Week 8 - Avogadros hypothesis

This website was fun. I wish we had more teaching tools/helpers like this when I was in school. It would have made these kinds of history and science lessons must easier to understand. The website was well put together and explained things on my level, which when talking physics, is probably the level of 10th grader.

Week 8 - What is a mole?

This post was informative but more history than explanation. It also assumes the reader has some base knowledge of chemistry, which is neither good nor bad, just probably not for beginners, meaning me before mondays' class.

Week 8 - Radium

Radium is the heaviest of the alkali earth metals. It is naturally a solid and white in color however it oxidizes in air and turn black. It is also slightly luminescent glowing a light blue color. It is extremely radioactive. Radium used to be used in watches until many of the watch makers died from radium exposure. Radium use is declining due to the it's volatility and the usage of less volatile isotopes as a substitute.

Week 6 - Halogen

Fluorine is the most chemically reactive element due to it's need for 1 more electron to fill it's outer shell. Fluorine is a pale yellow highly corrosive gas. In labs, fluorine must be contained in teflon or copper because it has the ability to burn glass, ceramic and most metals. Fluoride, a fluorine ion, is often added to our public drinking water. It is believed that small amounts of fluoride are helpful in reducing the decay of tooth enamel. 

Fluoride in toothpaste:

Fluoride is now viewed as a toxic substance and should be avoided in significant quantities. One hundred ppm for adults and 500ppm for children for toothpaste and 1 ppm for drinking water.Over consumption of Fluoride can lead to Fluorosis, dental or skeletal. Children under 8 years old can develop Dental Fluorosis, seen as white streaks or brown spots and cracking of the teeth. Skeletal Fluorosis is a result of fluoride reacting negatively with calcium and magnesuim in the body. The symptoms range from muscle and joint pain to compression of the spine, deformities of spine and other bones and calcification of ligaments.

Week 6 - Alchemy

Alchemy is science and art, I don't know if I think  anything is magic. I believe in a lot of things but magic, as in a persons' ability to do cut some one in half or read my mind, I am skeptical. Alchemy is certainly a science. It put us on the path to chemistry and the study of the elements. In this same way, it is an art. I can't help but think that we have back-tracked away from combining science, philosophy and religion. I can only imagine the discoveries if all the scientists, philosophers, mathematicians and religious leaders, worked together to find answers about our universe. 

Week 5 - Impression of Links

I really liked the first site. It always fascinates me that objects, atoms absorb light and therefore color. The second site was great because I didn't really understand anything about incandescence and luminescence. My parents live on the ocean and we have an inlet where we launch our kayaks. In the summer, we go down to the dock and stir the water to see the phosphorescence in the algae. I never realized this was energy being stored and slowly released as photon energy. Swimming in this water at night is always invigorating but now I wonder if some how we are absorbing some of the released energy?

Week 5 - Radon

Radon is the heaviest noble gas. It is formed during the decay of radium. It is considered a toxic chemical and is found in air and water. Second to cigarette smoke, radon is a leading cause of lung cancer with radon induced lung cancer being the 6th leading cause of cancer in the US. Radon is found as a natural emissions especially in ground rich in shale or granite. Radon is also emitted from oil and gas refineries and nuclear power plants. Radon has been used mildly as a medicine to relieve joint pain and increase energy. This practice is controversial due to the danger of being exposed to radioactivity.

Week 5 - Foods In My Kitchen

Red - Chard, wine, jam, chili sauce, salsa, cranberry juice, kidney beans, meat, tea

Orange - blood oranges, tangerines, clementines, carrots, orange juice, dried apricots, dried apples

Yellow - onion, corn meal, frozen corn, chicken broth

Green - chard, cabbage, celery, lettuces, scallions, avocado, frozen peas

Blue/ purple - prunes, dried cherries, raisins

White/Brown - rice, turnips, carrots, shallot, ginger, milk, butter, cheese, beans, peanut butter, sugar, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, rice noodles, oil

I did not include spices in any of these categories.