The CNMS Gallery presents
Outside of Room 006 in the Meyerhoff Chemistry Building
hosted by the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences at UMBC, with support from Research Graphics
Meet the Elements is a collaboration between Design students from the Department of Visual Arts and the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences. This series of posters explores the periodic table of elements through creative and surprising visual connections of life, history and culture at the atomic level.
Thanks to:
Kelley Bell, Associate Professor of Visual Arts, CAHSS
Melissa Penley Cormier, Manager of Research Graphics, CNMS
Cynthia Tope Niedermaier, Manager of the Molecular Characterization and Analysis Complex, CNMS
William LaCourse, Dean, CNMS
Bryan O'Neil, Manager of ArtPrint, Department of Visual Arts, CAHSS
Gary Rozanc, Acting Chair, Department of Visual Arts, CAHSS
Doniesha Chandler
Cosmetic Chemistry Copy
Iron:
Fe, 26, 55.84
The perfect red is hard to get right. Iron creates a high impact, head-turning red pigment that is sure to compliment anyone.
Titanium:
Ti, 22, 47.86
Titanium brightens the skin and hides blemishes when used in pigmented foundations and powders.
Bismuth:
Bi, 83, 208.98
The power of bismuth creates a show-stopping shimmer that perfectly contours cheekbones and illuminates complexions.
Hally Aldave
Getting Rowdy with the Elements
Chromium is a key element in the tanning process of leather for boots. Through this process, boots are ensured durability, suppleness, and resistance to moisture, making it reliable for all the heel scuffs and glides across the dance floor.
47, Au, 107.8682, Silver
Silver's lustrous properties enable the disco ball to shimmer and sparkle, casting mesmerizing patterns of light across the dance floor. Its metallic sheen adds an aura of glamor and sophistication to the nocturnal ambiance.
Neon’s mesmerizing hues illuminate dance floors, setting the stage for energetic line dancing. The pulsating colors sync with rhythmic beats, elevating the atmosphere and infusing the space with an electrifying vibe, igniting the spirits of dancers.
Nic Caddeo
"Forging the Future" is a dynamic and innovative poster series exploring the elements crucial to computer making. Each poster will delve into the essence of these elements, highlighting their significance and impact on technology and the future.
Shaping new solutions; Silicon’s sanctum, where sand’s soul shapes innovation’s tapestry. CPU’s mind, device’s memory, endless as grains towards a future we weave”
Elevating with Elegance; Technology’s golden touch, where luxury meets utility. From Opulent connectors to elegant circuitry, gold adds class to your digital domain.
Connecting our Communities; From the heart of your motherboard to the tips of your USB cables, copper conducts the symphony of data that brings your digital world to life.
Sam Chalungsooth
Cycle of Life
Carbon
C, 6, 12.011
The process in which carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere to the Earth and back up to the atmosphere.
Nitrogen
N, 7, 14.007
The process in which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it travels through the atmosphere, land, and sea.
Calcium
Ca, 20, 40.078
The process in which calcium is transferred between dissolved and solid phases.
Byanca Morales Cabrera
YOU & ME?
Oxygen is everywhere around us, with 8 electrons, 8 protons, and 8 neutrons, it’s quite literally the breath of life for all living beings. From the air we breathe to the water we drink, oxygen keeps our bodies functioning, a vital element making up to 65% of our human bodies.
Meet hydrogen, the simplest and lightest element with just 1 electron, 1 proton, and 0 neutrons! It’s everywhere in the universe and plays a crucial role in powering the sun, fueling rockets, and even forming the water in our oceans with oxygen.
We might not notice it, but carbon is all around us! With 6 electrons, 6 protons, and 6 neutrons, carbon is the backbone of life. From the air we breathe to the food we eat, even the diamond that sits on your grandmother’s ring!
Sarah Rashid
Meet The Elements: Flee, Thou Peasants!
Krypton is merely plentiful in Earth's atmosphere, which equals 1.14 parts per million by volume of krypton. The element was discovered in 1898 by the British chemists Sir William Ramsay and Morris Travers in the residue left after a sample of liquid air had boiled almost entirely.
Verily, the element Healioome was discovered in the gaseous atmosphere surrounding the traveling lamp by the French astronomer Pierre Janssen, who didn't detect a bright yellow line in the spectrum of the solar chromosphere during an eclipse in 1868; this line was initially assumed to represent the element sodium.
Radon is rare because its isotopes are all short-lived, and its source, radium, is scarce. The atmosphere wheels traces of radon near the grind due to seepage from soil and rocks, which wheels minute quantities of radium.
Hezron Burks
Enjoy a refreshing cold glass of water, as the hydrogen in our water is essential to helping the transportation of nutrients to keep our body nice and hydrated!
Chug down a glass of orange juice to energize and free yourself from fatigue with the power of potassium to ensure more efficient body operation! Give your muscles the boost in the function they need!
Drink milk to give yourself a healthy intake of calcium to strengthen your bones, insuring a lower risk of bone fractures!
