So much to learn

On Monday we finished our lab. We tested the metal Lead. Lead was a lot thicker than all the other metals we have tested so far in this lab. The piece of lead almost felt like a piece of chewing gum. It was very malleable but not as shiny as copper.  After we had tested all the metals we found that magnesium was the most reactive. It reacted with every chemical except itself. Without testing the metals you could have figured out that magnesium was the most reactive by looking at the periodic table.

On Tuesday we learned about ionic and chemical bonding.  We learned how to do Lewis dot structures with ionic and covalent bonds. There are two types of covalent bonds, polar and non-polar. Polar is when there is an unequal sharing of electrons but non- polar is when electrons are shared equally. I thought the Lewis dot structures were kind of challenging at first but the more I practiced it the more it became easier. When doing a Lewis dot structure for an atom you put the element symbol and dots around the symbol to represent the number of valence electrons. When doing an ion it is the same thing accept you would add brackets around the symbol and then at the top put its charge.  

On Wednesday we learned about balancing chemical equations. To balance chemical equations it is almost like solving a puzzle. First to make it easier write down the number of each element you have on each side of the equation. It is almost like laying out puzzle pieces when completing a puzzle. Then play around with different numbers until both sides of the equation is balanced. When we first learned this I didn't know what I was doing but with more practice I understood how to balance the equations allot better. 

On Thursday to see if we were getting the intense chemistry topics we have been learning this week, we took a pop quiz. Some of the the material on the quiz I thought I knew well, but looking at my results I didn't. I think I can improve on when I have a question or when I am confused about a topic, review it and ask for help. After we finished the quiz we started a new lab called, types of chemical reactions. We used this lab to teach us all about how to classify chemical reactions. With a Bunsen burner we burned copper and magnesium. Copper wasn't that exciting it just turned black, but magnesium was like a light show. It was so bright we were told not to look at it directly. Both reactions were synthesis reactions. Do you know what a synthesis reaction is? A synthesis reaction is when two simple things turn into something more complex. It helps to think of photosynthesis.  

On Friday we retook the pop quiz. After  retaking it I can definitely say I understand the topics allot better. Then after that we tested powdered copper. To test it we put it in a test tube and put it over the Bunsen burner. Before it was a blue green powder but after, it turned black. Another thing that happened is it produced carbon dioxide. To prove this, we put  a burning stick in the tube and as soon as the flame hit the inside, it went out. This week I can definitely say I have learned from my mistakes! This link is if you are like me and balancing equations is hard for you. https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/physical-processes/stoichiometry/v/balancing-chemical-equations

Good Study Habits

This week was a great success for the seventh grade class because we got a good class average on our chemistry test. On Monday we started a new lab. We did this lab to learn about chemical reactions. During this lab we learned that in the product of a chemical reaction,  the chemicals trade places. To begin the lab we used a well spot plate and filled it with different chemicals. Most of these chemicals were some what dangerous so it was extra important that we were careful when handling the chemicals. The chemicals were labeled with numbers and letters to go in the spot plate. After all the chemicals were put in the correct wells we took a strip of magnesium and tested it to see how reactive each chemical was. In between each reaction we cleaned the magnesium with steel wool. This was important because anything left from the previous reaction could throw off the next one. Magnesium did not react with magnesium but the other chemicals did.

On Tuesday it was Veteran's Day so we did not have school. It was good to have a day to relax. On Wednesday we reviewed for our test on the elements which was on Thursday. Instead of the usual grunge ball we played a game were we had to organize the periodic table. Instead of the real elements on the periodic table we were given fake made up elements we had to organize into the table regarding a set of questions. The questions gave us clues to where each element went. It took almost all of class but it definitely helped me learn how the periodic table works. 

On Thursday we had our test. As a class this was our highest average for a test this year. When going over our test I was so mad at my self for the question  I got wrong . I can improve on my tests by rereading the questions to make sure I answer 

every part of the question. I hope our class can continue to keep up the class average and continue good study habits. 

