Energy

1.Max Planck and his theory of energy?

Before Max Planck’s discovery, people had no idea what light consisted of. They did not realize that light was actually made of little particles called photons. He, also, created the formula E=hv, meaning that energy is equal to Planck’s constant (h=6.26x10-34) and the frequency of the radiation. He had discovered this when he was working on a problem of how the radiation an object emits is related to its temperature.

*If the energy has a low wavelength than its intensity is better than that of a low wavelength.
This theory helped Bohr create an accurate formula for the energy levels of an atom, which explained how electrons could jump from one orbit to another by emitting or absorbing energy.

*Ignore their explanation. So basically an electron orbits around the nucleus. Each orbit has a different amount of energy needed for an electron to jump into it. The greater distance an electron is away from the nucleus the more energy an electron needs.
Personally, I enjoyed learning about Max Planck’s theory, because even though he didn’t believe it was revolutionary back then, it actually had made a huge impact in how we see energy.

2. Atomic Model

In J.J Thomson's Plum Pudding Model, the pudding represented a positively charged filling with negatively charged particles floating in it, the raisins. The positively charged filling had practically the same consistency in the atom/ It had remained the dominant theory of the atom until 1908.

Rutherford, a former student of Thomson, believed that instead of just floating there in 'soap', they would orbit around a central nucleus. He had discovered when he shot positively charged particles through gold foil. If Thomson's theory of the atom were correct, the rays would have passed through normally. However, Rutherford noticed that some of the rays had bounced off something solid, which he concluded to be a central nucleus, and proved that Thomson's theory was incorrect in that part. He was correct about there were negatively charged particles called electrons, though. It was called the Planetary Rotation, because he said that it resembled the sun and how the planets revolve around the sun, just like how the electrons are forced to orbit around the central nucleus, due to the fact that it contained positively charged protons.

His theory seemed pretty solid, however, they was one issue. The orbiting electrons would eventually collapse, making the atom unstable, because of the energy expended would cause it. Hence Bohr's explanation of Stability. He proposed a quantum theory of electron rotation. When an atom would gain or lose energy, the electrons would either jump to the higher or lower orbits and they would travel in definite orbits around the positive nucleus. It was a hard concept to understand, but later experiments on the hydrogen atom would prove his theory to be correct. This completed the Planetary Rotation and replaced Thomson's atomic model.
I actually enjoyed learning about this, not that I don't enjoying learning in chemistry, but I do like knowing how our idea of the atom started off as a positive filling with electrons just floating about to what we know now today. I most enjoyed reading about the Planetary Rotation theory of Rutherford, because it made it easier to understand that an atom was like our solar system.
3. Spectroscopy
The light was caused by a change in the energies of the orbiting electrons, like an electron dropping from an outer ring to one closer to the central nucleus. Before I explain why, in the cases that we observed spectroscopy through flame tests, life-savers, etc., were not a complete, continuous rainbow of colors, let me first explain what a continuous spectrum is. When you shine a white light through a prism, you'll notice a rainbow colors and the reason for it is dispersion, which happens, because light of different wavelengths refracts by different amounts inside of the prism.

(*The results of the dispersion of a light by a prism, creating a rainbow.)
So then how come the when we tested out these other things, we got a spectrum that contained gaps, that were not a continuous spectrum. The gaps between a spectrum are called absorption lines. Certain elements, such as hydrogen and helium, when something is shone through, they absorb the energy, but only the electromagnetic waves that are just the 
(*Elements need this kind of energy, hence the
reason you can't see this specific color when passed
through the specific element. Absorption lines...)
right color to correspond with the energy that they need. Then there is the emission spectrum, the polar opposite of the absorption spectrum, where instead of getting a continuous spectrum of colors with only a few particular colors missing, you only get to see a few colors.
My explanation might explain the reason why you can't see certain colors when you pass light through a type of element.
I liked learning about the light spectrum, because it was very intriguing to see the rainbow and each individual color, though my favorite was the flame test, because I liked how the spectrum moved like the flame and fluttered very prettily.

Chemistry 2/29

1. Molecular Model Lab
We had made molecules of reactants out of this kit we were given. We were supposed to make as many complete products of the reactants as we could. Basically, you had to write how many of the reactants we had used and the products that were created and if you could reduce it, then you were supposed to. An example would be Na+O2= Na2O. To balance the equation you need to add another product for there to be two oxygens. Now there are four sodiums so you have to make four of the sodiums. 4Na+O2=2Na2O.
During this lab, I learned the beginning of balancing equations, though it was more of a simpler version than what we were going to do later. I had remembered the Law of Conservation of Matter, how matter is neither destroyed nor created, which is an important rule for balancing equations.

2. Balancing Equations

I had already described the basics of balancing equations, but why do we have to balance equations? The reason is because we need to abide by the Law of Conservation of Matter. How do you do it? 

1) Write the correct formula for each reactant and product. Diatomic molecules, such as H, N, O, F, Cl, Br, and I, need to be doubled, because they cannot stand alone, hence the reason they're called diatomic molecules. 

2) Adjust the coefficients, so that the number of reactants matches the number of atoms in the products.

Some hints provided to me by my teacher are: 

1)Adjust the coefficients of a single species, such as K or O2, last. 

2)Sometimes the temporary use of a fraction/decimal is helpful. 

3)If there are polyatomic ions on both sides of the arrow, balance them as units. 

I think that this part of the unit was my favorite, because I love balancing equations. I like how I don't even need to use the steps to figure out the answer. I just use mental math to do so, though using the step by step does help and I do use it to check my answer. I liked learning how to balance equations and I love to do these for fun whenever I'm bored. 

3. Predicting Products Lab

The point of this lab was to be able to predict the product of a chemical reaction using certain reactants. We were given instructions to do 9 different labs each using different reactants and figure out the product. We were supposed to use splint tests to figure out the gas product and litmus paper to figure out if the product was either a base, an acid, or neutral. We were also supposed to decide which energy was used, whether it was from system to surroundings or surroundings to system, and the reaction type, which we didn't know until the experiments was finished. Using all of this, you can predict the product. 

We learned the gas tests, that you have H2 if the burning split pops, that you have O2 if a glowing splint reignites, and that you have CO2 if a burning split extinguishes. We learned about the litmus tests, that if it's an acid (HX) that the paper will turn red, that if it's a base (MOH) that the paper will turn blue, and that if it's a neutral (MX), there will be no change. 

We also learned about the reaction types, the difference between a combination or synthesis, decomposition, single and double replacements, and finally combustion, which all are used during a daily lives, like if you take a shower using hot water that combustion is occurring. 

I like this experiment, too. I just didn't understand it the first day. I only really liked it at first, because we were still balancing equations. Once we learned about the reaction types, though, I enjoyed this even more. It's interesting that you can predict a product.