Camille Hu
Dangerous Beauty
Einsteinium is a silver metal that is warm to the touch and glows blue from energy released by radioactive decay. Mainly used in scientific studies. Intense radioactive decay can be discovered through Einsteinium.
Curium is a self-luminescent metal that glows deep pink(red) or purple. Curium is used for deep space probes, planetary surface rovers and in heart pacemakers.
Its decay releases a red-orange glow. Plutonium-238 generates significant heat through its radioactive decay process, which makes it useful as a heat source for sensitive electrical components in satellites.
Destiny Tran
The Power of Aloe Element Posters Copy
In the battlefield of wounds, oxygen transforms into fiery fighters known as Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), igniting inflammation. Aloe unleashes its mighty antioxidants, vitamins C and E, to quench these flames of oxidative stress, restoring peace and vitality to your body's battleground.
Enter the realm of Aloe, where its pH of 4-5 creates a haven for your skin, warding off harmful bacteria with its gentle alkalinity. With each application, Aloe acts as your skin's loyal guardian, maintaining its natural balance and leaving it radiant and refreshed.
Zinc, the magical weaver of nature’s tapestry, infuses itself into antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) within aloe vera gel, orchestrating a symphony of neutralizing harmful free radicals and reducing oxidative stress.
Shannon Vong
Meet the Elements
Pucker up and meet Carbon! You may know Carbon as the element of life and being plentiful in nature, but did you know that you can also find 6 carbon atoms hanging out in citric acid? Be carbon’s double-bond to 3 oxygen atoms and help spark citric acid!
Curium is a self-luminescent metal that glows deep pink(red) or purple. Curium is used for deep space probes, planetary surface rovers and in heart pacemakers.
Wanna make your mouth water? Meet Oxygen! You may know Oxygen as being a part of the air that we breathe, but did you know that you can find 7 oxygen atoms hanging out in citric acid? Be 3 Oxygen atoms’ double-bond to Carbon or 4 Oxygen atoms’ bond to Hydrogen and help spark citric acid!
Rebekah Jones
HYDRARGYRUM. QUICKSILVER. NAMED FOR THE FASTEST PLANET IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM. MERCURY SPITS IN THE FACE OF YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND REMAINS LIQUID AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. IT WILL DESTROY YOUR KIDNEYS, IMMUNE SYSTEM, AND LIVER.
HEAVY STONE. WOLFRAM TO FRIENDS. BONDS OF COVALENCE ARE STRONGER THAN ANY MAN. A RARE EARTH METAL. WARRIOR OF THE TABLE. THE HARDEST METAL TO MELT. THE HIGHEST TENSILE STRENGTH. IMMUNE TO ATTACK FROM ACIDS AND BASES.
A RATE OF DECAY NEARLY UNDETECTABLE BY MAN, A HALF-LIFE OLDER THAN THE UNIVERSE ITSELF. STEALING LEAD’S THUNDER AND KEEPING PEOPLE ALIVE WHILE DOING IT. CALMING YOUR STOMACH. PIGMENTING YOUR APPEARANCE. PRACTICALLY REFUSES TO TRANSMIT HEAT.
Alina Afanasenka
Halide Hues
A shiny metal prized for its conductivity and reflective qualities takes an unexpected role in film photography. As silver halide crystals, forms the foundation of film emulsion, capturing light to create lasting images. Its chemical interaction with bromine and chlorine boosts light sensitivity, shaping the essence of photographs.
A volatile element with a strong smell serves a pivotal function in film photography. When combined with silver, it forms silver bromide crystals, heightening sensitivity to red light. This collaboration ensures even the subtlest tones are captured on film, preserving moments with precision.
Renowned for its sanitizing properties, contributes to photographic processes by bonding with silver to produce silver chloride crystals. These crystals enhance film sensitivity to blue light, completing the spectrum required for comprehensive image capture. Working together, silver, bromine, and chlorine create a chemical symphony, bringing moments to life in the film.
Jack Joseph
Precious Bits and Bytes
Silver is utilized in computer components for electrical contacts and thermal management. It ensures efficient heat dissipation in components like processors, RAM, and graphics cards, while also facilitating reliable signal transmission in connectors and traces on circuit boards.
Gold is conductive and resistant to corrosion, gold is primarily used in computer components for electrical connections, such as in connectors and bonding wires. Its reliability ensures stable data transmission and longevity, making it essential for critical parts like CPUs and memory modules.
Palladium has catalytic properties and is resistant to oxidation, palladium finds application in computer components as a catalyst in catalytic converters in power supplies and as a plating material for connectors. In hard disk drives, palladium is commonly used in the thin-film coatings applied to the platters.
Anisa Reid
Three Chemical elements that are crucial for the human brain
Iron is here! Iron is what you need! Iron helps the brain function, and develop, and gives you energy!
Don’t be in fear! Magnesium is here! Your brain will be super focused!
Don’t worry! Calcium is here! Calcium regulates several neuronal functions. When strengthened Calcium will increase memory capacity!
