I hope you all had a great Fourth of July.

Anyone go see a fireworks show? Mary Hudson, Laura, Anna and I saw a great show here in Asheville from the top of a tall mountain (hiking up a steep road with an infant is much more difficult than it sounds).

Anyway, as we watched the show, I thought about you all and wish we could have spent some time studying the chemistry behind firework colors, explosions, etc.

So, here’s the next best thing

Pure chemistry (and awesomeness)! It’s all about science (of course).

Bytesize Science Presents: The Chemistry of Fireworks from ACS Pressroom on Vimeo.

From ByteSize Science (great podcast you should subscribe to in iTunes etc).

Amazing.

Reflect on this next year as you enter into your studies of biology!

What are the ethical implications?

2 Points Extra Credit for the best response (click the link to learn more about Dihydrogen Monoxide)…

Facts About Dihydrogen Monoxide: “Dihydrogen Monoxide (DHMO) is a colorless and odorless chemical compound, also referred to by some as Dihydrogen Oxide, Hydrogen Hydroxide, Hydronium Hydroxide, or simply Hydric acid. Its basis is the highly reactive hydroxyl radical, a species shown to mutate DNA, denature proteins, disrupt cell membranes, and chemically alter critical neurotransmitters. The atomic components of DHMO are found in a number of caustic, explosive and poisonous compounds such as Sulfuric Acid, Nitroglycerine and Ethyl Alcohol.”

Dihydrogen monoxide:
- is called “hydroxyl acid”, the substance is the major component of acid rain.
- contributes to the “greenhouse effect”.
- may cause severe burns.
- is fatal if inhaled.
- contributes to the erosion of our natural landscape.
- accelerates corrosion and rusting of many metals.
- may cause electrical failures and decreased effectiveness of automobile brakes.
- has been found in excised tumors of terminal cancer patients.

Despite the danger, dihydrogen monoxide is often used:
- as an industrial solvent and coolant.
- in nuclear power plants.
- in the production of Styrofoam.
- as a fire retardant.
- in many forms of cruel animal research.
- in the distribution of pesticides. Even after washing, produce remains contaminated by this chemical.
- as an additive in certain “junk-foods” and other food products.

What should we do about the Dihydrogen Monoxide problem? Should Dihydrogen Monoxide be banned?

Make sure to use your brain

More fun info based on our studies of elements, chemical reactions, acids and salts so far this year…

HowStuffWorks “Why does fake gold turn your skin green?”: “When you buy a cheap, fake gold ring, it’s likely made of mostly copper. When you perspire, the metals in the ring react with the acid in your sweat to form salts, which are green. These acids are essentially causing the copper to corrode on the surface of the metal, which forms a salt compound of the metal. These salts are absorbed into the skin and the result is a decidedly green digit. This is nothing to be worried about; it’s not a metal allergy you’re suffering from. It simply means that the gold ring you thought was real is really just a cheap imitation. Metal allergies cause redness and swelling, not a dull green color. Another way to spot fake gold is that it can rust in high humidity or over time. “

The world is much more interesting when you know a little background information!

Here are the 10 problems we started on today (click).

Additionally, you can try your hand on the interactive balancing activity site here:

Element Balancing Activity

Let me know if you have any questions!

I can’t believe we’re already half-way done with October!

Anyway, here is the note sheet on Chemical Equations that we completed in class:

Download as a PDF

View as a Web Page

Remember to do questions 4 and 5 on page 201 for Homework if you didn’t complete them in class.

There’s a strong possibility you’ll have a quick check-up quiz on Monday which will be 5-10 chemical equations for you to balance, so study up!

*There are many good chemical equation tutorial sites on the web if you do a quick Google search. I’d suggest looking at this one if you want to try some extra problems or need extra help.*

I’ll be home this weekend, so feel free to email, IM, call, Skype, Twitter, Facebook, smoke signal, etc me if you have any questions!

Today we continued our studies of Antoine Lavoisier and his importance to chemistry (and many other areas).

Here is a link to the reading that we covered in class on the life of Lavoisier.

Additionally, here’s a link to the Wikipedia article we discussed which has a couple of fantastic pictures relating to Mr. Lavoisier and his experiments.

Remember, your homework is due tomorrow. In case you forgot…

Your Homework:
Find 10 important points about Lavoisier from our conversation in class or from your own readings of their linked texts.

Write/type/blog those points and your responses to them in complete sentences.

(Your points should not just regurgitate what others have said but include your own insights).

See you tomorrow!

Here are the notes we started covering in class on Tuesday and will finish up on Wednesday (your homework is on the last slide):

If you have trouble finding points for your homework, try clicking on Antoine Lavoisier’s and Dmitri Mendeleyev’s names at the top of slides 9 and 10. Those links will take you to the texts of their respective books.

Check this out:

I wonder if your cars will be powered by hydrogen combustion someday? I hope so.

I’ve just finished grading Test 1.

You can see your results on http://www.mygradebook.com.

If your dog/cat/squirrel ate your password or (for some reason!) you have forgotten/lost your password, send me an email/Facebook message/IM/txt and ask.

For the most part, the grades you see will be your final grades for the semester.

Let me just say I’m am SO proud of you all… thank you for being fantastic students.

Mr. H