UNIT 3: QUANTITIES IN CHEMICAL REACTIONS

Double, Double, Toil and Trouble: A Recipe for Disaster

Sure, nobody likes cleaning. And if there's the option for a more efficient and quicker way to get out of it, who's going to pass up that offer? Here's how to get a quick and easy cleaning with all the fun of mixing dangerous chemicals! Go into your cabinet, grab your household cleaners and mix them all together. Every single one. The only side effect is potential death... but who cares, that toilet bowl will be cleaner than ever!

Your ingredients 

It may sound like a good idea at first, but let me tell you, you could easily end up concocting grandma's famous recipe for disaster. Ha.

This unit in chemistry is all about quantities in chemical reactions: how much of something will mix with something else to create a new something.  Here are two of many examples of those somethings mixing to create harmful chemicals:

CHLORINE (sodium hypochlorite) + VINEGAR (acetic acid):

NaClO + CH3COOH → HClO + CH3COONa : Hypochlorous acid = toxic (

BLEACH (sodium hypochlorite) + AMMONIA:

NH3 + NaClO → NH2Cl + NaOH : Sodium hydroxide = corrosive

http://www.mysafetylabels.com/sodium-hydroxide-labels

 I recently read an article on Popsugar entitled ¨Cleaners That Should Never Be Mixed", and it sparked some thought which eventually lead to me choosing to use it for the third unit. In short, the author basically lists a number of mixtures using everyday household products that you may not have realized could cause a dangerous reaction. I believe it provides the benefit to anybody like me who stumbles upon it as it informs the reader of possible dangers they may not have otherwise been aware of. I for one didn't know most of them! It also made me think that maybe, since the risk of accidental crossing of chemicals runs high, we should start reverting back to using green and natural alternatives. It's also better for the environment, so what is there to lose!

So, what do you think? Do you think it would be better if we maybe stayed away from harsh chemicals and instead, went green? Why or why not?

- Row

UNIT 2: CHEMICAL REACTIONS

If Your Parents Knew, They Wouldn't React Well

They got 7, 357 problems, and nicotine is one!

**side note, I tried to be funny and it ended up being very, very lame**

 Sure we all know cigarettes are bad news --- they're addictive, carcinogenic and deadly. But why? Well sure chemicals. But what exactly is it about these chemicals? What really goes on inside a cigarette when it's lit? In chemistry, we are learning all about chemical reactions, and with a little help from my good old friend the Internet, I will be able to explain to you what all the fuss is about. Things are about to get sciencey up in here!

 A huge indicator that a substance has undergone a chemical change is the formation of smoke and ash. The smoke is the newly formed substance and the ash, the leftover residue. Smoking a cigarette is exactly that; it's an example of an exothermic combustion reaction. A combustion reaction is energy producing --- ex. heat and light (Note on Types of Chemical Reactions).  More specifically, an exothermic reaction is a heat releasing reaction where the breaking of the bonds releases more energy than required to form the new bonds (Note on Chemical Reactions and Heat). In this situation, heat is required to kick start the reaction, but after that, it's smooth sailing, destination completion. In order for combustions as such to occur, there must be 1. oxygen, 2. heat and 3. fuel. Oxygen is in the air. Check. Heat... well, that's what a lighter is for. Check. Fuel. The cigarette itself. Check (Compound Interest). The thing is, a chemical reaction results in the creation of new chemicals... chemicals that weren't originally in the substance. So, if you thought hearing about the thousands of chemicals in a cigarette was bad enough, imagine how many chemicals are being inhaled when cigarette meets lighter and all those toxins undergo combustion, creating even more toxins (Tobacco: Behind the Smoke).

¨The Chemicals in Cigarette Smoke & Their Effects¨ (Compound Interest)

 I recently read an article in the Washington Post entitled "Surgeon general report links more diseases, health problems to smoking tobacco". The article goes on to highlight the successes of the decreased level of smoking and the problem of smoking as a whole, but still insists that it is not enough and that it still remains a prominent issue today.  Smoking is continuously damaging the people and the economy to this day! In my opinion, this article contains a compelling social benefit as it analyzes how far we have come and how far we must go to end such a horrible problem, because it is possible! It further backs up the point of smoking having zero benefits and why it should no longer exist or be socially accepted. The whole mystery is why do people continue to smoke even though they know of all the tragic consequences? Well, I understand that it's addictive. But that still does not explain why people START in the first place. Are the horrific complications worth looking cool? And I in no way mean to offend anyone in anyway, you do you man, but the answer is a big fat no.

Chemicals, how delicious!

 So, what do you think? What do you think the next step should be towards a healthier life and cleaner air? Do you think they should be eliminated entirely? Or should we maybe resort to an alternative? 


~ Row

UNIT 1: MATTER AND BONDING

Not-So-Comforting Comfort Food

 You hear the uplifting sound of <<pop>>, <<pop>>, <<pop>> coming from your microwave. You crave that buttery, salty taste. That crisp, crunch. You crash down on the couch and turn on the tv, a huge bowl of heaven in your hand. Chemical risks are the least of your concern. But maybe you should be concerned.


 In chemistry class, we have been discussing matter and bonding. This includes chemical properties and changes. These changes can be beneficial, neutral or harmful, but in this case, the bonds formed and broken mean nothing but the worst. Chemicals including diacetyl (2,3 butanedione), perfluoroalkyls and acetylpropionyl (2,3-pentaneodione) are used in such a snack and their concerning properties are as complicated as their names are to spell. Diacetyl and acetylpropionyl are both directly in the food we are consuming and they both share similar risks: respiratory toxicity (Toxipedia) and they are now being considered for posing a risk to the brain and being linked to Alzheimer's disease (Mercola.com). On the other hand, perfluoroalkyl is not an "ingredient" in the ever-so-loved snack, but instead is used in the packaging. This chemical is used to keep oil, grease and other substances from leaking through the wrappers of foods (ATSDR). Yikes, imagine that inside your body! This compound is shown to affect the fatty acid metabolism, the endocrine system and sex hormones (ATSDR). Not only that, but these chemicals in the wrapping breakdown into a substance called perfluorooctanoic when they are heated. This substance has been deemed to be a likely carcinogen and has caused cancer in animals and therefore could potentially cause cancer in humans (Care2). Still loving this go-to snack? These chemicals, when introduced to our bodies, change our matter and our body's chemical composition, and that is nothing but bad news!

 In an article posted by Dr. Mercola entitled "Buttered Popcorn Flavouring Linked to Alzheimer's", the reader is warned of the harmful effects microwave popcorn can exhibit on its consumers and how the cons outweigh the pros. He proceeds to go into further depth and explains the effects and strain such chemicals can have on your body. This article is not the first to discuss this topic, so we should probably start doing something about it... we can only brush off something so prominent in our lives for so long before the complications are irreversible. We can't always just turn the other cheek and continue on with our lives with the mindset of "nothing bad could ever happen to us". You only see those kinds of problems in the news. Right?.. Wrong. My problem with this whole situation isn't just that we the consumers are doing nothing about it, but also that these big corporations and providers STILL continue to feed us such toxins and act like nothing is wrong, even though they KNOW the only true benefit offered is the satisfaction of our cravings. Now how is that right?

 So, what do you think? Should we continue to put such harmful chemicals in our foods or should we attempt to find a healthier alternative... and if so, what are your suggestions?


~ Row