World's Lightest Material!

Site: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111117154643.htm
Date of publication: November 17th, 2011

A team of scientists from the California Institute of Technology have found a newly developed material that is the lightest on Earth. This material has a density of 0.9 mg/cc, and is one hundred times lighter than Styrofoam. The architecture and the design of this material is very unique, and it is what scientists call the "micro-lattice" design. The micro-lattice design makes many hollow, tiny tubes, which are separated by "walls" that are 1,000 time thinner than one human hair. What is very interesting about this material is the fact that it is made up of 99.99% air, and 0.01% is metal. This metal has very high energy absorption, and all the other physical and chemical properties of a metal. Many architects are starting to become very excited about this unique metal, because by using this metal, more weight-efficient buildings could be designed. Nano and micro scales are starting to be used in science, as well as architecture.

I personally think that this is fascinating, and that it is amazing that such a light material could be found. However, I am a little bit skeptical about whether they build any actual models of buildings out of such a light material. After all, it is made up of mostly air, and that could be quite difficult to handle. What was especially interesting, in my opinion, was the fact that this metal could be placed on top of dandelion fluff, and not damage it in any way. However, I am wondering whether they would be able to create this metal to a larger scale, and be able to use it for anything efficient. When I read this article, I immediately thought about what type of metal they used, because there are some metals that are not very light, at all. Also, if this light metal was created out of an alkali metal, I wondered what would happen to all the air within the material if it was dropped into water. The metal would combust, but I do not know what would happen to 99.9% of air.

Where's the evidence?

Guiding Question: What are some signs that a chemical reaction has taken place?

Hypothesis: I believe that there are many signs that show chemical change or chemical reaction. The mixture or the color of different elements could change color. The state and the tempereature could also change. It would become colder or warmer, depending on the chemical reaction. Another sign that a reaction occured would be bubbling or combustion (explosion).

The Materials Used

We used many different types of materials for this lab, as many different experiments took place. We used baking soda, vinegar, sugar, copper sulfate, sodium carbonate, zinc, hydrochloric acid (HCl), calcium chloride, aluminum foil (copper), starch and iodine.

Data table with all observations:

Reactions	Observations Before Reaction	Predictions	Observations During Reaction	Observations After Reaction
Baking Soda (Soda bicarbonate) + vinegar	Vinegar looks like water, but has a strong alcohol scent. Baking soda is a white powdery substance.	I think that once the two substances mix, a white liquid could form.	The moment we put vinegar into baking soda, the mixture started foaming and rising up the test tube.	The mixture turned powdery and stuck to the sides of the test tube.
Sugar + heat	To provide the heat, we used a wax candle, and we put the sugar into a tin foil.	The sugar will probably become quite warm and caramelize.	During the reaction, smoke was released, and it had a strong smell. The sugar turned brown, and while it was over the flame, it was a brown substance, which had a gooey consistency.	After a while, the caramel cooled down, and it completely got stuck onto the foil, as it went back to its original state of matter.
Copper Sulfare + Sodium Carbonate	The sodium carbonate is a colorless liquid, while copper sulfate is bright blue.	I think that the mixture will just turn a light blue color.	The mixture precipitated, and turned into a form of a solid. Also, the mixture turned light piercing blue, probably because the copper sulfate into the sodium carbonate.	The solid broke apart, and the denser piece went to the bottom of the now colorless liquid, while the less dense one floated at the top.
Zinc piece + Hydrochloric acid (HCl)	Zinc is a solid, yet powdery metal, and HCl is a water-like liquid, that is very toxic.	I believe that the zinc will probably just start fizzing.	The zinc started getting all bubbly and it started fizzing. The smell was really disgusting, because hydrogen gas was released. The zinc turned black and dissolved.	After the reaction, the zinc was still fizzing, but the HCl liquid has turned completely white.
Calcium chloride + Sodium Carbonate	Both liquids look like water and are completely see-through (colorless). However, both have a distinct smell.	I think that nothing interesting will happen, and that the two liquids will probably form another colorless mixture.	The two liquids formed a white, cloudy mixture, and they also precipitated.	The mixture pretty much remained the same, the only difference was the fact that the solid fell to the bottom of the tube.
Copper Sulfate + aluminum foil	Copper sulfate Is a bright blue liquid, while the aluminum foil is a shiny, bendable, sheet of metal.	I am not really sure about what could happen, but the aluminum foil could dissolve.	The foil started getting bubbles on it, and during the reaction it looked white, and small parts of the foil fell off when I shook the test tube.	Two days after the reaction took place, we found out that the foil completely changed it’s color and it turned crimson red.
Starch + Iodine	The starch is a white powder used for baking, while iodine is a very red liquid, that looks like blood.	I think that the two materials won’t mix, because they have a lot of different physical and chemical properties.	When iodine and starch DID mix, the liquid was a purple color. The more iodine we added, the darker it got.	The purple started settling at the bottom of the test tube, while the rest of the liquid went back to being colorless.

