Element of the Day - Friday, May 28th

Who am I? I am the second most abundant element (after oxygen) in the Earth's crust. I am used in making glass and ceramics, however, I am most well known for being the principal component of most semiconductor devices, especially microchips.

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

Science Expo Day! - Wednesday, May 26th

Yesterday we celebrated the 4th annual Science Expo day. The entire school was engaged in science related projects and activities all morning. Our Team designed, constructed, and tested 2L soda bottle rockets. We used the Aquaport Water Bottle Rocket Launcher from the PITSCO company. The kids did a great job, especially in the face of 90 degree weather!

Working With Compounds ll

We mixed Baking Soda (Sodium bicarbonate) NaHCO3 and Vinegar (Acetic acid) CH3COOH.

Working With Compounds II

“Fun With CO2”

Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) NaHCO3                        Acetic Acid (Vinegar) CH3COOH


            Properties                                                                              Properties
     1. _______________________                                             1. ____________________
     2. _______________________                                             2. ____________________
     3. _______________________                                             3. ____________________
     4. _______________________                                            4. ____________________
    5. _______________________                                             5. ____________________
    6. _______________________                                             6. ____________________

Carbon Dioxide CO2

Properties

1. _______________________

2. ______________________

3. _______________________

4. ________________________

5. ________________________

6. _________________________

Working With Compounds - l

 We mixed Manganese dioxide(MnO2) and Hydrogen peroxideH2O2) together and a chemical reaction occurred. A chemical reaction is a process in which substances undergo chemical change. Some indications of a chemical reaction include: smoking, bubbling or foaming, change in temperature, a color change, or an odor. This chemical reaction bubbled. Bubbles indicate the presence of a gas. We tested the gas with a glowing wood splint and the splint burst into flames indicating that the gas was oxygen (O).

Working With Compounds – I

               Manganese dioxide (MnO2)                Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)


                      Properties                                               Properties
                     1.                                                            1.
                     2.                                                            2.
                     3.                                                            3.
                    4.                                                            4.
                    5.                                                            5.

Electrolysis of water

We broke the compound water (H2O) down into its 2 elements - Hydrogen (H) and Oxygen (O).

Element of the Day - Thursday, May 27th

Who am I? I am a malleable, dull, gray, toxic metal. I am used in car batteries, bullets, and fishing & diving weights. I am in the alloys solder and pewter. My density is 11.35 g/cm3. E-mail me with your answer at dwilliams@reading.k12.ma.us
Include the element's chemical symbol.

Image taken from: waldrenphoto.com

Element of the Day - Wednesday, May 26th

Who am I? I am a soft, silvery-white metal. I am a key component of many fertilizers and am needed by the human body to help muscles function well. Sometimes people eat bananas so that they get enough of me. Who am I?

E-mail me with your answer.  dwilliams@reading.k12.ma.us
 Include the elemnet's chemical symbol.
Image taken from: stke.k12.nf.ca/science

Element of the Day - Tuesday, May 25th

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

Bird of the Week - XXXlll

This week's "Bird of the Week" is the Ruby-throated hummingbird. This little, brilliant jewel has just started showing up here in Reading. These little birds zip into your yard, hover, feed, and zip off. Hummingbird feeders and flower gardens attract these beautiful birds. The Ruby-throated hummingbird is the only hummingbird that breeds in eastern United States. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are bright emerald or golden-green on the back and crown, with gray-white underparts. Males have a brilliant iridescent red throat that looks dark when it’s not in good light. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds fly straight and fast but can stop instantly, hover, and adjust their position up, down, or backwards with exquisite control. They often visit hummingbird feeders and tube-shaped flowers and defend these food sources against others. You may also see them plucking tiny insects from the air or from spider webs. The Ruby-throated hummingbird spends the winter in southwestern United States, Mexico, Central America, and northern South America.

When you click on the link to All About Birds, be sure to watch some of the videos of them.

