Atoms
Photo Journal
We put certain ions in the flame to see what color light waves were produced. This showed us that when electrons move from their ground state, to excited state, and back again, a colored light wave can be seen.
This was the first step to experimenting with evaporating water in substances. This turned and how to measure it.
In this magnesium sulfate hydrate lab, , we heated epson salt in a crucible and used a scale to calculate the amount of water that evaporated.
In this experiment, we made sparks come from steel wool being rubbed by a battery. This added oxygen to the it, therefor increasing its mass. We then calculated the mass of oxygen added.
Learning Reflections
I was very intrigued throughout this entire first journey in chemistry. I learned how to conduct experiments and use scales to find out information that I couldn't see with my naked eye. I also now know a lot more about atomic structure and what energy levels really are. During this unit, there was a lot more mathematical calculations than I had expected. Learning how to use the periodic table to identify the subatomic particles was quite easy, however I struggled to do gram to mole conversation calculations. Through many labs and practice questions, I was able to fully understand how to solve these equations. I am curious to learn more about how we can use the electron configuration and what negative and positive charged ions really mean.