Reflective blog 11-9/11-13

     This previous week was full of amazing labs and intense work. As we push towards our final week in class befroe finals, we are really trying to grasp every concept, especially the previous chapter, because most of the class struggled with it.

     To start off on Monday, we started with a Nail Lab. This lab topk place over the course of 3 days, where we had to take observations on both days. The first day, we were asked to place a nail inside of a beaker filled with chloride dihydrate and distilled water. As the nail was placed inside the beaker, you could see the copper slowly start to form on the ends of the nails. Bubbles were being produced as well. We then let it rest for a while and came back to take a final look for the day. The same thing could be seen again. The next day, we took the beakers out of the oven and found that the nails were fully covered in copper! We were then asked to rise the copper off the nail and seperate the copper from the nail. We then massed the dry nails and then discarded them. We replaced the beaker filled with copper (no liquid was left in the beaker), back in the oven and then waited for day 3. When we came  in on Wednesday we took the beakers out of the oven and massed the beaker with the dry copper. The purpose was to determine the ratio of moles of copper to the moles of iron, where we found the raio to be 1:1.

     In between the lab, we were asked to do worksheets related to balancing chemical reactions and we also did a special assignment on Wednesday. Considering most of the classes test scores were below average, Dr. J gave one day in class to work on what is called a Taskchain. They are mini quizes that allowed us to get a better understanding on the material by forcing us to get at least a 85% or better. We are allowed to retake the test next week, so this the perfect opportunity to really understand what the unit was about, especially with finals around the corner. We also finished the week with a chemical reactions lab, where we were asked to go around each table and produce a chemical reaction with the instructions given to us. We were then asked to take notes on the reaction and balance the equations on the back of the worksheet. We finished Friday by going over the reactions as a class, as especially reviewed the wording of chemical reactions.

     So with all this going on, this weekend will be quite busy with studying and taskchains. As we push towards out last week, I am excited to start reviewing for our final and to put everything we've learned at work. I feel confident with the strategies Dr. J taught us for balancing chemical equations, and now I just need to redeem myself on that last test, and go into the final with a strong mindset.

Reflective Blog 10-26/10-30

     This previous week, we have done a lot of work hoping to get ready for our upcoming test. As a lot of us our more confused with the idea of Ions, it made it more difficult to really grasp how Ions are used, and really the concepts in general. Dr. J really wanted us to focus on worksheets given to us over the course of the week to help us get practice with what we were really struggling with. For me, going into the week, I had some trouble with using the charges to make them equal zero. It was very confusing at first when I had to apply it by myself.

     On Monday, we got a worksheet asking us to find the formulas for the atoms given, and then draw the particle diagram. On the back of that sheet, we were asked to put the formulas on a periodic table based on the atoms involved. As a class we then discussed the relationship between these formulas. I am glad we did because I honestly had no idea what the relationship ment. We concluded that the for formulas in each row, they have a specific charge. We then white boarded and we also concluded they a neutral atom becomes a positive ion by losing an electron, and becomes a negative ion by gaining an electron.

     The next day, we took another look at a different worksheet that focused on naming ionic compounds. This worksheet made us analyze different areas of the periodic table, that we used in the first worksheet, to determine specific charges for specific scenarios. It then game us two elements, and using so we had to come up with the most amount of formulas possible. This made us practice the fact that the sum of the charges always had to equal zero. It took a little bit of time for that to process in my mind, but over the course of the week it got easier to make the connection of how many of which is needed to equal zero. We were then given the opposite, where the formula was provided to us and we had to name the ionic compounds. It was great to be able to do this because it showed me both sides of ionic compounds and helped me understand where the fomulas are coming from, and vice versa.

     The next two days, we were given two more worksheets but these were really focused on the charges of the ions. The first worksheet focused on polyatomic ions and how they are given charges compared to monotomic ions. It gave us a deeper understanding of how they are similar and yet they are also different. We also did a worksheet that I found was the most helpful. It was a sheet that, in some cases, gave us the ions and we had to find the formula unit, and in other cases gave us the formula unit and we had to find the ions. We were also asked to name the ions. This really combined everything in one worksheet. It tested us on our ability to make the charges equal to zero, it gave us the chance to look up the names of the ions, and even find the specific number of ions and atoms in each formula unit.

     As we head towards our Unit 6 test on Monday, I reflect and think about how great it was of Dr. J to move the test back to Monday. This gave me the weekend to study and do this blog to really gather all the information I have learned and to look back on it. As we push towards our next unit, and slowly towards the end of the trimester, I am once again excited to see what we have left to learn before our final exam. I am pretty confident coming into this test Monday, hoping to obtain a famous mole.

Reflective Blog 10-19/10-23

     As we entered the class Monday morning, many showed smiling faces while others were disappointed from the test results we took on the previous Friday. Happy or sad, we came in on Monday ready to learn Unit 6. The focus of this unit is to examine particles and their internal structures, We did this through a variety of labs and worksheets that were handed out over the course of the week.

