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The Solar System

Our solar system one star that we call the Sun. Our solar system contains nine planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. It also includes many moons, asteroids, and comets. The Sun is the largest source of light and heat to all of the planets in the solar system. The Sun's nearest known stellar neighbor is a red dwarf star called Proxima Centauri, at a distance of 4.3 light years away. The whole solar system, is apart of a bigger galaxy called the Milky Way. The Milky Way has two smaller galaxies nearby, which are visible from the southern hemisphere. They are called the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Small Magellanic Cloud. The nearest large galaxy is the Andromeda Galaxy. It is a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way but is 4 times as massive and is 2 million light years away. Our galaxy, one of billions of galaxies known, is traveling through intergalactic space. The Sun contains 99.85% of all the matter in the Solar System. The planets, which condensed out of the same disk of material that formed the Sun, contain only 0.135% of the mass of the solar system. Jupiter contains more than twice the matter of all the other planets combined. Satellites of the planets, comets, asteroids, meteoroids, and the interplanetary medium constitute the remaining 0.015%. Most of the moons of the planets and the asteroids revolve around the Sun in the same direction, in nearly circular orbits. When looking down from above the Sun's north pole, the planets orbit in a counterclockwise direction. The planets orbit the Sun in a circular motion called an ellipse. I found our solar system fascinating, but I wish there was a way to travel to all of the planets.

Information and Photo retrieve from:

https://theplanets.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/the_planets-1024x533.jpg http://solarviews.com/eng/solarsys.htm

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The Universe

The Universe is everything that exists, everything that has existed, and everything that will exist and contains all the space and time which includes planets. The Universe has many moons, planets, stars, galaxies, the contents of intergalactic space and all matter and energy. The moons, planet, and stars etc make up around 5% of the contents of the Universe. The exact size of the entire Universe is still unknown, it is possible to measure the observable parts. Halpern and Tomasello calculated the observable universe using data from European Space Agency's Planck satellite, estimating it to be 90.68 billion light years across, 0.7% smaller than previously thought. The earliest scientific models of the Universe were created by ancient Greek and Indian philosophers and placed Earth at the center of the Universe. Over the years, more astronomical observations led Nicolaus Copernicus to develop the heliocentric model with the Sun at the center of the Solar System. The Big Bang theory is the prevailing theory of the creation of the Universe. Under this theory, space and time emerged together around 14 billion years ago. Matter and energy became and then the Universe expanded. After the first expansion, the Universe cooled, allowing the first simple atoms atoms to form. Giant clouds of atoms emerged through gravity to form galaxies, stars, and everything else seen today. With telescopes it is possible to see objects that are billions of light years away, which is useful because space itself has expanded. The actual size of the Universe is absolutely amazing. I wish there was a way to explore it to find out what is really out there.

Information and photo retrieved from:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universe

http://www.davidreneke.com/the-universe-is-far-bigger-than-we-thought-with-10x-more-galaxies/

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Noble Gases

The noble gases are chemical elements that are in group 18 of the periodic table. They are the most stable elements because they already have the maximum number of valence electrons in their outer shell. They rarely react with other elements since they are already stable. More characteristics of the noble gases are that they conduct electricity, colorless, odorless, tasteless, and nonflammable . This chemical series contains helium, neon, argon, krypton, xenon, and radon. The noble gases used to be called the inert gases, but this term was not accurate because several of them do take part in chemical reactions. Noble gases were first discovered by a German chemist named Hugo Erdmannto, in 1898. He showed their extremely low level of reactivity. The noble gases have very low melting and boiling points. Helium has several unique traits when compared with other elements. Its boiling and melting points are lower than those of any other known substances. It is the only element that cannot be solidified by cooling under standard conditions. The noble gases up to xenon have multiple stable isotopes. Radon actually has no stable isotopes.  Melting and boiling points generally increase going down the group. The noble gas atoms increase steadily in atomic size from one period to the next because of their number of electrons. The size of the atom is related to several properties. For example, the ionization potential decreases with an increasing size because the valence electrons in the larger noble gases are farther away from the nucleus and are not held as tightly together by the atom. Noble gases have the largest ionization potential among the elements of each period, which shows their stability and electron configuration. I think the noble gases are pretty fascinating because they do their own thing and do not need other elements. 

