Truax,+Kirsten

__**An Invisible Fire**__

This article was very interesting, but it made me think about how many dangerous chemicals there are around the house. I didnt know that something that you would think so simple as rust remover that anyone could have in their house would be so devastating. Three things I didn't know were that hydroflouric acid can severely damage the body but leave little trace of damage on the skin, I didn't know that if a person didnt have enough calcium and magnesium their nerves fail and cell membranes collapse, and I didnt know that a person could die because of the hydroflouric acid. Three things I knew were that acids were formed when charged hydrogen atoms bond with nonmetal atoms, I also knew that hydroflouric acid was a strong enough acid to hurt someone, and I also knew that some things in your home are harmful to your health.

Kirsten,

Looks good! 5 stars! MW

__**Influences of Ancient Greek on Chemical Terminology**__

As I was reading this article I found information that was very interesting and stuck in my mind after I finished reading. These are my 'very important points.' My first VIP comes from the table on the first page with all the greek prefixes. Some of these prefixes i recognized from naming elements and polyatomic molecules. I think that it helps to remember when you know what things mean. My next VIP jumped out at me as I was browsing the table on the second page. Seeing how these elements got their names was really interesting to me. I found that I understand their names more now than before, not totally understanding what they meant I just took for granted their names, and now I understand what they are talking about. My final VIP which is also my MVP is where the word Chemistry came from. It could either come from the word khem, which is connecting it to Egypt and the practices there; or the Greek word cheo, which means "I cast or pour." This is my MVP because it's important to the basic understanding of Chemistry and the history behind it.

Kirsten,

Better late than never. Decent post. 4 stars. MW

__**Einstein's Miraculous Year**__

Growing up I always heard about Einstein and how smart he was. I never really knew what he was known for or why everyone thought he was so smart. I wanted to know why people were always talking about the same person and I wanted to know who he was too. Reading this article has helped me understand how smart Einstein is, I knew he was a genius but I didn't know what exactly he did. TProxy-Connection: keep-alive Cache-Control: max-age=0 s brings me to my first VIP. In 1905 Einstein wrote his first paper about the photoelectric effect. The idea had already been brought to the attention of the science world, but Einstein clarified and suggested another way for us to think about it. My second VIP, in 1905 Einstein also computed the dimensions of an atom! He used Brownian motion and observed dust particles in water, then he went on and wrote papers about Brownian motion. My MVP and third VIP, Einstein's special theory of relativity led to the predictions of black holes and the Big Bang Theory. Einstein has written so many papers and has done so many experiments. 1905 was a big year for Einstein, he did so many things, it was his coming out as a scientist. No one can think of him as anything but a genius.

Kirsten, Yes. Einstein is held up as "larger than life". Good job! I like the fact that this article expanded your horizons. 5 stars. MW


 * __Polymers in Field and Track__**

This article was interesting to me because I made connections to it from my experiences in Marching band and Field Hockey. I can personally agree that the turf is a lot hotter than the air, but I didn't know that it was because the dyed blades of material absorb solar radiation. The way that they said that the turf can be cooled was something I wouldn't have thought of, spraying water on the turf. It makes sense though, water absorbs heat and can hold that heat because of it's high specific heat. I also learned that the polymers that rubber is made of can tell if the rubber is vulcanized (having cross links) or unvolcunized (not having cross links). Overall I think the article was very interesting.

__**Salting Roads: The Solution For Winter Driving**__

This article helped me to understand a few things about driving in the winter and why I always see snowplows before it snows. As I was reading four points stuck out to me. My first VIP is that salt makes it harder for snow to form ice on the roads. When it starts to snow the first flakes melt and would form ice on the roads but because they put salt down before it snows it forms a salt solution. This lowers the freezing point. My second VIP is that there is a liquid deicing agent that the road crews can spray right on the ice that is more direct than spreading salt. My third VIP is that in a salt solution, for example, when ice crystals form it is only the pure H2O. The ions Na+ and Cl- aren't frozen. This is a way of purifying water which I hadn't heard of before. My MVP is that although NaCl works there are better salts available such as MgCl2 and CaCl2. They are even more environmentally friendly than NaCl. The reason why these salts work better that NaCl is because they form 3 ions instead of 2. The extra Cl- causes the freezing point to be even lower. I hadn't ever really thought of putting salt on roads in winter was all that interesting, but when you look at it even deeper it is interesting.

Kirsten, Great post and good point throughout I really love your last comment though. Learning enhances our lives in many ways! 5 stars! MW

__**Pool Chemistry**__

1. What chemicals are needed to keep the proper pH level?

2. How often is the pool superchlorinated or given a shock treatment?

3. Is there an algae problem at all?

Kirsten, OK. Now answer the questions! 1/2 way home. 5 stars. MW


 * __Flaking Away__**

This article allowed me to understand what really happens when something corrodes, this is something that I have also wondered about. Reading this and learning about the corrosion of metals in class has been very interesting. Three things that I knew were; reduction is when an atom gains electrons and oxidation is when an atom loses electrons, salt speeds up the corrosion because it acts as a better conductor, and finally that galvanization involved covering a piece of metal like a nail with a protective metal coating. Three things I learned were; rust's scientific name is ferric oxide and that this occurs after the ions of iron are formed and then react with oxygen, the chloride ions from the salt for stable complex ions with Fe3+ which helps speed up the corrosion, and finally that galvanization was originally explained as the use of electric shock. I found the article and the information from wikipedia as very interesting. Corrosion is always happening. I never really thought of it as a chemical reaction just that it was something that happened. Reading this article has brought new light to my knowledge of rusting.

Kirsten, Looks good. People are always looking for ways to prevent rust! 5 stars. MW