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!
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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

Applied Chemistry: Demos and Labs Oh My!

We are well on our way in Applied Chemistry. By the end of next week we will be testing on the first unit. Stay tuned for the exact dates!

In Applied Chemistry the goal is to be hands-on and always observing. Class either consists of a demo or a lab. Last week's fun lab was experimental design. Students wrote out an entire lab procedure, from the problem and hypothesis to the procedure, data and conclusion. We tested three different bubble solutions to see which one would produce the most bubbles, but also the largest bubbles. Students prepared three different bubble solutions: original (the control), a salt bubble solution and a sugar bubble solution (the variables). Using a straw they tried to blow bubbles with each solution, then measured the diameter of the bubbles when they popped on the tabletop. We had a record 41 cm diameter! It was a lot of fun.

We also discussed different gases, such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. A class demo illustrated the powers of CO2 and O2. We found out that a yeast + hydrogen peroxide solution relit a blown-out flame, while a yeast + vinegar solution extinguished a flame. This is because yeast + hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) produces oxygen gas and yeast + vinegar (otherwise known as acetic acid, CH3CooH) produces carbon dioxide.

The yeast and H2O2 produced a slow bubbling, which can be turned into a homemade volcano! Check out this link to try it at home!
http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryhowtoguide/ht/volcano.htm

Regents Chem Upcoming Test!

We are closing in on a unit test on Chapter 1. We will be testing on Thursday, September 25. Remember to bring your calculators (I will not be sharing mine!)

A few things to remember-

~Don't panic. If you have been attentive in class and taken the notes, you have a good chance of succeeding.

~Show all work (even if you used your calculator-- what did you plug into it?) and don't forget units. If you meant to write 15 grams, but only wrote 15... that could mean 15 of anything, including 15 cats!! I am a teacher, not a mind reader... so write down everything! You could earn partial credit.

~If you don't like your grade, you can come in after school and do test corrections. You will be able to earn half of the points you lost back. For example, if you originally earned a 60, you would be able to earn 20 points back for a new grade of an 80. This is a large improvement! Make sure you bring your class notes, calculator, and loose-leaf paper when you come after school to make corrections.

In other news, we have completed several other labs, such as the Sig Fig measurement lab. As I hand those back, we will tally up our lab minutes and keep them in a folder. Remember the magic number: 1200 minutes to take the Regents!!

Hopefully I will get to meet your parents on Wednesday for Open House!! :-)

Applied Chemistry Update

We are having a lot of fun in Applied Chemistry. Every day there is chemistry in action: either in the form of a demo or a lab performed. The other day we observed the Mystery of the Disappearing Water. Students watched me pour water into a plastic cup, then transfer it to two other cups, one at a time. Then after a magician-like switcheroo, I tipped all three cups upside down-- no water! The culprit was a substance called sodium polyacrylate, which can absorb 800x its mass in water. One of the cups actually had some sodium polyacrylate in it, and when I poured in the water, it was absorbed. This substance is used in baby diapers because of of its super-absorbancy.

In addition to fun demos, we learned how to use glass pipets, calibrated thermometers, found our mass, and created a chemical reaction between aluminum foil and Copper II chloride ("rusty" copper was formed!) We are continuing to study experimental design and the question What is Science? in chapter 1 of our textbooks. Stay tuned for any updates!

Watch a video of sodium polyacrylate in action: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vais8pL0w8U&feature=related

Regents Chem Update

Things are moving along in Regents Chemistry. We are continuing with our study of significant figures. This is a new concept to students. Significant figures are all certain digits in a measurement plus one uncertain digit. This means that depending on the scientific instrument being used, there are different levels of accuracy and uncertainty. Sig figs are not a favorite topic with students, but they are essential to know for the Regents exam in June as well as use throughout the year.

The scientific method lab, the Bubble Lab, was due yesterday (Monday.) Most students handed in wonderfully decorated and expertly typed labs. I'm pleased with the results and should be returning them within a few days. There will be 3-4 formal typed labs throughout the school year. This is to ensure that our students are aware of the scientific method at work in every lab performed in class. As an aside, each student is required to have 1200 logged lab minutes in order to take the chemistry Regents exam. 

We are entering into quantities measured in the lab, such as mass, length, temperature, energy, and volume. Before the end of the week we will be performing the Sig Fig lab... stay tuned!

Welcome to the Blog!

Welcome to my blog! I'm Mrs. Mittiga and I teach both Regents Chemistry and Applied Chemistry. This blog is intended to inform both students and parents of upcoming assignments, events, and reminders throughout the year in a blog-like (dialogue) manner.

If you would like to contact me, please email me at kmittiga@esmschools.org I'm hoping this will be a successful year for everyone!