Information and Photo retrieved from: https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/noble_gas.htm

http://evolvingsciences.com/Group%200%20Noble%20gases%20.html

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Meteorology

Meteorology is the study of the atmosphere, atmospheric phenomena, and atmospheric effects on our weather. The atmosphere is the layer of gases that surrounds a planet. Earth’s atmosphere is around 65-75 miles thick. Gravity keeps the atmosphere from expanding much farther.Meteorology is a part of the atmospheric sciences Atmospheric science studies the atmosphere. There are many subfields of meteorology, such as, climatology and aeronomy are also sub. Climatology focuses on how atmospheric changes define and alter the world’s climates. Aeronomy is the study of the upper parts of the atmosphere, where unique chemical and physical processes occur. Meteorology focuses on the lower parts of the atmosphere, primarily the troposphere, where most weather takes place.Meteorologists use scientific principles to observe, explain, and predict our weather. They often focus on atmospheric research or operational weather forecasting. Research meteorologists use meteorology to predict and determine climate modeling, remote sensing, air quality, atmospheric physics, and climate change. They also research the relationship between the atmosphere and Earth’s climates, oceans, and biological life.Forecasters use that research, along with atmospheric data, to scientifically assess the current state of the atmosphere and make predictions of the future world. Atmospheric conditions both at the Earth's surface and above are measured from a variety of sources. For example, weather stations, ships, buoys, aircraft, radar, weather balloons, and satellites. This data is transmitted to centers throughout the world that produce computer analyses of global weather. The analyses are passed on to national and regional weather centers, which feed this data into computers that model the future state of the atmosphere. This transfer of information demonstrates how weather and the study of it take place in multiple, interconnected ways.When I was younger I wanted to be a meteorologist on news, but I quickly gave up that dream.

Photo and information retrieved from: http://www.metassociates.net/hurricane2_edited.JPG

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/meteorology/

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The Periodic Table

The periodic table is a graphic arrangement of the chemical elements, ordered by their atomic number, electron configurations, and  chemical properties. This ordering shows periodic trends, such as elements with similar behaviour in the same column. It also shows four rectangular blocks with some approximately similar chemical properties. In general, within one row the elements are metals on the left, and non-metals on the right.The rows of the table are called periods. The columns are called groups. Six groups have generally accepted names as well as numbers. For example,  the elements in group 17 are know as the halogens, group 18 the noble gases. The periodic table can be used to derive relationships between the properties of the elements, and predict the properties of new elements yet to be discovered. The periodic table provides a useful framework for analyzing chemical behaviour, and is widely used in chemistry and other sciences.The Russian chemist Dmitri Mendeleev published the first widely recognized periodic table in 1869. He developed his table to illustrate periodic trends in the properties of the known elements. Mendeleev also predicted some properties of unknown elements that would be expected to fill gaps in this table. Most of his predictions were proved correct when the elements in question were discovered. Mendeleev's periodic table has since been expanded and refined with the discovery of further new elements and the development of new theoretical models to explain chemical behaviour.All elements from atomic numbers 1 to 118 have been discovered, with the most recent additions nihonium, moscovian, tennessine, and oganessian being confirmed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) in 2015 and officially named in 2016. They complete the first seven rows of the periodic table. The first 94 elements exist naturally, although some are found only in trace amounts and were discovered in laboratories before being found in nature.  Elements with atomic numbers from 95 to 118 have only been discovered in laboratories or nuclear reactors. Elements having higher atomic numbers are being pursued. Numerous of naturally occurring elements have also been produced in laboratories.

Photo retrieved from: http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i90ZJTiG59g/UEeMoEOtSRI/AAAAAAAAAE0/DF3YmAHhObA/s1600/periodic_table.gif