On Friday to celebrate our high test scores we celebrated with donuts and milk. After that we finished our lab. On Monday we did the magnesium strip but on Friday we did the copper and zinc strip. Copper wasn't really that reactive but it did turn black. Zinc was reactive but not as reactive as magnesium. The zinc strip reacted with only a few elements but the magnesium reacted with all but one. When we were done with our spot plate we couldn't just empty it out in the sink because the chemicals might cause a reaction. So one by one we had to pour each chemical in a jar with a dropper. This is just one example of the safety precautions in a lab with chemicals. This week for Science Olympiad I spent about 10 minutes on Picture This  making a list of words for our meeting next Monday. I am looking forward to working with Emma this week. I think we are going to be an awesome team! This link tells why magnesium is so reactive. http://www.thenakedscientists.com/forum/index.php?topic=18014.0 

Conservation of Matter

On Monday we worked on our "meet the elements" project. We began researching facts about the element. My element was chlorine. One interesting fact I found in my research is that chlorine was named after the Greek word chloros which means pale green. During the research I found out many facts I didn't  know already. I didn't realize how much the element chlorine is used in our daily lives. In fact the human body couldn't function without chlorine because it is in the compound sodium chloride which is vital to human life.

On Tuesday we started a new lab. This lab taught us about conservation of matter. We did the first procedure, and our group's results were not what they should have been. The starting weight before the chemical reaction occurred was 6 grams but after it was 4 grams. According to the law of conservation of mass which states that mass stays the same throughout chemical changes, we must have spilled some liquid while pouring the liquids. This activity not only explained the law of conservation of mass better it showed me why it is so important to be careful while pouring and carrying out the lab procedures especially with chemicals. This is definitely one area in which I can improve.

On Wednesday we finished the experiments. For the first experiment we weighed the two beakers separately before combining them. After the chemical reaction occurred we weighed the beakers again and as the law of conservation of mass states the mass did not change. We did an experiment but this time to show that the mass still stays the same even when a gas  is let off. We put water into a bottle and weighed it, then added an alka seltzer tablet and sealed the bottle. The alka seltzer produced a gas, then after the chemical change we weighed it again. It remained the same proving the law correct.

On Thursday we painted our boxes for our "meet the elements" project. We painted the boxes according to the color on the periodic table. Each group had their own color. My element was Chlorine so I painted my box bright blue.Some people had problems with their paint color and had to switch colors many times. We also reviewed notes. We went over transition metals. The interesting thing I learned about transition metals is that they are very diverse and they have many different properties. We also went over Lanthanides and Actinides. Before reviewing them I didn't really know what they were. I learned that most of them are man made and radio active. Lanthanides are more natural and the Actinides are more man made.

On Friday we finished taking notes. We learned a lot more about how the periodic table is organized. We learned that the levels of re-activity vary depending on if the element is left or right. This week has been super fun and I hope that next week is way more fun. Just in case you wanted to know more about the element chlorine. http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele017.html

Halloween Week

This week was awesome because we only had four days of school. That made the week so much better because Friday was Halloween. On Monday we reviewed for our test by playing grudge ball. Every time  we play grudge ball it helps me understand the material allot better. This time when we played grudge ball I wrote down the questions to help me study. By doing this it helps me better prepare for what's on the test.

On Tuesday we had the test. This test was a lot shorter than our regular tests. I like it when the tests are shorter because it takes a lot less time. On Wednesday we reviewed our test. When I saw my grade I was so close to an A. This just means I can improve by working harder and reviewing the material allot more. When we reviewed our test it helped me see the mistakes I made . We also took notes on unit four. In unit four  we are learning about the periodic table. I think it is important to study the periodic table and know how it works because we use it so much in chemistry. Another thing we are doing with the periodic table is another project. We are making a large periodic table out of cereal boxes. Each person is assigned to a different element and when we stack the boxes together it will form a giant periodic table.

On Thursday we took a break from science class and celebrated Halloween by making fake blood. We also played with dry ice a little. We made bubbles with the dry ice by putting water and dry ice in a container with a tube and dipped the tip of the tube in soap. This produced bubbles that gave off a very ghostly look. I wish I had dry ice at home so I could try this. We also produced bubbles by putting dry ice and water into a bowl. Then dipping a string into soap dragging the string along the edge of the bowl. This produced a half bubble that  also gave off that haunting ghost bubble effect. To help us fake a bloody nose or open wound on Halloween we learned how to make realistic looking fake blood. To make the blood we mixed red food coloring, red fruit punch,corn syrup,cocoa power, chocolate syrup,and corn starch. The cornstarch was used for thickening the blood. We used cornstarch to make it less transparent The punch and the food coloring was used for the red color. The chocolate syrup and cocoa powder was used for making it look more like blood. I though this mixture looked just like the real stuff and cant wait to try it a t home.

This week I also worked on Science Olympiad.  I made a list of scientific words for picture this. I think I spent about 30 minutes making this list. This week was super fun and and I hope next week is even better. This link is to a website explaining why fake blood can also be different colors  http://www.compoundchem.com/2014/10/28/coloursofblood/