Analysis of my results:

1. How do the results of each reaction compare with your prediction?
Most of my predictions were right, even though some chemical reactions really took me by surprise. When the aluminum foil and the copper sulfate, I really didn't expect the foil to become so red, and to start falling apart inside the tube. Also, the fomaing of baking soda and vinegar caught me by surpsrise, as I didn't expect such a severe reaction between these two common substances. However, we knew in advance that some substances could e very toxic and reactive, so we could know what to expect.
2.  How did you know when each reaction was over?
In most cases, it was obvious to see when the reaction was over. If the mixture stopped bubbling, that meant the reaction was over, and that the chemical changes have aleady taken place. Also, if the color completely stopped changing, we would know that the reaction is over. The end of a reaction could be marked by the cooling down of a mixture, or the stop in temperature change.
3. What was the evidence of a chemical reaction in all results?
The evidence of a chemical reaction was what was left of the reaction after it took place. When the sugar was burned, the evidence of a chemical reaction was the caramelized sold sugar that was stuck to the aluminum foil. It's color and state had been changed. Another evidence of a chemical reaction would be the newly-formed mixture left when two or more materials mix. This mixture could have a different color, smell, etc.
4. Were there any endothermic or exothermic reactions?
Exothermic reactions took place throughout this lab. Exothermic reactions that can be explosive and they release heat. One example where heat and smoke was released when zinc was mixed with hydrochloric acid. When the metal started fizzing, the mizture released warm energy, as well a hydrogen gas.  However, during this lab, no endothermic reactions were experienced, since nothing cooled down dramatically.
5. Were the products always the same as what you started with?  How do you know?
The products were never the same as they started with. In a chemical reaction the whole chemical structure of molecules changes, and they can never go back to their original states. I know that the substances and mixtures are not the same because their color changes, their original state cannot be retrieved, and they could have strong scents.

Conclusion:

What are some signs that a chemical reaction has taken place? There are many sings that can show that a chemical reactions occured. Firstly, there could be a color change in the mixture. The texture could change, as well, so the way something feels changes. We also know a chemical reaction has taken place when a new substance is formed. For example, when zinc was mixed with hydrochloric acid, hydrogen gas was released. We can also know that a chemical reaction has taken place when something combusts (explodes) or precipitates. Most of the reactions came to the end, because once the bonds create, and once the elements are mixed with each other, they stop reacting.

Further Inquiry:

If I could change anything about this lab, I would probably add some more known substances, to see how household items, and items that are familiar react with each other. This would have probably made the lab more interesting. However, overall, I believe that this was one of the most interesting labs we did, and it was one of my personal favorites.

Chemical Reactions!

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVK9Om4wzBM
Once bromine was put into the alcoholic substance, the alcohol had to be shaken a little bit, in order for the bromine to dissolve better. Firstly, the white bromine started dissolving into the alcohol turining it yellow. The, towards the end, it seemed as though the bromine started burning, because a very powerful, bright orange gas was released. It looked quite toxic. Finally, once the chemical reaction was over, only a very light yellow liquid was left behind. We know a chemical reaction has taken place, because a gas was released and there was a significant color change.

