1. Transitional Metal of the Week (Gold)
Chemically, gold is a transitional metal. Gold does not react with most chemicals, but is attacked by chlorine, fluorine, aqua regia and cyanide. Gold dissolves in mercury, but does not react with it. Gold is insoluble in nitric acid, which will dissolve silver and base metals, and this is the basis of the gold refining technique known as "inquartation and parting". Nitric acid has long been used to confirm the presence of gold in items, and this is the origin of the colloquial term "acid test," referring to a gold standard test for genuine value.
Gold is a highly sought-after precious metal which has been used as money and in jewelry since the beginning of time. Gold occurs as nuggets or grains in rocks. It is also found underground and in a alluvial deposits. It is used as coinage. It is dense, soft and shiny and the most malleable substance known. Pure gold has a bright yellow color.
Modern industrial uses include dentistry and electronics, because of its good resistance to oxidative corrosion.
2. Water Concepts
This is a really cool site. I like the visuals. They helped to reinforce that oxygen atoms attract electrons more strongly than hydrogen atoms thereby creating an uneven distribution of positive and negative charges. This polarization is what allows water to dissolve so many substances.
Friday, September 26, 2008
Assignment 4
1. Catalyst of the Week
My catalysts of the week are chlorine free radicals because they impact the environment by breaking down ozone. They are formed by the action of ultraviolet radiation on chloroflurocarbons. Free radicals are atoms, molecules or ions with unpaired, highly reactive electrons. They play a role in many different types of chemistry, including atmospheric chemistry. I chose chlorine free radicals because of my concern about ozone depletion.
2. Green Chemistry As a Social Movement
I can scarcely think of anything more important. Of course scientists and engineers are at the forefront of new ways of doing chemistry, but we all need to do our part is individuals. It is through lobbying, activism and education that we will be able to protect our natural resources and ecosystems. We need to find new ways of managing our resources in a sustainable manner, and it's going to take a concerted global effort to do this. This is Green Chemistry in a broader context. For example, as individuals we can all reduce waste and pollution. This reduces the chemical reactions which lead to the destruction of our planet. The more we do, and the more we talk about what we're doing to reduce waste, the more awareness we bring to the issue. I'm hopeful that this movement will continue to develop and it will eventually become a more substantial global effort.
3.. Atom Economy
This link is interesting. It basically reiterates what we were discussing last night. I think it is really important to look at the amount of waste that is generated during a manufacturing process. It is exciting to think about further development in this area.
For myself, this class is making me hyperconscious of how much waste I personally generate. I am much more aware of what I'm consuming and am trying to find new ways of reducing waste. For example, this week, I tried to prepare all of my food with natural ingredients that did not come with packaging. With only a couple of exceptions, I managed to accomplish this. It focused mostly on fruits and vegetables. I used some chicken broth in a box, and some rye crisp in a box, a some meat from the butcher (very little), which came in paper, but that was all for four days. Everything else was fresh and came without packaging.
My catalysts of the week are chlorine free radicals because they impact the environment by breaking down ozone. They are formed by the action of ultraviolet radiation on chloroflurocarbons. Free radicals are atoms, molecules or ions with unpaired, highly reactive electrons. They play a role in many different types of chemistry, including atmospheric chemistry. I chose chlorine free radicals because of my concern about ozone depletion.
2. Green Chemistry As a Social Movement
I can scarcely think of anything more important. Of course scientists and engineers are at the forefront of new ways of doing chemistry, but we all need to do our part is individuals. It is through lobbying, activism and education that we will be able to protect our natural resources and ecosystems. We need to find new ways of managing our resources in a sustainable manner, and it's going to take a concerted global effort to do this. This is Green Chemistry in a broader context. For example, as individuals we can all reduce waste and pollution. This reduces the chemical reactions which lead to the destruction of our planet. The more we do, and the more we talk about what we're doing to reduce waste, the more awareness we bring to the issue. I'm hopeful that this movement will continue to develop and it will eventually become a more substantial global effort.
3.. Atom Economy
This link is interesting. It basically reiterates what we were discussing last night. I think it is really important to look at the amount of waste that is generated during a manufacturing process. It is exciting to think about further development in this area.
For myself, this class is making me hyperconscious of how much waste I personally generate. I am much more aware of what I'm consuming and am trying to find new ways of reducing waste. For example, this week, I tried to prepare all of my food with natural ingredients that did not come with packaging. With only a couple of exceptions, I managed to accomplish this. It focused mostly on fruits and vegetables. I used some chicken broth in a box, and some rye crisp in a box, a some meat from the butcher (very little), which came in paper, but that was all for four days. Everything else was fresh and came without packaging.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Assignment 2
#1. Element of the Week - Iron
Periodic Table Information: Atomic Number: 26; Symbol: Fe, Atomic Weight: 55.847 Electron Configuration: [Ar]4s23d6
Properties: The melting point of iron is 1535°C, boiling point is 2750°C. Pure iron is chemically reactive and corrodes rapidly, especially in moist air or at elevated temperatures.
