Monday, May 17, 2010

Experimenting with Baking Soda and Vinegar


I will be putting you through the process of mixing vinegar and baking soda. This is a list of the process on how to experiment with the two substances.
  • Pour the baking soda into a container, above any surface that will be easily cleaned.
  • Then pour the vinegar that can be colored in order to highlight the reaction.
The baking soda should bubble up and react with the vinegar, and releases gases from this chemical reaction. Be careful to wear goggles, because the baking soda and vinegar mixture could splash into your eyes causing great pain.

Fun Fact!
The reaction going on is a double replacement, and therefore creates sodium acetate and carbon dioxide as well as producing water. The carbon dioxide released will create pressure, and if the mixture is capped, it will explode! Which is very fun to watch!

Making Rock Candy MiniProject


So, in class we made rock candy which requires these ingredients, and these materials.
  • 2 cups of water
  • 4 cups of granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of flavoring oil (optional)
  • food coloring (optional)
  • glass jar
  • skewer or thread
  • hot plate
Heat the water, and slowly add the sugar one cup at a time until it is fully dissolved. Then add the flavoring oil and food coloring. Once the syrup is cool, pour it into the glass jar, and allow the skewer or thread to hang one inch away from the bottom of the glass jar.
Wait for the sugar to crystallize on the thread, then enjoy.

Caution! BE AWARE OF HOT PLATE

Fun Fact!
The candy is formed by water and sugar that evaporate and leave a crystal of sugar.

PHOTO CRED: DAVID WHEELER

Friday, May 14, 2010

How Temperature, Pressure and Surface Area affects the dissolving process.

Chemistry Standard 6c. Students know temperature, pressure and surface area affect the dissolving process.

There are three main factors that change the solubility of a solution are Temperature, Pressure and Surface Area. Usually when a substance cannot dissolve all of the particles, then it has become saturated. By implementing the three factors, you will be able to change the rate of dissolving a substance, and you will also change the amount of solute that can be dissolved.
The Temperature's effect on the dissolving process is clear. Heat allows for the solute to be dissolved quicker, and also increases the solubility of the solvent.
Pressure, causes the solute to be increased in the solvent, because the pressure forces the remaining gases into the solute. Therefore, pressure increases the solubility, and also changes the reaction rate.
Finally, the surface area exposed to the solvent determines the rate of which a solute will dissolve. For example, a large crystal of salt will not dissolve as quickly as powdered salt, because the powdered salt has more surface area exposed, speeding up the reaction time.

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The Bending of Glass...With Fire!


So, for my mini-project, I decided to show you the process of bending glass...

  • take any circumference glass tube
  • use filer to determine desired length, and make a crease in glass with filer
  • push along crease with thumbs pointing down
  • light burner and begin bending glass! with tongs of course!
FUN FACT!
Glass is made up of sand originally, and contains other ingredients in order to determine the strength of it. When shaped, the glass is annealed, which means allowing for the molecules to cool slowly, so then they can retain the molecular structure. If the structure is not retained, then the glass will break.

Photo Cred: David Wheeler

Friday, April 30, 2010

Mills Creek Canyon


So, on April 29th, yesterday, Mr. Olson conducted a field trip up the hill at Mills Creek Canyon. The experience of trekking along in the wilderness was very exhilarating. We passed by many species of plants, and soon came across poison oak, which was thankfully labeled. Well anyways, there were many insects, animals and other wildlife available for us to see. One of the more interesting parts of the trail was the creek. This area does not seem to have a lot of creeks, so the sight of running water was very pleasing to see. However, the route to the creek can be hazardous at times, but is very worth it. So, I will let you see how we got there, and the basic route of the trail once in Mills Creek Canyon.

View Field Trip in a larger map

UGH

BORING WEEK.... except for the international assembly...
which wasn't very entertaining...
so yea...

Friday, April 16, 2010

IProposeWe experiment with air pressure


Materials: Vacuum, Alarm, Feather, Metal Washer, Magnet, Marshmallow, Goggles

Procedure:

Flip the plastic shield of the vacuum over. Place the feather underneath the metal washer in the center of the shield. Then place the magnet beneath the shield so the feather is held by the metal washer inside. Place the shield on the vacuum. Turn on the vacuum. Record Observations. Turn off vacuum.

Place marshmallow in the center of the vacuum. Place shield on vacuum. Turn on vacuum. Record Observations. Turn off vacuum.

Place Alarm in vacuum. Turn on Alarm. Place shield on vacuum. Turn on vacuum. Record Observations. Turn off vacuum.

