Freer,+Rachel

__An Invisible Fire__ While I was perusing this article, I was stunned by certain things I'd never known before and I recognized some that I know from prior courses. I, of course, was previously informed to always read warning labels of bottles, no matter where you have received them from (store, online, etc.). Therefore, I was also not shocked about the fact that these flesh-eating solutions are so easily accessible to everyone. Moreover, I was aware that the first layer of skin is made up of dead cells and that fluorine is extremely attracted to electrons; however I was oblivious about uncharged molecules easily passing through that first protective layer. In addition, I was astonished that such a weak acid could cause so much damage to the human body, solely based on the idea of an "electron hungry" element. Ultimately, I was intrigued by the concept of simply infusing calcium to solve all the issues the hydrofluoric acid caused.

Rachel, Well done. I like your writing style. :) 5 stars. MW

__Influences of Ancient Greek on Chemical Terminology__ During my browsing of this article, I came across some very intriguing as well as essential points. I chose to extract 4 different topics: three very important points and one most valuable point. One imperative idea I picked out was the origin of the word "chemistry," which was either from //khem// (mysterious arts practiced in Egypt) or //cheo// conveying "I cast or pour." I believe this is a fundamental detail to understand why we, as people, actually study chemistry. The next subject matter I believed was of importance was the common prefixes used in chemical instruments and formulas such as hyper-, poly-, kilo-, etc. These prefixes actually help one studying chemistry comprehend the concepts more thoroughly and most likely help them remember different things better. An example of this would be when you have __hyper__chlorate, since hyper- means over, you have one more oxygen atom than in chlorate. My last "VIP" I selected was the information about Greek numbers. Many people wonder why the number prefixes for naming molecular compounds are mono-, di-, tri-, etc. The Greek origins give a reason for the naming and could help people remember them as well. The idea I thought was most eminent was the fact that knowing Greek could help with chemistry. You'd not only know the words and concepts, but you would understand where they came from and why each thing was named as such.

Rachel, Good points! Looks like you enjoyed making connections from your reading. BTW there is no hyperchlorate; we call it perchlorate(per meaning that it contains the maximum number of oxygens in this case). 5 stars. MW

__Einstein's Miraculous Year__ Some of the facts I came across while browsing this article were facinating as well as important. Eistein had many key discoveries that led to better understanding of the world in terms of science. One main idea that sparked my interest was the original and then the proven theory about the photoelectric effect. It was first thought that higher intensity light was what caused electrons to fly off, but in reality, it was the frequency that affected it. When this fact was affirmed, it invalidated Newton's predictions, which I believed was a critical point in scientific history. The second "VIP" I found was the theory of relativity stating that measuring devices become falsified as the time or state changes. This was an important breakthrough in the scientific sector and even the world in general at the time. The last and most crucial point I came across was about the "discovery" of atoms and molecules. Before Einstein's time, there had been theories about these microscopic particles; however, it became generally accepted after Einstein's work. By studying the behavior of dust particles in water, Eistein actually calculated the dimensions of an atom, thus leading more scientists to acknowledge the existence of such small unseen objects. Considering atoms are the fundamental base of everything in the universe, it seems to me as though this approval was extraordinarily vital to the comprehension of the universe and life itself.

Rachel, Einstein's contributions to science are indisputable. Well done! 5 stars. MW

__Polymers in the Field and Track__ When looking over this engaging article, I stumbled upon some interesting, new, and chemistry-related facts. The most intriguing fact of the article was probably the one about the layers of the track being specially designed to create traction and to be used as a shock absorber. It also says that the system they use for the track actually increases the amount of energy going back into the athlete, which was facinating. I knew that Astroturf gets hotter than regular grass; however, I learned that the manufacturers actually suggest ways to help minimize the heat on the field, specifically by spraying it with water. It makes sense in the way they describe why it works, but I don't think I would have ever thought of the idea to try that in the first place. One fact, which I immediately grouped with chemistry was the rubber in the track, whether being vulcanized or unvulcanized. Instantly I made this connection due to the fact that the rubber is made up of polymer chains (made of matter, the fundamental idea in chemistry) and the makeup of the polymer chain is what determines it to be vulcanized (having cross links) or unvalcanized (not having cross links). I found all of the ideas in the article very intriguing and fun to learn about!

