Summary:
Some elements that are named after places and people are, Berkelium, Californium, Americium, Einsteinium, and Mendelevium. This chapter is mostly about man made elements rather than naturally occurring ones.Kean starts off talking about how new atoms are being discovered a lot more rapidly than before. He talks about the University of Berkeley's chemistry department had found the elements Berkelium and universitium. Glenn Seaborg worked for the University of Berkeley and was part of the Manhattan Project. Though, creating elements at UC Berkeley was difficult because a majority of the elements that were created had a short life span. Kean claims that the scientist at Berkeley were doing better at creating elements than the supernova.
A lot of the elements at the bottom of the table were made rather than discovered. This is so because it took certain individuals to be able to come up with a way to make a new element. Also, the man made elements were more likely to be unstable rather than the ones originally found on Earth. Stalin forced his beliefs onto the Soviet Union and prevented them from doing any studies that thwarted what he believed. Kean mentions how the cold war was started mostly because the Soviet Union wanted to take credit for elements that they in fact did not discover.
Reflection:
I enjoyed this chapter very much. I especially found it interesting to know that Stalin forced his beliefs in order to slow the progression in finding new elements. Learning something about the cold war was interesting as well.
Sunday, August 14, 2016
Disappearing Spoon Chapter 6: Summary & Reflection
Summary:
Plutonium has the element symbol Pu, it's atomic number is 94. Kean starts off the chapter by talking about the holes that were left on the periodic table that scientist were having a very difficult time being able to fill. Henry Moseley is brought up during this chapter for a good amount of the chapter. He is one of Ernest Rutherford's students. Moseley was admired by Charles Darwin . Moseley spent a lot of time in his lab. He was very enthusiastic about working with electron beams. He was able to find a connection between the wavelengths of X-rays and the number of protons in an element's nucleus. Moseley was able to solve the problem of having to move around elements on the periodic table in a specific order. Moseley's electron gun also helped sorting the radioactive elements. Moseley's discoveries were doubted. A man George Urbain, brought Moseley a blend of ambiguous rare earth elements and asked him to figure out what elements were there. Moseley came back within an hour with all the elements listed correctly. Moseley later on enlisted in the king's army, where he then passed.
Kean then moves onto how atomic bombs were being produced. Kean mentions how the splitting of atoms worked and how it contributes to the making of atomic bombs. The search for elements caused sparring between the Soviet Union and America. A man name James Chadwick discovered the neutron. Uranium and Plutonium are similar because they are both used for nuclear weapons. Marie Curie and Ernest Rutherford helped classify shrapnel using the Greek alphabet., alpha, beta, or gamma decay. Kean talks about the Monte Carlo method and how Ulam and Neumann created it. The difference between a uranium bomb and a cobalt bomb, is that a cobalt bomb will leave the area that it destroyed covered in radiation that kills millions of people and causes mutations.
Reflection:
I enjoyed this chapter. I feel like this chapter was more of a continuation of chapter 5. Mainly because it continued to touch upon the subject of warfare by use of elements. I found it very fascinating to now that atoms splitting was what causes a chain chemical reaction.
Plutonium has the element symbol Pu, it's atomic number is 94. Kean starts off the chapter by talking about the holes that were left on the periodic table that scientist were having a very difficult time being able to fill. Henry Moseley is brought up during this chapter for a good amount of the chapter. He is one of Ernest Rutherford's students. Moseley was admired by Charles Darwin . Moseley spent a lot of time in his lab. He was very enthusiastic about working with electron beams. He was able to find a connection between the wavelengths of X-rays and the number of protons in an element's nucleus. Moseley was able to solve the problem of having to move around elements on the periodic table in a specific order. Moseley's electron gun also helped sorting the radioactive elements. Moseley's discoveries were doubted. A man George Urbain, brought Moseley a blend of ambiguous rare earth elements and asked him to figure out what elements were there. Moseley came back within an hour with all the elements listed correctly. Moseley later on enlisted in the king's army, where he then passed.
