Darr,+Adam

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This article intrigued me; it stresses the dangers of working with chemicals even when outside of a lab setting. I learned that hydrofluoric acid can damage deep tissues while leaving little to no trace visible on the skin. Also I did not know that fluoride grabs onto calcium and magnesium in the body. Furthermore I learned that death can occur from the skin being exposed to very small amounts of the chemical. I already knew some of the things represented in the article, for example I knew that just because something is a weak or strong acid doesn't relate to its corrosiveness or the fact that it could be potentially harmful. I also knew that many harmful chemicals are present in household and industrial products which many commonly use without reading the warnings. Lastly I knew that in chemical burns the cells are killed by a chemical reaction. Overall, the article showed me that hydrofluoric acid is something that I'd prefer to avoid.======

Adam, Good points all around! Well done. 5 stars! MW


 * Influences of Ancient Greek on Chemical Terminology**

While reading this article I stumbled upon many important points. I labeled these points with the title "Very Important Point", or VIP. I also found one point to be the Most Valuable Point (MVP). The first VIP that I found was that many people in academia use chemical terminology without understanding the meaning of the words. I thought this was important because knowing the actual meanings of the words would seem to help one gain a better understanding of the subject in which they are speaking of. My second VIP was the table (Table 4) listing all the numerical prefixes used for naming compounds. These seemed important because these prefixes are very commonly used in the field of chemistry. The final VIP I highlighted was the general Greek terms used in introductory chemistry courses. I found these to be important because without a proper knowledge of these terms it is very hard to excel in a chemistry course at any level. The MVP I chose was the conclusion which stated, "...an elementary knowledge of Greek prefixes and suffixes, together with a few selected Greek words, can lead to a better understanding of the exact meanings of these terms." I found this to be most important point because it is able to sum up the entire idea of the article in one sentence.

Adam, Not only does this knowledge promote learning it enriches it. Well done!! 5 stars. MW


 * Einstein's Miraculous Year**

Albert Einstein made a plethora of contributions to a variety of scientific topics. While reading "Einstein's Miraculous Year", I comprised a list of VIPs with one of these VIPs also being the coveted MVP. My first VIP was the fact that Einstein used careful observations of dust particles to help the atomic theory to gain acceptance in the scientific community. The amount of persistence it must have taken to calculate the dimensions of an atom is mind boggling to say the least! My second VIP was the fact that Einstein discovered that both "time and space are relative states for the same object". The idea that both time and space are not independent of one and other must have been revolutionary at the time. Finally, the MVP I chose was that Einstein's work helped future scientists to explain other aspects of the universe such as black holes, the Big Bang theory, and the quantum mechanical model. The fact that his contributions helped further many scientific fields makes Einstein a truly incredible scientist.

Adam, No doubt about your concluding sentence! Well done. 5 stars. MW


 * Polymers in the Field**

While reading this article I started to get a little bored until I reached the section on the student investigation of turf temperature. To me, it seemed interesting that the temperature of the field would get increase so rapidly. However what intrigued me the most was the fact that the solution to this problem was relatively easy and backed by basic thermodynamics. I learned that spraying water on the field immediately lowers the temperature and is able to make it more resistant to temperature change. This is due to the fact that water has such a high heat capacity. Overall, the article reassures the fact that chemistry can be found everywhere, even on your local high school football field.

Adam, OK. Good connection to thermo. 5 stars. MW


 * Salting Roads**

In this article I was able to find 3 very important points (VIPs), as well as the most valuable point (MVP). My first VIP was the fact that highway workers use salt to keep the roads clear. I chose this point because I found it interesting that something as simple as salt help eliminate snow and ice from the roads. My second VIP was that organizing the water molecules into a crystal form requires more energy than if one were to just freeze water. Hence any solution will have a lower freezing point than simply water. This point helped to give me insights on what is actually occurring at the molecular level when salt is laid on the roads and why the freezing point is lowered. My final VIP was that salts that have a larger amount of ions have lower freezing points. This is due to the fact that the amount of dissolved particles in a solution contribute to the lowering of the freezing point. Finally, my MVP was the fact that chemistry plays a key role in keeping the roads safe during the wintertime. Such a practical application of chemistry is often overlooked in one's everyday life, however the fact of the matter is that chemistry helps save lives in this instance.

Adam, Good post! Chemistry saves lives in many instances. 5 stars. MW


 * Pool Chemistry Questions**

1. Is it possible for bacteria to form even after the pool has been treated with disinfectants? Yes, especially in cases where things such as blood or excrement are present in the water. However, when things such as this happen, the pool is evacuated and shock treated to get rid of any bacteria. After the shock treatment is done, the pool should be fine to swim in within an hour.

2. Has Central's pool ever suffered from a buildup of dissolved solids? What steps, if any, are taken to prevent this? Yes, in fact the pool is being drained this summer in order to get rid of any dissolved solids. Central's pool is drained every 2 years to remove any dissolved solids. There aren't many ways to prevent the buildup of dissolved solids, especially one that is open to the public like Central's.

3. Has algae been a problem for Central's pool, if so what types of algae have been most common? No, algae has not been a problem for the pool at Central York High School. This is because Central has an indoor pool and algae is mostly a problem for outdoor pools. The reason being that, in order for algae to form, sunlight needs to be present and not much sunlight is available with indoor pools.

Adam, Spot on! Looks like your questions were all answered. 10. MW


 * Flaking Away**

This article allowed me to learn many new things as well as build upon my prior knowledge. First of all, I knew that rusting is the result of a redox reaction involving iron. However I learned that rust is more common along the coast and in cooler climates because there is more salt present in the air. The salt helps speed the redox reaction by increasing the conductivity of water and allowing stable complex ions to form. In addition, I knew that adding a coating of paint helps to slow the formation of rust. I did not know that the intuition behind this was that the paint acts as a seal between the metal and the water, effectively removing the connection between the anode and cathode. Furthermore, I knew that using a less reactive metal such as gold would solve the problem of corrosion; however this is obviously an impractical solution. Lastly, I learned that researchers are in the process of creating paints that release rust inhibitors when scratched in order to prevent rust from ever forming.

Adam, Looks good! 5 shiny stars! :) MW