This week we did three labs, two revolving around the charge of atoms and elements, and one on the conductivity of elements.  The first lab that we did was called the Sticky Tape Lab.  The second lab was the U-tube lab.
     Both labs were done to teach the class about the charge of elements.  However, the sticky tape lab we to get us used to the idea of the three categories of charges; positive, negative, and neutral.  We then compared how each charge reacts with each other.  Here is a table break down of what happened when the charges are put up against one another.

		neutral	positive	negative
positive		attract	repel	attract
negative		attract	attract	repel
neutral		nothing	attract	attract

     The other lab we did about charge was the U-tube lab.  This lab was to show the charge of elements. The lab had one negatively charged graphite stick (left), and one positively charged graphite stick (right).  The U-tube was then filled with CuCl or Copper(I) chloride.  Then we waited to see what would happen.  After a couple minutes we checked on the lab to see if anything was happening.  We noticed that the negative charged side had bubbles of some gas forming on the the graphite.  To better our understanding of the gas, we decided to see if the gas had an odor.  The gas smelled exactly like chlorine.  So by    this we determined that chlorine must has a positive charge, since it was attracted to the negatively charged graphite.  
     
     Then the next day we checked back in with out experiment and discovered that the copper had formed off of the positively charged graphite.  So from that observation, we determined that copper must have a negative charge.  

     Now, when you put both elements together with their charges, Cu-Cl+, the positive and negative cancel out and the compound becomes neutral.  After the class discussed this, we determined that all compounds must have a neutral charge.  So for example if you have Fe(2-)O, oxygen's charge would have to be (2+) in order for the compound to be neutral.

     The third lab we did was to see what makes something conductive.  To do this we had a conductor stick with a 9Volt battery on it, and used that to see what elements and compounds were conductive.  In the end our conclusion were that only metal elements and compounds with metals in them were conductive.

     This week we learned a lot of new ideas and topics.  At first the conductivity lab was fairly confusing for the class because finding something common between all the nonconductive and conductive elements/compounds.  However, once we figured it out, the concept was fairly easy.  The other two labs demonstrated their ideas very well.  It made the concepts simple to understand.  Personally, I found the U-tube lab to be the most interesting, and it made the most sense to me.  Especially once I saw the charges written in the formulas, the concepts made itself easy to see.  I feel confident in my ability to solve problems surrounding these concepts.

     This week in science we learned about moles and relative mass. We did many practice problems to understand the concept. Then after about four worksheets, as a class, conducted an experiment to see how mass at the beginning of a lab doesn't effect the outcome.
     
     The one packet that we did in class involved comparing the mass of chicken and quail eggs.  We made a table of the masses for both then created ratios for the masses and the number of eggs for each mass.  We discovered that no matter the difference in mass between the two, the ratio was always the same.  This is because the general mass of one egg is consistent throughout, so as long as you have the same number of eggs, the ratio of the masses will always be the same.  To find the ratio of the eggs, you would take the  (mass of the chicken eggs)/(mass of the quail eggs).  You then reduce your faction and you then have your mass ratio between your two objects.  The ratio of this example turned out to be 16:1.  Later on in the same packet we proceeded to dothe exact same thing with another table, only this one was comparing the mass of oxygen and sulfur and the ratio turned out to be 1:2.

     Also during this week we learned about moles.  A mole is the amount of pure substance containing the same number of chemical units as there are atoms in exactly 12.00 g of 12^C.  We also learned that one entire mole is 6.022 x 10^23.  This number is used in formulas when trying to figure out how much of a mole something is.  While learning about moles we also learned how to create relative size equations.  What you would do is take a whole mole, or 6.022 x 10^23 and divid that by whatever number you have, for example 36 x 10^22.  When you would divid this you would find the answer to be 1.67, which is then your relative size. Some more examples of these problems are on this worksheet shown.  

     We did more examples involving moles on another worksheet.  On this worksheet we used moles and mass to figure out how many atoms are in something.  In our example we looked at a copper pipe in clas, which had a mass of 151.5g total and its weight of copper was 126.4gCu.  You then take the mass of the copper, 126.4gCu and multiply that by 1 MoleCu/63.6gCu then multiply that by 6.022x10^23/1 MoleCu and get 1.120x10^24, which is your answer for how many atoms are in the copper pipe.  We did another problem involving how many moles of something was in a substance. That example is on the worksheet shown here, as well as then one above.

     We also did a lab in class, but I was only there for the first day, which mostly involved taking measurements.

     This week in class we took a test on Wednesday.  To prepare for the test we went over a unit 4 review.  We then went over this review sheet in class on white boards and went over our answers as a class.  It was our responsibility to check our answers and make sure they were correct.  The packet had roughly seven problems with subquestions to each one.  The packet went over everything we have learned for far for unit four.  It went over definitions, describing pictures, drawing particle diagrams, understanding the difference between monatomic and diatomic molecules, finding ratios and using the ratio to draw out particle diagrams and figuring out their formulas, and lastly the packet went over how to draw a graph representing when something boils out of a mixture based on temperature. A picture of this packet is shown to the left.  One of the last things we went over as a class before the test was a way to remember which elements are diatomic on their own.  The way we learned this was either the "7 up" method or BrINClHOF.

     Then immediately after we finished the test we were given a sheet with the objectives for unit five. Unit five is about counting particles, without actually counting them so we are just beginning to start this unit and we started off by weighting and seeing how we can use weight to determine how many particles are within a substance.  We practiced this by going over some practice problems in class and determining how exactly to go about solving the problem.  Dr. J also went over how to convert units from kg to g and so on.  We then learned about relative mass and how that works.  The math for that is shown here.  Then we also compared the relative mass to that of the element carbon for the washer, nut, and bolt.  By doing this we created different elements like, Sulfur for the bolt, Oxygen for the nut, and Carbon for the washer because the washer was just 1.00.



     This worksheet was used to show the ratio between oxygen and hydrogen.  It gave us the density of each at standard temperature and pressure.  The ratio was 16:1.  This represents how much more massive the oxygen molecule is compared to the hydrogen molecule.  We then had to draw the 16:1 ratio as best we could.

     We then compared Daltons relative mass theory to the adjusted mass.  We saw the difference in the table of masses that we made.  The main difference was that Dalton was not aware that oxygen is a diatomic molecule so his masses were half of what they should be.  This table was used to help show use that difference and to remind us that when using mass to count how many particles are in a substance, that we always have to remember the eight diatomic elements when weighting and drawing things out.  It's very important to closely analyze what elements are being combined and whats they individual mass is in order to properly figure out the total mass.
   
     This week a lot of new ideas were shown and demonstrated in class and so far I understand them fairly well.  I still need to work on converting units still using Dr. J's equation for more practice to understand the concept better.  However, besides that I understand the material very well and feel confident in my ability to do most of what we learned on my own.