Rehman,+Olivia


 * August 29th --- An Invisible Fire**

As I was reading the article I came across many shocking and fascinating pieces of information, such as the fact that something as simple as Industrial Laundry Rust Remover could kill somebody. Before reading this article I was aware that acids and other sorts of chemicals existed in regular household items, but finding out that some of the chemicals could harm you this quickly just by coming in contact with the skin is surprising. I knew that there were many different types of burns, including chemical burns and burns that happen from touching hot objects. Although, I wasn't quite sure what all was involved with chemical burns. While reading the article I found out that chemical burns kill cells because of a reaction that occurs on the surface of the skin. Hydrofluoric acid has to pass through the skin, which it does quickly, and then easily passes through the dead cells where it reaches the living cells and the worst damage occurs. However I did have some previous knowledge on charged atoms, and how they are searching for electrons like the fluoride did with the tissues of the body. Also while reading, I found out that chemical burns do not show many symptoms, at least not for a while. Most of the damage occurs under the skin. The only thing the doctor noticed was some swelling, so it was good that he brought the bottle!

Olivia, Not all chemical burns act as HF does, that's what makes it so nasty! Anyway good post and good reflections. 5 stars. MW


 * September 18th --****- Influences of Ancient Greek on Chemical Terminology**-

This article about ancient Greek influences on chemical terms was very interesting. Some of the terms were familiar because I have taken three classes of Latin so far, which have given me some basic knowledge of root words which have been seen in chemistry. I found several things in this article to be very important, and two of these included... "The first four members of the series (methane, ethane, propane, and butane) are not named strictly according to the Greek number system." This was important to me because it shows us that although the basic knowledge of Greek words can be useful not everything follows a specific pattern like these for example. Also, "The ancient Greek civilization is called classical for its major contributions to human knowledge, especially in the fields of philosophy, astronomy, literature, mathematics and science in general." This is something useful to know because if you were to be interested in any of these fields it would be helpful to take a class like Latin, or research some common Greek root words to assist you. Finally, the most valuable piece of information that I read about seemed to be... "In order to better understand the meaning of Greek-derived words it is first necessary to look at word prefixes and suffixes from the Greek language." I felt that this was most important because while it is not extremely specific it applies to many things. This method of deciphering can help people when it comes to looking at any words, but especially in chemistry or other science related fields.

Olivia, Wow an extensive, rich post! I'm happy to read that this has helped you gain an appreciation for Latin class - perhaps you should mention that to Ms Reynolds! Well done. 5 stars. MW


 * November 4th --- Einstein's Miraculous Year**

While reading this article, there were three major parts that stood out to me, each of them having a great impact on the world of science today. These three very important pieces of information include... Einsteins theory of relativity, the atomic theory, and the photoelectric effect. Although each of these are very broad topics, the idea of each of them as a whole is what makes them important. The //theory of relativity// involved Einsteins assumption that "light is the universal speed limit". This resulted in a general theory of relativity that incorporated gravity, and led to the prediction of the Big Bang theory and black holes. Einsteins //atomic theory// led to the acceptance of atomic theory by everyone, even those scientists who didn't believe in atoms. It was the first time that the dimensions of an atom were measured. This led to the discovery of something that is common knowledge to us today; that all matter is composed of atoms. The third very important piece and also, the most valuable piece of information, the //photoelectric effect,// discovered something very useful. This showed that the frequency of light, not the intensity, causes the electrons to leave the metal, and that higher frequency makes electrons leave faster. This also led to the knowledge of threshold frequency and the discovery of photons. The reason that this seems to the be "MVP" in my opinion, is because at the time it had the most beneficial effects and results. It produced a burst of experimental activity in the scientific world, and the explanation of this created links between the microscopic structure of light and matter, and observable properties. Each of these discoveries of Einstein led to other great discoveries and has brought us to where we are today in the scientific world. It is surprising that we take most of this knowledge for granted when it took so long to discover!

Olivia, Nice post. Your voice comes through clearly in your writing! 5 stars. MW


 * December 10th --- Polymers in the Field and Track**

The article we read, "Polymers in the Field and Track," was a very interesting piece reflecting on the use of chemistry in the area of sports. It began by talking about the history of "Chemgrass" and the different uses of the many artificial surfaces that exist. Specifically, the article discussed the polyolefins used for the blades of grass found in the turf used on athletic fields. The track construction was also discussed allowing us to be able to visualize the processes that go into making and manufacturing this type of turf. Something interesting that I found while reading this article is that the yardlines and goallines on the fields are made with colored blades that come as a part of the turf, and that they are not painted on! Also, I learned that the track retains heat easily and becomes much hotter on warm summer days than the actual temperature is outside. The temperature investigation that the students performed sounds like a fun activity and a good way to learn by doing things hands on, being able to see the actual product, much like the labs we perform in class. All in all, this was a good informational piece that allowed chem students to get a broader view on the different aspects of the chemistry field that are involved in todays society.

