If you’re a CHM 100 student, you might have noticed that a part of the oxygen lab that you didn’t get to do involved a compound called sodium peroxide.  Sodium peroxide (Na₂O₂) is nasty stuff.  It’s a strong oxidizer – which means that it’s dangerous to put into direct contact with anything that burns easily.  It also reacts violently with water.  So what does the lab manual suggest that we do with sodium peroxide?  Sprinkle it onto easily-burned cotton balls and then add water.

No, really.  That’s what the lab manual suggests.  And if you have the Flash plugin installed in your browser (you probably do), here’s what that would look like:

[flv:http://scienceattech.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/n2o2_1_lo.flv 320 240]

What’s happening?  The sodium peroxide reacts with water to make hydrogen peroxide and sodium hydroxide.  Plus, you get lots of heat.

Na₂O₂ + 2H₂O –> 2NaOH + H₂O₂

Then, the hydroegn peroxide formed in the first reaction decomposes to make oxygen.

2H₂O₂ -> 2H₂O+O₂

If you did the oxygen lab, you know what the presence of pure oxygen does to combustion!  it’s just too bad that no one told the poor evaporating dish.

Here’s the schedule for tutors in the Success Center (3rd floor of the 5000 building) this fall:

[Success Center totor schedule – Fall 2009]

Tutoring services in the Success Center are free to Tech students, and can be a good way to get some help if you can’t see me during office hours.

[This post will stay at the top of the page until 9/14/09.  Scroll down to get current notes, assignments, and announcements!]

CHM 100

Your first major test will be on Monday September 14.  This test will cover chapters 1, 2, and 3 in your textbook.  If we start covering chapter 4 before 9/14, that extra material will not be on your first test.

CHM 110

Your first major test will be on Monday September 14.  This test will cover chapters 1 and 2 in your textbook.  If we start covering chapter 3 before 9/14, that extra material will not be on your first test.

There’s a typo in your syllabus – the start time for CHM 100 labs (both sections) is 11:00 AM, not 11:30 AM.  Sorry for the confusion.  (The time on your official schedule you got from Tech when you registered is correct – only the syllabus had the erroneous time.)

I’ve corrected the error in the online copy of the syllabus.

I have posted the grades for the third CHM 100 test on [D2L], and I will give back the tests on Thursday morning.  Remember – the end of the semester is approaching fast!  The cumulative final is on July 30.

If you missed Test 3, the final exam will count in place of your missed test.  You may pick up a blank copy of the test during Thursday’s class to help you in preparing for the final.

Soon, you will be performing experiment 13 – the iodine clock reaction.  This experiment involves using the initial rates method to determine the rate constant and reaction orders of a chemical reaction.  We didn’t discuss the initial rates method in lecture this semester, so here are a few pages of  notes on the method that you might find useful.  Please read them before you perform experiment 13, so you will understand the initial rates method and how it works.

• [The initial rates method and the iodine clock reaction]

You are not required to print these notes out, but you are welcome to print them and bring them with you to lab if you think they’ll be helpful.

I have updated the [tudy guides page for  CHM 111] with guides for chapters 14 (equilibrium) and 15 (acids and bases).  To get the guides, you can either visit the study guides page or just follow the direct links below:

• [Chapter 14 study guide]
• [Chapter 15 study guide]

I will be back for some of the day on Tuesday.  I’ll be around for the late-morning CHM 111 class, but I won’t be able to make the early CHM 100 class.

CHM 100:  I will collect the calculations quiz that was due Tuesday on Thursday (7/16).  We have our next test scheduled for Tuesday 7/20/09.  That won’t change, since we have already covered all the material for the next test – chapters 6, 7, and 8.

CHM 111:  We will meet at the normal time (10:50 AM) tomorrow.  If you’ve not done so, please make sure to read Chapter 14.  Friday’s test will cover chapter 14 and part of Chapter 15.  I’m not sure if we will have time to complete Chapter 15 by the end of Thursday’s class.

Any questions?  Ask here!

By now you’ve likely gotten the word, but I won’t be on campus Monday 7/13/09 due to a stomach virus.  Hopefully, I’ll be back tomorrow for class.

It’s almost that time!  This year, FDTC’s summer break is:

• Monday June 29th – Monday July 6th

Summer break is almost here!

CHM 100 students:  Our next meeting will be on Tuesday 7/7/09.  I will give back Test #2 then.  I have finished grading Test #2, and the grades are posted on [Desire2Learn].

CHM 111 students: After the test on Friday 6/26/09,  our next meeting will be on Tuesday 7/7/09.  I will give back Test #1 then.  I will grade Test #1 on Friday afternoon and post the grades on [Desire2Learn] sometime Friday evening.

Update:  6/26/09 12:30 PM:  CHM 111 Test #1 grades have now been posted on [Desire2Learn] , so now you can stop waiting to get your grades and start enjoying the break!]

Enjoy the break!