Week 28 Blog Reflection

This weeks main focus was learning to further name and balance equations. We used worksheets and skill practices to help us learn and I liked that we did a ton of examples with different representations and even a lab to help us learn how to do it. I really struggled with it at first but with the help of magnets, mr. Abud and my lab table I think I've got it now.
On the group assessment Friday I was understanding at the level I wanted to and was able to get the problems with ease. Below Are links to Evernote notes I've taken this week and

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s249/sh/8067be09-7dcd-4ac9-8a86-7f22605e6a40/28d3f92261468dbd60addd93a852b9a5

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s249/sh/0fc3c57b-853c-4c3f-91ba-9b0afca0010e/5cfc507428fcc5d3a2765d0221ff97d4

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s249/sh/b641e0d9-e88b-45cb-ac4b-30bf7594f41b/a559b8f0da910468281c796a18f926eb

Week 27 Blog Reflection

This week we were introduced to "infographics."  This is a new tool that I think will greatly benifit us in our future learining in Chemisty and even other classes.  An infographic is a visual way to orgainize information.  We were given a myriad of sites to explore and choose one to use for our infographic and I, like many other students, used the easy to use and understand site called Popplet.  On Popplet, you create a visual chart of sorts, were you can easily organize ideas that branch off of each other, perfect for the topic nomenclature. (Link to my infographic below).  I used branches off of nomenclature to connected topics of nomenclature, like how to write formulas for different compounds, branching off of that was what the compound was, off of that how to write the formula, and off of that was an example problem. This seems confusing but flows easily in this infographic.   This greatly benifited my learining of these topics and I really look forward to making more of these for chemisty and projects in other classes! 

Link: http://popplet.com/app/#/941478

Week 26 Blog Reflection

Worksheets. Formerly a foreign word to chemt3am, but not this week. This week we worked on 3 worksheets. Some were opposed, but I think we really needed these sheets to develop understanding of these new more complicated and mathematical ideas. These sheets were on naming and making formulas and after completing these sheets I think I really have a good grasp on these concepts!

Week 25 Blog Reflection

This week started with a lab using the electrolysis apparatus (picture below). We added copper chloride to water and made electricity flow through it. We asked ourselves major questions like what is the formula for copper chloride? And which side of the apparatus is positive and which is negative? We also tested substances like sodium chloride and ethanol for comparison and measured conductivity for each one. Our results of this test are pictured below. We also discussed the concept of solubility, in our lab a chemical reaction changed the color when the powder went in the water. This showed us that when in water, it was no longer a compound. Like lady liberty! It turned green in the water. This week we also had a beach party! We mixed a caloric acid with ethanol and made a lovely campfire to roast our marshmallows for our s'mores! (Shannon stirring the mixture pictured below!)

Week 24 Blog Reflection

This week was full of expanding on topics we were introduced to last week. We did a virtual lab showing us what dipoles were and how charges worked. In the lab, there was a balloon, wall, and sweater, and after "rubbing" the balloon to each virtual surface we saw where it was attracted too. The lab later was done showing the charges as it went on, and it all started to make sense. We then learned about dipoles and the way charges work in them. We also learned sigma which is the symbol for "slightly" just like hydrogen bonds in H2O. I learned about these bonds in AP Bio and I'm really glad that all the sciences are starting to come together now! We did some worksheets while we had a sub about how to write and understand formulas, which were helpful for the assessment Friday, but I do think I'll have to reassess. Links to my notes are below! We also had a weekend project to make an electroscope to detect magnetic fields, this was simple and really works! I tested it with a charged balloon and hairbrush. Picture below!

Charges: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s249/sh/c817ffce-d5b6-43ca-99dd-749ca95ae793/9a21ba558c7984c824db7545066448f7

Dipoles: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s249/sh/ac3fee28-3872-465e-a7b1-a12e02ed3ed4/a0537102b94dd6b8a3331f0abfb727d3

Bonds: https://www.evernote.com/shard/s249/sh/f75dae1b-832a-458a-bc73-02a90b67c99c/6990335d8dafbf65002f561a88cbd548

Week 22 and 23 Blog Reflection

Week 22 was a very short one in chemistry so I am combining these two weeks blogs because my week 22 one alone didn't consist of much. For what we were there of in week 22 we did empirical formulas and ChemQuests, week 23 was a week full of new concepts. We worked on a lab where we pulled two prices of tape from each other and tested to see what they attracted or repelled with. When asked for an explanation we all said opposites attract; but in reality we never knew exactly what that meant. We learned about how the friction from pulling apart the tape made charges in it, causing these attractions and repulsions to happen. We also used circuits to show the flowing of electrons through a system to light the bulb. Conductivity was the big theme of this week and links to my notes on the topic are below.

https://www.evernote.com/shard/s249/sh/403d698f-342e-46fd-ba18-e1b83480540c/e521fa624eabb14c77276d1a196f9335

Week 21 Blog Reflection

This week, we did a very interesting lab. Taking water and beakers we cranked a motor type apparatus and need up ppong one part hydrogen into a beaker and 2 parts oxygen into the other. (It looked like the picture below, taken halfway through the experiment.) This helped us to understand hydrolysis and what exactly happens in this process. We also discussed empirical formulas, what they are and how to make them. I would add notes but unfortunately I was trying a new note taking app on my kindle and it didn't save my notes. I suggest sticking to Evernote. It's proven to be my best app so far.