Herbert,+Emma

Crystal Art

I found this article to be very interesting. I'm sure the idea had been thought of before, to coat an entire room in crystals, but I'm sure the same question came up every time; How? Well, Robert Hiorns figured it out. And judging by the other materials he has used to create artwork, such as perfume, this doesn't surprise me. But what I wonder is, should this really be considered his own artwork? Sure, it's interesting and creative, but he really didn't have to put much effort into the creation. All he did was fill the room to the ceiling in extremely saturated copper sulfate. The chemical did the rest. Speaking of which, what causes the chemical to harden into the crystal shapes? I know it had to cool in order for it to do so, but ice hardens in sheets, so why wouldn't the copper sulfate? Aside from that, I have learned that copper sulfate is used as a fungicide in Europe's wine growing regions. Who would have thought the same chemical could create such beautiful crystals? I am also surprised the room did not collapse, even with thick formations of crystals on it's walls.

Emma, OK. This article wasn't actually on the list but I'll let ou slide since you did such a nice job discussing it. :) Copper sulfate is a very beautiful compound but it is poisonous. 5 stars! MW

Redefining the Kilogram

At first when I read this article, I did not see what the big deal was. Barely any weight was lost from the standard kilogram. But now that I think about it, it really could be a big deal. If the prototype continues to lose weight every year, over time people could be using the wrong measurements and the whole system would be messed up. Now I realize that in order for the system to work, we must keep a constant exact definition of the kilogram available so everybody will be measuring with the same standards. I sure hope they find a way to keep the kilogram from losing weight, because I am sure it would be a pain to keep redefining the kilogram every year!

Emma, OK. I know what you mean - I had a similar reaction. Did you pick out three points and an MVP? 4 stars! MW

Crude Oil

I found this video to be very interesting. Since it has different variations of chemical combinations in it, would that make it a compound? Also, I think it is cool how we can use distillation to separate the different things in crude oil. It certainly seems useful. The most interesting piece of information I gathered from this video is that they obtained 5 different types of hydrocarbons from the crude oil. I also thought the large distillation towers were pretty neat too. Who knew a factory so large could have a simple process?

Emma, Crude oil is definitely not a single compound. It is a mixture, from which many compounds are derived. 5 stars. MW

Motion Detectors

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I already knew a few things mentioned in the article. I knew that there were different ways a motion detector could work, such as using a beam of light, something similar to a bat's echolocation technique, and infrared technology. I also know that particles of light were called photons (I think everyone does now!) and that rattlesnakes can see infrared light (Thank you Man vs. Wild!). However, there were things that I learned as well. It surprised me that Einstein did not earn his Nobel Prize for his theory E= mc squared. That is what he is most commonly known for, so I figured that’s why he earned it! I guess I was wrong. I found it fascinating that bats can determine the moth species by using echolocation to figure out the wing beat pattern. That’s some powerful echolocation! But one thing that is doubtful in my mind is that most elevators use the beam of light technique. Whenever I stick my hand out to hold the elevator door it doesn't stop and almost smushes my hand! Perhaps I just have bad luck. =====

Emma, Funny well written post! I hate when the elevator door thing happens I guess sometimes you just don't activate it - nothing is perfect. 5 stars. MW

Where Do Chemical Elements Come From?

When the nucleus of a star collapses, the outermost part of the star is blasted into space. Many chemical elements are found in this explosion.

Emma, Well done! 5 stars. MW

Sugar, An Unusual Explosive

This article kind of made me worry a slight bit. It seems as if, when anything is in dust form, it is explosive! I'll be sure to stay away from the fire from now on. I found it quite interesting that when wood is split up into extremely thin slices, it can explode. Is it possible for us to do that? Because if it is, I think it would make a good experiment. We could do it under the fume hood! I also think it is good that they are trying to prevent dust explosions, but isn't that kind of hard? Dust is everywhere. I guess if they just keep the fans on and keep the area well ventilated it would work, but it probably wouldn't make much of a difference. On a side note, have there ever been any dust explosions in Pennsylvania?

Emma, Well we did do a similar demonstration with lycopodium powder. A little late on this one. 4 stars. MW

Helium Balloons

There were many important things in this article. One important thing is the buoyant force concept. It is required to understand the rest of the article, and helps explain why balloons can float and defy gravity. Another important fact is that there is more pressure pushing up on an object than there is pushing down. But I think the most important piece of information is the weight of the buoyant force. The weight is key in all equations involving the buoyant force, so I believe it is important to remember. On a side note, is it possible to have something that 0 pounds, with the buoyant force factored in?

Emma, Yes you can suspend an object in water or air. Good job! 5 stars. MW