David+Darr

Periodic Table I found this article very interesting because it relates so well to what we learned about the trends in the periodic table. However, I completely disagree with most of the methods used in the article to change the periodic table. Two I found particularly stupid were the periodic galaxy and the periodic round table. The galaxy was the same thing as the table except it was shaped like a galaxy. It is the Star Wars-opoly of periodic table alternatives; it added a fancy background to a classic without changing the content. The reasoning for the changes is nonsensical, too. Changing it because elements come from the stars would be the equivalent to changing the paper that the Constitution is on to red, white, and blue because those are the colors on the flag. The periodic round table looked like it was made to be marketed to teachers without caring about becoming a viable alternative to the periodic table. It sounds like an idea that a moron would come up with, “Dude, can you imagine if this flat table was 3-D?!” The only thing I can see changing about the periodic table in the foreseeable future is the movement of hydrogen into a different group because it does not have the properties of any of the other elements it is placed with. I believe it should be placed above fluorine. On a final note to anybody thinking about changing the periodic table, if you are going to change it at least keep it a table and reformat that instead of coming up with confusing or pointless visuals.

Einstein’s Miracle Year The article about was very interesting and a little confusing. I do not understand what happens to the atoms that lose their electrons after light hits them. Does the metal that loses the electrons become elemental or ionized? By far the most interesting thing in this article was the part on the theory of relativity. I never thought that if you traveled at the speed of light the clock would appear to have stopped. I do not understand why the time on your wrist watch would be different upon return. This relates to class because recently we have been earning about light and its properties.

I read the article on hydrogen fuels cells. One interesting thing I learned is that hydrogen cars get 79 miles per gallon of hydrogen. The only drawbacks are that hydrogen cars are very expensive and hydrogen stations are hard to find. I was surprised to find that hydrogen cars are available right now, but people don’t use them because of the limited hydrogen stations. This relates to our class because the process that the hydrogen goes through in the car is basically the chemical reaction for combining hydrogen ions with oxygen to make water. This makes the car incredibly clean because it only emits water.

One thing that I found interesting from this article was how high the temperature was on the turf compared to air temperature. I learned that the track isn’t made from recycled rubber and instead is made from virgin rubber. This is relevant to our class because it involves temperature change from air to turf and the specific heat of rubber.