cosmic chemistry

evidence of work

In this unit about cosmic chemistry, we learned about how elements are formed, the Big Bang Theory, nuclear equations, and models of the atom. For our project, Jack, Jovanni, Noah, and I were given nine options of different possible projects and were told to complete three of them. The options are shown to the right. We chose mathematical (completing nuclear transmutation practice problems and explaining the work), kinesthetic (creating a stop motion video showing the Big Bang), and musical (writing a rap about the composition of the nucleus). In order to complete this project, we decided to split up the work. My main job was to do the mathematical section, but also to help out with the kinesthetic section.

Cosmic Chemistry-TicTacToe

To the right I have attached my completed nuclear transmutation practice problems as well as a link below to a video explaining how I got my answers and the steps I took to solve them. (If it asks for a join code, it is 562eac3c)

nuclear transmutation practice problems

I have also attached our mini slideshow which is a makeshift stop motion video. To make this, I used a lot of transitions on Google Slides and used my notes to explain the content.

big bang

This is our other stop motion video that is more of a real stopmotion, except we accidentally made it on the wrong subject. Once we realized we stopped working on this one and started a new one that has the right topic.

chem project

Lastly, this is our musical representation of the composition of the atom. It includes a lot of rhyming and descriptions of different processes we've learned throughout this unit.

The composition of the nucleus

content

fission -

the process of a large nucleus splitting into two smaller nuclei
releases huge amounts of energy in the process in the form of neutrons
described in our rap

fusion -

the process of two smaller nuclei fusing together to form a larger nucleus
releases tremendous amounts of energy, even more than fission
described in our rap

radioactive decay -

the process of a radioactive atom giving off radiation in the form of energy
explained in our rap

the Big Bang Theory -

theory coined by Georges Lemaître that explains the creation of the universe
the idea that the universe started as a tiny dot, and has expanded into millions of galaxies over billions of years
explained in our slideshow

atom -

the basic unit of all chemical elements
includes a nucleus that holds the protons and neutrons, while the electrons circle the outside
describe in our rap

ion -

any atom with an eletric charge
shown being manipulated in the transmutation practice problems

isotope -

forms of the same element w different amounts of neutrons
shown being manipulated in the transmutation practice problems

isotopic notation -

way to write an element that includes the number of protons, neutrons, electrons, and the element
the top number is the mass number (number of protons + neutrons), the bottom number is the element number (number of protons), the letters are the element symbol, and the + or - at the upper right of the element symbol is the charge

alpha, beta, + gamma radiation -

these types of radiation are used to decay in an atom and are shown when balancing nuclear equations
alpha decay - addition of 4 in the mass number, addition of 2 in the atomic number, also known as helium
beta decay - no change in the mass number, a decrease of 1 in the atomic number, symbol used is e (electron)
gamma decay - no change in the mass number, no change in the atomic number, symbol used is a curvy Y (gamma)

electromagnetic spectrum -

spectrum that shows the frequency and types of light
gamma rays have the shortest wavelength (highest frequency), wavelength increases from x-rays to ultraviolet to visible light to infrared to microwaves to radio waves (lowest frequency)

reflection

Overall, I think this project was very mediocre. My group worked well together and we had good ideas, but I feel like we just didn't execute well enough. However, I think we all had a strong character when completing this project. Everyone was very positive and kind even when we were down to the wire. It was also smart of us to break up the work so everyone knew what they had to get done before we started the project. I also think we succeeded as critical thinkers because we came up with many good ideas and thought creatively in each section of the project. It is clear to see that our rap is very creative and interesting along with our stop motion slideshows.

What we lacked in this project was communication and collaboration. Since we designated roles before we started the project, I feel like we forgot to check in with each other when we were actually doing the project. We also only communicated outside of school the night before the project was due, which by then it was too late. In the future, I would like to check in with my partners more and be more involved in everyone's part of the project. We also didn't have the strongest collaboration which stemmed from the lack of communication. Like I said before, we were all off doing our own things and we didn't make sure that everything was getting done, especially in the right way. For example, I realized very last minute that we had two projects about fission, fusion, and radioactive decay, and we didn't have anything for the Big Bang Theory. Because of this, I had to start over on one of the projects the night before it was due. In future projects, I will do a better job at working with my group and evaluating our progress along the way. Although I am not super proud of this project, this gives me a starting point and I know that a lot of improvement can be done throughout this year!

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