Rachel, Great connections to chemistry! Well done! 5 stars. MW

__Salting Roads: the Solution for Winter Driving__ While I was reading this extremely fascinating article, I discovered many new facts, but there were four that jumped out at me. A fairly important piece of information I found out was the fact that salt is used to prevent ice from forming on roads and highways. Because the first snowflakes that fall melt when they come in contact with the ground, they form a salt solution, which in turn makes it more difficult for the snow to form ice on the road. This actually ends up helping the snow plows to clear the road. The next fact I came across was that countries use salt to melt snow after it's already laid. At the surface of frozen water, the crystal lattice is not as structured as it is within the ice, which allows more reactivity ability with the salt. This creates a salt solution at the top, which eventually works its way throughout the snow. One more key fact was about new technology involved with salting the roads for winter weather. Now, the salt is already in a solution to make targeting areas easier and it contains special chemicals so that it won't harm the cars driving on it. Moreover, new bridges built are installed with special sprayers that have detectors to automatically spray the bridge. Despite the importance of all three of these facts, the most important would be why the salt works to begin with. When a salt solution freezes, the ions don't freeze with the water since they would mess up the structure. Because of this, pure water is actually the frozen part, but separating the water molecules takes more energy, thus the lower freezing point.

Rachel, Well written and thorough as usual! I wonder how many bridges actually have those sprayers. I think they would be expensive! 5 stars! MW

1. What types of tools do you use to check the pH of the water? How can you tell if it's too acidic or too basic? First, you take a sample of pool water in a container. You should try to get water from beneath the surface, because otherwise there could be particles affecting the pH at the surface. Then, you add a chemical from a pH testing kit and compare the color to the indicator. After you determine the pH, you have to record it in a pH log for the regulations workers to see. At CYHS, there is an automatic checker of the pH as well, but it needs to actually be done by a person about three times a day.

2. How do you deal with total dissolved solids and how has it been done in the past? Typically, at the CYHS facility, the pool is drained every 2 years over the summer. The summer after the pool was built it had to be drained due to a mess up on the construction workers' end and it has been half-drained since then. This summer will be the first official draining to get rid of the total dissolved solids in the pool. Before the pool is drained, the water must first be neutralized and the chlorine level needs to be dropped in order to not hurt the wildlife.

3. Which type of Chlorine, of the ones you've worked with, do you feel is the best one to use (most common: gaseous, Calcium Hypochlorite, Sodium Hypochlorite, and Trichloroisocyanuric Acid)? Which type do you use here at CYHS? At CYHS, Sodium Hypochlorite is used (NaClO) in the aqueous medium. It is easier to use than gaseous Chlorine due to the dangers of working with the gas rather than the aqueous solution. Sometimes, when the chlorine level is low and needs to be raised in a short amount of time, they will add granule pellets, but they are less convenient than the aqueous solution; adding a liquid to a liquid is easier than trying to dissolve the pellets.

Rachel, Awesome questions and answers! 10! MW

__Flaking Away__ By reading this article, I discovered many new facts and interesting ideas about electrochemistry. I already knew that reduction was the gain of electrons and oxidation was the loss of electrons, but I was unaware of the fact that there were so many different reactions involved in creating rust. Yet, at the same time, it is favored by nature. I knew that salt increases the rate of rusting, which is why it makes sense that in coastal and colder climates rusting is more of an issue. What I was unaware of is the fact that iron's natural form is rust. I knew that the metal itself was not the natural state, but I had no idea that rusting was the favored state of iron. I also knew that making cars and buildings out of gold and other precious metals was a bad idea. Not only would people try to get the gold from the buildings, but they are also more rare metals (making them more difficult to find), and are typically softer meaning they wouldn't serve their purpose. In addition, I had no clue that they were making high tech paints to try to stop corrosion. I think this is neat because they're incorporating chemistry into the design of the car to make it less subjected to corrosion. The last thing I learned was the fact that galvanization does not work after a few years have passed. This makes sense, but I just never thought of it. I did know about the galvanization process and how a metal is coated with a more easily oxidized metal to protect it from corrosion.

Rachel, Good post! It seems nature wants its iron(III) back! 5 shiny stars! MW