut down on the amount of wind that sweeps an open area of land, keeping topsoil from being scattered and dried out.  For best results, group trees or shrubs relatively close together so that little space exists between them for wind to penetrate. Choose tree species that develop thick foliage, like Eastern Red Cedar, Lombardy Poplar, and Red Pine. Look for areas where the ground is hard and bare. This is most often a symptom of compacted soil. Sew grass in these areas, and be sure to water and aerate the soil frequently. If not remedied, the soil below can become even more dense while the top layer erodes, making growing conditions inhospitable.   When soil becomes compacted, its particles are pressed tightly together so that water cannot penetrate deep into its sublayers, causing the uppermost layers of soil to be worn away by runoff. In addition, soil compaction causes aeration problems within soil, meaning that it’s less likely that you’ll be able to get things to grow in places where the soil is badly compacted. Be careful about habitually walking in the same places if the soil in your yard or garden is compacted; this will just make the problem worse. Choose a new footpath to take, or stand on a broad, flat board when gardening to keep your body weight from contributing to soil compaction. Building a no-dig garden involves layering materials over the topsoil in which plants and crops can be planted so that there’s no need to disturb the soil itself. When gardening is done above the soil instead of within it, the soil will not be exposed to lots of harsh digging and watering that can damage soil and lead to erosion.  Create multiple no-dig plots to serve as flower beds or patches for growing crops that require similar soil conditions. A wealth of different planting schemes exist, but all make use of the same basic structure: multiple tiers of compostable matter are layered over a permeable surface like cardboard directly on top of the ground. Look into different ideas for constructing your own no-dig garden. During peak growing season, spread a thin layer of mulch around the base of thriving plants. The weight of the mulch will keep the soil from being exposed to wind and water while also preserving important nutrients and moisture in the soil at root-level. Mulch can be bought cheap at any gardening center, or you can easily make your own at home by feeding scrap wood, live foliage and decaying plant matter into a shredder to form a composite.

SUMMARY: Plant grass and trees to secure topsoil. Grow windbreak cover for fields. Avoid compacting soil. Employ no-digging gardening techniques. Spread mulch over growing plants.

In one sentence, describe what the following article is about: Moving is one of the main reasons that people have to leave someone they love. If you are in a situation where you have to move away from close friends or family, it can be really difficult. Try to spend a lot of time with your loved ones before you go.   Make your relationships a priority. Schedule plenty of quality time with your friends before the move. Have fun together. You're likely feeling sad, and that's ok. But try to participate in the activities that you enjoy. If you and your best friend have always enjoyed going dancing together, don't stop. Keep your dance dates up until the time you have to leave. Have an honest conversation. Tell your loved one that you are going to miss them. Try saying, "Mom, I'm really going to miss you when I leave for college. I just wanted to let you know that." Let your loved ones know that it is important for you to stay connected. Try brainstorming different ways that you can keep in touch. You can even write some actual letters.  Get on a friends and family cell phone plan. You'll be able to text and call as much as you want without worrying about your minutes. Schedule video chat dates. Are you worried you're going to miss impromptu dance parties with your best friend? Just Facetime her whenever your favorite song comes on. Use technology. Stay connected with social media. This is the perfect time to finally convince your grandmother to get a Facebook account. Leaving someone you love can feel scary. This is especially true if you don't know when you will see them again. To avoid this sinking feeling, schedule a visit before you even leave.  Sit down together with your calendars. If you have a group of friends that you are going to miss, invite everyone over for a planning party. Select a couple of dates that work for everyone. You can have fun deciding when you will visit, and when your friends will come check out your new home. If you are leaving for college, check out the campus calendar. Let your parents know when parents weekend is, and invite them to come. Care packages are a great way to feel connected with your loved ones. Set up a system where you send a package one month and your loved one returns the favor the next month. These packages will give you both something to look forward to.  Include items that remind you of fun times you had together. For example, if you loved going to yoga together, send your friend a gift card to your favorite studio. You can also include items that are homemade. Make a batch of your dad's favorite cookies to send to him. Be creative. If you're thinking of fun times you had at the beach, send a little plastic baggy of sand from the shore.
Summary:
Spend special time together. Stay in contact. Make plans to visit in advance. Send care packages.