Organic molecules

Building organic compounds with the molecule kits helps to visualize how everything fits together!

Remember that recognizing how many valence electrons each element has and needs dictates how many bonds it will form with other elements. 

Sometime organic molecules are tricky and can arrange themselves in multiple ways but they are always based around a chain of carbons.

For your test tomorrow or Thursday -feel free to send me a really good (homemade) multiple choice question ... If I think it's good enough, I'll put it on the test and give you a bonus mark!!

Chapter 5 test this week

Chapter 4 and 5 -You Should Know

For this test you should be familiar with the following concepts and tasks:

1.     Differentiate between atoms, ions, and molecules

      Knowledge of the three subatomic particles, their properties and their location within the atom.

      Define and give examples: ionic bonding – (metal and non-metal), covalent bonding –(non-metal and non-metal) –explain how different ions form bonds

      Draw and interpret Bohr models for first 20 elements on the periodic table

      Identify valence electrons using the periodic table

      Draw and interpret Lewis diagrams showing bonds for ionic compounds (eg NaCl. MgO) and covalent compounds (eg H₂O, CH₄)

      Distinguish between lone pairs and bonding pairs of electrons and molecules

2.     Classify substances as acids, bases, or salts, based on their characteristics, name and formula

      Identify acids and bases using indicators (chart in the provincial package)

      Explain the significance of the pH scale

      Differentiate between acids, bases and salts with respect to chemical formulas and properties

      Use the periodic table and a list of ions (including polyatomic ions) to name and write chemical formulas for common ionic compounds

      Convert names to formulas and formulas to names for covalent compounds

3.     Distinguish between organic and inorganic compounds

      Define organic compounds and inorganic compounds

      Distinguish between organic and inorganic compounds based on their chemical structure

      Recognize a compound as organic or inorganic from its name, from its formula or from a diagram or model

4.     Analyze chemical reactions

      Define and explain the law of conservation of mass

      Write and balance (using lowest whole number coefficients) chemical equations from formulae, word equations or descriptions

Chapter 5 Test

Chapter 5 has come and gone and we will have made our way through it by the end of this week!  Before we all head off for our holiday adventures, we'll have a quick little test so you can fully relax and appreciate your time off!

Block 3 will write their test on Wednesday December 17th
Block B will write their test on Thursday December 18th

You are welcome to bring in one (single sided) sheet with notes prepared by yourself.  If you hand in these notes (and they are unique to you) you will earn a bonus mark on the test.

This wee little test will cover all of the material in Chapter 5 (characteristics of acids and bases, salts -and completing chemical reactions based on the reactants and organic chemistry)

Stay tuned for a "study buddy"!

pH investigations in the lab

So, we had some unknown substances in the lab on Thursday and that's never good.  So we donned our gloves and glasses and used every tool at our disposal to learn a little bit about these unknown (and potentially harmful?) substances!

Luckily we know about pH indicators and what they can tell us about substances.  Using different indicators, we know if we are dealing with acids and bases, as well of the strength of these.

In your lab, you tested 4 unknown substances (A, B, C and D) using

1. Methyl Orange
2. Indigo Carmine
3. Mg metal
4. red and blue litmus paper
5. Bromothymol Blue

Here are some results from one group -the indicator are in order from left to right.

Using your results or the ones above, answer the Analyze questions 1-4, and Conclude and Apply questions 1,2 and 4 on page 231.

Remember to use the pH indicator charts on page 224 in your text.

This LAB will be due next class.

(remember Lab reports will include 1. problem/question, 2. materials, 3. procedure, 4. data, 5. analysis)

Chapter 4 Take Home Assignment

The Chapter 4 Take Home Assignment  which was handed out in class today (or will be tomorrow) will be due on Monday December 8th and Tuesday December 9th (depending on when you have class!).

Please work on these independently and see me at lunch or recess -or by email to clear up any questions or misunderstandings!

Good Luck!

Balancing Act

Today (and tomorrow) we begin to look at chemical reactions and how they actually happen.  Rarely are they as simple as adding together compounds to create new compounds.

Review the notes -paying special attention to the final page (tips for balancing equations) and remember to write down your questions to bring to class!
You can find the chapter notes (4.3 notes) and Practice Problems on the drive (you MUST login with your WPGA account to see them.

