Acids, bases, atomics


Monday of the week on chemistry began with an introduction to Hydrogen.

After an introduction to isotopes, the lecture moved all too quickly into orbitals and lithium. As I had noted last fall, by the 40 minute mark the students were at the limit of their ability to pay attention, information saturation had been hit. Last spring a tropical system was developing in the waters of Pohnpei. I shifted gears and covered the developing weather system. By the next morning, Thursday, classes had been canceled and part of Kitti were cut off by downed trees.

Thursday April 20, 2023

Trees were also down on the road over the pass into Palikir. 

This pushed the laboratory back a week in spring and dropped the second day of atomics lecture.

Wednesday I backed up a little and tackled beryllium followed by sodium. I wanted to use sodium and chorine to get to NaCl, salt. The problem is Chlorine is complex. I tried to run to the concept of a Neon core, but that was perhaps a bridge too far for the students. 

I then turned back to methane, carbon dioxide, and water. I used the ptable displaying on the smartboard. I did manage to end with hydroxide and hydrogen ions. 


Thursday's lab opened with the brief review of on the far left side of the atomic underpinnings for acids and bases. Again this term I brought in sufficient Spathoglottis plicata to provide for the class. Only a couple students brought flowers. 



The right board at class start.


Mia works with Stella while Memichin tests for a color change due to a base

Again this term I used the dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride as the known base. This is stronger and more consistent than baking soda. The baking soda this term, being old, tested as neutral for all floral litmus solutions today. Baking soda seems to be a very weak base at best and prone to loss of potency.

Memichin testing their floral solution

Pevirleen holds a test tube for Renae as they work on the unknowns


Emleen makes notes while Wayne tests a solution


Emleen tests for whether the floral litmus solution changes color when exposed to a known base


Aryolynn and Darian identifying unknowns

Ruth records data as Aryolynn tests an unknown

Darian detects an acid while Ruth records results

Darian preparing test tubes

Alyssa, Ivy and Leriangelica test unknowns

Stella and Memichin work in the morning on unknowns

Pevirleen tests baking soda

Memichin runs tests while Mia records data


An 11:00 student brought in coleus, koromahd, which started off rosy brown with an acid detection being magenta and a base being lawn green. After a bit more boiling the starting color shifted to a darker reddish coloration near the X11 color Indian Red. 

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