It's late and i have to be honest. (Got that concept map done, thank goodness!) I am seriously just squeezing this out to complete the assignment I started. That being said...
I can't help but think of that Paolo Coelho book about alchemy. Anything can be molded to create something else. We need to be careful not to manipulate things too much, though. What are we creating? And why? I just read this article about putting your atention towards things you love for that to be your "God" or truth. I think quantum physics and alchemy are greatly related, for this reason.
Science of course. Art, yes. Magic--because having faith in the unknown always helps.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
October 21 Homework
Entry for October 21, 2007
Howdy Chem buds,
My Halogen of the week:
Bromine is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Br and atomic number 35. A halogen element, bromine is a red volatile liquid at standard room temperature which has a reactivity between chlorine and iodine. This element is corrosive to human tissue in a liquid state and its vapours irritate the eyes and throat. Bromine vapours are very toxic upon inhalation. It is a heavy, mobile, reddish-brown liquid, that evaporates easily at standard temperature and pressures in a red vapor (its color resembles nitrogen dioxide) that has a strong disagreeable odor resembling that of chlorine. It bonds easily with many elements and has a strong bleaching action. Certain bromine-related compounds have been evaluated to have an ozone depletion potential or bioaccumulate in living organisms. As a result many industrial bromine compounds are no longer manufactured, are being restricted, or scheduled for phase out of manufacturing processes.
The Portuguese Electrochemistry Toy Site:
This looks like fun! I would love to try out the polariscope and the boat. I might like to recruit my boyfriend to help me out. I'll need to buy a plastic rod, mylar films, plug, polarizers and a plastic tube. That seems easy enough. It would be great to have some time set aside to work with our class on some of these things. Actually, I would love if each of us had to choose a different one for a homework assignment and then we could all bring them in and share them one week. This kind of thing would definitely get kids in school more interested.
Alchemy:
I do think alchemy is a little of all three: science, magic and art.
Howdy Chem buds,
My Halogen of the week:
Bromine is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Br and atomic number 35. A halogen element, bromine is a red volatile liquid at standard room temperature which has a reactivity between chlorine and iodine. This element is corrosive to human tissue in a liquid state and its vapours irritate the eyes and throat. Bromine vapours are very toxic upon inhalation. It is a heavy, mobile, reddish-brown liquid, that evaporates easily at standard temperature and pressures in a red vapor (its color resembles nitrogen dioxide) that has a strong disagreeable odor resembling that of chlorine. It bonds easily with many elements and has a strong bleaching action. Certain bromine-related compounds have been evaluated to have an ozone depletion potential or bioaccumulate in living organisms. As a result many industrial bromine compounds are no longer manufactured, are being restricted, or scheduled for phase out of manufacturing processes.
The Portuguese Electrochemistry Toy Site:
This looks like fun! I would love to try out the polariscope and the boat. I might like to recruit my boyfriend to help me out. I'll need to buy a plastic rod, mylar films, plug, polarizers and a plastic tube. That seems easy enough. It would be great to have some time set aside to work with our class on some of these things. Actually, I would love if each of us had to choose a different one for a homework assignment and then we could all bring them in and share them one week. This kind of thing would definitely get kids in school more interested.
Alchemy:
I do think alchemy is a little of all three: science, magic and art.
September 11 Homework
Entry for September 11, 2007
Tuesday September 11, 2007 - 11:32pm (PDT) Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Entry for September 11, 2007
Hello fellow Chemistry classmates!
I am the Jennifer nicknamed Tessa. I'm rather enjoying my new name.
So for my first blog, since you already know my background here's a little something about me that you may not know yet...I lived in India for 2 months, I teach sign language to kids and I have a white cat with a gray splotch on her head and a diva attitude, earning her the nickname, "Princess Mona Kitty."
Response to Ist Quiz:
I kept reading through the straightforward definitions and trying to create examples and connections in my brain. It wasn't as easy as I was hoping it would be. I am going to have to do some memorizing. It would be nice to do some more examples in class to drive the basic principles home (ie, physical v chemical change, pure v impure, etc.)
