Weekend of 2/6/10 and 2/7/10

We had a three day weekend because we had Friday off. We got to sleep in. On Saturday and Sunday, I had a swim meet. It was at my home pool. It was a distance meet. I swam the 200 breast and 200 back. I was in a relay race with two eleven year olds and a fourteen year old. I was the oldest one, but I was about the same height as the eleven years old. I had to do the 100 butterfly. It was so hard. Also, I made my team lose because of the fly. I slowed down my whole team ): For my 200 Breast, I made JO time, so happy! I was satisfied with my 200 Back time because it was my first time anyway. I got an A time.

Week of 1/25/10

This weekend, I had a swim meet at De Anza Cupertino. It was a Zone 1 North Championships. Our team got first place in our division. Our next team goal is to compete in Division 1, with PASA and DACA.
This week in chemistry, we learned about chemical reactions. There was some review about the ionic compounds and molecules. We balanced equations, but I already learned how to do this in 8th grade. However, the difference this year is that there are polyatomic ions. I have to memorize these ions and their charges. I learned some new terms such as precipitate. I learned that a catalyst speeds up a chemical reaction but it is not consumed by the reaction.
I think next will be one of the most stressful weeks because I have many tests. On Monday, I have a self-defense test and my poetry project is due. On Tuesday and Wednesday, I have the California High School Exit Exam Tests. On Thursday, I have a World War I chapter test and a Spanish Chapter 3 test. I have to study a lot. I am going to have another swim meet. This is going to be a distance swim meet.

Week of 1/19/10

This Monday, we had Martin Luther King Dr. day. We have a test tomorrow. It is going to be about solutions and pH. I feel so unprepared for it. I know about Molarity, but I do not really understand the neutralization reactions. This week, we did a lab about acids and bases. We learned about the pH level of certain solutions and food items. We used litmus paper to see if the solution was an acid or a base. Acids are taste sour, while bases taste bitter. Water self-ionizes. Strong acids and bases are dangerous. Foods tend to be acidic, while cleaners are basic. The pH scale is like a rainbow spectrum.
Yesterday when I was swimming I saw a rainbow. It was a half circle. It was only of my first times seeing this. It is very rare. Swim practice was great yesterday.

Like Dissolves Like

Like Dissolves Like

Dissolving is when particles mix. Solutes dissolve in solvents in a solution. Water is the universal solvent because it dissolves many different types of things. "Like Dissolves like" is when the solvent usually dissolves solutes with properties that are similar to its own. Polar solvents dissolve polar solutes. Nonpolar solvents dissolve nonpolar solutes. For example, oil does not dissolve in water because oil is nonpolar and water is polar.
This week is the first week back from winter break. I had so much fun during the break. This week in chemistry, we started learning about solutions.

STRESS this week. This week I had a lot of homework. I did not go to swim practice this whole week. Also, the pool heater broke, so we would have to go to San Mateo High School. Today, I had six tests in seven classes. Next week is finals week. I have to study very hard. In chemistry, I saw a video about mole, which is Amadeo Avagrado's number. It was a song sang by Mr. Olson and Mr. Washington. Mr. Washington was a physics teacher at Mills. Mole is 6.02 x 10^23 atoms. The molar mass is on the periodic table. It is the atomic mass of the isotopes of elements. I learned how to convert moles to number of atoms to grams. Dead week is not dead because I learned a lot during this week.

Week of 11/30/09

This week we have a chemistry test. We are tested on a lot of material. We need to know the three types of chemical bonds and electronegativity. I learned a lot about polar covalent bonds. I learned about the properties of ionic compounds. I learned about two types of alloys and diferent ways to prepare metal for use. We have to memorize the seven diatomic elements, BR2I2Cl2H2O2F2. We also have to memorize the seven polyatomic ions and their formulas. I learned how to draw Lewis Dot Structures. We have to know the octet rule and the number of valence electrons. There is a HONC 1234 rule and the VSEPR theory. We need to know the first ten alkanes. There are isomers. This week, we learned about the polar bonds and the requirements for a polar molecule. Today, we did a lab. Different liquids were pour through a tube and we used the charged wand to see if the liquid would be attracted to the wand. we charged the wand by rubbing it with wool. It was pretty cool. I learned from the Polar Bears and Penguins comic book.

Week of 11/24/09

It was a short 3-day week for school. I had two big tests on Wednesday which was pretty hard. On Thursday, it was Thanksgiving. my family and I went to Boreal, near Tahoe. My sister and I went snowboarding, while my brother went skiing. It was my sister and my second time snowboarding. I fell many times, so on the next day my right side of my butt hurt. My right arm was sore because I always had to lift myself up after falling. There were many obstacles when I was going down the hill. Boreal closed at 4:00 P.M. Overall, it was pretty good. On Friday, my sister, my brother, and I went to the Dickens Fair at Cow Palace. Well, actually, we went with the GATE club. It was pretty fun. We bought frosted nuts (almonds covered in cinnamon). I liked how there were characters from Charles Dickens' novels. I saw a few performances, but I liked the Illusionist the best. On Saturday and Sunday, I had to do all of my homework. i had a lot of homework. It was a busy weekend for me.