Reflecting back, Term 1 was an easy term for me, even when chemistry is among one of my worst subjects. I had trouble with chemical bonding, but however, the other topics that we learnt were simple enough for me to understand. The first thing we learnt was atomic structure, followed by periodic table, chemical bonding, equation writing and finally about acids, bases and salts.
Atomic structure was simple to understand, all the protons, neutrons and electrons, and how to write the electronic configuration of the elements. Next was the periodic table. where we learnt the various periods and groups of elements, and the the "lines" that separated metals, transition metals, non metals and inert elements. We also learnt about the proton and mass numbers.
Chemical bonding was a little harder to understand, but it was still doable. The two types of bonding that we were taught was ionic and covalent bonding. Ionic bonding is when elements transfer electrons over to other elements, and in the process becoming electrically neutral. Covalent bonding is the sharing of electrons between elements, with the final result being that the bonded elements turn electrically neutral as well.
The last topic we learnt about was acids, bases and salts, as well as compounds and mixtures. These were taught through lab lessons, where we saw how compounds were formed, and the differences between compounds and mixtures. We tasted mild acids which were sour, as well as felt the soapy texture of weak alkalis. In class, we learned how to form equations and what the results would be if a certain element mixes with an acid or alkali.
I did well in my term 1 test despite my lack of understanding in forming and balancing equations, as they were coincidentally the topics which were not tested. Now, I have a better understanding of writing equations. I achieved a B3, which was rather good considering that science is one of my weakest subjects.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Review on recent science breakthroughs
Maurizio Porfiri, assistant director of mechanical engineering at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, has made an invention that can possibly preserve and protect marine life from disasters like oil or chemical spills.
After studying the behaviours of schooling fish, he has managed to find out how the schooling fish recognise and follow a leader. By coupling his observations together with his invention, robotic fish, he is positive that he can enforce leadership by an external member, and thus influence the direction and behaviour of schooling fish. With this, he is then able to effectively save the lives of fishes, by directing them away from dangerous areas that might potentially cause their deaths.
The first generation of robotic fishes are only able to swim along a plane, but future generations of robotic fishes will be able to dive and surface, further resembling a real fish. Maurizio Porfiri has already started testing out his robotic fishes on groups of gregarious fish, and together with his team, has noted a variety of interaction patterns.
After reading this article, I feel that the robotic fishes have a lot of potential. They can be used for many purposes, such as saving the lives of marine lives. This could help endangered species of marine life, as by directing the fishes away from oil/chemical spills or manmade hazards like turbines of ships, the loss of those precious marine lives can be stopped. The fishes can also be used to teach students about fishes, and show them how the different fin sizes and shapes of the fish affect their swimming performances during test runs.
However, some bad points of these robotic fishes are that there is always the possibility of error which might cause the aquatic life to actually enter the dangerous zones. Also, having the power to control the movements of fishes might be bad for the fishes, as the fishes might actually lose their natural ability to survive and adapt to new surroundings.
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