Response to funbrain:
I really liked this because it was totally basic and approachable. The graphics are geared for kids, which could make someone feel silly, but not me. I enjoyed it! It allowed me to quiz myself on elements that were easier and then work my way up so I felt successful. I think I will continue to use this as we go on with the periodic table.
Response to brynmawr:
This was way more challenging. It made me realize that I don't even remember how the elements are placed in the periodic table and I need to do some work. After some time, I will return to it and see how I have improved.
Tuesday September 11, 2007 - 11:32pm (PDT) Permanent Link | 0 Comments
Entry for September 11, 2007
Hello fellow Chemistry classmates!
I am the Jennifer nicknamed Tessa. I'm rather enjoying my new name.
So for my first blog, since you already know my background here's a little something about me that you may not know yet...I lived in India for 2 months, I teach sign language to kids and I have a white cat with a gray splotch on her head and a diva attitude, earning her the nickname, "Princess Mona Kitty."
Response to Ist Quiz:
I kept reading through the straightforward definitions and trying to create examples and connections in my brain. It wasn't as easy as I was hoping it would be. I am going to have to do some memorizing. It would be nice to do some more examples in class to drive the basic principles home (ie, physical v chemical change, pure v impure, etc.)
Response to funbrain:
I really liked this because it was totally basic and approachable. The graphics are geared for kids, which could make someone feel silly, but not me. I enjoyed it! It allowed me to quiz myself on elements that were easier and then work my way up so I felt successful. I think I will continue to use this as we go on with the periodic table.
Response to brynmawr:
This was way more challenging. It made me realize that I don't even remember how the elements are placed in the periodic table and I need to do some work. After some time, I will return to it and see how I have improved.
September 19 Homework
Entry for September 19, 2007
Hi Chemmies! (aka late night chem class buddies)
1. I chose Iron as my element of the week. Abundant info. This will be at the end of my posting as it is the largest chunk.
2. Ozone Family & Friend discussion:
*One friend said she thought of the word "layer" when I said ozone.
*Another friend spoke about the wholes in the ozone and global warming.
*No one really know that ozone was a molecule: used in bleach, as a deoderizing agent, and used for sterilizing air and drinking water.
*The stratosphere and troposphere levels were never spoken of by my friends or family. I think the vague and general understanding of ozone being a negative in the troposphere was all anyone really thought of when asked to speak about it.
*I found it really interesting that as I was researching Iron it was mentioned that a certain form of iron in the ocean may help with reducing the greenhouse effect.
3. Review of link:
I chose the 3rd link from Purdue because, again, it was the most colorful and interesting. The other 2 sites were really boring in presentation, so I kept looking. On the 3rd link,
things were actually moving! This definitely helped me to understand the concepts of atoms, molecules, compounds and mixtures. I need all of the visuals, really all of the learning techniques available, to help my mind understand the concepts. Good link!
(Now back to #1 and my Iron info):
I pasted the most important info from wikipedia. Very interesting bit at the end regarding iron’s potential help in the ocean with the greenhouse effect!
Iron (IPA: /ˈaiə(ɹ)n/) is a chemical element with the symbol Fe (Latin: ferrum) and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 metal. Iron is a lustrous, silvery soft metal. Iron and nickel are notable for being the final elements produced by stellar nucleosynthesis, and thus are the heaviest elements which do not require a supernova or similarly cataclysmic event for formation. Iron and nickel are therefore the most abundant metals in metallic meteorites and in the dense-metal cores of planets such as Earth.
Iron is one of the few ferromagnetic elements.
Iron is believed to be the tenth most abundant element in the universe, and the fourth most abundant in the Earth's crust. The concentration of iron in the various layers in the structure of the Earth ranges from high (probably greater than 80%, perhaps even a nearly pure iron crystal) at the inner core, to only 5% in the outer crust. Iron is second in abundance to aluminium among the metals and fourth in abundance in the crust. Iron is the most abundant element by mass of our entire planet, making up 35% of the mass of the Earth as a whole.
