Bush,+Monica

I read the lead poisoning article. This article interested me because I had no idea that there is some lead contents found in candies. We discussed in class about how harmful lead can be. This was quite disturbing since lead is very toxic and can cause a variety of health problems. In class, we had a demonstration on m&ms for grinding them. Workers do something similar, except they grind chilies which eventually make it’s way into the candy. However, it was a relief to know that this is a general problem in Mexico, and not as much in the U.S.

Monica, Good observations and good connection to class. 5 stars! MW

Distillation The crude oil video was interesting. I had no idea what it looked like, but I found out it has a dark brown liquid look to it. It interested me that it has molecules made of hydrogen and oxygen. As they showed in the video, it condenses at about 40 degrees Celsius, which I found interesting. I saw it had a slightly yellow color to it after distillation. Now I have a better understanding of how the process of distillation works.

Monica, OK BTW The molecules are mostly hydrogen and carbon, not hydrogen and oxygen! MW Redefining the Kilogram I learned that the kilogram is the last of the seven base units of the International System of Basic Units that is still defined by a physical artifact. What I found interesting was that there is only 90 calibrated platinum iridium copies of the national prototype throughout the world. Something else that I learned is that the official U.S. kilogram prototype is secured in a vault in Gaithersburg, MD. Something that I saw in the article that surprised me was that the outcome would be of small impact, and textbooks would just need minor revision if they do not use Avagadro’s number. It is good to know that the mole will be easier to understand for students.

Monica, The mole is huge in chemistry. Anything that helps us to understand that is a benefit. 5 stars. MW

Where do elements come from? I never really knew where elements came from until I read this article. I had a better understanding of where these elements came from after I read it. I learned that the supProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 nova on 1054 released huge amounts of light, more than a billion suns which is incredible. From these supernovas, they also released chemicals in space. The elements found were the 26 elements in the periodic table, came from inside the star. The chemicals in space then formed together to make ions, and more complicated elements. Eventually, these elements made their way down to earth. This all surprised me because before I wondered how these elements we were learning about were created or where they came from, but now I know.

Monica, Obviously the supernova that people saw didn't form the earth. It must have come from one a long time ago. Good thoughts. 5 stars. MW

Mole Day Article From the "Ask Monty Mole" article, there was a question that was asking why the term mole officially abbreviated mol, and not something shorter. In class we were wondering the same thing. In abbreviated terms, "Mo" is already the abbreviation for month, and ml is milliliters. They also couldn't use "m" since that already stands for mass and molality. They decided it would be best to go with the first three letters of the word. When possible, they try to use letters part of the word in scientific terms.

Monica, OK. 5 stars. MW


 * Dust Explosion**

I learned about the seven workers that were killed in a sugar plant in Georgia.Combustible dust is a part of certain chemicals, plastics, rubbers, and iron, woods, grains, and sugars. Most of the explosions were caused about by the chemicals, plastics, and rubber industrial sectors. I never knew that sugar could be explosive? We use it so much, and it's hard to imagine that it would cause a huge explosion like that. These explosions can be caused by static electricity which could set it off. It can stir up from the dust that has been settled in plants over the years, and when it mixes with oxygen, it is made into an explosion. The more I think about it, the more it makes sense.It's something that I never realized that could be responsible for death. This relates to stoichiometry because the dust mixed with the oxygen from the air. Then it added with the heat from the first explosion to make a second explosion.

Monica, Looks good! It is amazing to think of all the places dust can collect - and then explode! It makes you want to go dust something! 5 stars! MW


 * Sulfur Hexaflouride**

Something I already knew from this article was that a balloon filled with helium gas deflates quickly when all of the helium escapes from the balloon. I also knew that a helium balloon decreases in size over time because the helium atoms inside leak out faster than the air molecules outside can leak in. I also knew that sulfur hexaflouride could be a dangerous compound to breath in. I didn't know that when holding your breath for a certain amount of time, and your body feels the urge to breathe again is triggered by the buildup of carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. I also learned that since some people take in too much helium, they end up passing out from overdoing it. Something else I wasn't aware of was the fact that helium can make your voice lower, which I found interesting!

Monica, You got that last one backwards. Helium makes your voice higher! SF6 makes it lower. MW


 * Motion Detectors**

One thing from the article that I already knew is motion is detected when an object passes by. Another thing I knew is that light behaves like a wave. The third thing I already knew was when the article mentioned how rattlesnakes have special receptors on the side of their heads which detect infrared light. I learned that light can behave like a wave, but it behaves more like a particle. Another fact I didn't know was the automatic door and the police radar gun both use radio waves, which are very low-frequency electromagnetic waves. The third thing I learned was the photo sensors used in all motion detectors rely on light's ability to initiate an electric current, which is called the "photoelectronic effect."

Monica, OK. It's called the photoelectric effect but that's OK. 5 stars! MW