     Starting off on Monday, we were given an introductory worksheet on the "Thomson Model". This required us to grab the Chromebooks and go to a specific website to read about all three of Thomson's experiments. Each question asked about a certain experiment, and the last question asked about the model itself. The model shows a particle with negatively charged electrons in the particles interior. We were then asked to whiteboard the results to make sure everyone had the same idea as to what the model looked like.

     The next couple of days were filled with a fun lab called the "Sticky Tape" lab. The labs goal was to get us to understand where the charge coming from the tape is actually coming from. "Why is the charge present in the tape?", was the more specific question. We were asked to take the tape, place one piece on top of the other, and pull them apart to create a charge. Then we were given multiple cases, where we had to use the tape to attract aluminium foil and paper. This gave us a better understanding that opposites attract and others don't. We were then given a post-lab write up, which we as a class to formulate what we thought the particles looked like at different stages of the lab.

     On Thursday, we started the "U-tube" lab where we were asked to take notes on a tube filled with Chlorine and Copper and see what happens when charges come into play. I am still a little confused as to what happened in the lab, and more specifically the results. I realize that the charges need to cancel out, and I understand that part, but in some cases I can't seem to find why. It was very cool, although, to see the copper form at the bottom of the tube, and the greenish yellow fluid that formed on the Chlorine side. 

     This brought us to Friday, where we finished up the "U-tube" lab and we started a worksheet. We whiteboarded our results of the lab and has a class discussion. Like I said I am still a little confused but I am hoping that we will clear things up on Monday. As for the worksheet, we started that and it seemed to be a slight review of particle diagrams and formulas. As we head on to next week, I know I can see a test in the near future, so I really want to get this material down. Next week should be packed with review and hopefully more labs, and I am quite excited.

Reflective blog 10-12/10-18

     This previous week a log of reviewing was done. The big problem coming into Monday was that many of the students in the class did not know how to properly find the Empirical formula as well as the Molecular formula. Our main goal the past week was to get us prepared for our test on last Friday. But I will go further in depth of how and what techniques we learned to be as prepared as we could for this test.

     On Monday, we worked on getting the same answers for the homework that was assign over last weekend. I was quite confused at first by some of the later questions on the worksheet. I was absent on Monday so I missed out on the discussions about the worksheet, but I was able to get ahold of a friend to get me the answers. On that day we also had a short quiz to see if we were able to apply changing grams into moles and vice versa. One of the harder things on the quiz was placing the right amount of "sig figs". But Dr. J was nice enough to not take points off for unaccurate amounts of "sig figs".

     Tuesday, we recieved the study guide and we worked in class on the study guide as well as worksheets for Empirical formula. We were asked to apply the conversions between moles and grams, to find the Empirical formula. What we had to do was divide the other moles by the smallest amount of moles found and use the ratio to find the Empirical formula. Then, based on the molar mass, you must divide the molar mass by the moles of each elements combined. Thursday we reviewed the study guide and worked on it in class. Finally Friday was the big test. I found a question specifically hard because I forgot to study that question on the study guide. I feel confident that I missed a couple questions, but hopefully the damage wasn't too bad.

     Overall, the week was pretty relax with reviewing. The week ended stressfully with a test, but I feel comfortable going into next week, and I am excited to learn a new unit. I am glad I got the opportunity to learn and actually understand Empirical formula and all, instead of acting like I do but don't actually don't.

Reflective blog 10/5-10/11

     As I reflect on what we did over the past week, I figured out the meaning of what all this "Relative Mass" and "Moles" nonsense is. We spend a vast majority of the week focusing on conversions between mass and moles and vice versa. We focused on worksheets, a lab, and a demonstration to help grasp the understanding of what moles represent, and how to calculate them using the periodic table. Overall, this week was set up to get us ready for our quiz on Monday, and most importantly, our test at the end of next week.
     On Monday, we started class by doing a worksheet called "Relative Mass and Mole". This worksheet gave us an example using two different types of eggs, chicken and quail, and using the mass we had to determine the ratio between the mass and the number of eggs present. The goal of this worksheet was to see if we could convert specific units into other units. This led to a second worksheet we got, only this one gave us information on what a Mole is equal to. We learned that 1 Mole=6.02E22. We also learned that the amount of Moles in an element is equal to the Atomic mass of that element. For example, the amount of Moles in Carbon would be 12.01 because that is Carbon's Atomic mass. We used this information to make the conversions when it asked us to find the number of atoms and the number of moles.

     The next day, we began to work on a lab. This lab was split up into two days, given the fact that we had to heat the substance over night. The first day, we were asked to weigh the mass of a beaker and the pour the Zinc into the beaker and weigh the combined weight. We then poured Chlorine on top of the Zinc. This made the substance turn a purple color that  proceeded to fizz and bubble for a while. After recording the masses, we placed the beakers on a heating plate and left them there over night. The next day, we took the beakers back to the scale, and weighed the mass of the Zinc chloride. The substance was now a solid purple blob at the bottom of the beaker. To find the mass of the Zinc chloride 3 times, we had to heat the bottom of the beaker until the substance started to smoke, then let cool for a couple minutes and proceed with weighing the beaker. We repeated this process 3 times. This gave us a reason to use the conversions to find the amount of Moles in Zinc and Chlorine, and finally find the ratio, which turned out to be a 2:1 ratio. We finally analyzed the results of each group and made a table. This gave us a better understanding of how the other groups got their data, and how they applied the formulas.