Iron is a metal extracted from iron ore, and is almost never found in the free elemental state. In order to obtain elemental iron, the impurities must be removed by chemical reduction. Iron is the main component of steel, and it is used in the production of alloys or solid solutions of various metals, as well as some non-metals, particularly carbon.
Nuclei of iron have some of the highest binding energies per nucleon, surpassed only by the nickel isotope 62Ni. The universally most abundant of the highly stable nuclides is, however, 56Fe. This is formed by nuclear fusion in stars. Although a further tiny energy gain could be extracted by synthesizing 62Ni, conditions in stars are unsuitable for this process to be favoured, and iron abundance on Earth greatly favors iron over nickel, and also presumably in supernova element production. [citation needed] When a very large star contracts at the end of its life, internal pressure and temperature rise, allowing the star to produce progressively heavier elements, despite these being less stable than the elements around mass number 60, known as the "iron group". This leads to a supernova.
Iron (as Fe2+, ferrous ion) is a necessary trace element used by almost all living organisms, the only exceptions are a few prokaryotic organisms which live in iron-poor conditions (such as the lactobacilli in iron-poor milk.)
Applications
Iron is the most used of all the metals, comprising 95% of all the metal tonnage produced worldwide. Its combination of low cost and high strength make it indispensable, especially in applications like automobiles, the hulls of large ships, and structural components for buildings.
Steel is the best known alloy of iron, and some of the forms that iron can take include: Pig iron (an intermediate step on the way from iron ore to cast iron and steel,) Cast iron, Carbon steel, Wrought iron, Alloy steel and Iron(III) oxides which are used in the production of magnetic storage media in computers. They are often mixed with other compounds, and retain their magnetic properties in solution.
Iron is believed to be the critical missing nutrient in the ocean that limits the growth of plankton. Experimental iron fertilization of areas of the ocean using iron(II) sulfate has proven successful in increasing plankton growth[1][2][3]. Larger scaled efforts are being attempted with the hope that iron seeding and ocean plankton growth can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thereby counteracting the greenhouse effect that is generally agreed by climatologists to cause global warming[4].
Hi Chemmies! (aka late night chem class buddies)
1. I chose Iron as my element of the week. Abundant info. This will be at the end of my posting as it is the largest chunk.
2. Ozone Family & Friend discussion:
*One friend said she thought of the word "layer" when I said ozone.
*Another friend spoke about the wholes in the ozone and global warming.
*No one really know that ozone was a molecule: used in bleach, as a deoderizing agent, and used for sterilizing air and drinking water.
*The stratosphere and troposphere levels were never spoken of by my friends or family. I think the vague and general understanding of ozone being a negative in the troposphere was all anyone really thought of when asked to speak about it.
*I found it really interesting that as I was researching Iron it was mentioned that a certain form of iron in the ocean may help with reducing the greenhouse effect.
3. Review of link:
I chose the 3rd link from Purdue because, again, it was the most colorful and interesting. The other 2 sites were really boring in presentation, so I kept looking. On the 3rd link,
things were actually moving! This definitely helped me to understand the concepts of atoms, molecules, compounds and mixtures. I need all of the visuals, really all of the learning techniques available, to help my mind understand the concepts. Good link!
(Now back to #1 and my Iron info):
I pasted the most important info from wikipedia. Very interesting bit at the end regarding iron’s potential help in the ocean with the greenhouse effect!
Iron (IPA: /ˈaiə(ɹ)n/) is a chemical element with the symbol Fe (Latin: ferrum) and atomic number 26. Iron is a group 8 and period 4 metal. Iron is a lustrous, silvery soft metal. Iron and nickel are notable for being the final elements produced by stellar nucleosynthesis, and thus are the heaviest elements which do not require a supernova or similarly cataclysmic event for formation. Iron and nickel are therefore the most abundant metals in metallic meteorites and in the dense-metal cores of planets such as Earth.
Iron is one of the few ferromagnetic elements.