Olivia, OK. Maybe something to try this spring. 5 stars. MW


 * January 25th --- Salting Roads**

While reading the article "Salting Roads," I found many pieces of it very important and interesting. While the article centered on the general topic of salting roads and the chemical processes involved, some pieces stuck out more than the others. The first very important piece of information I learned from this text was that when you add salt to ice it "melts" the ice because it lowers the freezing point, causing the new mixture of water and salt to require lower temperatures to freeze. So salt does not actually melt the ice, but alters its freezing point and other physical properties. Another very important piece found in this article was when it discussed the fluid form of the deicing substance which is pumped through hoses and sprayed on surfaces. Along with this, they add anticorrosive substances to protect cars and highways from salt damage. Knowing that this method and others are being developed with todays knowledge of chemistry is important to the future. The final and most valuable piece of information that I learned while reading this article is the concept of freezing point depression. This is the difference in temperature between where the pure solvent freezes and where the solution starts to freeze. Understanding this concept allows you to understand that the lower the temperature goes depends on the solvent and its concentration. Together this information explains how and why salt works, while the other important pieces focused more on specific areas of salt and its effects.

Olivia, Good MVP. I think you got the main point(s) from this article! 5 stars. MW


 * March 8th --- Water Chemistry for Swimming Pools**

1. //How often do you check the pH? Does it change a lot overnight/day-to-day until you are able to check it?// The pH is checked typically three times a day or more. The levels change, but not very often. This is because the pool has an automatic controller. This is a computer that reads the pH and chlorine levels and changes to accomodate changes in the pool. However, this can sometimes cause problems. For example, Mr. Miller told us about one time when there was a big swim meet being held at our school and lots of people were in the water. Because of all the people the computer read the chlorine level as being low, so it raised the chlorine at a faster rate. This was okay at the time, but a day later, the pool's chlorine level had shot up to read 4.0 rather than 2.0. Therefore, he had to to re-calibrate it so that it was not pumping chlorine at such a fast rate.

2. //How long does it take all of the water in the pool to be filtered one time?// The proper term for when the water is filtered one time is called a "turnover." For the water in the pool to do this one time it takes somewhere between seven and nine hours. The time that it takes for this to happen depends on the flow rate. This can be monitored along with the pH and chlorine levels. The flow rate is usually somewhere between 999 gallons and 1200 gallons per minute. The total gallons of water in the pool at the high school is 500,000, so you can easily imagine why it would take so long.

3. //What are some possible reason's for the pool to be shocked?// Occasionally, but not very often, the pool needs to be shocked. This is due mostly to blood born pathogens. These are the result of student's that are ill with diahrrea or who throw up in the pool. This is because the viruses and the bacteria that results from these can be passed to others who are in the pool, and are not taken care of by the chlorine. Shocking is a process that elevates the chlorine levels quickly, and kills bacteria rapidly. People are evacuated from the pool during this process, and it can be done in a little less that an hour. Also, many times swimmers can get bloody noses or small cuts which may seem bad, but are not a very big deal due to the chlorine in the water which can easily neutralize these smaller problems.

Olivia, Very impressive! You really got a lot out of the reading and the tour. 10 huge stars! MW.

**April 19th --- Flaking Away**

While reading the article F//laking Away//, there were many things I recognized from our discussion in class and from my knowledge of electrochemistry, but there were also many other things I didn't have much previous knowledge about, and learned from this article. The first thing I recognized from the article was the process involved in forming rust. This process is an electrochemical reaction that involves the reactions of reduction and oxidation, where atoms are losing and gaining electrons. This makes perfect sense because of what we have been studying in class. The second thing I recognized from our discussion was what needs to happen for the redox reaction to take place, which includes an anode (metal), a cathode (oxygen), and an electrolyte solution. The last thing that was mentioned in the article that was very familiar to our discussion was the possibility of using gold or silver to make cars. We discussed this large improbability in class today when we said that gold is much to soft, and would not hold up in an accident, and also it is very dense and would way a large amount. Gold and silver are also both very expensive and would cost way to much money to keep. These are a few of the things I was already aware of when I began reading this article, but there were also a few things I found new and interesting while reading. The first of these includes the fact that a certain amount of physical strain can leave stress points in a metal which can create anodic regions in the metal where it can be more easily oxidized than at other areas on the metals surface. Secondly, while we have often discussed the process of rust forming, I never really saw the actual reaction written out. The article demonstrated this to me and I was able to see the oxidation and reduction states of this reaction. Also with this, I learned the chemical name of rust which is ferric oxide, formed by ferrous hydroxide and oxygen. The third thing I learned more about was how climate can effect the amount of rust seen in an area. This is due to the amount of salt, either from a coastal region, or from salt laid on roads in the winter seasons. This salt speeds rust's redox reaction along by making the water a better conductor, accelerating the corrosion process.

Olivia, Well done! Looks like you got quite a bit out of this article. 5 stars! MW