What is Matter
For those of you who think that this topic is related to “Matters,” an album by the punk band Pulley, or “Matter,” a science fiction book by Iain Banks, I am sorry to disappoint you. However, before you stop reading,…
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Monthly Archive: May 2015
How are Isotopes used
Though every element has a specific number of protons and electrons, the number of neutrons varies within the same element. These variations are called isotopes (Learn on the isotopes definition). On the periodic table, the atomic mass of an element…
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Understanding the Periodic Table
If you are not familiar with the periodic table of elements, when you first look at it, it may look like an undecipherable page of letters and numbers (actually, even if you are familiar with it, it may look like…
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Plant Profile Rough Pigweed Amaranthus Retroflexus
Rough Pigweed, or Amaranthus retroflexus, is also known as red-root amaranth, redroot pigweed, ped-rooted pigweed, common amaranth and common tumbleweed. It is native to the tropical Americas, but has spread to most of the continents. Rough pigweed is an annual…
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States of Matter – No
The term state when used in reference to matter is an arbitrary term. The state of mater is a classification used to separate different materials into broad categories. Chemists find it very convenient to identify a material by its state,…
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The Differences between Elements and Compounds
Elements and compounds are different in many ways and for many reasons. I shall explore three ways in which they are different. But in order to understand this you must first understand the nature of an atom. For those of…
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Social Stratification Private Technical Schools vs Vocational High School Tracks
One of the great American tragedies lies in the demise of the serious high school vocational track toward a diploma. There was a recognition that many students did not need to waste their time in studying content that would be…
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Historic changes to the Periodic Table of Elements
In 1803, John Dalton fathered the science of chemistry by establishing that all matter was made up of indivisible units called atoms. From that point forward, the race was on to discover and define all the different atomic configurations and…
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The Process of Prussic Acid Formation in Genus Sorghum
The process of prussic acid formation in genus Sorghum occurs when HCN, a type of hydrogen cyanide acid, enters the environment of Sorghum grass. It is a triple chemical bond between hydrogen, carbon, and nitrogen. It takes nineteen pounds of…
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Understanding the Law of Conservation of Mass
No matter how many times you tear apart a lego toy and rebuild it, the number of blocks you are using stays constant. This obvious, intuitive principle is the foundation for the law of conservation of mass, which dictates that…
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