Iron is believed to be the tenth most abundant element in the universe, and the fourth most abundant in the Earth's crust. The concentration of iron in the various layers in the structure of the Earth ranges from high (probably greater than 80%, perhaps even a nearly pure iron crystal) at the inner core, to only 5% in the outer crust. Iron is second in abundance to aluminium among the metals and fourth in abundance in the crust. Iron is the most abundant element by mass of our entire planet, making up 35% of the mass of the Earth as a whole.
Iron is a metal extracted from iron ore, and is almost never found in the free elemental state. In order to obtain elemental iron, the impurities must be removed by chemical reduction. Iron is the main component of steel, and it is used in the production of alloys or solid solutions of various metals, as well as some non-metals, particularly carbon.
Nuclei of iron have some of the highest binding energies per nucleon, surpassed only by the nickel isotope 62Ni. The universally most abundant of the highly stable nuclides is, however, 56Fe. This is formed by nuclear fusion in stars. Although a further tiny energy gain could be extracted by synthesizing 62Ni, conditions in stars are unsuitable for this process to be favoured, and iron abundance on Earth greatly favors iron over nickel, and also presumably in supernova element production. [citation needed] When a very large star contracts at the end of its life, internal pressure and temperature rise, allowing the star to produce progressively heavier elements, despite these being less stable than the elements around mass number 60, known as the "iron group". This leads to a supernova.
Iron (as Fe2+, ferrous ion) is a necessary trace element used by almost all living organisms, the only exceptions are a few prokaryotic organisms which live in iron-poor conditions (such as the lactobacilli in iron-poor milk.)
Applications
Iron is the most used of all the metals, comprising 95% of all the metal tonnage produced worldwide. Its combination of low cost and high strength make it indispensable, especially in applications like automobiles, the hulls of large ships, and structural components for buildings.
Steel is the best known alloy of iron, and some of the forms that iron can take include: Pig iron (an intermediate step on the way from iron ore to cast iron and steel,) Cast iron, Carbon steel, Wrought iron, Alloy steel and Iron(III) oxides which are used in the production of magnetic storage media in computers. They are often mixed with other compounds, and retain their magnetic properties in solution.
Iron is believed to be the critical missing nutrient in the ocean that limits the growth of plankton. Experimental iron fertilization of areas of the ocean using iron(II) sulfate has proven successful in increasing plankton growth[1][2][3]. Larger scaled efforts are being attempted with the hope that iron seeding and ocean plankton growth can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thereby counteracting the greenhouse effect that is generally agreed by climatologists to cause global warming[4].
October 21 Homework
Entry for October 21, 2007
Howdy Chem buds,
My Halogen of the week:
Bromine is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Br and atomic number 35. A halogen element, bromine is a red volatile liquid at standard room temperature which has a reactivity between chlorine and iodine. This element is corrosive to human tissue in a liquid state and its vapours irritate the eyes and throat. Bromine vapours are very toxic upon inhalation. It is a heavy, mobile, reddish-brown liquid, that evaporates easily at standard temperature and pressures in a red vapor (its color resembles nitrogen dioxide) that has a strong disagreeable odor resembling that of chlorine. It bonds easily with many elements and has a strong bleaching action. Certain bromine-related compounds have been evaluated to have an ozone depletion potential or bioaccumulate in living organisms. As a result many industrial bromine compounds are no longer manufactured, are being restricted, or scheduled for phase out of manufacturing processes.
The Portuguese Electrochemistry Toy Site:
This looks like fun! I would love to try out the polariscope and the boat. I might like to recruit my boyfriend to help me out. I'll need to buy a plastic rod, mylar films, plug, polarizers and a plastic tube. That seems easy enough. It would be great to have some time set aside to work with our class on some of these things. Actually, I would love if each of us had to choose a different one for a homework assignment and then we could all bring them in and share them one week. This kind of thing would definitely get kids in school more interested.
Alchemy:
I do think alchemy is a little of all three: science, magic and art.