We will also play a PhEt game and you will be able to fill out the worksheet handed out in class using the simulation.

The Law of Conservation of Mass

In chemical reactions chemical changes occur -which is the rearrangement of the ions and atoms in compounds.  Though compounds may break down and arrange themselves differently, nothing is lost or gained through the reaction.  

Just like when you make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, you start with  peanut butter + Jelly + bread and you end with all three ingredients arranged differently.  You don't end up with a straight up peanut butter sandwich nor do you end up with just a mess of PB and Jam... you start with three individual ingredients and those ingredients are present on the other side -even if they are arranged differently.

This is called the Law of Conservation of Mass -atoms are neither created nor destroyed in a chemical reaction regardless of the states of matter the compounds are in.  The atoms that go into a reaction are the exact same atoms that come out of a reaction -the only difference is that they have rearranged themselves differently -they have formed different compounds!

Please visit the Notes page and open the "Law of Conservation of Mass LAB" and with the data collected in class, complete the lab as a report to hand in (Block B on Tuesday, Block 3 on Monday)

Guidelines for writing a report:

1. identify the question or the focus of your investigation

2. Predict what you think will happen 

3. list materials

4. list (in detail) the procedure

5. record your data and observation 

6. answer the questions in the analysis 

Chemistry Chemistry Chemistry

We've jumped into the Chemistry unit running already and are moving along quickly.  The first few lessons will seem familiar as there is a great deal of review from your grade 9 chemistry unit, but stay on your toes, we'll keep moving quickly!

You can find the notes from the first few classes on the class notes page. Please visit these to ensure the information you have from class matches what we are doing.  And remember, the workbook offers an excellent way to review and practice the concepts we are learning if you are in need of a few more practice problems!

Block 3 you will have a forming and naming quiz on Monday November 24, and Block B you will have a forming and naming quiz on Tuesday November 25th.  These quizzes will only take the first 10 minutes in class, and you will have a periodic table and list of common polyatomic ions available to you.

Do you have questions or need a little out of class help reviewing concepts?  Send me an email, and we'll set up a time!

More Ozone Depletion!

We talked, last month about the layers of the atmosphere and the different composition of each layer and how each level works to protect us here on earth.  The Ozone layer (found in the Stratosphere) is a hard worker, blocking much of the sun's harmful UV radiation.  Without the Ozone layer we would see a lot more damaged skin and even more cases of skin cancer!

Check out this article "Ozone Destroying Chemical Making Comeback" from the Globe and Mail!  What are the consequences of a thinning Ozone layer?  How will this affect us in Vancouver or elsewhere in Canada?

Feel free to comment below!

Earthquakes and Quizes

The land beneath us is moving -whether or not we want it to.  Wegener knew it, Hess knew it and Wilson knew it -and together they have convinced us.

Now as we explore more the dynamics of this movement, earthquakes, volcanoes, fault lines and earthquake drills make a whole lot more sense.

Find the notes for SEISMIC WAVES here.

Please remember that both sections will have a QUIZ on TUESDAY November 4th on chapter 12.

Tectonics!

We answers some questions today in class.  Wegener's questions really -about how the continents all moved.  He knew they did, but couldn't figure out how or even why... and when it comes down to it -that 's the cool part of science!

You can check out the 12.1 notes and the 12.2 ppt to supplement your notes and don't forget to draw out the 5 different plate boundary interactions (with features labelled).  Block B -we will do this on Tuesday!

Happy long weekend!

Chapter 10 and 11 additional assignment

Now that you have your tests back and have had a good look at them, you might feel like you'd like another assessment for these chapters.  Please follow THIS LINK to see the additional assignment for chapters 10 and 11.  If you are interested in finishing another assessment for this unit, please complete all of the questions and hand it into Ms. Logher (electronically or hard copy) by Thursday November 7th, 2014.  This assignment is not mandatory, but if completed, will count towards your tests assessments (which means if you do really well, your test mark will increase!)

Late assignments will not be accepted unless you speak with me before November 5th.

Humans and Climate Change

Check out this link!

Everything to know about Climate Change

Climate Change -the natural causes

So the terms climate change and global warming have become pretty common (and commonly contested) in our society these days, with crazy weather events like massive hurricanes, ice storms or serious floods not to mention cold wet summers or super warm winters (resulting in too little snow to ski!).  But what does it all mean and more importantly -what is causing these changes?!
Well, it turns out that its not (just) us!  There are NATURAL CAUSES of climate change too!

