week two: periodic tables and atomic structures

** choose your "element of the week" and post a brief description

7 is my favorite number. so, my first element of the week is nitrogen whose atomic mass is the lovely number 7. on the periodic table, it's shown as N. although nitrogen is an oldie (it was discovered in 1772), it still has spunk. most explosives contain nitrogen. it's even used in rocket fuels.

although it has dangerous qualities, nitrogen is a part of the makeup of biological compounds of all living systems. nitrogen gas (N2) makes up 78.1% of the earth's air, by volume. as a gas and liquid, nitrogen is odorless and colorless. it's appearance is similar to water when it's a liquid.


** discuss ozone with family and friends

just sent a few emails to friends and family. awaiting responses. one of the most knowledgeable people i know wrote back telling me he feels quite ignorant on the subject. that's all he was willing to offer. will i have a hard time getting opinions?

read steinbeck's "travels w/ charley" on the break. he talked a great deal about the fear of giving one's opinion in american culture. in some ways, i don't think this has changed much.

(days later) i've received a number of responses concerning my ozone question. most people know it's an issue that needs to be addressed. one friend wrote to me honestly and stated that she's not sure it's just a bunch of hype. other responses seem a bit more worried about it. aside from not using aerosol hairspray, they didn't have any action items.


** post a review of one of the links in assignment 2

elements, compounds and mixtures - link

seeing the definitions of atoms, molecules and mixtures along w/ the animated example helped me connect the dots in my head. we're also studying chemistry in one chapter of our physiology class. i was having a difficult time "seeing" the difference between molecule and atom. the animated examples are very helpful.