Howdy Chem buds,
My Halogen of the week:
Bromine is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Br and atomic number 35. A halogen element, bromine is a red volatile liquid at standard room temperature which has a reactivity between chlorine and iodine. This element is corrosive to human tissue in a liquid state and its vapours irritate the eyes and throat. Bromine vapours are very toxic upon inhalation. It is a heavy, mobile, reddish-brown liquid, that evaporates easily at standard temperature and pressures in a red vapor (its color resembles nitrogen dioxide) that has a strong disagreeable odor resembling that of chlorine. It bonds easily with many elements and has a strong bleaching action. Certain bromine-related compounds have been evaluated to have an ozone depletion potential or bioaccumulate in living organisms. As a result many industrial bromine compounds are no longer manufactured, are being restricted, or scheduled for phase out of manufacturing processes.
The Portuguese Electrochemistry Toy Site:
This looks like fun! I would love to try out the polariscope and the boat. I might like to recruit my boyfriend to help me out. I'll need to buy a plastic rod, mylar films, plug, polarizers and a plastic tube. That seems easy enough. It would be great to have some time set aside to work with our class on some of these things. Actually, I would love if each of us had to choose a different one for a homework assignment and then we could all bring them in and share them one week. This kind of thing would definitely get kids in school more interested.
Alchemy:
I do think alchemy is a little of all three: science, magic and art.
October 4 Homework
Good day, chem friends!
Review of atom economy site:
This seems like a really well-made website. I like the layout--feel like its easy to navigate and presents the concepts in a way that is simple to understand. It seems like it might be challenging to really figure out the desired atom economy by dividing the mass of atoms in a desired product by the mass of atoms in the reactacnts and multipling that by 100%, but it is refreshing to know that this concept has been considered and will continue to be over time. Thankfully, people are beginning to look at ways to mend our past mistakes. I will definitely continue to check out this site over time. I would like to learn more about green cars and noticed I could do so on this site.
I also glanced at the power point presentation. It would be nice to hear this person actually give the presentation to give it some more life. The whole concept of figuring out the most important things to save/maintain is beautiful. Loved the list! Interesting how many areas we need to consider, from quality of human life to culture/community to biodiversity and so much more. Seems like a good place to start...what do we want to save and how do we go about making changes to do that?
I chose Platinum as my catalytic element of the week:
Platinum has the atomic symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. A heavy, malleable, ductile, precious, grey-white transition metal, platinum is resistant to corrosion and occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits. Platinum is used in jewellery, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts, dentistry, and automobile emissions control devices. Platinum is an extremely rare metal, occurring as only 5 ppb in the Earth's crust.
Naturally-occurring platinum and platinum-rich alloys have been known for a long time. Though the metal was used by pre-Columbian Native Americans, the first European reference to platinum appears in 1557 in the writings of the Italian humanist Julius Caesar Scaliger (1484–1558) as a description of a mysterious metal found in Central American mines between Darién (Panama) and Mexico ("up until now impossible to melt by any of the Spanish arts"). The word platinum comes from the Spanish word platina, meaning "little silver."
Applications
*As a catalyst in the catalytic converter, an optional (though often mandatory by law) component of the gasoline-fueled automobile exhaust system.
*As a catalyst in fuel cells. Reducing the amount of platinum required (and thus cost) is a major focus of fuel cell research.
*Certain platinum-containing compounds are capable of crosslinking DNA and kill cells by similar pathways to alkylating chemotherapeutic agents. Cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin are licensed examples of this class of drugs.
*Platinum resistance thermometers.
*Electrodes for use in electrolysis.
*In the Clark polarographic electrode for measuring oxygen tension.
*A wide range of jewelery
*As a catalyst in the curing of silicone elastomers.
*As a catalyst in glow plugs in some model engines.
*Crucibles for high temperature melting of glass (for example) up to 1500°C better if alloyed with rhodium (10–40% of Rh).
*In photography, it is sometimes used for archival printmaking. Platinum prints display a greater range of tones than other Black and White printing methods. Additionally platinum's chemical stability makes for extremely long-lasting prints. The disadvantage of this method, in addition to the high cost, is that platinum is less light sensitive and prints must be contact printed at the same size as the negative. Therefore, enlargements can only be made by making an enlarged negative.
