A protein has a string of carbons as its structural base... it also has the element Nitrogen.
Your starting point for this week's chapter, from which we can meet amino acids, the beliefs of creationists, DNA, and Mendel.
This video covers some of the ground.
I expect you won't be humming this, but I'm quite impressed he kept going.
You can hear the story of Mendel here. Me, I'm brushing up with this.
Monday 28 November 2011
Monday 21 November 2011
Lecture: Pick a question...
...and use it to ask some more questions*.
1. What's the impact of burning fossil fuels?
Does CO2 dissolve in salt water?
What's the result of combining CO2 with H2O?
How are chemists looking at ways of storing CO2 underground?
What's your reaction to this method of storage? They seem to have it sorted in Edinburgh.
2. Can you see energy?
Remember watching the chemists mix alcohol with saturated calcium acetate to get a flammable gel? They set this alight and then added various chemicals. What colours would you expect to see from burning lithium, and sodium? What about copper chloride?
In the explanation the Chemists described the 'colour of the burn' as a way you can see the 'amount' of energy produced. Hmm. More explanation here.
3. Can you use hydrogen for energy?
The chemists looked at the H-H bond and broke the bond with the catalyst palladium, showing how hydrogen can be used to release energy.
The benefits of using hydrogen an an 'energy carrier'? It burns 'clean'.
The public perception of risk in using hydrogen is high, but hydrogen cars are already here.
4. Where can we find hydrogen?
i. Methane. (We have a lot of that!)
ii. Water. (By splitting hydrogen from oxygen through electrolysis.)
5. How can we store energy?
The travelling chemists drew your attention to three means.
i Batteries such as those you can make from Coca cola, magnesium and copper.
ii Biofuels, such as ethanol.
iii Solar panels (the panels use SiO2+C).
6. Can we speed up energy production?
One problem is that energy can be produced, but the method of production might take more energy than we get from the output.
The Chemists asked, can the process of catalysis speed up reactions to get them over the 'energy barrier'? A catalyst lowers the barrier, meaning not as much energy is needed to produce the reaction.
What's an effective catalyst? Enzymes, apparently.
For a visual show, watch this combination of hydrogen peroxide, potassium iodide and soap. (Who wouldn't want an oozing pumpkin?)
And remember the Bombardier beetle?
7. What makes a chemical base have a particular property?
Carbon, for example, can take many forms depending on the arrangement of the atoms: diamond to graphite.
Carbon is also readily combined with other chemicals, resulting in many materials and many applications. The Chemists ran through several examples - airbags, fireworks, emergency flares, biodegradable surgical stitches, nappies - and showed you how controlling the structure of polymers allows you to control the properties.
Can you find out the chemistry behind the materials listed above?
The chemists drew your attention to COOH on a benzene ring. I'm out of my depth over here.
It's your job, basically, as a chemist, to explore what materials can be created by altering the composition and structure of chemicals. Temperature is a useful tool: for example, below a critical temperature, a superconductor will have no electrical resistance. Superconductivity can be used to 'levitate' magnets over liquid nitrogen for example, and thus has applications for transport systems.
8. Is there anything a chemist can't do?
No, not really. Because chemistry is totally brilliant. Unless you use it to melt your face off, or destroy the planet, in which case, it was a thoroughly bad idea telling you about it.
*Thank you to the travelling chemists Prof Pulman and Dr Henderson from the University of Edinburgh providing the lecture at the Hong Kong Science Museum. I hope the British Council flew them Business Class.
1. What's the impact of burning fossil fuels?
Does CO2 dissolve in salt water?
What's the result of combining CO2 with H2O?
How are chemists looking at ways of storing CO2 underground?
What's your reaction to this method of storage? They seem to have it sorted in Edinburgh.
2. Can you see energy?
Remember watching the chemists mix alcohol with saturated calcium acetate to get a flammable gel? They set this alight and then added various chemicals. What colours would you expect to see from burning lithium, and sodium? What about copper chloride?
In the explanation the Chemists described the 'colour of the burn' as a way you can see the 'amount' of energy produced. Hmm. More explanation here.
3. Can you use hydrogen for energy?
The chemists looked at the H-H bond and broke the bond with the catalyst palladium, showing how hydrogen can be used to release energy.
The benefits of using hydrogen an an 'energy carrier'? It burns 'clean'.
The public perception of risk in using hydrogen is high, but hydrogen cars are already here.
4. Where can we find hydrogen?
i. Methane. (We have a lot of that!)
ii. Water. (By splitting hydrogen from oxygen through electrolysis.)
5. How can we store energy?
The travelling chemists drew your attention to three means.
i Batteries such as those you can make from Coca cola, magnesium and copper.
ii Biofuels, such as ethanol.
iii Solar panels (the panels use SiO2+C).
6. Can we speed up energy production?
One problem is that energy can be produced, but the method of production might take more energy than we get from the output.
The Chemists asked, can the process of catalysis speed up reactions to get them over the 'energy barrier'? A catalyst lowers the barrier, meaning not as much energy is needed to produce the reaction.