Kean then moves onto how atomic bombs were being produced. Kean mentions how the splitting of atoms worked and how it contributes to the making of atomic bombs. The search for elements caused sparring between the Soviet Union and America. A man name James Chadwick discovered the neutron. Uranium and Plutonium are similar because they are both used for nuclear weapons. Marie Curie and Ernest Rutherford helped classify shrapnel using the Greek alphabet., alpha, beta, or gamma decay. Kean talks about the Monte Carlo method and how Ulam and Neumann created it. The difference between a uranium bomb and a cobalt bomb, is that a cobalt bomb will leave the area that it destroyed covered in radiation that kills millions of people and causes mutations.
Reflection:
I enjoyed this chapter. I feel like this chapter was more of a continuation of chapter 5. Mainly because it continued to touch upon the subject of warfare by use of elements. I found it very fascinating to now that atoms splitting was what causes a chain chemical reaction.
Disappearing Spoon Chapter 5: Summary & Reflection
Summary:
Elements can be used for warfare in many ways. Two examples are: weapon creation and chemical warfare. Kean stars off this chapter by talking briefly about the methods of attack from Sparta to the city of Athens, by using chemical warfare. The word harbinger is mentioned during this time and it seems to mean it brought forth more ideas of how to develope the chemical warfare that was started. Uranium was used for nuclear weapons that would wipe out large populations. The author then begins to speak about how the German government hired Harber to develop an ammonia that dispersed gas onto their enemies.
It is ironic that harbor won a Nobel Peace prize because he did a lot of work that did not really bring any peace at all. All of his work was used for some kind of destruction. Kean spoke about the work of Harber. Nazi Germany, began gassing their victims with gasses they called, white cross, blue cross, and yellow cross. Kean also spoke about Portugal being neutral and still selling tungsten. Tungsten's price jumped during WWII because a man referred to as Salazar, had played Axis and Allies for more money. Towards the end of the chapter Kean begins to talk about how the Democratic of Congo began to sell tantalum and niobium because of the demand for more technological inventions like cell phones. Buyers in America soon began to realize that their vendors were using their profits to cause anarchy. So they began to start buying from Australia, even though it was more expensive.
Reflection:
This chapter was very interesting. By far I would have to say that this was my favorite chapter. I liked how it explained how elements are some of the causes for past wars. Also, how they can still be relevant to the technology today. Reading about how elements can be used for chemical warfare and improving weapons is very interesting to me as well. This is something that I might keep in mind for a topic of conversation one day.
Elements can be used for warfare in many ways. Two examples are: weapon creation and chemical warfare. Kean stars off this chapter by talking briefly about the methods of attack from Sparta to the city of Athens, by using chemical warfare. The word harbinger is mentioned during this time and it seems to mean it brought forth more ideas of how to develope the chemical warfare that was started. Uranium was used for nuclear weapons that would wipe out large populations. The author then begins to speak about how the German government hired Harber to develop an ammonia that dispersed gas onto their enemies.
It is ironic that harbor won a Nobel Peace prize because he did a lot of work that did not really bring any peace at all. All of his work was used for some kind of destruction. Kean spoke about the work of Harber. Nazi Germany, began gassing their victims with gasses they called, white cross, blue cross, and yellow cross. Kean also spoke about Portugal being neutral and still selling tungsten. Tungsten's price jumped during WWII because a man referred to as Salazar, had played Axis and Allies for more money. Towards the end of the chapter Kean begins to talk about how the Democratic of Congo began to sell tantalum and niobium because of the demand for more technological inventions like cell phones. Buyers in America soon began to realize that their vendors were using their profits to cause anarchy. So they began to start buying from Australia, even though it was more expensive.
