Week of 5/10/10

This week was PALs. I made top sixteen, so I get to go to finals. This weekend will be a very busy one. I have to do a history Cold War Time Line and a family tree for English. In addition, I have a swim meet. I really want to PR, but it is really hard. I wish I could make top 8. I will be sleep deprived this week. It is almost finals for school. I need to study hard.

CA Chem Standard post

ChemStd12l: Analyze situations and solve problems that require combining and applying concepts from more than one area of science.
From elementary school to high school, we have learned many different areas of science. They include biology, chemistry, and physics. There are many more, but I will not name them all. you can go to this website and find out :)
-Biology is the study of living organisms.
-Chemistry is the study of matter and its interactions with energy and itself.
-Physics is the study of the behavior and properties of matter. (forces, attractions, and repulsions)


When we went on the field trip to the Mills Canyon, we have encountered different areas of science. As we walked to Mills Canyon, there was physics involved: static friction. We require friction to move about in safety (remember how difficult it is to walk on very icy pathways). Without the external force of friction, we would be unable to stop. Walking through the streets and the path in Mills Canyon, we noticed a lot of trees and flowers growing. We also saw birds, insects, and spiders. This was biology! These living creatures always had some type of chemical reactions taking place within them. As Mr. Olson says, "Biology is chemistry!"

The chemical reactions that occurred in the plants and trees was photosynthesis:

6CO₂ + 6H₂O + energy(sunlight) -> C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ .


Animals, plants, and we were undergoing cellular respiration:
C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂ -> 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + energy(as ATP) .


In the path we walked through, we also saw evidence of rust forming on a spike:
4Fe +3O₂ -> 2Fe₂O₃ .
From going on this field trip, we have touched upon more than one area of science.

Another situation where we would combine more than one area of science: Thermochemistry is the study of energy evolved or absorbed in chemical reactions and any physical transformations such as melting and boiling. When we boil water, it turns into steam. This is a physical change. The temperature goes up because the kinetic energy, which is the movement of molecules, is increased. Water has the highest specific heat capacity of any substance.

Mini-Project 4

So today for dinner, my sister and I decided to cook a Mother's Day dinner for our mom. We made lemon chicken wings. After we cooked the chicken wings, we used the sauce and cooked udon. Dinner was tasty! :)

Here are the ingredients:

-about 3 lbs of mid-joint chicken wings (thawed, rinse well)

-1 lemon (cut into 10 thin slices)

-10 slices ginger (with peel on)

For the seasoning:

-2 tbsps dark soy sauce

-2 tbsps light soy sauce

-2 tbsps oyster sauce

-2 bars raw can sugar

Here is the method:

1. Stir fry the ginger with 2 tbsps of oil. Add the chicken wings. Stir fry over high heat.

2. Put the lemon and seasoning in and cook over high heat until the sauce turns thick.

*Do not add water to chicken wings because of the high water content in frozen chicken wings.

*Remember to stir the chicken wings from time to time and adjust the heat accordingly. chicken wings stick easily to the bottom of pots and get burnt.

Science: When the chicken wings were being cooked in the seasoning, there was convection so the chicken wings were heated up evenly. There is conduction when heat is transferred to the wok and spatula. The sugar melts because there is heat transferred onto it.

photocredit: Brian Ng

Mini-Project 3

I love eating many different types of fruits. Today, I made a fruit smoothie.

Here are the ingredients:

-pineapple

-orange

-mango

-watermelon

All I did was blend these ingredients together to make a smoothie. You can add any amount of fruits you want. It depends on what fruits you like to eat. You can add ice to the blender if you want a cold drink.

Science: Blending fruits is a physical change. The fruits also become liquified. Fruits are healthy to eat. They are very nutritious and are neccesary for your daily needs. Pineapple juices have a variety of positive effects on the skin and promotes skin elasticity while removing dead damaged skin. They improve hydration and moisture in the skin. Orange has a lot of Vitamin C. It is beneficial in asthma, bronchitis, tuberculosis, rheumatism, arthritis, and high blood pressure. It prevents kidney stone, helps lower cholorestrol, and helps prevent diabetes. Mangoes contain phenois, this phenolic compound have powerful antioxidant and anticanser abilities. Mango is high in iron and effective in relieving cloged pores of the skin. It is valuable to combat acidity and poor digestion. Mango is high in antioxidants and low in carbohydrates. It is a rich source of vitamin A (beta-carotene), vitamin E, and Selenium which help to protect against heart disease and other ailments. Watermelon is a good source of the antioxidant vitamins C and A to protect us from diseases. It reduces the risk of dehydration.

photocredit: Brian Ng

Mini-Project 2

Today, I cooked some red bean soup. It is a type of Chinese dessert. It is characterized as a tang sui (literal meaning: sugar water) or sweet soup. It is served cold in the summer and hot in the winter. The two types of sugar used interchangeably are rock sugar and sliced sugar.

Here are the ingredients:

-about 1 lb of red beans

-about 1/4 lb of lotus seeds

-rock sugar or sliced sugar (It depends how sweet you want the soup to be)

-enough water to cover the red beans and lotus seeds

Here are the steps to make the red bean soup:

1. Wash the red beans.

2. Put the red beans and the lotus seeds in a medium sized pot.

3. Fill the water over the the amount of dry ingredients.

4. Boil this for about an hour on low heat.

5. Turn off the fire and let it sit for about 45 minutes.

6. Add in the desired amount of sugar (you can add some more water if the soup is too thick) and boil the mixture for another 30 minutes.

The red bean soup should be a little thick. The beans and seeds should not be too hard. If it is, boil the soup a little longer. Enjoy.

If you want to eat this cold, you can put some ice, red bean soup, and ice cream inside a blender and blend them together to make a cold smoothie.

Science: In the beginning, the red beans and the lotus seeds are hard and dry. Then, when you boil the beans and seeds, they expand and become pasty and thick. Molecules are denatured. According to Chinese herbs, lotus seeds are good for the liver. Red beans increase the amount of blood in your blood.

photocredit to Kenneth Ng and Yvonne Ng

Mills Canyon Field Trip

On Thursday, April 29, 2010, we walked to the Mills Canyon for our first chemistry field trip. We had a great time at Mills Canyon exploring the wildlife and nature. I love nature!!! Biology is chemistry. I saw a lot of evidence of chemical reactions. On some parts of the trails, there was mud. I had to carefully walk through or go through a different path. I liked the biodiversity at Mills Canyon, but I wish I could have seen more animals. I plan to come here again with my family over the summer.

View From Mills High School to Mills Canyon in a larger map

Mills Canyon

On Thursday, May 29, we went on a field trip to Mills Canyon. We walked there and back. We explored around in the park and saw a lot of different types of plants. There was poison oak at Mills Canyon, too. I saw evidence of at least three chemical reactions. They were photosynthesis, cellular respiration, and iron and oxygen reacting to form rust. I also learned about the carbon cycle. Biology is chemistry!

Chemical reactions are happening everywhere around us.