Week 7 Assignments

Germanium

Symbol: Ge

Electron configuration: Ar 3d10 4s2 4p2

Atomic number: 32

Melting point: 1,721°F (938.2°C)

Discovered: 1886

Discoverer: Clemens Winkler

Atomic mass: 72.64 ± 0.01 u

Germanium is a lustrous, hard, gray-white semi-metallic element with a crystalline and brittle structure. It is a semiconductor. Germanium and the oxide are transparent to infrared radiation. Germanium also has the unusual property that (like water) it expands as it freezes.

Germanium parts were vastly used during the first decade of semiconductor electronics, before being widely replaced by silicon parts. Silicon offers superior performance and quality control, but subjective tastes still make germanium highly desirable for certain sounds.

Alchemy – science, magic, art – or all three?

Chinese Medicine, as practiced and taught by many is an amalgam of alchemy, science, magic and art.  Historically Chinese medicine was deeply linked to Taoism, Tai Qi and scientific methods.

Wikipedia says,  

“In fact, in the early Song Dynasty, followers of this Taoist idea (chiefly the elite and upper class) would ingest mercuric sulfide, which, though tolerable in low levels, led many to suicide. Thinking that this consequential death would lead to freedom and access to the Taoist heavens, the ensuing deaths encouraged people to eschew this method of alchemy in favor of external sources.”

To practice Chinese Medicine effectively requires the capacity to view a patient through various theoretical frameworks. I think that to limit your ability to diagnose and treat within the paradigm of ‘science’ would severely limit the patients healing. In our culture we idealize science and devalue alternative approaches to explaining the natural world. Generally, we do not value alternative explanations of our experience in the world unless it can be validated by science- despite the limits which the tacit assumptions produce.

“Doing nothing, but not feeling guilty about it"

I generally include a bit of doing nothing- by myself, or with others- during my week. This week it included several long walks for the sake of nothing. While I could have been studying or working or doing my taxes or cleaning my house, I instead opted to do nothing, not produce, or materially change anything. Doing nothing felt awesome and I am a better human being for not ascribing to the predominate culture of finding my self-worth through being busy. 

week 6 assignments

Be

Beryllium

Atomic Number: 4

Atomic Weight: 9.012182

Melting Point: 1560 K (1287°C or 2349°F)

Boiling Point: 2744 K (2471°C or 4480°F)

Density: 1.85 grams per cubic centimeter

Phase at Room Temperature: Solid

Element Classification: Metal

Period Number: 2    

Group Number: 2    

Group Name: Alkaline Earth Metal

History:

The mineral beryl has been used at least since the Ptolemaic dynasty of Egypt. In the first century CE, Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder (not the beer) mentioned in his encyclopedia Natural History that beryl and emerald were similar.

Beryllium was once known as ‘glucinum’, meaning sweet, since beryllium and many of its compounds have a sugary taste. Unfortunately, beryllium and its compounds are poisonous and should never be tasted or ingested.

Uses:

Beryllium (Be) is one of the lightest of all metals and has one of the highest melting points of any light metal.  Beryllium metal is used in aerospace and defense applications because it is light weight and has great dimensional stability over a wide temperature range.  Beryllium-copper alloys are used in a wide variety of applications because of their electrical and thermal conductivity, high strength and hardness, good corrosion and fatigue resistance, and nonmagnetic properties.  Additionally, beryllium is used to make windows for X-ray tubes because it is realativly transparent. When exposed to alpha particles beryllium emits neutrons and is used as a neutron source. Don't be fooled though, its not all that fancy- other beryllium alloys are used for many of the parts on your car.

Avogadro's Hypothesis

1. Which of the following is not a characteristic of an hypothesis?

a. like a theory, it may be revised

2. Consider the following combining gas volumes:  Chlorine 50 mL   Oxygen 25 mL. What formula is suggested by the combining ratio of these gases?

a. Cl2O

3. Which of the following statements is true?

a. Equal volumes of gases contain equal numbers of particles

Avogadro's law states that, "equal volumes of all gases, at the same temperature and pressure, have the same number of molecules".

Molecular Medicine

     After reading last week's articles I was really repelled by the concept of “Molecular Medicine.” It seems that the technology used thus far is primarily focused on dealing with symptoms and not actual healing. I understand that one of the promises of Molecular Medicine is patient compliance, but this is a type of passive compliance and does not engage the patient as the primary actor in their own health. This way of thinking about health and medicine affirms that individuals do not have the capacity to take care of their own bodies and reinforces a culture of domination through the expertise of doctors and scientists. 