Reflection:
This chapter was very interesting. By far I would have to say that this was my favorite chapter. I liked how it explained how elements are some of the causes for past wars. Also, how they can still be relevant to the technology today. Reading about how elements can be used for chemical warfare and improving weapons is very interesting to me as well. This is something that I might keep in mind for a topic of conversation one day.
Disappearing Spoon Chapter 4: Summary & Reflection
Summary:
A planetary nebula is when a red giant changes into a white dwarf due to the loss of layers from the star. Hydrogen is fused into helium during the sun's fusion. Elements from iron and after cannot be fused cannot be fused due to them being too tightly bound. Kean begins the chapter talking about the creation of elements and how the big bang theory is a very big theory of how earth, along with elements of course, was created. The big bang theory was mostly about how all matter came together to form a small compact ball that eventually exploded. Kean talked about how in ancient times venus was said to ring Saturn and Mars. He also mentions how star burn up the elements hydrogen and helium.
Kean began talking about some of the formations of gas giants. He then begins to focus on Jupiter. Some examples are, Jupiter being part of the first ever intergalactic collision seen by humans, elements also live very strange lives on Jupiter because Jupiter is what Kean referred to as a 'tweener, atoms have to possibility to be part of a chemical or a nuclear reaction on Jupiter, and the red spot of Jupiter is around the same size of 3 earths. Kean goes on to talk about Clair Patterson and her discovery about how the Earth is 4.55 billion years old. He used leads in her experiment, they were 204, 206, and 207. All of the leads that she used were broken down from uranium. Patterson eventually came to the conclusion that lead paint should be banned. Kean also mentions how many debris may have struck the Earth at one point in time, killing millions of animals.
Reflection:
I really enjoyed how Kean mentioned the creation of the elements on Earth. The thought of knowing that there is a logical explanation about the creation of Earth, left me something to ponder. Though, I did have a bit of a hard time trying to understand some of the chapter. Mainly during the part where Kean spoke about how the burning of hydrogen and helium occur.
A planetary nebula is when a red giant changes into a white dwarf due to the loss of layers from the star. Hydrogen is fused into helium during the sun's fusion. Elements from iron and after cannot be fused cannot be fused due to them being too tightly bound. Kean begins the chapter talking about the creation of elements and how the big bang theory is a very big theory of how earth, along with elements of course, was created. The big bang theory was mostly about how all matter came together to form a small compact ball that eventually exploded. Kean talked about how in ancient times venus was said to ring Saturn and Mars. He also mentions how star burn up the elements hydrogen and helium.
Kean began talking about some of the formations of gas giants. He then begins to focus on Jupiter. Some examples are, Jupiter being part of the first ever intergalactic collision seen by humans, elements also live very strange lives on Jupiter because Jupiter is what Kean referred to as a 'tweener, atoms have to possibility to be part of a chemical or a nuclear reaction on Jupiter, and the red spot of Jupiter is around the same size of 3 earths. Kean goes on to talk about Clair Patterson and her discovery about how the Earth is 4.55 billion years old. He used leads in her experiment, they were 204, 206, and 207. All of the leads that she used were broken down from uranium. Patterson eventually came to the conclusion that lead paint should be banned. Kean also mentions how many debris may have struck the Earth at one point in time, killing millions of animals.
Reflection:
I really enjoyed how Kean mentioned the creation of the elements on Earth. The thought of knowing that there is a logical explanation about the creation of Earth, left me something to ponder. Though, I did have a bit of a hard time trying to understand some of the chapter. Mainly during the part where Kean spoke about how the burning of hydrogen and helium occur.
Wednesday, August 10, 2016
Disappearing Spoon Chapter 3: Summary & Reflection
Summary:
Kean starts off with the story of Robert Bunsen. Bunsen is well known for his work with the Bunsen burner. Though he did not actually invent it, but merely improved it. He then moved on to start working with arsenic. Until an accident occurred that almost took out his right eye persuaded him to put that aside. He than began studying naturally occurring eruptions. Bunsen, in a later time, then went back to his work with chemistry at the University of Heidelberg. During this time, Bunsen then invented the spectroscope. Kean then moves on to talk about Dmitri Mendeleev. Dmitri, in fact, did not come up with the idea of a periodic table on his own. Six other people all came up with their own individual takes on the periodic table.