What's an effective catalyst? Enzymes, apparently.
For a visual show, watch this combination of hydrogen peroxide, potassium iodide and soap. (Who wouldn't want an oozing pumpkin?)
And remember the Bombardier beetle?
7. What makes a chemical base have a particular property?
Carbon, for example, can take many forms depending on the arrangement of the atoms: diamond to graphite.
Carbon is also readily combined with other chemicals, resulting in many materials and many applications. The Chemists ran through several examples - airbags, fireworks, emergency flares, biodegradable surgical stitches, nappies - and showed you how controlling the structure of polymers allows you to control the properties.
Can you find out the chemistry behind the materials listed above?
The chemists drew your attention to COOH on a benzene ring. I'm out of my depth over here.
It's your job, basically, as a chemist, to explore what materials can be created by altering the composition and structure of chemicals. Temperature is a useful tool: for example, below a critical temperature, a superconductor will have no electrical resistance. Superconductivity can be used to 'levitate' magnets over liquid nitrogen for example, and thus has applications for transport systems.
8. Is there anything a chemist can't do?
No, not really. Because chemistry is totally brilliant. Unless you use it to melt your face off, or destroy the planet, in which case, it was a thoroughly bad idea telling you about it.
*Thank you to the travelling chemists Prof Pulman and Dr Henderson from the University of Edinburgh providing the lecture at the Hong Kong Science Museum. I hope the British Council flew them Business Class.
9 Fats
Experiment with olive oil, sesame oil, butter, shampoo, stuff from the cupboards and the tap. Change temperature, alter the quantities, and vary the combinations of the stuff you're using. What do you observe?
Fats are insoluble in water but soluble in some organic compounds. True or false?
How are fats broken down in the body? I may need to talk about bile! Bile is similar to a detergent, like soap or washing up liquid.
Your body needs fats, but there's a pressure on people to be scared of them, or to use substitutes: that huge industry in 'fake fats' needs people to be focused on their shape, weight, or diet. This page looks at the manufacturing process of a fake fat. (Interested in giving up your butter?)
And here's an experiment to try. Can you come up with a theory as to why this happens?
More info on oils and fats here, with Your mother.
Fats are insoluble in water but soluble in some organic compounds. True or false?
How are fats broken down in the body? I may need to talk about bile! Bile is similar to a detergent, like soap or washing up liquid.
Your body needs fats, but there's a pressure on people to be scared of them, or to use substitutes: that huge industry in 'fake fats' needs people to be focused on their shape, weight, or diet. This page looks at the manufacturing process of a fake fat. (Interested in giving up your butter?)
And here's an experiment to try. Can you come up with a theory as to why this happens?
More info on oils and fats here, with Your mother.
Monday 14 November 2011
8 Carbohydrates
Almost everything we eat is a carbon compound.
True or false? Find out this week by reading the materials before the session.
Watch this animation about how glucose works in the body.
A diabetes support group is here. This site lists artificial sweeteners and carries some discussion of sugar/carbohydrate.
Read the list of artificial sweetners. Which ones do you recognise from the labels of drinks you see for sale?
Let's start here please for a discussion on different foods to take and different ways you can find 'balance' in what you eat and drink. (HA! It is all my SECRET PLAN to make you talk BELLIES.)
Ahem. Ellen says, Can you find answers to the following?
1. Name 3 ruminants.
2. Name a monosaccharide.
3. What are the symptoms of diabetes? What do doctors look for?
True or false? Find out this week by reading the materials before the session.
Watch this animation about how glucose works in the body.
A diabetes support group is here. This site lists artificial sweeteners and carries some discussion of sugar/carbohydrate.
Read the list of artificial sweetners. Which ones do you recognise from the labels of drinks you see for sale?
Let's start here please for a discussion on different foods to take and different ways you can find 'balance' in what you eat and drink. (HA! It is all my SECRET PLAN to make you talk BELLIES.)
Ahem. Ellen says, Can you find answers to the following?
1. Name 3 ruminants.
2. Name a monosaccharide.
3. What are the symptoms of diabetes? What do doctors look for?
Monday 7 November 2011
7 Rubber & Silicones
Read Chapter 7 with me in advance of the workshop.
Let's do the comprehension puzzle; I enjoy the way you're all brilliant at that.
What items around the house can you identify that are rubber or silicon?
Have you tried chewing gum? Do you want to? Sure, go ahead, that's fine, so long as you don't mind being CUT OUT OF THE WILL.
An alternative is to read here. You can imagine some of the reasons why Singapore banned chewing gum. This site provides a history of Dubble Bubble gum. Sillyputty provides a range of other activities.
Let's do the comprehension puzzle; I enjoy the way you're all brilliant at that.
What items around the house can you identify that are rubber or silicon?
Have you tried chewing gum? Do you want to? Sure, go ahead, that's fine, so long as you don't mind being CUT OUT OF THE WILL.
An alternative is to read here. You can imagine some of the reasons why Singapore banned chewing gum. This site provides a history of Dubble Bubble gum. Sillyputty provides a range of other activities.
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