An additional Link that I explored after visiting some of the recommended sites….

This link has great historical information regarding Alchemy and Female Alchemists!

http://www.womenalchemists.com/

week 5 assaignments

Argon

Ar

Atomic Number: 18

Atomic Weight: 39.948

Melting Point: 83.80 K (-189.35°C or -308.83°F)

Boiling Point: 87.30 K (-185.85°C or -302.53°F)

Density: 0.0017837 grams per cubic centimeter

Phase at Room Temperature: Gas

Element Classification: Non-metal

Period Number: 3    

Group Number: 18    

Group Name: Noble Gas

Name: From the Greek word for inactive, argos.

History: Argon was the first discovered of the noble gases! Argon was suspected to be present in air by Henry Cavendish in 1785 but was not isolated until 1894 by Lord Rayleigh and Sir William Ramsay.

Argon is frequently used when an inert atmosphere is needed. It is used to fill incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs to prevent oxygen from corroding the hot filament. Argon is also used to form inert atmospheres for arc welding, growing semiconductor crystals and processes that require shielding from other atmospheric gases.

colors in my kitchen

(and garden)

Class Discussion

I think that spectrum eating is a fabulous (and fun) approach to eating! For the most part you can ensure that you are eating a variety of nutrients, antioxidants, amino acids, etc.. My consciousness around food has been greatly influenced by various authors, activists, farmers, and my own participation in food justice/ sovereignty work.

Below are a few links to resources that are Awesome!

http://www.democracynow.org/2008/4/16/stuffed_and_starved_as_food_riots

http://www.phatbeetsproduce.org/the-beet-blog/home/

http://www.takebackthetract.com/

http://www.cityslickerfarms.org/

http://www.peoplesgrocery.org/welcome?splash=1

week 4 assaignments

Iron (Fe)
The Haber process is the production of ammonia from a reaction between nitrogen and hydrogen, using an iron catalyst.

The Haber process takes nitrogen gas and combines it with hydrogen gas to form ammonia gas.

N2(g) + 3H2(g) → 2NH3(g)     ΔH=-92.4 kJ

This may make more sense:

or maybe this...

We can see that methane and steam combine to form hydrogen and carbon monoxide, which in turn releases hydrogen. The hydrogen then combines with oxygen from the air to produce water. Finally, nitrogen gas is released which combines with hydrogen gas to form ammonia. This takes place under high pressure and temperature and with an iron catalyst.
In this reaction, the iron is used to lower the activation energy so that the N2 and H2 can be easier to break down. With the use of the Iron the activation energy is greater. 

Sources 
http://www.chemguide.co.uk/physical/equilibria/haber.htmlhttp://chemwiki.ucdavis.edu/Physical_Chemistry/Chemical_Equilibrium/Case_Studies/Haber_Process

http://en.wikipedia.org
http://ellemedit1234.wordpress.com/2013/04/27/the-future-of-the-haber-process/




Green Chemistry as a Social Movement?

While we may be getting excited about the rise of the ‘Green Chemisty paradigm’  the truth is that the majority of the world continues to use brown paradigm practices.

Unfortunately, green chemistry is being imagined without a reconsideration of whether it might make sense to not create products that generate toxins in the first place.

This is because culturally anything related to Science is privileged and does not require a discussion of practices and consequences. In fact, the myth of infinite benefit and the myth of the endless frontier blind us to accept that good intentions are enough for the world.

This leads to a complete lack of discussion around mistakes, historical precedence, interests and the undemocratic use of resources. In fact, we accept all of these things as unintended consequences, or a normal part of technological innovation.  This unthinkability may be the most subtle and most potent form of techno scientific power. This unthinkability leads us to accept  green washing.

From what we have read and discussed in class I have not been convinced that green chemistry proponents have the power or paradigm to change the dominant sociopolitical order. Instead, “Green Chemistry” acts as tool to prevent social unrest- it pacifies consumers creating a division between consumers and comunities.

Green chemistry offers only a partial framework, it fails to challenge the relationship of science and power. As I have said in class and on my previous posts, without an anti-capitalist framework Green Chemistry falls short of producing any meaningful change. It must be paired with anti-capitalist and cosmopolitan ideas that are nuanced enough to allow all of civil society to have equal decision-making power.