Dmitri gets credit for his work with the periodic table because of his predicted elements on his table. Though, he did encounter many mistakes. Such as, believing that the sun's halo contained an element called coronium and believing that there were elements that came before hydrogen. The elements of the periodic table can be similar to pieces of a puzzle that must be put together in the correct order and grouping. The town Ytterby is the most relevant to the periodic table because it is where a lot of lanthanides were discovered.
Reflection:
The one thing that i enjoyed the most about this chapter is how it spoke about Mendeleev not having worked on making the periodic table on his own. This was new information for me I was not aware of there being more than just one person working on something like this. I also liked that the story of Johann Friedrich Bottger explained how porcelain was made, but also how superstitious people had been during that era.
Kean starts off with the story of Robert Bunsen. Bunsen is well known for his work with the Bunsen burner. Though he did not actually invent it, but merely improved it. He then moved on to start working with arsenic. Until an accident occurred that almost took out his right eye persuaded him to put that aside. He than began studying naturally occurring eruptions. Bunsen, in a later time, then went back to his work with chemistry at the University of Heidelberg. During this time, Bunsen then invented the spectroscope. Kean then moves on to talk about Dmitri Mendeleev. Dmitri, in fact, did not come up with the idea of a periodic table on his own. Six other people all came up with their own individual takes on the periodic table.
Dmitri gets credit for his work with the periodic table because of his predicted elements on his table. Though, he did encounter many mistakes. Such as, believing that the sun's halo contained an element called coronium and believing that there were elements that came before hydrogen. The elements of the periodic table can be similar to pieces of a puzzle that must be put together in the correct order and grouping. The town Ytterby is the most relevant to the periodic table because it is where a lot of lanthanides were discovered.
Reflection:
The one thing that i enjoyed the most about this chapter is how it spoke about Mendeleev not having worked on making the periodic table on his own. This was new information for me I was not aware of there being more than just one person working on something like this. I also liked that the story of Johann Friedrich Bottger explained how porcelain was made, but also how superstitious people had been during that era.
Tuesday, August 9, 2016
Disappearing Spoon Chapter 2: Summary & Reflection
Summary:
Kean starts off this chapter by discussing some of the words used in Shakespeare plays. He talks about how long some of them were. He used the words to explain how the proteins made are mushed together into a very long word. Kean used the protein sequence for the tobacco mosaic virus as an example. He then goes into talking about how carbon ties this all together. Carbon is known as the backbone of amino acids.Carbon's place on the periodic table is the reason why amino acids all bond together. Carbon wants a full outer energy level with eight electrons. This is known as the octet rule. It is easiest for oxygen to retrieve all eight electrons than for carbon and nitrogen. Kean then moves on to speaking about the relationship between carbon and silicon.
Carbon is one of the most important elements that are a foundation of life. Silicon is used in silicon dioxide, beating out carbon. Kean starts to mention why silicon and carbon are closely related, but both very different. Life forms using silicon in replacement of carbon would be challenging for two reasons. First, silicone dioxide is a solid not a gas like carbon dioxide. Secondly, silicon atoms cannot form double bonds. Silicon can be found in microchips in computers and cellphones. Carbon can be found everywhere because of its willingness to bond with many things. That us why it is one of the most important elements on the periodic table. Kilby invented an integrated circuit, in order to get rid of the tyranny of numbers. The tyranny of numbers was about how it was very inefficient to hand wire circuits and carving transcriptors.
Guided Reading Question #4:
Summarize the story of William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain in a paragraph. Which of the three was least deserving of the Nobel Prize?
