The Week Before Winter Break

On Monday we started our lab. This lab taught us about how temperature and size can affect the reaction rate. In the first experiment our group did, we tested both zinc and zinc powder to see if the size of the  particles would affect the time it took for each reaction. We poured hydrochloric acid into the test tubes that contained the zinc. The zinc powder reacted almost instantly but the zinc solid slowly bubbled. After the zinc powder reaction it left a grey precipitate. This reaction showed that the size of the particle does affect the reaction speed. While we were doing our experiment two other groups did another experiment to see if temperature affects the rate of reaction speed of their experiment.  We then shared our results between the groups. They tested what kind of water would melt the ice the quickest. They found that the hot water melted the water the fastest. After we shared our data we then had to answer questions that applied to both sets of data.

On Tuesday and Wednesday I wasn't here for science class because I was sick. I am so bummed that I missed school because being sick is no fun.

On Thursday we had our test for this chapter. I did not take the test because I was absent on Tuesday and Wednesday. Instead I finished my lab. After finishing my lab I can say that it helped me study for my test. Also this lab showed me what factors can speed up  reactions.

On Friday there was no Science class. It was the last day before Christmas break. Instead, SGA had a door decorating contest. I was on the team that decorated Mrs. Puritis-Pulley's door. We decorated the door and even won first place.

This week I think I can improve on blogging daily because on my busy nights full of homework I always seem to forget. Even though this week I wasn't here for many days, I still got allot out of every day.

This weeks link is all about the stuff we did in our lab. http://www.chem4kids.com/files/react_rates.html

           

pH and Acids

  On Monday we began our red cabbage lab. This lab taught us about acids and bases. We used red cabbage juice in our lab because it is a pH indicator. A pH indicator is something that  changes color depending on the pH of the liquid.  On the pH scale 1-4 is an acid 5-7 is neutral and 8-12 is a base. In our lab we had to guess the pH just by the color and then look it up online to see how far off our prediction was based on color. Usually most acids turn pink or purple and most bases turn blue or green. We put 50 mls of lemon soda, apple juice and hand sanitizer into a cup and then poured cabbage juice on top. We made sure to label each cup with a sharpie so we didn't get any mixed up. The apple juice turned red which means it is a weak acid. The hand sanitizer turned purple which means it was a strong acid.

On Tuesday we worked on our lab. We finished shampoo, conditioner, baking soda, and vinegar. We tested the baking soda in varying amounts. The test with  a higher concentration of  baking soda made the color change to more of a green color than the test with the low concentration.

On Wednesday we started a new lab. This lab involved using pH strips and litmus paper to test different liquids for acidity. We tested a vast range of household cleaning products and food items. The majority of the food items were acids and the majority of the cleaning products were bases. To test each liquid if it was a acid or a base we used litmus paper. If the blue paper turned red it was an acid but if it stayed the same it was a base.

On Thursday we finished our lab. One surprising thing I learned in this lab is that most of the food products we eat are very acidic. Acids are very corrosive.

On Friday we attempted to do an elephant tooth paste experiment. We did the elephant tooth paste in science camp and it worked very well. When we attempted to do it to again in class for some reason it didn't work. I think the catalyst in the experiment was just old. A catalyst is something that speeds up a chemical reaction. It worked but it didn't work very well. The substance very slowly pushed to the top. It was not at all like the one we did at science camp. Sometimes it is good when science experiments don't work it just leaves lots of room for improvement. This week we took notes on polar substances and non polar substances. Polar substances can only combine with polar substances. That is why water does not mix with oil. Water is polar and oil is non-polar. I can definitely improve on finishing more of my lab questions at home so in class the work is more manageable. This week I can definitely say I learned some very interesting facts about pH.


For Science Olympiad this week I worked on picture this for about 1 1/2 hours on Monday  and 15 minutes on Wednesday. We continued with our practice and discussed new techniques to win.

This link helped me understand polar and non-polar a lot better. http://www.school-for-champions.com/chemistry/polar_molecules.htm#.VI5BflWJOuZ

                                          tested substances

                                         household products tested for pH

                                          substances about to be tested for pH
                                         

Busy Week

This week in science, we did not have a lot of time for class this week because we had a field trip to Medieval Times in Myrtle Beach, SC and we had to finish an art project for Explorations. These two activities took up much of our time at school this week.

On Monday we worked on our types of chemical reactions lab from last week.  This lab taught us how to determine different chemical reactions. Some reactions we had determined were single replacement, double replacement, and synthesis. In this lab, we also had to balance equations and determine what kind of chemical reaction it was. First we finished the reactions which we did it with our our table groups. The sodium sulfite and hydrochloric acid reaction didn't smell too great. The zinc and copper sulfate reaction made the originally silver metal turn black.

On Tuesday we finished our lab. This lab helped me learn how to balance equations a lot better. I also learned how to determine which type of chemical reaction it was.

On Wednesday we took a quiz on balancing equations. With all the practice from the lab, I found the quiz to be pretty easy,  although some of the longer equations were more challenging. One rule that definitely applies when balancing equations is, practice makes perfect.

On Thursday we took a field trip to Medieval Times for Language Arts and Social Studies. I thought the show was great and the food was very tasty. My favorite part of the show was watching the knights ride their horses.

On Friday we had to finish out art work for Explorations. This took up the whole class time so we didn't have science at all that day. I think everyone's artwork turned out great. As you can tell we didn't have much time dedicated to science class this week.

For Science Olympiad we had a meeting on Wednesday afternoon. We all shared what we had done up to this point and shared our thoughts. I presented my ideas for the bridge and the bottle rocket. I thought it all went well and got some great ideas from the meeting. Also, Emma and I met on Friday afternoon for Picture This.  I can definitely say we are doing much better! I think as a team for Picture This we can improve on shortening the time it takes us to guess the answer. Hopefully at our next meeting we will guess much faster!

 The following link is a great link to use when determining different chemical reactions  http://misterguch.brinkster.net/6typesofchemicalrxn.html