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Rocks

Today in sci 101 we had a visitor in class named Jack Woods. Mr. Woods is a geologist and brought in several different types of rocks. Limestone is a sedimentary rock that is metamorphosed into marble. Limestone is also used to make driveways, and easily weathered by acid rain. Granite is formed by the cooling of magma under the earth's surface. It is very durable and is used for buildings. Selenite is sedimentary rock. It is also known as gypsum and used to make plaster. Shale or slate rock, is mostly made of clay that was laid down under water. Sulfur was the only rock that was a element. It is used to make acid to to clean drains and such. Halite is table salt, it is a translucent crystal. Coal is plant matter under pressure for millions of years. Fossiliferous rocks are made of once living things. Mr. Woods brought in three types of these rocks, petrified wood, one that was a closed shell, trilobite, and coprolite. Quartz, is a rock that forms as crystals.These crystals are usually pink, white, or purple. It is used in batteries and watches. Mica Schist is a metamorphic rock with a distinct parallel structure. This means that the particles in the matter are small and tightly packed. Obsidian is rock or a glass. It is formed volcanos and is mostly black in color. Flint is a microcrystalline quartz. The colors range from black to brown and sometimes green. Flint sparks when it is struck with steel. This was used in the early use of firearms.  Galena is known as lead ore. When hot fluids find it’s was to the surface and mixed with lead it forms Galena. I found Mr. Wood’s presentation very interesting. I got to see rocks i have never heard of before. His display was amazing and I would like to learn more from him.

Photo retrieved from: http://www.imageafter.com/dbase/textures/rock/b1rocks002.jpg

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Solutions

In chemistry, a solution is a homogeneous mixture composed of two or more substances. In a mixture, a solute is a substance that dissolves in another substance, and solvent is the substance that dissolves the solute. For example, when you mix sugar and water the water is the solvent and the sugar is the sugar. The mixing process of a solution happens at a scale where the effects of chemical polarity are involved, resulting in interactions that are specific to solvation. The solution assumes the phase of the solvent when the solvent is the larger fraction of the mixture, as is commonly the case. The concentration of a solute in a solution is the mass of that solute expressed as a percentage of the mass of the whole solution. When you cannot dissolve anymore of the solute it is called a saturated solution. When more can be dissolved. Its call an unsaturated solution. To make a supersaturated solution, you have to heat it up until you are able to dissolve the rest of the solute. After that you have to add more solute then let it cool. In my physical science class, we did a small experiment to demonstrate the different types of solutions. Step one was to pour 15-20 ml of water into a beaker. Step two was to try to dissolve sugar into the water. Then we had to explain what was the solvent and solute. The water was the solvent and the sugar was the solute. During the final step we had to add more sugar until it could not be dissolved anymore. Then we had to explain what type of solution it was. The whole lab was completed in two minutes.

Photo retrieved from, 

https://water.me.vccs.edu/courses/ENV295Labs/changes/solution.jpg

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Biochemistry

Biochemistry is the branch of science that explores the chemical processes within and related to living organisms. Biochemists have to understand both the living world and the chemical world. The key thing to remember is that biochemistry is the chemistry of the living world. Plants, animals, and single-celled organisms all use the same basic chemical compounds to live their lives. Even if you don’t want to become a biochemist, you'll still have to understand atoms and molecules as a biologist. You'll also have to know about organic chemistry which is a much bigger area of chemistry.  It is based in a laboratory, and brings biology and chemistry together. By using chemical knowledge and techniques, biochemists can understand and solve biological problems. Biochemistry focuses on processes taking place at the molecular level. It focuses on what’s happening inside our cells, studying components like proteins, lipids and organelles. It also looks at how cells communicate with each other, for example during growth or fighting illness. Biochemists need to understand how the structure of a molecule relates to its function, and to predict how molecules will interact. Biochemistry is used in many different fields of study, including genetics, microbiology, forensics, plant science and medicine. Biochemistry is very important because of its advances in the field of science over the past 100 years. It’s a very exciting time to be part of this fascinating area of study .Biochemist provide new ideas and experiments to understand how life works. Support our understanding of health and disease. Contribute innovative information to the technology revolution. Work alongside chemists, physicists, healthcare professionals, policy makers, engineers and many more professionals.

Photo and information retrieved from:

https://byjus.com/chemistry/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Biochemistry-1.png

http://www.biochemistry.org/?TabId=456

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Bonding

Covalent and ionic are two types of bonding that are used in chemistry. In a covalent bond, electrons are shared between the the atoms that are involved. Atoms are attracted to each other by the number is electrons they have. All of the atoms want to be balanced. To be balanced the atoms must have as many valence electrons as it can hold.  One, two, or three pairs of electrons can be shared between atoms. This results in single, double, or triple bonds. The more electrons that are shared between two atoms, the stronger their bond will be. As an example of covalent bonding, is a water atom. A single water molecule, H20, has a subscript of 2 because to hydrogen atoms are bonded with one oxygen atom. Each hydrogen atom shares an electron with oxygen, and oxygen shares one of its electrons with each hydrogen atom. “The shared electrons split their time between the valence shells of the hydrogen and oxygen atoms, giving each atom something resembling a complete valence shell (two electrons for H, eight for O)” (Khan Academy). This makes a water molecule much more stable than its component atoms would have been on their own.