We will review this document in class, but feel free to check it out, and comment if you're inspired!

Remember the test next week!  We'll chat more about format and review on Thursday!

Welcome Back

Welcome back to class grade 10s! Now that you're all warm and dry again, we can start to figure out why we were so wet out on trip!
A huge low pressure system (high kinetic energy, less dense and high moisture air) was sitting off the coast and moving inland.  And what came with it was loads of precipitation!  Understanding how air masses move and interact is the key to figuring out weather patterns, and also understanding the forecasts we hear on the news!

HOMEWORK
For next class I would like you to complete your drawing of the three fronts (Warm, Cold and Occluded).  Please include:

• labels on the picture
• description of how they interact
• characteristics of the weather each front generates

Also... we will have a test on Chapters 10 and 11 on Wednesday October 8th (block 3) or on Thursday October 9th (block B).  We will spend this week looking at chapter 11 and I'll set you up with some review and summary sheets!

Please work through the following review questions in the text -to be handed in before your test:
Pages 460 in text -questions: 2,3,4,12,13,18

Notes from Chapter 10 can be found HERE, though you should have all the pictures in your own notes already.

Northern Lights in Vancouver

It looks like you don't necessarily have to go to the Yukon to see the northern lights!  Tonight and tomorrow they could be visible in and around Vancouver (if you find a dark enough spot to view the sky)!
A fast moving cloud of charged particles -resulting from a solar flare is heading towards the earth, and as those charged particles collide with particles in the thermosphere, the result is bright green, yellow and reds in the night sky.

So, set your alarms and find a dark view of the sky!  Check out THIS SITE to see approximate times for viewing!

If you get any pictures -send them to me and we can post them!

What's the weather?

Its a precarious balance... we have just the right amount of oxygen, just the right amount of carbon and just the right temperature to make life here on earth not only comfortable, but also possible!

Review the notes on the LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE and the huge and very detailed document on Chapter 10.2.

Science 10-2 (block 3)
For next class, please read/review/make notes on pages 9-39 in the Chapter 10.2 document.  We looked at the first part in class today.  We will discuss the concepts in these pages, but we'll move fast so we can explore some of the implications of these ideas!

Energy all around us

A poem by Camryn Sykes, Candace Sykes, Leiah Kirsh, Jackie Molnar, Jessica Ham, Pia McNab, and Tiffany Liu

Wind blowing,

flowers growing.

Leaves dropping,

bunnies hopping.

People smiling,

leaves dying.

Birds chirping,

Camryn burping.

Human running,

Jackie being cunning.

Planting seeds,

removing weeds.

Biking child,

canines gone wild.

Shinning sun,

worms having fun.

Barbecuing a steak,

the chef tries to bake.

Pollinating bees,

growing hemlock trees.

Energy Transfers all around us

Conduction, Convection and Radiation are how energy is transferred all around us.  We often feel this transfer as "Heat" and notice the temperature difference.  Remember energy flows from areas of High kinetic energy (high temperature) to areas of Low kinetic energy (low temperature) -just like when you're camping and you forgot your sleeping pad... your heat is transferred to the ground and you are left feeling cold!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT due next class (Sci10-02 Wednesday, Sci10-04 Thursday) is to think of, and write down two unique examples for each form of energy transfer.  Be specific and explain WHY your example represents either conduction, convection or radiation

Energy is Everywhere

It was a beautiful day to enjoy the sun today, so that is exactly what we did.  And along with the enjoyment of the sun, we got to see and feel all the energy around us and we started to explore what all this energy means, and how it is transferred.

You can find our PPT notes HERE, and we will finish up with it next class.

 

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to school and into grade 10!  Its bound to be a fun year full of more than we have time for I'm sure!  To keep us all up to date and on the same page, please visit this blog regularly, especially if you have been absent.  Here you will find information about what we have done in class, what we will be doing, and links to cool sites, articles, videos and of course handouts and assignments.  Feel free to send me cool stuff you find (youtube videos? articles? pictures?) and I will share it with our community.

Science 10 is a pretty full course, and there is lots of stuff that will blow your mind throughout the year.  I hope you have as much fun with it as I do!

Follow THIS LINK to see the course syllabus.