Homework for January 21, 2009

Happy New Year!!

Skim section 10.2, then on page 303, #24-28
and
Skim section 10.3, then on page 312 #40-43, 45

Happy New Year! HW for Regents Chem 1/5 and 1/6

Happy New Year! I'm hoping that the new year brings renewed interest in chemistry!

Homework: Textbook section 25.1 (begins on page 799). Questions on page 802, #1-6
Also, finish the Table N activity (writing decay equations) if not completed in class.

This assignment is due TUESDAY, 1/6/09, for BLOCK 3 students.
This assignment is due WEDNESDAY, 1/7/09, for BLOCK 1 students.

Homework for Block 3 12/5/08

Finish the worksheet Polarity of Molecules. Don't worry about question 6. Draw molecule, tell the shape, and then say if it is polar or nonpolar.

Bonding unit is tough--- but we are well on our way! Testing next week, stay tuned!

Block 3 Regents Homework 12/1/08

Red Textbook:
Skim 7.1 pg 187-193
pg 193 #3-11


Sorry about the lack of updates! I am back on track and will be updating more!!

Happy holidays!

~ Mrs. Mittiga :-)

Matter and Change in Applied Chem

We have begun our second unit in applied chemistry: matter and change. We have begun to discuss properties of substances such as mixtures. In lab, we separated a mixture of sand, salt, iron filings, and pennies using different separation methods. The picture illustrates a funnel with filter paper held by an O-ring and a ring-stand. We filtered a mixture of sand, salt, and water through filter paper in a funnel. The sand was left over in the funnel while the salt water passed through. During the next class we calculated the mass of the sand and salt.

We've also begun density and density calculations today. Stay tuned for more updates! And please bring your calculators--- they are required for this course!!

In Regents Chem, Matter Matters!

We are working hard in our second unit, Matter and Change. I've begun integrating Power Point notes into our routine instead of the antiquated overhead projector. It's a lot of work, but students seem to be enjoying the graphics and pictures. And one day I'll finally get the hang of the wireless mouse.

We've been doing several labs in this unit. We determined how to find mass several different ways, and then how to find volume using a few different methods. Combining mass and volume together we determined the density of several objects. A class favorite was the Indiana Jones lab, where we watched the first 10 minutes of "Raiders of the Lost Ark." When Indy tries to switch a bag of sand with the golden idol, he has the cave crash in around him. Silly Indy should have known that the gold and sand had different masses, and thus different densities! We also enjoyed finding the density of a Hershey's chocolate bar. Yummmmmmm!

Chemistry requires us to make calculations constantly. Please make sure you are bringing your calculator to class! It's part of the class expectations.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

Marking Period 1 ends this Friday (Oct. 10), with Marking Period 2 beginning after the long weekend (Oct. 14.) Students are responsible for staying after school and making up any labs or finishing up any assignments.

Applied Chemistry Exam Oct 1 & 2!

Make sure you check your review sheet for the important facts to study for the test!

Block 4: Test will be TOMORROW (Wed)! Bring your calculator!
Block 2: Test will be Thursday!

We will review for a portion of class, then take the test.

Good luck!
~~~~

In other news, we made cheese in the lab! Not food-safe cheese, but we added an acid (vinegar) to milk to create curds (casein) and whey. After filtering out the whey, we were left with only the casein, which is the solid portion proteins. We enjoyed real herbed cheese spread prepared in the same fashion which was food safe! I offered students the recipe if they'd like to make it at home!

Here is a clip from the show "Dirty Jobs" in which Mike Rowe makes cheese at the Crowley Factory. There are a few differences in how we made our cheese and how they do it:
* We used vinegar as the acid to separate curds and whey. They used a bacteria culture that
produces lactic acid and rennin, an enzyme found in cow stomachs, to separate curds and
whey.
* We had our cheese drip dry through cheesecloth to form a soft spreadable cheese, and
they drain theirs and keep it dry by working it with hands.

Check it out! The same science is at work!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0UfS1bqscM&feature=related