Vincent Summers, Author at Quirky Science

30Jun 2019 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Explosives: Nitrogen-Containing Fulminates

Chemistry

Chemical explosives are unstable¹ solids (occasionally liquids) that decompose rapidly, releasing large quantities of gas. The sudden volume increase pushes violently against whatever contains the explosive, reducing it to shrapnel and releasing a thunderous noise. Many explosives are nitrogen-containing substances, such as trinitrotoluene (TNT), nitroglycerin, and the picrates. Additional historic explosives include the fulminates, and yes, fulminates contain nitrogen as well. The most famous fulminate is mercuric fulminate, officially named mercury(II) fulminate. Its chemical composition is, Hg(CNO)2 It consists of one mercury atom and two atoms each of carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen. In greater detail, it can be written, Hg+2(C≡N=O)2 or Hg+2(C≡N+–O-)2 Do Fulminates Remind You of Other Chemicals? Perhaps the anionic fulminate ion, –CNO- reminds you of the cyanate anion, –OCN- or isocyanate anion, –NCO? And well it should,…

20Jun 2019 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

A Simple Valence Problem for a Beginning Chemistry Enthusiast

Chemistry, Education

It is not unusual for school systems to introduce students to chemistry by means of the Periodic Table of the Elements. The table is then broken down into sections: the metals, the non-metals, and the gases. Before long, the structure of the atom is discussed, including protons, neutrons, electrons, orbitals, shells, and valence. It is the last of these we will briefly discuss here – valence. First a very brief discussion, followed by examples, followed by a puzzling problem (to impart insight). Valence: A Simple Discussion Atoms, although containing positive protons and negative electrons, have a net charge of zero. They are electrically neutral. This means each lone atom has a number of electrons equal to its number of protons. For instance, a sodium atom¹ has 11 protons. It also…

15Jun 2019 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Tires to Lemons – Well, Not Exactly

Chemistry, Technology

Although individuals and governments fall far short of maintaining Earth's pristine qualities, many do desire to minimize waste and its first cousin, pollution. Although one admirable action would be to minimize production, another is to recycle the resultant wastes. The late 19th and early 20th centuries introduced industrialization, and with it mechanization. Part of the mechanization was the automobile. And part of the automobile was the automobile tire. Tires are constructed of rubber or rubber-related products. They wear out well before most automobiles wear out. The problem is: what to do with all those worn-out, used tires? Millions and millions of them. They do not readily break down on being exposed to the elements. How can they be recycled? One Problem with Tires Now What might happen if tires were…

15Jun 2019 by Vincent Summers 3 Comments

Algae – When Life Hands You a Lemon

Plants, Technology

You purchase a fish tank, obtain the gravel, fixtures, pump, and filter. You set it up, making sure the tank chemistry is correct. Finally, you purchase a modest number of compatible fish, adjusting tank temperature to fit their needs, adjust the light for their comfort. It's beautiful! But after a while you notice... what's this? A kind of green slime, algae! Oh, bother. Why does that stuff have to come along and ruin things? So you purchase algae eaters and wage the same war that other enthusiasts fight. It seems that life keeps giving you lemons. So make lemonade! The Good, the Bad, and the Algae A little algae here or there is a part of nature and not ordinarily a problem. But sometimes it just plain takes over. Notice…

03Jun 2019 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Chemistry Students: Remember the Water of Crystallization

Chemistry, Education

[caption id="attachment_24966" align="alignright" width="480"] Don't forget the water.[/caption] Chemicals are, for the most part, categorized into inorganic compounds and organic compounds. The expression "water of crystallization" is rarely applied to organic compounds, since most of them are not water soluble, and if they are, few even of those form crystals with water. What IS Water of Crystallization? A high percentage of water-soluble inorganic salts form crystals that include water in their crystal lattice. An example of a salt, with and without water of crystallization is cupric sulfate.1 Such salts, deprived of water content, are termed anhydrous. In our example, we might speak of copper sulfate anhydrous.2 Quantity of Water [caption id="attachment_24967" align="alignright" width="380"] Fine crystals of copper sulfate pentahydrate.[/caption] Hydrated copper sulfate includes 5 molecules of water in its crystalline…

