Chemistry Class

Percy Lavon Julian

4/11/2014

Who is Percy Lavon Julian?

On the anniversary of his 115th birthday, Google has imaged a doodle in honor of Julian recognizing him for his many worthwhile accomplishments, reached amidst the tremendous odds of the time.

In your own words, write something that Julian worked towards in the field of chemistry. Remember to write three sentences or more.

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Chelates

3/26/2014

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A chelate is a molecule that contains a metal within its structure. We discussed chlorophyll in class. Chlorophyll is a chelate that has the metal magnesium in its framework.

Heme, a chelate necessary for oxygen transport, contains the metal iron (II) (or Fe 2+).

For this blog assignment, find a chelate other than heme and chlorophyll (heme is shown in the figure) and type the name* of the chelate, below. Feel free to copy and paste names. Some chelates have very long and convoluted names! :)

*no need to write three sentences.

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Aerogel

2/26/2014

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Discuss how an understanding of polarity (see 8.4) enabled scientists to produce this new material, called Aerogel. Click here to read article.

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Sweet!

2/7/2014

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Researchers have discovered how to make a battery that runs on sugar! Read the article and then comment below (3 sentences or more).

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Are food companies to blame?

1/13/2014

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Watch this presentation by a doctor on food advertisements.

In three sentences or more, explain whether you agree or disagree with this doctor's assessment of the food industry. Are food companies to blame for preying on the misinformed? Should governments regulate these types of ads and commercials?

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The Perfect Perfume?

2/14/2013

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(1) Watch this video.
(2) In your opinion, can someone design the perfect perfume?

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New Energy!

11/1/2012

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This article proposes that physical energy can be converted into chemical energy -- just by walking! Read this article about Zhong Lin Wang's new technology.
Write (in three sentences, good grammar, etc.) how practical this technology could be. What applications do you see coming from this technology? Are there any possible negative effects?

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/2012/aug/27/power-cell-generates-and-stores-energy-in-one-step

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Polymers!

4/16/2012

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What practical uses do you see here? Explain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmlunCbBV_o&feature=related

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Apples and Arsenic, Oh My!

11/21/2011

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You may have heard recent news reports on the surprising claim that the poisonous element arsenic is found in apple juice. Nationwide, families are foregoing apple juice and many apple juice manufacturers are losing money based on these accusations.

Is it all hype? Or is drinking apple juice truly dangerous to one's health?

Dr. Oz is the person responsible for creating the hype.
Read his article and see the results here: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-oz-investigates-arsenic-apple-juice

Juice companies are outraged.
Read their responses here: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/juice-companies-respond

The FDA's response: http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm271595.htm

As chemists and as consumers, it is important to understand results before making conclusions.

Based on the above articles, what do you conclude?
Are the arsenic levels in apple juice safe or not?

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Can Your Pencil Conduct Electricity?

4/18/2011

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Read this article about graphene - the "lead" from pencils. Comment on this new technology. Could this improve our lives? Are there any possible negative effects?

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Phosphoric Acid

3/8/2011

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Is Coca Cola/Pepsi good or bad? Give specific reasons for your opinion.

Read this article, first!

*three or more sentences for credit*

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Ionic Compounds

2/9/2011

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Read this article on ionic compounds. It's a great tutorial -- print it out!

When you're finished reading, answer these questions:
(1) Do you agree with the author's "thought experiment"? Why/why not?
(2) List one fact about ionic compounds.
(3) (unrelated to article) Why are people concerned with high levels of sodium in their diet?

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Absolute Hot?

1/13/2011

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We've talked about absolute cold, but is there an absolute hot?

Physicists are scratching their heads these days, trying to figure out if there is a way to find out the hottest temperature.

Read this article and leave a 3-sentence comment.

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Superconductors

1/6/2011

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Watch this amazing video on the science behind superconductors! Reducing temperature gives exciting results!

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Absolute Zero

1/3/2011

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A new form of matter was discovered in 2004, after scientist Deborah Jin was able to "supercool" atoms within one billionth of a degree from absolute zero. Pretty COOL!

Read this interesting article and comment below.

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