     The end of the week came around, and we continued our journey into Moles and mass. We finished the week off by starting one last worksheet to really get us to understand the concepts. We originally were going to have a quiz on Thursday or Friday, but Dr. J saw that many of us were struggling with conversions an Moles overall. I finally understand the formula to convert and when and where to use specific numbers. I am confident going into Monday's quiz and I hope that I will be ready for Friday's test. As I do final reflecting on the previous week, I realize that practice does make perfect. The worksheets need to be taken seriously, and with the help of fellow classmates you realize that, something you may not understand isn't as hard as it seems.

Reflective blog week 3 9/28-10/2

This previous week in Chemistry 2A has been a blend of emotions as we have transitioned from Unit 4 to Unit 5. We took the time this week to do a mixture of review as well as learn brand new material that has tought us to use new techniques and new formulas. 

     The first day back from last weekend, we spent the day reviewing for our test on Tuesday, the next day. This consisted of us, as a class, finishing up the study guide and white boarding the answers. This gave us a better understanding of how everyone else does a problem compared to how you, yourself does a problem. Particle diagrams were drawn to show us in a more clear aspect, how Avagadros Hypothesis comes jnto play. We were also asked to match and know the definition of a compound, mixture, element and pure substance. 

 On Tuesday, we took the test itself. Now preparing for this test, I took all the information on the study guide and looked back on previous worksheets to study the night before. For the first half of the class we took the 2 page test and for most of the questions it was clear as to what the answers were, but for some I was still a little confused. We finished the test within 30 minutes, and immediately dived into the next Unit 5. The first thing we did was we were asked to guess how many packing peanuts were in a bag. The first thing I thought was "What is the point of this", but it soon became more clear. By measuring the mass of one packing peanut and by measuring the mass of the whole thing, we could find out how many there were in the bag! The total came out to 1,200 peanuts but most of the class guessed between 200-500.

     For the rest of the week we focused on a worksheet that was titled "Relative Masses". This worksheet asked us to calculate masses of containers with nuts, bolts, and washers in them and compare them. We were then given questions that helped us analyze the masses in different situations. We ended Friday by white boarding the worksheet and having a class discussion. So overall this week has been pack full of intense studying and learning new things! My understanding of what is going on in class is pretty good when it comes to relative masses. I feel like more practice would actually help me get the full grasp of things, as there is still a part of me that isn't completely sure of the main idea. As we proceed to tackle the driving question, I will feel more comfortable and with the help if my table mates it will be great extra help. Most of that worksheet is just understanding the conversions. That is my weak spot as I still am unsure of the technique Dr. J taught us. I plan on working hard this week to come to really understand the concepts. Next week will lead to an elaborated lesson on Unit 5 and, I cannot wait to see what else we have to learn in this unit.

Reflective blog 9/21-9/25

     This week we focused on many things considering we have a test this upcoming Tuesday. A lot of white boarding was done to help us see how other classmates found answers and explanations. We also did a lot of reading and even the Chrome books got involved midway through the week. As stated, our big test is coming up and this week was crunch time for us.
     Early in the week, we mainly reviewed what was done in the previous week. This means we took out our worksheets and we were told to white board them. As some of us were confused as to how to the worksheet (Avogadro's Hypothesis), white boarding gave us an understanding of how the rest of the class analyzed and did the work for the problems. This helped us get feedback on our work as well. Some problems we did wrong, but getting the class to help allowed us to correct our work, especially because Dr. J bases our learning off of student communication.
     Midway through the week, the Chrome books came out and we did a fun activity where we learned about different scientists and their experiments. The website gave us the opportunity to physically do the experiments by clicking on the elements and such. The worksheet given to us, helped us analyzed what the experiments represented before and after the reactions took place. It also showed us what happened at different amounts of the elements (100g, 200g, 300g etc.). After turning that in, we were given a reading assignment on the race to discover Iodine. This reading elaborated on the fact that Davy and Gay-Lussac were competing to be the first one to find out what really was the element, although Bernard Courtois was actually the first to make the discovery. While routinely processing the ash from seaweed to recover sodium and potassium compounds, he released a curious violet vapor. This was Iodine but the credit went to Gay-Lussac for beating everyone else to the media.
     Finally, towards the end of the week we worked on worksheets that helped us understand how to analyzed the ratio of the masses of compounds. We were asked to determine the ratio of masses for certain compounds and then asked to compare the ratios. As a last part, we were then given different hypothesis's and had to draw diagrams. This part really confused me and honestly still does a little bit. I don't understand the concept of taking the ratios and putting them into model form. We even white boarded this as a class but I was still confused as to how classmates got answers. The final worksheet we did this week, was another ratio worksheet where we were asked to find the ratio of 3 elements to a compound. This worksheet was a lot easier in finding the ratio and finding the percentages.
     So this week was full of worksheets and reading that is helping us prepare for the test on Tuesday. Hopefully Monday will help me understand the ratios better and hopefully this past week will help me through this test.