Element of the Day! Thursday, June 5th

Who am I? I am a silver-gray metal. I have the highest atomic weight of the naturally occurring elements. When I am bombarded with slow neutrons, much heat can be generated and used for power and a source of material for nuclear weapons.

E-mail me with your answer at dwilliams@reading.k12.ma.usInclude the element's chemical symbol.

Image taken from: sustainablog.org

Chemicals in a Baggie!

To explore chemical reactions, we mixed small amounts of 4 different substances in zip-lock baggies. The substances we used were the compounds Sodium bicarbonate (Baking soda) NaHCO3, Calcium chloride CaCl2, Water H2o, and the mixture Phenol red. Three of the indicators of a chemical reaction are: a change of color, a change of temperature, or a gas is produced.
When we mixed the CaCl2 + Phenol red, the color changed to magenta, the temperature got hotter, and there was no gas produced. When we mixed CaCl2 + H2O, there was no color change, the temperature got hotter, and there was no gas produced. When we mixed the CaCl2 + NaHCO3 + H2O, the color changed to pink, the temperature first got warm and then cooled off, and there was a gas produced

Element of the Day! Wednesday, June 4th

Who am I? I am a fairly strong, silvery-white, light-weight metal. I am the third most commonly used structural (building) metal, following steel and aluminium. I am the ninth most abundant element in the universe by mass and I am the third most abundant element dissolved in seawater. I am a highly flammable metal that burns with a brilliant white light. I am used in the manufacture of fireworks and flares.
E-mail me with your answer at dwilliams@reading.k12.ma.us Include the element's chemical symbol.Image taken from: sense4fun.com

Element of the Day! Tuesday, June 3rd

Who am I? I am a yellow colored, solid, non-metal. A compound of me can smell like rotten eggs. Compounds of me are used in making rubber, some medicines, and some fertilizers. Approximately 85% of me is converted to H2SO4. I am an essential component of all living cells.

E-mail me with your answer at dwilliams@reading.k12.ma.us Include the element's chemical symbol.
Image taken from: dl.unew.edu.com

Gold Penny Demo

In today's class, we learned about alloys. The students got a penny made prior to 1982, thoroughly cleaned it, and then placed it in a heated bath of powered zinc and sodium hydroxide. The penny turned a silver color. Then, holding the penny in long tweezers, we heated the penny in the Bunsen burner until it turned gold. It was then dunked into water to cool it off. Everyone got to take home a "Gold Penny"! Really though, it was a brass-coated penny. When put into the fire, the coating of zinc melted with a little of the copper penny, forming the alloy brass.

Element of the Day! Monday, June 2nd

Who am I? I am a very dense, silver-colored, liquid metal that is poisonous. I used to be used in thermometers and am still used in some dental amalgams (fillings). I am named after a Roman god known for speed and mobility. I am also associated with a planet. E-mail me with your answer at dwilliams@reading.k12.ma.us Include the element's chemical symbol.

Image taken from: zyra.com