Darem Morales
The Atomic Vices: The Three That Kill With Light
The main component used in Little Boy in World War II and power plants. A butterfly’s weight of fissioned Uranium was enough to scorch Japan’s soil and harken the grim reality of human annihilation. Today, citizens have the voice to use it for good, as a source of clean energy in peace.
The primary element of the Demon Core is a sphere used for nuclear testing. The radiation emitted cursed the scientists surrounding it, ending their lives for their careless desires and hubris. Despite Plutonium’s demonic nature, its fissile properties are used to explore the heavens with the use of atomic batteries in space satellites.
The main ingredient in a material used for radiotherapy machines, Cesium corroded 249 people’s lives in a freak accident in Goiânia in 1987. Poor regulation caused the Cesium to escape and contaminate nearby populations. Today, Cesium is used as a time keeper, defining measurements of a second in atomic clocks.
Nicole Rohrer
Discover the Energy Hidden in the Planet’s Core
When Potassium Perishes, a Planet's Potential for Life Increases.
Discover the Energy Hidden in the Planet’s Core
Nuclear Uranium’s Natural Decay Molds Magnificent Mountain Ranges.
Discover the Energy Hidden in the Planet’s Core
Thorium’s Alpha Decay Transforms Terrains and Triggers Tectonic Shifts.
Joyce Koo
Let There Be Light
The glow of indoor ambiance and the warmth of cinematic scenes owe their charm to the tungsten filaments within old incandescent light bulbs, illuminating spaces and narratives alike with their timeless brilliance.
Neon struts its vibrant hues not just in advertising signs, but also holds a charming retro vibe in the subtle radiance of high-voltage indicators. Its nostalgic hum and flashy flicker are reminiscent of a vintage era.
Gallium, the unsung hero behind the technicolor brilliance of modern LED lights, is the secret ingredient that brings television screens to life, powers handheld flashlights, and evokes the twinkle of holiday lights.
NORI
Oxygen is vital for cellular respiration, which is how living things get energy from food. In this process, it acts as the last stop for electrons in a chain that helps make ATP.
Carbon helps control the Earth’s temperature, makes up the food we eat, and gives energy that powers our economy. Most of the carbon on Earth is in rocks and sediments but some can be found in the ocean, air, and living things.
Hydrogen is super important for life because it powers the sun, changing lots of hydrogen into helium every second. Plus, it helps make up proteins and carbohydrates in our bodies.
Rola Hussein
Living Light: Elements and Bioluminescence
Exploring the Elemental Delights of Birthday Parties
Like the flickering flame of a birthday cake, the flaming light of carbon creates the perfect mood for special moments.
Enjoy the refreshing experience of Dippin Dots ice cream, which is made possible by the miracle of liquid nitrogen.
Float into the magical world of birthdays with balloons filled with helium!
Stephanie Aviles
Citrus Circus
Calcium promotes robust fruit development! Calcium plays a vital role in regulating cell division and expansion, ensuring the oranges grow to their full potential in size, shape, and firmness. Without adequate Calcium, fewer cells form in the fruit, leading to less-than-optimal growth and development.
Carbon is present in structural molecules like cellulose, which forms the cell walls of lemon trees and gives them support and rigidity. Carbon forms the backbone of organic acids like citric acid found in lemons.
Potassium has an important role in ensuring top-quality fruit by determining the level of sugars, ripening, and storage characteristics. An insufficient supply of potassium in tomatoes can lead to uneven ripening.
Melanie Zoilkowski
World of Gems
Blue sapphire, the birthstone, of September, is the most desired the most, pure rich blue color.
Green emeralds are the birthstone for May, a symbol of rebirth which is believed to grant the owner foresight, and good fortune for the youth.
Red ruby is the birthstone for July. It is the most coveted of all gems. The name was derived from the Latin word ruber, which the meaning is “red” and it also has the symbolism of love and passion.
Brenden Thompson
Living Light: Elements and Bioluminescence
Oxygen is a catalyst in the process of bioluminescence. Anglerfish use this light as a method of attracting prey in the deep oceans, often in a blue color.
Magnesium ions are one of the elements necessary to a type of bioluminescence unique to fireflies in the enzyme of luciferase, a key component in bioluminescence. Fireflies use this light to attract mates, often in a yellow-green color.
Calcium ions in bioluminescence create quick, bright flashes of light. Stoplight Loosejaw Dragonfishes use a unique red light to hunt prey in a wavelength only the dragonfish can see.
Maxine Elvoitz
Ten percent (10%) of the human body is made up of the element, Hydrogen! Hydrogen can be found in all of the fluids inside our body. Hydrogen also helps to eliminate toxins and lubricates in our joints so we can move and function at our very best!
Almost one-fifth of the human body is made up of the element, Carbon! We are a carbon-based life form, so we have a carbon to thank for our structure. Carbon is the essential building blocks of our bodies, as well as where we get our energy from. We need carbon so we can form proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, that are essential to our survival.
Two thirds of the human body is made up of the element, Oxygen! Thank you, oxygen, for allowing us to inhale and exhale, for without breathing we would cease to exist. Thank you, oxygen, for entering our blood stream and traveling to the cells in our body so we may continue to live.