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ypUVpwgcAA&feature=related
A small piece of lithium was put into water. The moment lithium touched the water, it turned into a flame that quickly started moving across the water's surface. Before it started burning, though, the lithium also sizzled severely. However, the flame went away quickly, as well. A smoke was, obviously, released. We know that a chemical reaction has taken place, because a the metal combusted.

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=896vJj6eWYw&feature=related
This was a chemical reaction between ceasium and water. Just like all alkali metals, ceasium had a severe reaction once it got in touch with water. It combusted, and looked much like a firework. The actual combustion was quite short, but the stregnth of the chemical reaction was shown by the amount of smoke that was produced. The color of the "firework" was quite bright orange.

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRmNPKVEGeQ&NR=1
This chemical reaction was between potassium and water. The potassium reacted in a similar way to lithium, except the actual flame lasted much longer. What I found quite interesting was the fact that that the flame died down VERY quickly, and towards the end of the video, it seems like the potassium makes a popping sound, and explodes out of the water.

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJslbQiYrYY&NR=1
The next video shows sodium in water, and, in my opinion, this is one of the coolest reactions! Firstly, the sodium is dropped into the water, and it automatically creates a yellow flame that is floating in the water. Then, once you start thinking that the flame might start dying down, a big combustion happens, that sends the water flying everywhere! I believe that the sodium was able to break the container, as well, if just a tiny bit more of it was added.

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pk6s1MbszA&feature=related
In this experiment, a gummy bear is added to sodium chlorate. Once the gummy bear was dropped into the test tube filled with sodium chlorate, the tube started fuming, and it alomst appeared as though it was glowing! You can deffinetely tell a chemical reaction took place, because the combustion was obvious. At first, the flames and the glowing happened only at the bottom of the tube, but it rapidly advanced to the whole tube, as well.

7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrNA8-eipGE&feature=related
Finally, this is a really fun experiment, that looks super interesting! So, the person put water inside a cup, and hooked a light that sent electricity through the water. The whole cup started glowing! But, to make it more interesting, the person added a blue food dye and stirred it with the water. This created a really cool turquoise color that glowed just like a real lightbulb!

Dolphin dimples detect electricity!

Web source: http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/2011/08/dolphin-dimples-detect-electricity/

We can sense dolphins in many different ways, by seeing them, hearing them, etc. However, dolphis can sense our presence too, just in a different way. They do have good eyesight, but they have no sense of smell. Scientists have been researching dolphins and their senses for a long time now, and came to a magnificent discovery! Researchers found that a certain type of dolphins, the Guiana dolphins are capable of detecting electric fields. They believe that this sense is located on their snouts, and that it can help them find fish to eat in the murky waters. Dolphins have small dimples on their snouts, which are scientifically called vibrissal crypts. Scientists decided to test their theories by observing the Guiana dolphins in an aquarium in Germany (The Guiana dolphins' natural habitat are the shallow waters of the east coast of South America). The first test that was conducted was on the snout of an old dolphin that died naturally. It was found that they looked like sensors that some other animals have in order to feel electric impulses. Nerve fibers were also discovered, which surely tells us about some sort of electrical charge. The next test was done on a live dolphin, which was taught to move from a device that created electric impulses if it felt something different happening. The moment the device started working, the dolphin moved away. Furthermore, once the scientists covered the dolphin's snout, it couldn't didn't react to any electrical charges.
Every living organism generates some sort of electric field. It can either be heart impulses, the cells working, etc. That means that all the fish generate electric impulses, that can transport through water, as water is a great conductor.
I think that this article is really interesting and it is amazing to think that dolphins have some sort of a sixth sense! Dolphins have always be known to be very intelligent animals and this shows a part of the reason why they are considered this. They can find prey much faster then other animals, because of their sense for electrical fields. Also, the test scientists conducted seemed really original, and I find it amazing that they conducted these experiments in so much detail, careful of every step they took. However, I think that the dolphins' sensing of electricity wouldn't be that effiicient when they are trying to find smaller prey, because they might not be able to sense such tiny electric impulses.

Silly Putty!

In class we did a small lab, and we made what we called a "silly putty". For this experiment, we used a bunch of different materials. The most important ingredient out of all was probably the borax acid, because that is what gave the putty a more gooey, and less sticky feel. However, before we used the borax, we mixed water and glue together. We added just a few drops of borax acid into the mixture, because if too much is added, the putty wouldn't turn out the way it's supposed to. Once we mixed all the ingredients together into a plastic cup, I used a spoon to take the putty out, and shape it. The putty is quite flexible, and if you break it off into many little pieces, you can still put them back together again into one putty, just like with clay, or play-doh. However, I realized that after a while the putty started getting quite difficult to bend, and if you broke it into little parts, it wouldn't blend together again. In order to get the putty gooey again, I had to put it under warm water. The putty was basically a covalent compound, because H2O was mixed with an acid, and glue.


 
This is what a silly putty would look like if food coloring was added to it.

Atom Simulation!

What happens when you add a proton?
When you add a proton to a completely empty atom,you get hydrogen. When a proton is added to a atom, the atom becomes stable.

What does it mean when an atom is stable? What does it mean when an atom is unstable?
A stable atom is an atom that is able to hold the nucleus together, including the electrons, neutrons, and protons. Unstable atoms are radioactive. They are unable to hold all of their parts together, and therefore radiation is released. Initally, radioactive materials are made of unstable atoms, who do not have enough binding energy to hold themselves together.

How do you make an atom stable? What do you need to do?
In order to make an atom stable, you need to add or subtract a certain amount of protons, depending on the amount of neutrons an atom has. I have noticed that the easiest way to stabilize an atom is to have the same amount of neutrons and protons within it. However, there are some exceptions, like, for example, helium. Helium is an element in the noble gasses family, and it has one neutron and two protons. To my surprise it was still stable!

What is the valence electron pattern as you move across the periodic table?
Valence electrons are the electrons that are placed in the outer shell of an atom. These electrons can become parts of another atom, or can be shared among two atoms. It is when valent electrons "connect" atoms that compunds are created. The valence electron pattern in the periodic table is very simple. When you go across the period, the number of valence electrons increases. When you start a new period, or a new "row", the number of valence electrons decreases, and drops to one. Then, the number starts increasing again.

What happens to the atom when there is more protons, more neutrons, or more electrons?
The atom becomes unstable, but like in the case of helium, there are some exceptions!

What's the difference between a positive and a negative ion?
 Ions are formed when an atom, or an element, loses or gains an electron. An ion becomes positively charged, when it loses an electron, because in that case the number of protons is bigger then the number of electrons. An ion is negatively charged if the opposite happens; an atom gains an electron. In that case, there are more electrons then protons.

Currents Events 2 - T-Rex was even bigger than we thought!

Published on October 14th, 2011
By: Meera Dolasia
Original title: OMG! The Mighty T-Rex May Have Been Even Bigger Than We Thought
Link: http://www.dogonews.com/2011/10/14/omg-the-mighty-t-rex-may-have-been-even-bigger-than-we-thought

Out of all the dinosaurs that existed on our planet long ago, Tyrannosaurus Rex, or T-Rex for short, was probably the fiercest and most dangerous. However, new studies have shown that scientists have miscalculated the actual size of T-Rex, and that this dinosaur was 30% bigger than originally thought! The new measurements of T-Rex’s skeleton were discovered by a group of British and American paleontologists, who used five T-Rex fossils to make scale models, and conduct their research.  

SUE is the most well-preserved fossil of T-Rex ever found. By using the forensic scanners, scientists found that just the skull of T-Rex is 3.3 feet wide and about 5 feet long!  The team also tried to accurately measure the body volume of T-Rex, by separating the different parts of the skeleton (the head, tail, etc.), and skin-wrapping them. Before the detailed tests, it was thought that this giant dinosaur weighed around five tons. New estimates say that the minimum weight was nine tons!

 Once scientists figured out the weight of T-Rex, they also tried to estimate how these massive beings grew. When they were born, they probably weighed around 11 pounds. They probably hit two major growth spurts; one when they were 10 years old, and one when they were 17 years old. It is possible that during those two periods of their lives, T-Rex’s gained around 3, 950 pounds. Most of the weight that made the T-Rex so big was in the torso, while the legs remained very short throughout their life.