3 Properties of Acids:
-Sour
-Corrosive to metal and skin
-Turns blue litmus paper red
3 Properties of Bases:
-Bitter
-Slippery/soapy
-Turns red litmus paper blue
2 Uses of Acids:
-Car batteries (sulfuric acid)
-Soft drinks (phosphoric acid)
2 Uses of Bases:
-Soap (sodium hydroxide)
-Bleach (calcium hydroxide)
Sources:
-http://virtual.yosemite.cc.ca.us/lmaki/Chem142/chap_outlines/chapter12.htm
-http://www.prlog.org/10207697-numerous-uses-of-acids.html
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Sunday, March 18, 2012
What is a Mole?
Moles are simply another unit of measurement, like a meter, or a foot, or a dozen. A mole is defined as 6.02 X 10^23 of that particular item. You can have a mole of apples, a mole of grains of sand, whatever you want, but moles are usually used to measure atoms. The weight for a single mole of atoms is listed below each element on the Periodic Table, typically called by the name of "Atomic Weight".
A mole is also referred to as Avogadro's number, named after the Italian physics professor who discovered moles, Amadeo Avogadro. Avogadro theorized that equal volumes of different gases at equal temperatures contained an equal amount of atoms. His theory would later go on to be proved, and the estimated number of atoms in that measurement of gas would be thereon called Avogadro's number, known to us today as a mole.
Moles are highly important today in chemistry. They allow us to easily abbreviate large quantities of atoms without having to write out the entire number. A drop of water the size of the period at the end of this sentence contains approximately 10 trillion molecules; however, it is much simpler to use moles to communicate these numbers rather than continuously speaking in trillions and trillions of molecules.
Sources
-http://scidiv.bellevuecollege.edu/bg/moles.html
-http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=53
A mole is also referred to as Avogadro's number, named after the Italian physics professor who discovered moles, Amadeo Avogadro. Avogadro theorized that equal volumes of different gases at equal temperatures contained an equal amount of atoms. His theory would later go on to be proved, and the estimated number of atoms in that measurement of gas would be thereon called Avogadro's number, known to us today as a mole.
Moles are highly important today in chemistry. They allow us to easily abbreviate large quantities of atoms without having to write out the entire number. A drop of water the size of the period at the end of this sentence contains approximately 10 trillion molecules; however, it is much simpler to use moles to communicate these numbers rather than continuously speaking in trillions and trillions of molecules.
Sources
-http://scidiv.bellevuecollege.edu/bg/moles.html
-http://www.visionlearning.com/library/module_viewer.php?mid=53
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Biogeochemical Cycles
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090804071400.htm
All natural cycles coexist with each other in the world. In other words, they are "coupled". One cannot exist with out another. For example, the nitrogen cycle cannot exist without the carbon cycle. No cycle, even cycles of trace elements such as iron, can exist in isolation. It is important to study said cycles as coupled. The reason for that is it makes more practical sense to have an understanding of the cycles in the state they occur naturally, as "coupled". It may be great to know them in isolation, but that lends us no help. Each cycle behaves differently when coupled, and something that may affect a different cycle may indirectly affect another cycle with which it is coupled with. So things that we may not expect to affect the water cycle, may actually affect the water cycle, because it'll be coupled with the carbon cycle for example, and something may affect the carbon cycle, thus indirectly affecting the water cycle.
All natural cycles coexist with each other in the world. In other words, they are "coupled". One cannot exist with out another. For example, the nitrogen cycle cannot exist without the carbon cycle. No cycle, even cycles of trace elements such as iron, can exist in isolation. It is important to study said cycles as coupled. The reason for that is it makes more practical sense to have an understanding of the cycles in the state they occur naturally, as "coupled". It may be great to know them in isolation, but that lends us no help. Each cycle behaves differently when coupled, and something that may affect a different cycle may indirectly affect another cycle with which it is coupled with. So things that we may not expect to affect the water cycle, may actually affect the water cycle, because it'll be coupled with the carbon cycle for example, and something may affect the carbon cycle, thus indirectly affecting the water cycle.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Materials Bonding at the Atomic Level
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101007171413.htm
I read the article from above and learned these four things:
1- Atomic bonds dictate characteristics of an element or compound, such as melting point, hardness, or transparency.
2- It is possible to influence the assembly process of silicon crystals by applying strain as the bonds are forming.
3- Straining these bonds can affect an element or compound's chemical reactivity greatly, and that in turn will also cause the structure of the element/compound to change.
4- Using this method of straining the crystals in one way or another can prove to make silicon and silicon products much more efficient in the future, when more extensive research will be done.