Review of atom economy site:
This seems like a really well-made website. I like the layout--feel like its easy to navigate and presents the concepts in a way that is simple to understand. It seems like it might be challenging to really figure out the desired atom economy by dividing the mass of atoms in a desired product by the mass of atoms in the reactacnts and multipling that by 100%, but it is refreshing to know that this concept has been considered and will continue to be over time. Thankfully, people are beginning to look at ways to mend our past mistakes. I will definitely continue to check out this site over time. I would like to learn more about green cars and noticed I could do so on this site.
I also glanced at the power point presentation. It would be nice to hear this person actually give the presentation to give it some more life. The whole concept of figuring out the most important things to save/maintain is beautiful. Loved the list! Interesting how many areas we need to consider, from quality of human life to culture/community to biodiversity and so much more. Seems like a good place to start...what do we want to save and how do we go about making changes to do that?
I chose Platinum as my catalytic element of the week:
Platinum has the atomic symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. A heavy, malleable, ductile, precious, grey-white transition metal, platinum is resistant to corrosion and occurs in some nickel and copper ores along with some native deposits. Platinum is used in jewellery, laboratory equipment, electrical contacts, dentistry, and automobile emissions control devices. Platinum is an extremely rare metal, occurring as only 5 ppb in the Earth's crust.
Naturally-occurring platinum and platinum-rich alloys have been known for a long time. Though the metal was used by pre-Columbian Native Americans, the first European reference to platinum appears in 1557 in the writings of the Italian humanist Julius Caesar Scaliger (1484–1558) as a description of a mysterious metal found in Central American mines between Darién (Panama) and Mexico ("up until now impossible to melt by any of the Spanish arts"). The word platinum comes from the Spanish word platina, meaning "little silver."
Applications
*As a catalyst in the catalytic converter, an optional (though often mandatory by law) component of the gasoline-fueled automobile exhaust system.
*As a catalyst in fuel cells. Reducing the amount of platinum required (and thus cost) is a major focus of fuel cell research.
*Certain platinum-containing compounds are capable of crosslinking DNA and kill cells by similar pathways to alkylating chemotherapeutic agents. Cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin are licensed examples of this class of drugs.
*Platinum resistance thermometers.
*Electrodes for use in electrolysis.
*In the Clark polarographic electrode for measuring oxygen tension.
*A wide range of jewelery
*As a catalyst in the curing of silicone elastomers.
*As a catalyst in glow plugs in some model engines.
*Crucibles for high temperature melting of glass (for example) up to 1500°C better if alloyed with rhodium (10–40% of Rh).
*In photography, it is sometimes used for archival printmaking. Platinum prints display a greater range of tones than other Black and White printing methods. Additionally platinum's chemical stability makes for extremely long-lasting prints. The disadvantage of this method, in addition to the high cost, is that platinum is less light sensitive and prints must be contact printed at the same size as the negative. Therefore, enlargements can only be made by making an enlarged negative.
FIELD TRIP!!
I thoroughly enjoyed the excursion last week! I can't believe it has taken me 6 years to get to the Asian Art museum. The music in that amazing room was a highlight, as was drinking tea and making a moon cake. As the tour started, the tiredness set in so I was not as engaged as I would have liked to be. Definitely cool seeing exactly what we are learning about, though. I thrilled myself by guessing a dynasty correctly from the years she said. That money tree was outrageous. Museums always make me want more. You just can't do them justice in a couple hours, but now my appetite is ready.
October 15 Homework
Entry for October 15, 2007
Avogadro's Hypothesis
I remember in high school when we were first learning what a hypothesis was. It is actually quite exciting to come up with one and test it to see if it stands to be true or accurate. I enjoy coming up with social hypothesis, discussing them with friends and testing them over time. All done in a very casual manner, but it is fun to think in that way. That being said, I am blown away at the idea of Avogadro or any of the great scientists, mathemeticians and thinkers to come up with these ideas that have become foundations. How exciting it must have been for them! Avogadro didn't even get the chance to know how his ideas became the basis for our mole. Anyway, good to review the definition of a hypothesis versus theory. I have used the term theory in the wrong way and need to substitute "hypothesis" in its place when I am formulating an idea and presenting it to friends.
