scholastic magazine - NAME THAT ELEMENT

SCHOLASTIC MAGAZINE ARTICLE

• "NAME THAT ELEMENT"   P. 20-22
• read & take notes as needed
  
  
  
  
  
  

CHEM VOCAB QUIZ

• COMPLETE THE PUZZLE 
• BEFORE THE BELL RINGS 
• SHOW ME THE COMPLETED PUZZLE

 PUZZLE TEST

CHEMISTRY - ELECTRONS MODULE #4

ELECTRONS

Charge It!

Electrons are the negatively charged particles of atom. Together, all of the electrons of an atom create a negative charge that balances the positive charge of the protons in the atomic nucleus. Electrons are extremely small compared to all of the other parts of the atom. The mass of an electron is almost 1,000 times smaller than the mass of a proton. 

Shells and Shapes

Electrons are found in clouds that surround the nucleus of an atom. Those clouds are specific distances away from the nucleus and are generally organized into shells. Because electrons move so quickly, it is impossible to see where they are at a specific moment in time. After years of experimentation, scientists discovered specific areas where electrons are likely to be found. The overall shape of the shells changes depending on how many electrons an element has. The higher the atomic number, the more shells and electrons an atom will have. The overall shell shape will also be more complex (because of the suborbitals) as you have more electrons. 

Creating Bonds

Electrons play a major role in all chemical bonds. There is one type of bonding called electrovalentbonding (ionic), where an electron from one atom is transferred to another atom. You wind up creating two ions as one atom loses an electron and one gains one. The second type of bonding is called covalent bonding, where electrons are actually shared between two or more atoms in a cloud. Both types of bonds have specific advantages and weaknesses. 

Power Up!

Electrons are very important in the world of electronics. The very small particles can stream through wires and circuits, creating currents of electricity. The electrons move from negatively charged parts to positively charged ones. The negatively charged pieces of any circuit have extra electrons, while the positively charged pieces want more electrons. The electrons then jump from one area to another. When the electrons move, the current can flow through the system. 

CHEMISTRY - ELEMENT OF THE DAY - ZIRCONIUM

Element of The Day: Zirconium

Zirconium.  It’s an element that most forget about, but many should be thankful for.  It probably saves husbands and boyfriends millions of dollars a year; remember seeing cubic zirconia?  It looks a lot like a diamond and is even fairly hard.  Other than fake diamonds what is element number 40 used for?

About 1% of zirconium stockpiles are used in nuclear reactor fuels.  It’s a great element for resisting corrosion but comes with drawbacks.  At the high temperatures that nuclear reactors operate under zirconium can react with water and form hydrogen gas.  The result; a possible explosion.  The small explosion at Three Mile and the explosions at Fukushima I were partly caused by such a reaction.

Okay, so some more practical things this element is used for?  Zirconium is used in vacuum tubes, explosive primers, high heat ceramics in jet turbines, space vehicle parts, and abrasives.

Interesting Fact:  Zirconium used to be used in an ointment that claimed to treat poison ivy.  Turns out that the ointment actually made some people itch even more.

Honestly, zirconium isn’t exactly the rockstar of the elements.  It’s not poisonous, isn’t used in drugs, and doesn’t really react with much.  However, it’s a lesser known element that most people forget about.  Therefore being able to ramble off some of its uses may make people think you’re pretty intelligent… or a major dork.