HON CHEMISTRY: Hey guys – this is where honors chemistry will post results for the Half-Life Simulation lab. You’ll just list your data from the first data table as a comment – just like you comment every week, except this time you are just listing the data from the first data table.

Remember, you don’t have to use candies; you may use coins or anything else that has two sides. Please note that you are to post the number of “radioactive” nuclides remaining after each toss.

Just to clarify, everything on the lab sheets will go in your lab report on that you will submit as a Google doc and PDF to Google Drive chemistry shared folder and the PDF to TurnItIn.com – Title, Objective, Procedure (with pictures), Observations (with data table), Conclusion, and Questions. Don’t forget that your graph needs to be either a full page graph that you do on Excel or a similar program, or you can draw a full page graph on graph paper, scan a very clean, sharp copy and copy it into your lab report. And don’t forget that the analysis questions, calculations, graph, etc., go after your conclusion.

Happy counting – and wait until AFTER the lab to snack!! 🙂

flickr photo by Jared Browarnik

HON CHEMISTRY: Happy Friday! Here’s the lesson for today. Be sure and check the syllabus for updates and new due dates.

I think you’re going to like writing writing nuclear equations to represent radioactive decay. They are a tad bit easier than writing chemical equations. Don’t forget to memorize the nuclear symbols for alpha particles, beta particles (electrons), positrons, neutrons, and protons. And as for half life – do you need a formula for the problems or can you think through them?

Let me know if you have questions. I think I should have assigned an experiment for the best way to melt packed snow, sleet and ice. I miss you guys! Stay safe!!

Photo by Damiano Lingauri on Unsplash

HON CHEMISTRY: How’s learning at home? I’d rather be at school with you! Here’s the vodcast for Thursday. Check the syllabus for the assignment that goes with it.

So ordinarily it looks like just any old hunk of rock, but this is a picture of uranium ore under UV light. Pretty cool, huh?!? Here’s the beginning of discussion of the unique properties of radioactive nuclides.

I miss you guys! Stay safe!!

HON CHEMISTRY: Happy Snowpocalypse! Yay, you get to do chemistry in your pajamas today!! Sipping a cup of coffee or hot chocolate, talking about radioactivity – it doesn’t get much better than that!! Here’s your lesson for Wednesday. Watch this vodcast and take notes on it. The first few minutes goes over the homework that was due. Check the syllabus for homework that is due Friday.

Recognize this symbol?! Welcome to nuclear chemistry! No, really – I think you’ll be surprised how much nuclear chemistry is already a part of your everyday life. And now you know where E=mc2 came from!!

By the way, when you get a chance, read about the life of Marie Curie – fascinating woman of science with an incredible story!