Acid and Base Yeast Lab

It is obvious that the acidic substance produced the most reaction, even when the stopper popped off for a second.  The pressure rose over 150 kPa in less than two minutes.  I also think that this had to do with the carbonation being released at the same time and putting a little more yeast than was necessary into the test tube.  The basic substance produced a very similar result, but did not equal the pressure from the soda.  The pressure started out really high, but didn't increase a whole lot after about 30 seconds.  The neutral substance had a very small reaction and didn't increase the pressure much.  I don't understand why we mixed all of the substances with hydrogen peroxide, but it may be because we needed a little bit more liquid and hydrogen peroxide has very simple elements.  Graphs below.  Order is Acid, Base, Neutral.

Chemical Reactions and Heat Lab Investigation

The time the reaction took decreased as the temperature got warmer.  When the temperature was 50 C the time for the alka seltzer to fully dissolve was only 21.47 seconds.  But when we decreased the temperature to 24 C, the reaction took 14.86 seconds longer (36.33).  We also discovered that as we got closer to 0 C the reaction almost didn't ever finish.  At 1.3 C it took 134.5 seconds to dissolve, and it was still bubbling a little bit.  I think that this phenomenon occurs because colder atoms move less, and so that means that the alka seltzer wasn't exposed to as many H2O molecules.  When I created a graph of the temperatures and the time it took to dissolve, the graph was an exponential function with an equation of y=118.5705675*.962206596^x (Special thanks to Luke Hellum)

Sodium Silicate Polymer Lab

Q1: What characteristics are similar between your two types of polymers you have made?
A1: Poly 1 is the polymer from glue and Poly 2 (Put Picture Here)


Q2: Most Commercial polymers are carbon based. What similar properties do carbon and silicon share that may contribute to their abilities to polymerize?
A2: Silicon and carbon both can give up or obtain four electrons. This is why they bond to so many other elements.  They also are both in group 14 in the periodic table.


Q3: Plastics are made of organic (carbon based) polymers. What similar properties does silicone share with plastics?
A3: They both are cloudy and white tinted.  It also bends fairly easily but holds its shape.


Q4: How did you know that a chemical reaction had taken place when the alcohol contacted the solution?
A4: Because the matter changed from a liquid to a solid.  That can only happen when there is a chemical change.


Q5: How could you find out what liquid was forced out of the ball as it was formed?
A5: By examining the contents of the ball, finding them, and comparing them to the contents of the solution before mixing.


Q6: How does your ball compare to other groups?
A6: Ours is bigger and has less veins than other groups.  Ours also retained a dome shape while others stayed spherical.

Polymer Lab Group Investigation

Our experiment was very random.  We questioned whether adding an acid (vinegar) would change the characteristics of a polymer created from borax and glue.  This turned the polymer rough, rubbery, and slimy.  It also smelled of glue and vinegar.  A thin film developed on the surface as well, and if punctured, adding vinegar and glue repaired the incision.  It looked like cottage cheese, and felt like a beanbag after it was dried.  It had no rebound, as it was probably too heavy to gather enough momentum.

Chemthink Chemical Reactions

1. Reactants
2. Products
3. Chemical Change
4. Breaking or Forming
5. Breaking, Forming
6. Atoms
7. Missing, Extra
8. Take Place
9. 2, 2, 1, 1
10. 2, 1
11. Law of Conservation of Mass
12. Atoms, Mass
13. 2, 1, 2
14. 1, 2, 1, 1
15. 1O, O
16. O, Cu, Cu
17. 2, 1, 2
18. 1, 2, 2, 1
19. 1, 3, 2
20. 2, 2, 3
21. 4, 3, 2

1. Breaking and forming of bonds
2. Present before and after the reaction
3. Coefficient, atom

The Science of Addiction (Other Websites)

Information from http://www.abovetheinfluence.com/facts/science-behind-addiction.aspx


Different drugs work in different ways.  Heroin and marijuana work by mimicking natural neurotransmitters, and trigger "artificial" release of dopamine.  Others like cocaine and meth stop the recycling process or overwork the natural neurotransmitters to produce extra dopamine.  Some drugs release over ten times the amount of dopamine normally produced. Abuse of drugs can lead to tolerance, which is when the brain tries to combat drugs by reducing amounts of dopamine.  This means that addicts need drugs (and more of them) to get their dopamine levels regulated.


Information from http://teens.drugabuse.gov/facts/index.php (Nicotine) and http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/alcohol5.htm (Alcohol)


Nicotine and alcohol can be even worse than the drugs listed above because they are legal, so there is no limit to how much can be consumed.  There isn't with illegal drugs either, but people tend to take less of them so that if they are caught, their punishment is not as bad.  Nicotine only takes eight seconds to act on the brain.  Nicotine is the most widely used drug in the U.S. and kills over 500,000 people every year- more than all other addictive drugs combined.  Alcohol on the other hand, doesn't kill unless it is consumed in vast quantities.  There are six stages to drunkness, all depending on the BAC (Blood Alcohol Content) They are: Euphoria, Excitement, Confusion, Stupor, Coma, and Death.