Uses: Iron is vital to plant and animal life. In humans, it appears in the hemoglobin molecule. Iron metal is usually alloyed with other metals and carbon for commercial uses. Iron is the least expensive, most abundant, and most used of all metals.
Sources: Iron is a relatively abundant element in the universe. The sun and many types of stars contain iron in quantity. Iron is found native in a class of meteorites called siderites and it is a minor constituent of the other two classes of meteorites. The Earth's core is thought to be composed mainly of iron. Iron is the fourth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. The most common iron ore is hematite (Fe2O3), from which iron metal is obtained by reduction with carbon. Iron is also found in minerals such as taconite and magnetite, which is commonly seen as black sands along beaches and stream banks.
#2. Discussion about Ozone
In discussing Ozone with my friends and family I discovered that most everyone was at least up to speed on the notion that pollution contributes to ozone depletion.
No one was aware that new evidence shows that pollution is not the major cause of ozone depletion, but rather climate change. I explained that as of April 2005, ozone was at its lowest levels in 40 years, despite the reductions in CFCs due to the Montréal protocol. I explained that changes in the atmosphere due to climate change are allowing pollutants to destroy the ozone. This was a sobering realization for everyone with whom I spoke. Most everyone has been more focused on climate change anyway. For the most part they have not been thinking much about ozone levels, assuming it is improving. No one had any idea that it was getting worse. And, it was startling for all to realize that ozone depletion is directly affected by climate change. This reinforced everyone's desire to see a new administration in office. We also talked about what we as individuals could all be doing to further reduce our contributions to pollution and climate change.
#3. Review of link on Atomic Structures, Bonding and Compounds.
Periodic Table Information: Atomic Number: 26; Symbol: Fe, Atomic Weight: 55.847 Electron Configuration: [Ar]4s23d6
Properties: The melting point of iron is 1535°C, boiling point is 2750°C. Pure iron is chemically reactive and corrodes rapidly, especially in moist air or at elevated temperatures.
Uses: Iron is vital to plant and animal life. In humans, it appears in the hemoglobin molecule. Iron metal is usually alloyed with other metals and carbon for commercial uses. Iron is the least expensive, most abundant, and most used of all metals.
Sources: Iron is a relatively abundant element in the universe. The sun and many types of stars contain iron in quantity. Iron is found native in a class of meteorites called siderites and it is a minor constituent of the other two classes of meteorites. The Earth's core is thought to be composed mainly of iron. Iron is the fourth most abundant element in the Earth's crust. The most common iron ore is hematite (Fe2O3), from which iron metal is obtained by reduction with carbon. Iron is also found in minerals such as taconite and magnetite, which is commonly seen as black sands along beaches and stream banks.
#2. Discussion about Ozone
In discussing Ozone with my friends and family I discovered that most everyone was at least up to speed on the notion that pollution contributes to ozone depletion.
No one was aware that new evidence shows that pollution is not the major cause of ozone depletion, but rather climate change. I explained that as of April 2005, ozone was at its lowest levels in 40 years, despite the reductions in CFCs due to the Montréal protocol. I explained that changes in the atmosphere due to climate change are allowing pollutants to destroy the ozone. This was a sobering realization for everyone with whom I spoke. Most everyone has been more focused on climate change anyway. For the most part they have not been thinking much about ozone levels, assuming it is improving. No one had any idea that it was getting worse. And, it was startling for all to realize that ozone depletion is directly affected by climate change. This reinforced everyone's desire to see a new administration in office. We also talked about what we as individuals could all be doing to further reduce our contributions to pollution and climate change.
#3. Review of link on Atomic Structures, Bonding and Compounds.
ELEMENT
a. consists of only one kind of atom
b. cannot be broken down into a simpler type of matter by either physical or chemical means, and
c. can exist as either atoms (e.g. argon) or molecules (e.g., nitrogen).
MOLECULE consists of two or more atoms of the same element, or different elements, that are chemically bound together.
COMPOUNDS
a. consists of atoms of two or more different elements bound together,
can be broken down into a simpler type of matter (elements) by chemical means (but not by physical means),
b. has properties that are different from its component elements, and
c. always contains the same ratio of its component atoms.
MIXTURES
a. consists of two or more different elements and/or compounds physically intermingled,
b. can be separated into its components by physical means, and
c. often retains many of the properties of its components.