Element of the day - Monday, May 24th

Who am I? I am a steel-gray, lustrous, hard metal that takes a high polish and has a high melting point. I am use to give a shiny finish to metals and to prevent corrosion. The human body needs trace amounts of me.
E-mail me with your answer at dwilliams@reading.k12.ma.us
 Include the element's chemical symbol.Image taken from: spin-caps.com

Element of the Day - Friday, May, 21

Who am I? I am a dull, bluish-gray, non-magnetic metal. I am the fourth most common metal in use and am used to coat steel to prevent rust and corrosion. I am also used in the alloy brass. In addition, I am used in some batteries and compounds of me are also used in deodorants and sunscreens. Small amounts of me are necessary for the human body. Pennies made after 1981 are made of of mostly me with just a thin copper coating.

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

Element of the Day - Thursday, may 20th

Who am I? I am a hard, slivery-white, grayish, magnetic metal. I have been used since ancient times. 30% of the world's supply of me comes from Canada. I am used in alloys, coins, magnets, some kinds of batteries, and plating (covering) other metals. E-mail me with your answer at dwilliams@reading.k12.ma.us
Include the element's chemical symbol.
Image taken from: wholesalebatteries.us

Element of the Day - Wednesday, May 19th

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

Mr. Norton called me this morning to say that the kids saw a white heron running around the soccer field.  The kids thought that it was a Snowy egret because that was one of the birds we looked for when we went to Plum Island in fall.  When my class ended, I went outside to look for it and sure enough, there it was hunkered down in the shrubs, about 4 feet off the ground, riding out the lousy weather.  Only this wasn't a Snowy egret, it was a Cattle egret.  Cattle egrets are more at home in grassy areas than then in the water.  They often follow horses, cows, and tractors and eat the insects that they stir up.  This is the first time I have seen a cattle egret in Reading!

Chemical Reaction

To help understand what a chemical reaction is, we mixed Manganese dioxide (MnO2) with Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).

EOTD - Tuesday, May 18th 2010

Who am I? I am a soft, metallic chemical element found in limestone, chalk, and marble. I am needed for the healthy development of teeth and bones. I am often fortified (added) to foods. I am the most abundant metal by mass in most animals. My name comes from the Latin word "calcis" meaning lime. Who am I? E-mail me the correct answer and its chemical symbol at:
dwilliams@reading.k12.ma.us.

Model of an Atom Project

Model of an Atom Project

I would like you to make a model of an atom. It should clearly show the major parts of an atom: the nucleus which is made up of protons and neutrons, and electrons which travel around the nucleus in a “cloud”. Your model should show that there is empty space between the nucleus and the electrons. Label each part or make a key. Refer to the “All About Atoms” handout you received and use the Periodic Table of the Elements in your agenda for information.
Use your imagination and creativity in selecting materials for this project. It can be presented as a free standing model, or suspended from something like a coat hanger, or mounted on a poster board. Feel free to use gumdrops, mini marshmallows, jelly beans, Styrofoam balls, paints, fabric, cut paper, etc. to represent the parts of an atom.
Your grade will be based on:
* Demonstrating a knowledge and understanding of the parts of the atom
* A neat and creative visual presentation
* The model is original. It presents a familiar topic (the parts of the atom) in an unfamiliar way.
This project is due on, or by, Wednesday, May 12th, 2010.

Element of the Day! - Monday, May 17th

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.

Bird of the Week - XXXll

This week's "Bird of the Week" is the Northern flicker. This large woodpecker is the fourth woodpecker to be on the Bird of the Week, along with the Downy, Hairy, and Red-bellied woodpeckers. Flickers are large, distinctive woodpeckers that are often seen on the ground in open areas, eating ants and beetles. In flight, these large brown, woodpeckers have a white rump that is very visible and a flash of yellow in the wing. The face is gray and there is a black patch just below the throat. The male has a red "moustache". There call is a long, loud, "laughing-like" sound. Look for flickers in open habitats near trees, including woodlands, edges, yards, and parks.