In an ionic bond, electrons are either gained or lost to become more stable, and this creates ions. When one atom loses an electron and another atom gains that electron, the process is called electron transfer. A good example of electron transfer is sodium and chlorine. When sodium and chlorine are combined, sodium will donate its one electron to empty its shell, and chlorine will accept that electron to fill its shell. Both ions now satisfy the octet rule and have complete outermost shells. “Because the number of electrons is no longer equal to the number of protons, each atom is now an ion and has a +1 (Na^+​+​​start superscript, plus, end superscript) or –1 (Cl^-​−​​start superscript, minus, end superscript) charge”(Khan Academy).

Information and Photo retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/chemistry--of-life/chemical-bonds-and-reactions/a/chemical-bonds-article

http://img15.deviantart.net/a6c1/i/2013/234/7/6/the_four_chemical_bonds_by_katyjsst-d6j8c5a.png

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Organic Chemistry

One branch of chemistry that has really struck my interest is organic chemistry. It was not offered at my high school, but my friends in college say it is very challenging. Organic chemistry is the study of the structure, properties, composition, and reactions that contain carbon.  Originally, organic chemistry was limited to compounds made by living organisms. This type of chemistry has reached out to include man made substances such as plastics. “The range of application of organic compounds is enormous and also includes, but is not limited to, pharmaceuticals, petrochemicals, food, explosives, paints, and cosmetics” (Organic Chemistry). Many organic chemists spend a lot of their time creating new compounds and developing better ways to perfect compounds already known to us. There are many job opportunities for graduates that plan to pursue a career in organic chemistry field. “Organic chemists are usually employed by pharmaceutical, biotech, chemical, consumer product, and petroleum industries. Chemists in industry mainly work in development, while chemists in academia are involved in more basic research”(Organic Chemistry). The Federal Food and Drug Administration and other government organizations have a need for organic chemists. They also affect the world’s market while working in the chemical industry. Chemist who are in this field try to develop new ways to make products like oil, natural gas, air, water, and metals safer and try to develop substitutes for those products.  These products are then used to make consumer products for the manufacturing, service, construction, and agriculture industries. The pharmaceutical industries also hire organic chemist. Their role in this field is to create medications and medical devices. These products are then used on humans and animals. As I further my education I would like to take a closer look at organic chemistry.

References Organic chemistry. (n.d). Retrieved August 30, 2017, from                                                                                        https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/careers/college-to-career/areas-of-chemistry/organic-chemistry.html

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=AtEJ2wdY&id=5CC92E0E0B324582C765D2CBD7A8508D2F18C771&thid=OIP.AtEJ2wdY9jmVy09rcp7zog4l7L&q=organic+chemistry&simid=608042971540359083&selectedIndex=5&ajaxhist=0

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Sci 101 Focus

Chemistry is something I have been interested in since I was young. I took a high school chemistry class in 2015. What really draws my attention to chemistry, is learning the composition and structure of matter. Learning about bonds was one of my favorite things I learned in high school chemistry. I enjoy looking how atoms link up to create a new substance. Something that we did not discuss in high school was the history of chemistry. In the science 101 class I would like to conducted some chemistry related experiments before the semester is over. I have a bunch of questions that I would like to have answered. For example, who were some of  the major pioneers of the study of chemistry? When did people start studying chemistry? In high school my teacher taught us how to balance formulas, draw electron diagrams, and memorized ions. My absolute favorite part of my chemistry is conducting experiments. My favorite experiment involved observing and recording what substances reacted with what solution. In this lab, my partner and I put tiny pieces of metal into solution to see if there was a reaction. Some trials did not have a reaction, but some reacted in some pretty awesome ways. I remember we put sodium in water and the reaction was amazing. The sodium was skipping around the water and creating spark, but why doesn't it react in the human body. Another experiment I remember is we made silicon based toy balls. An interesting fact I did not know about the metal gallium is that it can melt in your hands. Chemistry has always drawn my interest since I was a little kid, and I would to learn more.

(Photo taken from www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca)