Today? Humbling.
I was fortunate to attend the teacher "motivation" session at the school where I will be observing this fall. It involved music from the marching band, a showcase of school talent, student guest speakers, and celebrating successes from the past school year, but most of all it set the goals for this coming school year.
If you had only attended the first part of the morning, you would think that this school district thrives, that it's teachers love their jobs, that the students love their school, and that the highest academic achievement is reached. Wrong. While many of the teachers cited in a survey that they "liked" their job, very few said they loved it. And the students leave in droves from their school - last year alone, the school lost 400 kids from the high school (which has 1200 in attendance). As for academic achievement, the school has not made adequate yearly progress (a No Child Left Behind buzz phrase) for the last seven years. Yikes.
The worst part? Listening to how the community doesn't respect their school. I get it, I totally do - it's easiest to state a school's faults then it is to state it's successes. As I learned today, we don't often take pride in our successes (the superintendent did an amazing job of that with the beginning of the session). But the message that struck me the most about the lack of respect was this - the school board president asked the teachers: How can we expect the community to sing its praises for the school when we can't even sing those praises ourselves?
Food for thought my friends.
Common Occurrences: Nearly all compact fluorescent bulbs contain europium phosphors (read: fancy chemistry term for pleasing light).
Fun Fact: Europium is used for labeling on the Euro.
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Samarium
So once again, I break the whole wait until the periodic table titles end to talk about other science-y things. But with Hurricane Irene, I thought it might be appropriate to give a shout out to our good friend water. And since water is kind of a big deal, it will be mentioned plenty more times. On the topic of big deals, here are some pictures from LP's local newspaper documenting the big damage that water causes. Good thing I left early on Sunday...
Fun Fact: Samarium-cobalt magnets are found on electric guitar pickups, as the magnets are known to withstand high temperatures (If any of you are musicians, you might understand this more than I do).
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| This is a road pretty close to my house. Apparently water is powerful enough to strip off a layer of asphalt. CRAZY. |
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| The remains of the firehall in the next town over. |
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| Need I explain more than meets the eye on this one? |
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| No joke, when the weather is normal, the water under this bridge is probably six to ten feet below the road. Not so much now. |
Fun Fact: Samarium-cobalt magnets are found on electric guitar pickups, as the magnets are known to withstand high temperatures (If any of you are musicians, you might understand this more than I do).
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Promethium
Once the periodic table titles ran out, I was planning on naming posts after scientists, scientific principles, compounds, etc., with one of those being combustion. But after blowing up my car today, I feel it is fitting to provide some knowledge about combustion.
Combustion involves hydrocarbons (read: compounds with hydrogen and carbon) reacting with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water. Being fancy, the equation is as follows:
hydrocarbon + oxygen (gas) --> carbon dioxide (gas) + water (gas and liquid)
Here is where combustion gets interesting - you have all heard that you should never start your car in the garage with the door closed, as you'll produce carbon monoxide. Ever wonder why? You car engine is a combustion engine (aka it burns gas which is a mixture of hydrocarbons). With an infinite supply of oxygen (aka outdoors) it will always produce carbon dioxide and water. BUT, if you accidentally leave your car running in the garage with the door closed, the oxygen supply is limited, and the combustion reaction forms carbon monoxide and water instead. Cool, right? (well not really, since carbon monoxide is deadly :/)
Fortunately, I didn't start my car in the garage, as it's always parked outside. However, it's compressor did decide to die, which subsequently lit my fan belt on fire (another not so lovely combustion reaction). So I had a lovely morning standing next to my smoking car while I waited for someone to drive me home. Good thing I made it home from Michigan with two miles of driving to spare. Rest in peace Durango - you've been a good car.
Fun Fact: Like technetium, promethium is one of few elements above bismuth (element 83) that is not stable (read: radioactive). It was once used as a luminous paint after the harmful effects of radium were discovered and before tritium provided a safe alternative.
Combustion involves hydrocarbons (read: compounds with hydrogen and carbon) reacting with oxygen to form carbon dioxide and water. Being fancy, the equation is as follows:
hydrocarbon + oxygen (gas) --> carbon dioxide (gas) + water (gas and liquid)
Here is where combustion gets interesting - you have all heard that you should never start your car in the garage with the door closed, as you'll produce carbon monoxide. Ever wonder why? You car engine is a combustion engine (aka it burns gas which is a mixture of hydrocarbons). With an infinite supply of oxygen (aka outdoors) it will always produce carbon dioxide and water. BUT, if you accidentally leave your car running in the garage with the door closed, the oxygen supply is limited, and the combustion reaction forms carbon monoxide and water instead. Cool, right? (well not really, since carbon monoxide is deadly :/)
Fortunately, I didn't start my car in the garage, as it's always parked outside. However, it's compressor did decide to die, which subsequently lit my fan belt on fire (another not so lovely combustion reaction). So I had a lovely morning standing next to my smoking car while I waited for someone to drive me home. Good thing I made it home from Michigan with two miles of driving to spare. Rest in peace Durango - you've been a good car.
Fun Fact: Like technetium, promethium is one of few elements above bismuth (element 83) that is not stable (read: radioactive). It was once used as a luminous paint after the harmful effects of radium were discovered and before tritium provided a safe alternative.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Neodymium
So I have been home for a couple days now and I am dreading the day I have to leave. I forgot how good it feels to be home and how amazing Lake Placid is. To give you a sample, here are some funnies from my time being home:
1. You know you've made it home when the first vehicles you see after crossing back to the U.S. from the Canada is a horse and buggy and a farm tractor.
2. You know you've made it home when about 3 miles from your house you see a former classmate hitchhiking.
3. Being covered in dog hair is totally allowable. Being covered in dog drool? Also totally allowable.
4. Having your dog as a copilot is the best person to drive with. When you want ice cream, he totally eats a bowl with you.
5. The neighbor dog totally lives at your house. He sits on the deck adjacent to the dining room when you eat dinner. He also is dumb enough to get his collar stuck on a lawn chair and drag it around the deck.
6. Mountain tops are higher than clouds. This is a definite when it's about to rain.
7. A random sudden downpour does not stop a farmer's market. Vendors always have tarps handy and everyone puts the hood up on their raincoats.
8. Your next door neighbor bakes a cake and brings it over. So sweet.
9. Pick-up truck. 'Nough said.
10. Everywhere you go, you see someone you know and stop to have a conversation, even if that means clogging up the supermarket line talking to the french teacher from high school you never had.
Common Occurrences: Neodymium is found in fake earrings, as it is a strong enough magnet to attract through an ear lobe. Along with earrings, neodymium is popping up in bracelets, where it is located at acupuncture points at the wrist (Side note: I have one of these bracelets and I thought it was whack, but it totally feels different when you wear the bracelet differently).
Fun Fact: The strongest magnets are made from neodymium. To give you an idea about its strength, neodymium magnets will be attracted toward each other from more than a foot away (don't put your hand in the middle :) )
1. You know you've made it home when the first vehicles you see after crossing back to the U.S. from the Canada is a horse and buggy and a farm tractor.
2. You know you've made it home when about 3 miles from your house you see a former classmate hitchhiking.
3. Being covered in dog hair is totally allowable. Being covered in dog drool? Also totally allowable.
4. Having your dog as a copilot is the best person to drive with. When you want ice cream, he totally eats a bowl with you.
5. The neighbor dog totally lives at your house. He sits on the deck adjacent to the dining room when you eat dinner. He also is dumb enough to get his collar stuck on a lawn chair and drag it around the deck.
6. Mountain tops are higher than clouds. This is a definite when it's about to rain.
7. A random sudden downpour does not stop a farmer's market. Vendors always have tarps handy and everyone puts the hood up on their raincoats.
8. Your next door neighbor bakes a cake and brings it over. So sweet.
9. Pick-up truck. 'Nough said.
10. Everywhere you go, you see someone you know and stop to have a conversation, even if that means clogging up the supermarket line talking to the french teacher from high school you never had.
Common Occurrences: Neodymium is found in fake earrings, as it is a strong enough magnet to attract through an ear lobe. Along with earrings, neodymium is popping up in bracelets, where it is located at acupuncture points at the wrist (Side note: I have one of these bracelets and I thought it was whack, but it totally feels different when you wear the bracelet differently).
Fun Fact: The strongest magnets are made from neodymium. To give you an idea about its strength, neodymium magnets will be attracted toward each other from more than a foot away (don't put your hand in the middle :) )
Monday, August 22, 2011
Praseodymium
This post makes it official: We are halfway through the periodic table! I guess this is when I should start planning the name of posts after the elements have run out, but I still have 59 posts before I absolutely have to worry ;)
As a look back on the first 59, here are some of my favorites...
Favorite Post: Lithium
Favorite Fun Fact: Manganese
During the 1970s Howard Hughes commissioned a ship the Hughes Glomar Explorer to find manganese nodules (small round lumps) on the ocean floor near Hawaii. However, his real mission with the Glomar Explorer was to raise a sunken ballistic Russian submarine for the CIA. The manganese nodules were simply a ruse for treasure hunters and unfortunately worthless.
Favorite Video: Nitrogen
Fun Fact: The glasses that glass-blowers wear to protect their eyes contain praseodymium, as the element knocks out the bright yellow emission line from sodium that is the bright light emitted from a torch. Instead of seeing the blinding yellow light, glass-blowers see a dull blue glow from the torch and an orange glow from hot glass.
As a look back on the first 59, here are some of my favorites...
Favorite Post: Lithium
Favorite Fun Fact: Manganese
During the 1970s Howard Hughes commissioned a ship the Hughes Glomar Explorer to find manganese nodules (small round lumps) on the ocean floor near Hawaii. However, his real mission with the Glomar Explorer was to raise a sunken ballistic Russian submarine for the CIA. The manganese nodules were simply a ruse for treasure hunters and unfortunately worthless.
Favorite Video: Nitrogen
Fun Fact: The glasses that glass-blowers wear to protect their eyes contain praseodymium, as the element knocks out the bright yellow emission line from sodium that is the bright light emitted from a torch. Instead of seeing the blinding yellow light, glass-blowers see a dull blue glow from the torch and an orange glow from hot glass.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Cerium
Hi all! I am currently driving across parts of the United States and Canada, so I wanted to leave you with some videos. The first is produced by the American Chemical Society to emphasize the importance of chemistry (in case you haven't noticed - it's kind of a big deal). Also, enjoy the bloopers from The Big Bang Theory - if you haven't seen the show, watch it! My sister and I have even gotten our parents hooked - while Christine and I laugh at the subtle science humor, my parents still get a chuckle from Sheldon's mannerisms.
Common Occurrences: Cerium oxide powder is used for grinding and polishing glass. Cerium is also included in "mischmetal" (mixed metals) that are used as flint in lighters.
Fun Fact: Cerium is "pyrophoric," meaning that is catches fire when it is scratched, grinded, or filed. Because of this quality, cerium is used for special effects in movies involving action scenes like cars being dragged on concrete.
Common Occurrences: Cerium oxide powder is used for grinding and polishing glass. Cerium is also included in "mischmetal" (mixed metals) that are used as flint in lighters.
Fun Fact: Cerium is "pyrophoric," meaning that is catches fire when it is scratched, grinded, or filed. Because of this quality, cerium is used for special effects in movies involving action scenes like cars being dragged on concrete.
Friday, August 19, 2011
Lanthanum
Have you missed me? Because I have certainly missed blogging! I just finished up with my finals week, which consisted of three papers that each had more than one part...ick. But they are done and I am headed home on an 11 hour drive tomorrow and I couldn't be more excited!!
Despite being focused on a computer screen all week, so I have nothing super cool to report. Enjoy this video about today's title element instead!
Fun Fact: Lanthanum is one of the "rare" earth metals, yet it is three times more abundant in the Earth's crust than lead.
Despite being focused on a computer screen all week, so I have nothing super cool to report. Enjoy this video about today's title element instead!
Fun Fact: Lanthanum is one of the "rare" earth metals, yet it is three times more abundant in the Earth's crust than lead.
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