I read the article from above and learned these four things:
1- Atomic bonds dictate characteristics of an element or compound, such as melting point, hardness, or transparency.
2- It is possible to influence the assembly process of silicon crystals by applying strain as the bonds are forming.
3- Straining these bonds can affect an element or compound's chemical reactivity greatly, and that in turn will also cause the structure of the element/compound to change.
4- Using this method of straining the crystals in one way or another can prove to make silicon and silicon products much more efficient in the future, when more extensive research will be done.
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Alloys
What is an Alloy?
An alloy is a metallic solution, composed of two or more metallic elements. It can be a homogeneous solution, which would be a solution that is uniform, or it can be a heterogeneous solution, which would be a solution that is unevenly distributed throughout.
Examples and Uses
1. Bronze is a mixture typically consisting of copper and tin. In some cases, zinc is substituted for tin. This solution used to be required to make tools, but now is generally used for door knobs, handles, and other small parts. It is also used in sculptures, and some countries used bronze for their pennies (such as England).
2. Aluminum alloy, also known as magnalium, is a mixture made up of aluminum and magnesium. There are varying forms of this alloy, ranging from containing 5% magnesium and 95% aluminum, to a 50/50 differential. The more magnesium in the solution, the more brittle and more susceptible to corrosion it is. It is often used in aircraft and auto parts, such as the chassis (frame of the car), or the wheel hubs.
An alloy is a metallic solution, composed of two or more metallic elements. It can be a homogeneous solution, which would be a solution that is uniform, or it can be a heterogeneous solution, which would be a solution that is unevenly distributed throughout.
Examples and Uses
1. Bronze is a mixture typically consisting of copper and tin. In some cases, zinc is substituted for tin. This solution used to be required to make tools, but now is generally used for door knobs, handles, and other small parts. It is also used in sculptures, and some countries used bronze for their pennies (such as England).
2. Aluminum alloy, also known as magnalium, is a mixture made up of aluminum and magnesium. There are varying forms of this alloy, ranging from containing 5% magnesium and 95% aluminum, to a 50/50 differential. The more magnesium in the solution, the more brittle and more susceptible to corrosion it is. It is often used in aircraft and auto parts, such as the chassis (frame of the car), or the wheel hubs.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Birds and their Eyesight
http://www.webexhibits.org/causesofcolor/17B.html
I read the above article about birds and how they see colors and their eyesight, and I learned the following:
1. Some bird species can see ultraviolet light.
2. While humans are trichromats (perceive 3 waves of light), birds and fish are tetrachromats or pentachromats (perceive 4 or 5 waves of light), allowing for them to see more types and rays of light.
3. Bird's eyes have a far higher proportion of cones to rods than human eyes, and their cones are more complex than ours. The inner portion of the cone contains a colored oil droplet behind the outer portion of the cone, allowing for light to be filtered before it reaches the visual pigments.
4. The structure of a bird's retina is also more complex than the structure of a human's retina. The area where there is a high concentration of cones (which perceive light) may form a lateral stripe instead of being centered in one single area.
5. Birds use their vision in different ways, such as using it to differentiate the greens of the forest from their food, or using their ultraviolet vision to spot the traces of their prey (such as the urine and feces of mice).
I read the above article about birds and how they see colors and their eyesight, and I learned the following:
1. Some bird species can see ultraviolet light.
2. While humans are trichromats (perceive 3 waves of light), birds and fish are tetrachromats or pentachromats (perceive 4 or 5 waves of light), allowing for them to see more types and rays of light.
3. Bird's eyes have a far higher proportion of cones to rods than human eyes, and their cones are more complex than ours. The inner portion of the cone contains a colored oil droplet behind the outer portion of the cone, allowing for light to be filtered before it reaches the visual pigments.
4. The structure of a bird's retina is also more complex than the structure of a human's retina. The area where there is a high concentration of cones (which perceive light) may form a lateral stripe instead of being centered in one single area.
5. Birds use their vision in different ways, such as using it to differentiate the greens of the forest from their food, or using their ultraviolet vision to spot the traces of their prey (such as the urine and feces of mice).
Thursday, October 13, 2011
How Are New Elements Are Named?
New elements are typically temporarily named in their Latin name, broken down by the single digits ("un" is one, "oct" is eight, etc.) After a proper permanent name has been decided, the name must be presented to the global science community and it must be accepted by an international group of scientists. If it isn't approved, the name must be revised to something more acceptable. In the past, elements have been named after famous scientists such as Ernest Rutherford (Rutherfordium) and Albert Einstein (Einsteinium). However, the rules have changed for naming. It used to be that the element could be named after anything or the name could have been randomly generated. Now, the name must end with "-ium".
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