What is a Mole?
Wow. Just as I would be thinking, "I get this," I would continue to read on and get totally discombobulated. The wording is so dense. I do think I understand the basis on a very elementary level, though. It helped taking as much time as we did in class to discuss the concept of a mole and try plugging it in. The link was a bit dry, too. Those with pictures and examples always help to drive an idea home. As I finished reading this one, I thought that checking back on our class notes might be a better way to review. I thought it was funny how he mentioned that the word "mole" was chosen to confuse science students.
Inert gas of the week:
Helium (He) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert monatomic chemical element that heads the noble gas series in the periodic table and whose atomic number is 2. Its boiling and melting points are the lowest among the elements and it exists only as a gas except in extreme conditions. Extreme conditions are also needed to create the small handful of helium compounds, that are all unstable at standard temperature and pressure. It has a second, rare, stable isotope which is called helium-3. The behavior of liquid helium-4's two fluid phases, helium I and helium II, is important to researchers studying quantum mechanics (in particular the phenomenon of superfluidity) and to those looking at the effects that temperatures near absolute zero have on matter (such as superconductivity).
Helium is the second most abundant and second lightest element in the universe and was one of the elements created in the Big Bang. In the modern universe almost all new helium is created as a result of the nuclear fusion of hydrogen in stars. On Earth it is created by the radioactive decay of much heavier elements (alpha particles are helium nuclei). After its creation, part of it is trapped with natural gas in concentrations up to 7% by volume. It is extracted from the natural gas by a low temperature separation process called fractional distillation.
Avogadro's Hypothesis
I remember in high school when we were first learning what a hypothesis was. It is actually quite exciting to come up with one and test it to see if it stands to be true or accurate. I enjoy coming up with social hypothesis, discussing them with friends and testing them over time. All done in a very casual manner, but it is fun to think in that way. That being said, I am blown away at the idea of Avogadro or any of the great scientists, mathemeticians and thinkers to come up with these ideas that have become foundations. How exciting it must have been for them! Avogadro didn't even get the chance to know how his ideas became the basis for our mole. Anyway, good to review the definition of a hypothesis versus theory. I have used the term theory in the wrong way and need to substitute "hypothesis" in its place when I am formulating an idea and presenting it to friends.
What is a Mole?
Wow. Just as I would be thinking, "I get this," I would continue to read on and get totally discombobulated. The wording is so dense. I do think I understand the basis on a very elementary level, though. It helped taking as much time as we did in class to discuss the concept of a mole and try plugging it in. The link was a bit dry, too. Those with pictures and examples always help to drive an idea home. As I finished reading this one, I thought that checking back on our class notes might be a better way to review. I thought it was funny how he mentioned that the word "mole" was chosen to confuse science students.
Inert gas of the week:
Helium (He) is a colorless, odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, inert monatomic chemical element that heads the noble gas series in the periodic table and whose atomic number is 2. Its boiling and melting points are the lowest among the elements and it exists only as a gas except in extreme conditions. Extreme conditions are also needed to create the small handful of helium compounds, that are all unstable at standard temperature and pressure. It has a second, rare, stable isotope which is called helium-3. The behavior of liquid helium-4's two fluid phases, helium I and helium II, is important to researchers studying quantum mechanics (in particular the phenomenon of superfluidity) and to those looking at the effects that temperatures near absolute zero have on matter (such as superconductivity).
Helium is the second most abundant and second lightest element in the universe and was one of the elements created in the Big Bang. In the modern universe almost all new helium is created as a result of the nuclear fusion of hydrogen in stars. On Earth it is created by the radioactive decay of much heavier elements (alpha particles are helium nuclei). After its creation, part of it is trapped with natural gas in concentrations up to 7% by volume. It is extracted from the natural gas by a low temperature separation process called fractional distillation.
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