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.