William Shockley, a electrical engineer and physicist, began by building a small silicon amplifier to replace vacuum tubes in computers. Shockley couldn't get the amplifier to work properly so he gave the task to John Bardeen and Walter Brattain. Bardeen and Brattain were very close. Bardeen was the brains and Brattain put it all together. They both had ended up concluding that silicon was to brittle to work with. They then turned to germanium, knowing that the qualities were a lot more fitted to work. Bardeen and Brattain then built the first amplifier in 1947. Shockley was not able to get the credit that he would have wanted because he was away in Paris during the time. He then began seeking to steal the credit from Bardeen and Brattain. He eventually was able to get himself into the picture for the credit of the transistor. I think that William Shockley was least deserving of the noble prize. Especially for the way he gained the credit for it. Yes, he did technically did come up with a silicon amplifier, but Bardeen and Brattain came up with the idea for a geranium amplifier.
Reflection:
What I liked most about this chapter is that it spoke a lot about how carbon is one of the many bases of life forms, but that there can also be an alternative. Silicon. Though, of course silicon wouldn't be very useful to living organisms in a non-materialistic way. I learned that Kilby ended the tyranny of numbers and that his invention has helped to this day. Learning how germanium was used in many electrical products before silicon was also very interesting.
Kean starts off this chapter by discussing some of the words used in Shakespeare plays. He talks about how long some of them were. He used the words to explain how the proteins made are mushed together into a very long word. Kean used the protein sequence for the tobacco mosaic virus as an example. He then goes into talking about how carbon ties this all together. Carbon is known as the backbone of amino acids.Carbon's place on the periodic table is the reason why amino acids all bond together. Carbon wants a full outer energy level with eight electrons. This is known as the octet rule. It is easiest for oxygen to retrieve all eight electrons than for carbon and nitrogen. Kean then moves on to speaking about the relationship between carbon and silicon.
Carbon is one of the most important elements that are a foundation of life. Silicon is used in silicon dioxide, beating out carbon. Kean starts to mention why silicon and carbon are closely related, but both very different. Life forms using silicon in replacement of carbon would be challenging for two reasons. First, silicone dioxide is a solid not a gas like carbon dioxide. Secondly, silicon atoms cannot form double bonds. Silicon can be found in microchips in computers and cellphones. Carbon can be found everywhere because of its willingness to bond with many things. That us why it is one of the most important elements on the periodic table. Kilby invented an integrated circuit, in order to get rid of the tyranny of numbers. The tyranny of numbers was about how it was very inefficient to hand wire circuits and carving transcriptors.
Guided Reading Question #4:
Summarize the story of William Shockley, John Bardeen and Walter Brattain in a paragraph. Which of the three was least deserving of the Nobel Prize?
William Shockley, a electrical engineer and physicist, began by building a small silicon amplifier to replace vacuum tubes in computers. Shockley couldn't get the amplifier to work properly so he gave the task to John Bardeen and Walter Brattain. Bardeen and Brattain were very close. Bardeen was the brains and Brattain put it all together. They both had ended up concluding that silicon was to brittle to work with. They then turned to germanium, knowing that the qualities were a lot more fitted to work. Bardeen and Brattain then built the first amplifier in 1947. Shockley was not able to get the credit that he would have wanted because he was away in Paris during the time. He then began seeking to steal the credit from Bardeen and Brattain. He eventually was able to get himself into the picture for the credit of the transistor. I think that William Shockley was least deserving of the noble prize. Especially for the way he gained the credit for it. Yes, he did technically did come up with a silicon amplifier, but Bardeen and Brattain came up with the idea for a geranium amplifier.
Reflection:
What I liked most about this chapter is that it spoke a lot about how carbon is one of the many bases of life forms, but that there can also be an alternative. Silicon. Though, of course silicon wouldn't be very useful to living organisms in a non-materialistic way. I learned that Kilby ended the tyranny of numbers and that his invention has helped to this day. Learning how germanium was used in many electrical products before silicon was also very interesting.
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