Reflection over Atomic Structure and Radioactivity

I think this unit was much easier than the first unit over nomenclature, but it was also much more condensed; we had only two weeks to absorb all the information about Dalton and Rutherford's discoveries, average atomic mass calculations, half lives, and alpha/beta/gamma decay/emission. I think the time length of the unit was perfect for the amount of content within it. I hear the next unit will cause me to disbelieve everything I have learned about mat, though. I hope the next unit will be as fun as this last Atomic Structure and Radioactivity unit.

Chemistry Test

So today in chemistry, we took a test over the entire unit of atomic structure and radioactivity. Unfortunately, I was not here yesterday, and did not study for this test at all. Fortunately, I had gotten a 76% on the pre-test and I doubt I will do worse on the post-test. Even though I didn't have the motivation to study for this test, you should study for it by using this website.

Half Lives

On this day, September 28, 2015, slightly before noon, American Central Time, in Mrs. Frankenberg's chemistry classroom at Francis Howell High School in the city of St. Charles, Missouri, in the United States of America, a number of students were given instruction upon how to calculate the amount of a radioactive isotope that remains radioactive after a given period of time. To do that, one must divide the original amount of isotope by two to the power of n, n being the number of half lives in the given amount of time. The formula is provided in the below image. Further clarification about half lives is supplied on AUS-e-TUTE's website.

http://www.coolmath.com/algebra/17-exponentials-logarithms/13-radioactive-decay-decibel-levels-01

Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Decay

Today in chemistry, we were introduced to three different types of radioactive decay. Similar to the alphabet, alpha decay was learned about first; it is when an atom ejects an alpha particle, also known as a helium atom, or 2 protons and 2 neutrons to lower its mass number by 4 and its atomic number by 2. It is portrayed by the first of the three below pictures. Learn the ABC's of alpha decay at this website.  Following alpha decay was beta decay. Beta decay is when one of the neutrons in an atom turn into a proton, and then a beta particle, an electron or positron, is shot out of the atom. The identity of a beta particle is clarified by the second image below. It raises the atomic number of atom by one, but its mass number remains unchanged. Go to hyperphysic's website for a closer inspection of beta decay. The final form of decay we learned about was the peculiar gamma decay. It happens during alpha and beta decay, but does not alter the atomic or mass number of the atom, as pictured in the bottom-most image.. Gamma decay emits high-energy photons, not any protons or neutrons or electrons. To go into the specific details of gamma decay, go to this quantum mechanics guide for engineers.




http://www.ooshutup.com/what-are-alpha-particles-and-their-properties-radioactivity/


http://spmphysics.onlinetuition.com.my/2013/08/3-types-of-radioactive-emission.html


http://chemistry.tutorvista.com/nuclear-chemistry/nuclear-chain-reaction.html

Beanium Lab

Today in Chemistry, we discovered a new element called Beanium. There were four different isotopes. We counted the number of each isotope and then calculated the percentage commonness of each isotope.. To calculate the mass number of each isotope, we weighed all the beans of one isotope together and then took the average mass of each different isotope. By using the mass of each isotope and the each isotope's percentage out of all Beanium isotopes, we then calculated the average mass number of the beanium atom.
To learn how to calculate the average atomic mass go to ChemTeam's website.

Nomenclature Blogroll

Nomenclature Blogroll

Teaching Kids How to Fail:
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/blog/teaching-kids-how-fail

Wash Your Blues Away:
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/blog/wash-your-blues-away-chemistry

Dilemma: How do we prepare new chemistry teachers for the 21st century classroom?
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/blog/dilemma-how-do-we-prepare-new-chemistry-teachers-21st-century-classroom

So I wrote this project for my students - now what?
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/blog/so-i-wrote-project-my-students-now-what-part-1

Why consider trying project based learning?
http://www.chemedx.org/blog/why-consider-trying-project-based-learning?_ga=1.186549289.1020699792.1442374327

Nomenclature Reflection #2

I thought that nomenclature would be easy, but I was sadly mistaken. What is ferrous? What is ferric? No one would guess that they are 2 and 3 valence-electron-ed irons. What is hypobromite? Did we ever learn about that? The polyatomic ions have different charges, and we have to memorize each of them!?!? How many hydrogen ions does an acid have? What is chemistry and why is it so confusing?

Nomenclature Reflection #1

Nomenclature seems very easy so far. To name these so-called Type I compounds, all you have to do is list the metal, then the non-metal with an -ide at the end. I hope that the rest of the year's chemistry is this easy. Soon we will learn about type II nomenclature. I wonder what that will be like; maybe it will cover covalent compounds. We also have a quiz tomorrow, but I won't bother studying because I'm too lazy.

Introduction Page

Yo, whatup, dis be parmesan Anweshan in da haus and this is my fire mixtape chemistry blog. I'm going to write about chemistry on this blog, for this is a chemistry blog. This is of my chemistry class, by my chemistry class, and for my chemistry class.