02Jun 2019 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

Fission Energy Vs. Total Energy of Uranium-235

Nature, Physics

The fission of one atom of uranium-235 releases 3.24 × 10-11 Joules of energy. One mole of atoms (235 grams) produces 6.022 x 1023 times that amount of energy.¹ How much energy is that? Energy From Splitting One Mole Uranium-235 Atoms We calculate, Eone mole 235U = 3.24 x 10-11 x 6.022 x 1023 = 1.95 x 1013 Joules or 19,500,000,000,000 Joules. This is a tremendous amount of energy. It is the energy of each mole of uranium found in an atomic bomb! It is millions of times more energy than any chemical reaction. But is this the ultimate energy matter can produce? By no means! Total Energy in One U-235 Atom When an atom of uranium is split, it does not entirely disappear. Rather, fragments are produced – atoms…

01Jun 2019 by Vincent Summers 2 Comments

Algae, Seafood and Domoic Acid: Should You Be Concerned?

Food, Health

[caption id="attachment_24898" align="alignright" width="480"] Steamed mussels - yum![/caption] You are aware that an asp is a poisonous serpent or snake. Cleopatra died from the poison of an asp. But there is another kind of "asp". This kind is an acronym for Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning. What's that? Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning As its name implies, amnesic shellfish poisoning is a marine-related illness. It results from consuming domoic acid, an organic acid neurotoxin produced by algae. The algae is eaten by such marine creatures as shellfish, sardines and anchovies. It is theorized a major factor in the increase of such poisonings due to a corresponding increase in algal blooms, apparently fueled by climate change. One recently discovered important source of toxic algal blooms is the phytoplankton pseudo-nitzschia. How Serious a Problem? The algae…

29May 2019 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

What are Oximes and How Are They Useful?

Chemistry

Many with even a casual chemistry acquaintance have heard of such compounds as hydrocarbons, alcohols, ethers, glycols, and so forth. But the majority have probably never heard of oximes. What are oximes? How are they formed? Are they useful? Hydroxylamine Ammonia's chemical formula is NH3. Structurally, it resembles a tripod. If one of its hydrogen atoms is replaced by an hydroxyl group, –OH, the result is hydroxylamine, NH2OH. Two Oxime Varieties Hydroxylamine combines with aldehydes1 or ketones2 to form aldoximes or ketoximes, respectively. These are two subclasses of oxime. For example, hydroxylamine combines with acetaldehyde... CH3–CHO + NH2–OH → CH3–C(H)=N–OH And hydroxylamine combines with dimethylketone... (CH3)2=O + NH2–OH → (CH3)2–C=N–OH Of course there are other synthetic pathways that can be employed to produce oximes. So the question becomes, Do oximes…

27May 2019 by Vincent Summers 1 Comment

What is Hexagonal Boron Nitride? Why Is It So Interesting?

Electrical, Physics

Boron, like many other elements, forms nitrides. These nitrides can assume a variety of crystalline structures. One of those varieties consists of atoms in hexagonal array, layered in sheets. It is hexagonal boron nitride, or h-BN. A sheet of h-BN outwardly resembles a sheet of graphene. For this reason, some refer to it as graphitic boron nitride. We shall see that, despite a considerable similarity in appearance on papers, there are major differences between graphene and h-BN as well. Very significant differences. Graphene Vs. Hexagonal Boron Nitride Atomic spacing within a single layer of hexagonal boron nitride varies slightly from that of a sheet of graphene. As a result, graphene is black, while h-BN is white! [caption id="attachment_24819" align="alignleft" width="340"] Powdered h-BN - Image Indiamart[/caption] Graphene's C–C bonds are non-polar…

20May 2019 by Vincent Summers No Comments

Heavy Cream and Whipping Cream: What’s the Difference?

Food, Health

You shop often at your local grocery store, and you're pretty well acquainted with what they carry. Even if it threw you for a loop at first, you learned the difference between baking soda and baking powder. In time, you even learned what gefilte fish was! Your grocery list today includes cream for use in a dessert topping. You head to the dairy section and see assorted cartons of milk, half and half, light cream, and... heavy cream and whipping cream. Hmm. Which one do you buy What's the difference between them? Both Work Generally speaking, both whipping cream and heavy cream will achieve the desired result. In fact, some brands have taken to more specific labeling to better identify what they are. Some companies have chosen to say their…