Friday, September 5, 2008
Assignment 1 9/5/08
1. My Bio
I worked in corporate America for 16 years. I suffered a severe repetitive stress injury on my last job that left me completely incapacitated for several months. I could not open doors, brush my hair, or prepare my food and could barely dress myself. Western medicine was completely ineffective at helping me recover from this injury. As a result, I continued searching until I found something that worked. During my search I was introduced to Chinese medicine. Although I did not get any relief from Chinese medicine for my repetitive stress injury, I was nonetheless, fascinated with the medicine. I spent my leisure time studying Chinese medicine until it became clear to me that I wanted to practice this healing art for the rest of my life. I now receive regular acupuncture treatments which have improved my health in the number of ways.
In addition to studying Chinese medicine, I am a proud mother of a 27-year-old daughter named Jennifer. She lives in Maine and is married to a wonderful guy named
Colin. She is currently studying for her Master's degree in accounting. My husband's name is Rob. He's an Architect and is originally from South Africa. We've been together for 26 years. We love to sail, cook, garden and have dinner parties with friends. Our dogs name is Hondi. He’s an Australian Labradoodle and is super cute.
2. Should there be more effective control of the pharmaceutical industry?
Absolutely. I was pretty disgusted after reading the article in class. It seems, at a minimum, that the industry is fraught with unethical practices. It says in the article “ So, physicians are walking a fairly fine line.” I personally think many have clearly crossed it.
I was stunned to learn about the off -label use of prescribing Neurontin for pain. As I mentioned in class, my physician prescribed it to me for that purpose. It did not work and it made me feel sick.
There is clearly a lot of evidence to confirm abuses in the pharmaceutical industry. What if doctors profited directly by selling medicine to their patients. Wouldn't this be a huge conflict of interest? In my opinion it would.
Yet, in our field this practice is commonplace. Practitioners make a profit on everything they sell. In the development of their business plans, practitioners calculate how many herbal formulas they need to sell in order to meet their inventory/sales objectives. Is this not a conflict of interest?
I don't mean to suggest that all Chinese medical practitioners are unethical and interested only in profits. However, I don't know any Chinese medical practitioners who sell herbal formulas at cost. They intend to make a profit on the medicines they sell. I think there is a lot of room for abuse with this practice. It is easy for us to point fingers at the Western medical community, but I think we need to make sure that our practices are scrutinized and regulated as well.
3. Results of quiz
I missed five on the quiz. I only got the others right because I happened to guess correctly.
I worked in corporate America for 16 years. I suffered a severe repetitive stress injury on my last job that left me completely incapacitated for several months. I could not open doors, brush my hair, or prepare my food and could barely dress myself. Western medicine was completely ineffective at helping me recover from this injury. As a result, I continued searching until I found something that worked. During my search I was introduced to Chinese medicine. Although I did not get any relief from Chinese medicine for my repetitive stress injury, I was nonetheless, fascinated with the medicine. I spent my leisure time studying Chinese medicine until it became clear to me that I wanted to practice this healing art for the rest of my life. I now receive regular acupuncture treatments which have improved my health in the number of ways.
In addition to studying Chinese medicine, I am a proud mother of a 27-year-old daughter named Jennifer. She lives in Maine and is married to a wonderful guy named
Colin. She is currently studying for her Master's degree in accounting. My husband's name is Rob. He's an Architect and is originally from South Africa. We've been together for 26 years. We love to sail, cook, garden and have dinner parties with friends. Our dogs name is Hondi. He’s an Australian Labradoodle and is super cute.
2. Should there be more effective control of the pharmaceutical industry?
Absolutely. I was pretty disgusted after reading the article in class. It seems, at a minimum, that the industry is fraught with unethical practices. It says in the article “ So, physicians are walking a fairly fine line.” I personally think many have clearly crossed it.
I was stunned to learn about the off -label use of prescribing Neurontin for pain. As I mentioned in class, my physician prescribed it to me for that purpose. It did not work and it made me feel sick.
There is clearly a lot of evidence to confirm abuses in the pharmaceutical industry. What if doctors profited directly by selling medicine to their patients. Wouldn't this be a huge conflict of interest? In my opinion it would.
Yet, in our field this practice is commonplace. Practitioners make a profit on everything they sell. In the development of their business plans, practitioners calculate how many herbal formulas they need to sell in order to meet their inventory/sales objectives. Is this not a conflict of interest?
I don't mean to suggest that all Chinese medical practitioners are unethical and interested only in profits. However, I don't know any Chinese medical practitioners who sell herbal formulas at cost. They intend to make a profit on the medicines they sell. I think there is a lot of room for abuse with this practice. It is easy for us to point fingers at the Western medical community, but I think we need to make sure that our practices are scrutinized and regulated as well.
3. Results of quiz
I missed five on the quiz. I only got the others right because I happened to guess correctly.
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