Chemistry Writing Project
For this assignment you have two choices. One, you can submit an article to the TPHS Science Journal at http://tpsj.sandiego-online.org Click on the How to Submit an Article and read the requirements. Two, you can do one of the projects below.
For all of these, you need to do your own work. All work must be submitted to turnitin.com. Any work with more than 3% copied will receive special scrutiny. Any plagiarism as determined by turnitin.com and the teacher will result in a 0 and an academic dishonesty referral. Let’s look at the three options we have for this assignment:
Do your own work Submit nothing Plagiarism You learn You get a 0 on a 200 point Get a 0 homework assignment You earn points Homework is 15% of the Get a referral for cheating grade Helps prepare you for 200 points is not very Get a Saturday school college significant compared to the right column No letter of recommendation or signature from Mr. Belyea
Project options (aside from science journal):
1. Samurai Sword 2. Diamonds 3. Star Trek 4. Fuels 5. Your choice approved by Mr. Belyea
1. Samurai sword. Visit this URL: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/samurai/
1. Explain what alloys are and why they are often superior to pure metals. 2. Give 6 alloys, what they are made of and what they are used for. 3. Explain in detail how the samurai sword can be sharp enough to cut but flexible enough to absorb blows. What metals are used and how are they put together? What are the chemical elements involved? 4. What are unit cells for crystals? List the main types of unit cells and how the atoms in them are arranged. 5. Explain the difference between cementite, ferrite, austenite, pearlite, and martensite.
2. Diamonds 1. Explain how diamonds are made in the earth. 2. Explain why most diamonds are white but some are colored. What are the possible colors and what elements cause them? 3. Discuss two methods that are used to produce artificial diamonds. Explain how they work. 4. Discuss the physical properties of diamond that make it unique. Relate these properties to its chemical structure. 5. Diamond is an allotrope of carbon. Explain what allotropy is and discuss the allotropes of at least three different elements other than carbon. Write about the different properties of the different allotropes. 6. What uses will allotropes of carbon have in the future? Explain how their properties will enable new devices.
3. Star Trek 1. Read the article “Star Trek” http://discovermagazine.com/2003/aug/cover/? searchterm=star%20trek and answer the following on a separate sheet:
2. What are the proposed methods for long distance interstellar travel?
3. Compare and contrast the methods.
4. Which of the methods use chemistry or physics you have seen in the classroom?
5. Evaluate which method you think would be best for traveling to a solar system 10 light years away.
6. What unforeseen problems do you think could occur on a trip to another solar system? List at least three.
7. What technologies would need to be developed to solve the problems you listed in #6?
8. Explain the difference in how chemical rockets, nuclear rockets, and antimatter rockets work.
9. For 5 different chemical rocket fuel/oxidizer combinations give balanced chemical equations for their reactions.
4. Fuels 1. What fuels have been used by humans over the last 5000 years? Give a chronological order of when fuels have come into use and if their use has ended, when that use ended. 2. What is predetonation of gasoline and how does it affect the engine? What methods are used to reduce predetonation? 3. How does increased octane rating for fuel increase the power output of an engine? 4. What is tetraethyl lead and why was it used in gasoline engines? Why is it no longer used? 5. Explain the difference between nitrous oxide injection and water or water/methanol injection. Explain how these methods increase power. 6. Pick one of the following and explain the effect on history that these fuels have had or will have: A. High octane aviation gasoline in World War Two B. Biofuels for the 21st century C. Sugarcane based ethanol in Brazil D. Whale oil in the 19th century