Safety Precautions:
  • Wear goggles in order to protect your eyes if anything unexpected happens
  • Be cautious in operating the vacuum
Scientific Principles
  1. Increasing Air Pressure dampens sound
  2. Increased Air Pressure does not provide air resistance
  3. After increasing air pressure, all the air in the marshmallow will be lost, shrinking the marshmallow

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

David Webb And His Special Vacuum


LOL This tuesday we had a guest speaker named David Webb, who I actually thought wouldn't be as interesting as his presentation. He used a vacuum, and with it, he demonstrated many different situations where how our atmospheric pressure is different than if there is almost no pressure at all. This fascinated me very much, and I thought that his presentation was very good. By experiencing the reactions of different pressures, I have begun to have a better understanding of how pressure can affect things in our world.
VACUUM!

Comp Book


So, every week or so Mr. Olson makes us bring a composition book in which we take folded paper, and tape them into the book. The paper used has information which he allows for us to use on the tests, which actually comes in handy. So, if you have Mr. Olson you should know that the Cbook is very handy.
OMG SO COOL!

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Four Day Week


This week we worked on equilibrium, which isnt very hard. We have our energy test next week which im not looking forward to. I think im gonna study for it sooo yea.... uhhh i have no clue what to say so yea. Oh i had a chinese test which i think i failed even though i am a chinese person. Its a disgrace even though most of the asians at this school cant speak their native language either. So everyone is disabled.

LEARN CHINESE!

hooray for school!


so, we havent been doing much in school, but on Friday we get to go to the library. Oh, and i think i got extra credit to help demonstrate an equilibrium so thats pretty cool. itll help my grade at least... I hope that our equilibrium unit wont be hard. Equilibrium!

golf season


we started our golf season, and i hate to say it but our team is VERY weak...we only have 4 veterans, and one of them isnt very good. And all of the newcomers arent any better. so i will be sulking along because our golf team isnt very good. but at least we got to learn about thermochemistry! HERE!

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

HOLY S***!!!!!


OMG WHAT A WEEK....
WE JUST HAD PLANNING....
AND I HAVE LIKE A BUNCH OF QUIZZES AND TESTS
AND I AM JUST LIKE OMGWDFLOL
SO I DECIDED TO RELAX WITH GOLF!
AND MUSIC LIKE THIS!
really good music!

Thursday, February 11, 2010

OMG WHAT A FLAMING WEEK!


HOORAY!
i came back from Disneyland, where i had a blast!
Now im back to school, and we had a lab about Magnesium!
Lets see what it looks like burning in a still frame!

OK now to learn about Magnesium!

YAY!

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

HAHA!!!! BUBBLES OF FLAME!!!!!!


OMG CAHSEE TESTING.....
NOT FUN
NO MORE TIME FOR FUN
and we must finish another packet.....
OH but we did some labs that were kinda fun
and the balancing equations was time consuming
but i think i have made some progess, and im pretty happy!!!!
that looks familiar ------------------------------------------------->>
IM GOING TO DISNEYLAND TOO!!!!

MY FOUR DAY WEEKEND!

start off the week with a test....


NOT FUN!
start off the week with a test =(
BUT! We eventually began to learn about REACTIONSSS
like the ones that make things go BOOM!
oh like how rust and Aluminum MAKES A SMALL BOOM
and it was funny how will somewhat failed...
LMAO SOO FUNNY!!!!
but, our packets are due AGAINNN, but its not that difficult.
THANK YOU!!!!

CAN WE DO ONE OF THESE??

HOORAYYYY!!!!!


OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!
SO apparently our test was POSTPONED TO NEXT WEEK!!!!!
I AM SOO HAPPY
not that i dont understand it...
JUST CUZ ITS A TESTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
BUT we had to finish our little packet...
=(

HAHA!!!

RAWR AGAIN


Back again at school..... NOT FUN!!!!!! I am very sleepy.... and i cant remember anything... its very sad =(

APPARENTLY THIS IS WHAT A SCHOOL IS SUPPOSED TO BE!!!!

School is definitely not LEISURELY

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Like Dissolves Like




Dissolving is the process in which a solvent is used to break down bonds within a solute. The solution is then a mixture of the broken down solute and the solvent. The meaning Like Dissolves Like means that the charge of each atom used to break down the solute has to be the opposite, and equal charge in order to create a neutral charge. Because like charges repel each other, the charges must be negative and positive, and that is what allows for solutes to be broken down. An example like mixing water and oil shows an example of where they are not likes so they cannot dissolve within each other.

solution!
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCESoft/CCA/CCA2/MAIN/LIKEDIS1/CD2R1.HTM