Abbey+Miklitsch

The first graphic Classification of Matter, is extremely descriptive by having first, questions you can ask yourself when your questioning if something is a heterogeneous mixture, solution, element, or compound. By process of elimination it takes you down through the different possibilities and includes different pictures to verify your reasoning. The second chart, begins with matter unlike the first, and then branches off in different directions based on the what you know about the substance until you narrow down a more specific response for exactly what it is. This graphic is different from the first because of the lack of actual pictures to compare with. The third image is very similar to the second, being almost identical in structure and information besides the fact that at the very bottom it includes examples of what your matter is. Neither of the other two images show this. My personal favorite would be the second graphic, only because it is one of the easier ones to read, and you can use it to very quickly eliminate the different possibilities of what your matter could possibly be. %Pr

Good Post! MW

__Separation of Matter__

While working in our lab partners, I found it interesting that the different pigments of the candies could be pulled apart to the point that you could actually see the different colors and shades that were put into them to begin with. It seemed like such a simple process to me, I was surprised that something that seems so complex could actually be done so easily with very little materials or hard to find supplies. I also did not know that this was something that could be done with something as common as everyday candy. I had seen the process before, done with different types of leaves and watched the different colors of pigments pulled out of those, but it had just never occurred to me that this could be done with other objects as well.

__Why is messurement imnportant to you?__

Measurement is important to me in lots of way in my life I suppose. Probably in hunderds of ways that I dont even know about. One of tProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 first ones that comes to mind however is in medication and how important that is that the measurement is compeltely accurate.. I would be extremely upset if they were to overdose me on any type of medication because of a mistake in mesaurement. That could be fatal in tons of cases if the mg dosage were to be misread or mistaken. So having this messed up would be extremely upsetting, and possibly very harmful. Another way that it effects my life is in pole vaulting. On the track before the vault, you have a runway where it's marked in feet, how far back you begin your run before you approach the mat. If your steps are off even by a few inches, it completely throws off your vault. Which could result in me either getting injured, or in missing my chance at winning a meet.

Abbey, So many things have to go right for a successful pole vault, you defintely don't want a messed up measurement.Good thought! MW

__Redefining the Kilogram__

I agreed with the ideas in the article, Redfining the Kilogram. Such as replacing the kilogram with the Avogrado's constant. It's important, at least in my opinion to keep the standard completely accurate. Although i'm sure there's a ton of people who would agree with me on that, because if it was different so much could go wrong with everyone's measurments being different. It would defeat the purpose to begin with. You cannot use a measurment it any sort of experiment or project unless your consistant the entire time. If it were to differ, then all of your results would be skewed and you wouldn't ever get any accurate data. Plus you could never re-do an experiment. Avogrado's constant is easier to take care of than the current kilogram, it's already lost mg as it is. Hopefully BIPM will make the right decision in making the kilogram easier and more secure than it is now, they need to think ahead about how their actions will be affecting the future of the kilogram and the factors it relates to. It's important to keep it accurate.

__Airline Security__

Wow reading that article really was interesting. I really hadn't ever questioned the extensive process of scanning all the bags at airports, although I knew that the security had increased and changed dramatically after 9/11 i didn't realize what an impossible task it seemed like, and how hard they work at it. What i really thought was interesting was that airports will find around 20 firearms in people's bags a week. Are you kidding me? Who's the people out there that still think that's okay? I mean i'm not a frequent flier, but it's pretty much common sense you don't do that sort of stuff.... Also, it was sort of distrubing finding out how easy the 'homemade bomb' information is to obtain. Sure made me feel good. I can't imagine what it would be like having to create a technology to scan for that sort of stuf? Sounds like a pretty complex job to me. Abbey, Well constructed post. Scary indeed! 5 stars. MW

__Mole Day__

My my! Mole day is quite the big deal in the world of chemists. I enjoyed clicking around the website and reading all the different things people do for this "sacred" day of October 23rd. With theme's changing from year to year, this year being the "Molar Express" to having graphics and pictures, Mole of the year award (for those who contributed the most to Mole day that specific year) Having pledges for the Mole, songs, and a huge collection of witty and interesting t-shirt designs It's quite more the holiday than I once had thought. Originally designed by a school teacher to get students interested & excited about chemistry, it really seems to have taken affect. With a ton of different jokes and terms relating to Mole day which can be incorporated into just about anything, what group of student's wouldn't want to celebrate the Mole?!!? I think that it's a terrific idea and I hope that it just continues to grow throughout the years :)

MY MY!!!! hey abbey your post was very cool!

- wolf

Abbey,

Well written but did you find anything scientific on the website? 4 stars. MW

__Dust Explosions__

It's never even crossed my mind that such tiny particles of something as harmless as sugar could be so deadly! Who would've thought?? Such tiny dust particles can be explosive? It's crazy really, if something as harmless as sugar can cause such devastation then we probably have so many "accidents waiting to happen" all over the place. It really makes me think about all the other factories and business out there and makes me wonder about the kind of procedures they have to go through in order to keep their buildings safe. From reading the article, it didn't really say much about what is done to prevent these explosions...which leads me to wonder if anything is being done? Or if there is anything that COULD be done? I also found it interesting that it creates explosions that happen in "waves" meaning that if the whole building is lacking in their cleaning up of dust particles, they could really be in for some trouble!

Abbey, Good thoughts but a bit light on stoichiometry. MW

__Sulfur Hexafluoride__

I thought that this article was very interesting. One of the things that really surprised me was that a sulfur hexafluoride balloon could actually take in oxygen and get bigger over time. I thought balloons could only lose air, because when helium balloons loose their gas its wha causes them to sink after a few days. Interesting stuff. Also, when i was reading about how the molecule is completely symmetrical which is what causes it to stay at room temperature, I learned that it was because of all the canceling out down by polar bonds. I also liked learning about all the different kinds of properties that the different gases have. I wonder who the first person to breathe that stuff in was? And I wonder how panicked they got when they noticed the changes in their voice, that's either really brave or really stupid discoveries.

Abbey, Good thoughts and a good question about who was first to breathe SF6, or He for that matter. MW

__Motion Detectors__

Ahh the more I read about this subject the more I enjoy learning about it. I love how easily everything relates to our everyday lives, it's much easier learning about something when I have some background on it that applies to me, and not some farfetched crazy chemistry law. For example, when the article talked about the function of motion detectors, i thought it was awesome that they actually have echo detectors. Right away this made me think of bats and how they hunt and capture they're prey based off of the echo's and vibrations they recieve from them since they're blind. I wonder if this is similar to the type of sonar rays, or whatever they are, that certain fish use deep down in the depths of the ocean where light is limited. Another way the detectors function is through heat, or infared rays. Similar to the night vision goggles you see everywhere....(found in many video games too!) The detectors are also used to track light beams that are reflected back, if something gets in the way of the beam it sets off the "something's in the way of the beam" signal. I also read that this same method is what is used in elevators to prevent them from squishing people in the doors...which I thought was interesting. Why is it that sometimes then, even when you put your hand in the way they still seem to shut? Would that be because the lighting is changed and is causing the beams to act differently? I also want to mention how disappointed I was when i read that the criss crossed beams were only used in hollywood movie sets...

Wow! Well written Abbey! This is a great post! I'm glad you see some of the importance to the stuff we are learning! :)

MW