Saturday, December 3, 2011
Compound Names and Formulas
Naming Compounds is fairly easy when Mr. Ludwig gives you a handy dandy chart to look off of. Basically, all you have to do is find the formula and match it with the name.
For example:
NaF
Na= Sodium
F=Flourine
So the compound name is Sodium Flouride. (ions end in -ide)
Things can soon get more complicated like with the compound
Mn(NO3)3
The outside 3, goes to the top of the Mn, so it's Mn3. Mn3 = Manganese(II)
The only formula left is NO3 which is Phophate.
This equation is Manganese(II) Phosphate.
Now, when turning names into formulas the same rule applies: LOOK AT THE CHART!
The name potassium flouride is easily turned into KF after looking at the chart, but the names can get more difficult. When looking at Ammonium Sulfate, we see that they charge of the ions don't equal. Ammonium is NH4+, while sulfate is SO4^2. The positive 2 charge is moved over to the ammonium in order for the equations to equal out. This turns the equation into (NH4)2SO4.
These basic principles continue to apply as we went through the 24 problems on the paper.
For example:
NaF
Na= Sodium
F=Flourine
So the compound name is Sodium Flouride. (ions end in -ide)
Things can soon get more complicated like with the compound
Mn(NO3)3
The outside 3, goes to the top of the Mn, so it's Mn3. Mn3 = Manganese(II)
The only formula left is NO3 which is Phophate.
This equation is Manganese(II) Phosphate.
Now, when turning names into formulas the same rule applies: LOOK AT THE CHART!
The name potassium flouride is easily turned into KF after looking at the chart, but the names can get more difficult. When looking at Ammonium Sulfate, we see that they charge of the ions don't equal. Ammonium is NH4+, while sulfate is SO4^2. The positive 2 charge is moved over to the ammonium in order for the equations to equal out. This turns the equation into (NH4)2SO4.
These basic principles continue to apply as we went through the 24 problems on the paper.
Why is Gold our Currency?
While listening to the podcast and looking at the periodic table I realized there are numerous reasons why Gold is our currency and why other elements on the table would not work.
 |
| Gold Coins |
Hydrogen, and Helium through Rn would leak away because they are a gas.
Lithium wouldn't work because it is very flammable, so flammable in fact that it has the possibility to burn through concrete.
A lot of other elements on the table are reactive, meaning they can combine with other elements or corrode.
The actinides wouldn't work because they are extremely radioactive.
Silicon(a key ingredient in sand) is too light and way too common, as well as copper.
Osmium on the other hand is found in meteorites, meaning they are way too rare.
Silver has a different issue. It tarnishes easily. Once the silver tarnishes you can wipe away the tarnish but that is also wiping away part of the silver at the same time, therefore losing some of it's value.
Paladium and Rodium didn't appear til after our currency was created, meaning they couldn't be suggested as our currency.
Platinum has an extremely high melting point, making it too difficult to mold into the shapes of coins or other shapes. Also, platinum looks like numerous other metals, meaning the currency could be easily replicated.
So, this means gold is our only choice. It never corrodes, it's solid, it wont kill you because it's not radioactive, it's rare but not too rare, it's easy to melt, it's obtainable, and most of all it's testable. There is a simple test involving a pumice, a black stone, and a little bit of acid. The smudge left determines the purity of the gold, but does not ruin the metal. This test dates back to Ancient Greece.
Overall I think Gold was the smart choice for our currency.
(Here is the podcast that I used as the basis of this blog, borrowed from Mr. Ludwig who got it from npr)
Silver has a different issue. It tarnishes easily. Once the silver tarnishes you can wipe away the tarnish but that is also wiping away part of the silver at the same time, therefore losing some of it's value.
Paladium and Rodium didn't appear til after our currency was created, meaning they couldn't be suggested as our currency.
Platinum has an extremely high melting point, making it too difficult to mold into the shapes of coins or other shapes. Also, platinum looks like numerous other metals, meaning the currency could be easily replicated.
So, this means gold is our only choice. It never corrodes, it's solid, it wont kill you because it's not radioactive, it's rare but not too rare, it's easy to melt, it's obtainable, and most of all it's testable. There is a simple test involving a pumice, a black stone, and a little bit of acid. The smudge left determines the purity of the gold, but does not ruin the metal. This test dates back to Ancient Greece.
Overall I think Gold was the smart choice for our currency.
(Here is the podcast that I used as the basis of this blog, borrowed from Mr. Ludwig who got it from npr)
Magnesium Lab
Procedure:
1. collect 25cm of clean magnesium strips, a ceramic crucible, a bunson burner, and a "tree"
2. Weigh the empty crucible, weigh the crucible and mg strip
3. subtract the two weights to find the measurement of the mg strip before heating.
4. place the crucible and strip on the tree, directly above the lit bunson burner
5. a white smoke/flame will soon appear. at this point turn off the burner and let the crucible cool for quite some time
6. after it has cooled completely you will notice the mg strip has turned into a white powdery substance. weigh the crucible and product at this point.
7. to find the weight of the magnesium products after heating, take the after heating measurement and subtract it from the weight of the empty crucible.
8. clean up and you'll be done!
Data:
Material Mass(g)
empty crucible 58.7
crucible&Mg ribbon 59.6
(before heating)
Magnesium ribbon .9
Crucible&Magnesium 60.1
(after heating)
Magnesium Products 1.4
Conductivity Level: LOW LIGHT
Analysis:
With this lab I learned that the magnesium products actually weigh more after the heating process than it did before the heating process. This was a .5 gram difference in my case. I also learned that magnesium is easily ignitable and lets off a different type of smoke than a regular fire would. With the help of Zach and Dakota, I also learned that ceramic crucibles are extremely breakable when heated intensely. (:
1. collect 25cm of clean magnesium strips, a ceramic crucible, a bunson burner, and a "tree"
2. Weigh the empty crucible, weigh the crucible and mg strip
3. subtract the two weights to find the measurement of the mg strip before heating.
4. place the crucible and strip on the tree, directly above the lit bunson burner
5. a white smoke/flame will soon appear. at this point turn off the burner and let the crucible cool for quite some time
6. after it has cooled completely you will notice the mg strip has turned into a white powdery substance. weigh the crucible and product at this point.
7. to find the weight of the magnesium products after heating, take the after heating measurement and subtract it from the weight of the empty crucible.
8. clean up and you'll be done!
Data:
Material Mass(g)
empty crucible 58.7
crucible&Mg ribbon 59.6
(before heating)
Magnesium ribbon .9
Crucible&Magnesium 60.1
(after heating)
Magnesium Products 1.4
Conductivity Level: LOW LIGHT
Analysis:
With this lab I learned that the magnesium products actually weigh more after the heating process than it did before the heating process. This was a .5 gram difference in my case. I also learned that magnesium is easily ignitable and lets off a different type of smoke than a regular fire would. With the help of Zach and Dakota, I also learned that ceramic crucibles are extremely breakable when heated intensely. (:
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