Week 5: Day 3

Today I started writing up the report from all the information I gathered last class and at home. There were still some questions I needed to ask, however. The project, overall, is coming well.

However, I was not able to finish this at home due to some issues like the bombing. I can guarantee that it will be done next week.

Week 5: Day 2

As a result of last class, today I got the idea for the project. I'm modeling it after trees. I started designing a self assembly system that would make humans able to convert sunlight into food like plants. I did all the necessary research today.

Week 5: Day 1

Today in class there were also some technical difficulties that prevented me from using the simulation in the first part of class. When I got it on, however, I understood the content and was able to finish everything in the simulation with complete comprehension.

At home I brainstormed ideas to build a self-assembly system that would be beneficial to the society. I look forward to starting the project.

Plan for Week 5

Day 1

In Class: Finish Self-Assembly systems simulation (questions and explanations that can't be done at home)

At Home: Review and start designing own self-assembly. 

Day 2

In Class: Continue (what could not be done at home).

At Home: Finish the self-assembly.

Day 3

In Class: Review (if project not done, finish).

At Home:  Done with unit; will continue reviewing and take the test.

Week 4

For this week I decided to do a rather lengthy review of the entire week in one post. This is because of the technical issues in this week, causing a delay of work and nothing much happened in the whole week as I had liked it to.

In this week's first two days I had done some worksheets in which I did not entirely understand but I could do to some point. There is not much to say about the worksheets. I also went over previous things we learnt in case I forgot.

Final exams are coming up soon as well. I'm looking forward to seeing the quizzes be posted on Moodle, as well as the Final Exam study guide. I think we need to start studying for all of that.


I also helped my classmates in some of their lab reports, since we did them together and they may have been missing some parts. Also, I have helped with the intermolecular forces lab. I went over it, especially on the second day, because I thought we would have done the final project on that.

The self-assembling simulation was not ready on the first day nor the second day. However, the third day I was able to use the simulation and studied it all through class and a bit at home.

Plan for Week 4

Day 1

In Class: Do Self-Assembly systems simulation

At Home: Finish simulation and some worksheets. 

Day 2

In Class: Ask any questions about the worksheets in Moodle folder.

At Home: Do 'Nuclear Review' worksheet.

Day 3

In Class: Plan project. Start project.

At Home:  Continue project.

More details on day three later.

Week 3: Day 3

Today it turns out the lab is canceled and we did not need to do it. However, there's a part of the intermolecular forces experiment I wasn't completely done yet, so I finished it. I also helped some of my classmates in their experiments in the time left.

Later in class I asked questions about the worksheets, in particular the half life one in which I did not completely understand.

At home I organized my plan for the next few weeks and completed this blog. I finished some of the worksheets that I could understand.

Week 3: Day 2

Today I did the intermolecular forces lab. It reinforced what I already knew and gave me some information I missed. The lab today was especially useful in letting me visualize the science behind polar and non-polar bond and how to find out the strength of electronegativity.

At home I went over the things I learnt in class today and organized it for future reference. I also completed questions that I did not finish in class regarding the sheet.

Week 3: Day 1

Today I did the 3D modeling lab; I got everything pretty fine. I just needed clarification with the shapes of the molecules i.e. pyramidal.

At home I finished the modeling lab parts that did not require the actual ball and reflected over what I learnt.

Plan For Week 3

Day 1

In Class: Modeling Lab: Drawing Lewis diagrams and predicting polarity using 3D molecular models.

At Home: Check over work. 

Day 2

In Class: Investigating Intermolecular Forces

At Home:  Finish Investigating Intermolecular Forces.

Day 3

In Class: Lab: Properties of ionic and covalent molecules to compare the strength of bonds.

At Home: Check over work.

Week 2: Day 3

Today I planned to do another lab, but the equipment wasn't ready. That was fine; I needed to work a bit more on editing my lab report and discussing it with my lab partners. In addition, I also discussed the worksheets, but didn't start to seriously do any except for the lewis dot diagram worksheet.

At home I finished the lewis dot diagram worksheet and tried to complete the lab report, but my internet was having problems. I won't spend more class time on it, though.

Week 2: Day 2

Today I did the frizzy drink lab that I originally planned to do last class. At our first attempt we messed it up because we did too many things at once. However, once I got extra helpers in it was successful in our second attempt. I spent the rest of the class organizing data and interpreting it.

At home I wrote up the data part of the lab report, complete with uncertainties. I couldn't do the analysis part due to the fact that my internet was down afterwards and stayed down until a few days later.

Week 2: Day 1

Today I spent the duration of science class sitting in a hospital and was not able to do any work. However, when I went home at night I was able to review my stuff and take a look at the worksheets. I originally planned to do the frizzy drink lab today, but obviously I was unable to.

Plan for Week 2

Day 1

In Class: Do the Fizzy Drink Lab.

At Home: Finish writing the lab report. 

Day 2

In Class: Lab: Properties of ionic and covalent molecules to compare the strength of bonds.

At Home: Finish writing the lab report.

Day 3

In Class: Modeling Lab: Drawing Lewis diagrams and predicting polarity using 3D molecular models.

At Home:  Finish writing the lab report.

Week 1: Day 3

Today I could not do the lab because the materials are not ready yet. Instead, when class started, I discussed what I did for homework last time with my classmates to gain some new insight and opinions, as well as to clarify and ambiguous things. Next, I finished watching and taking notes on all the videos; this class I watched two: Electromagnetivity and intermolecular forces.

It was new to me how they explained the ionic bond is technically merely a strong polarized covalent bond (more than roughly 1.7, but not always the case as shown with C and Li). I would like a strength value of electromagetivity chart.

At home I did the polarity simulation and looked over the questions that come with the sheet.

Week 1: Day 2

Today in class I watched the half life video. I found the theory of an atom decaying very interesting, especially that there is no set amount of change; rather, it depends on probability. Over time, there will still be that small infinitesimal amount of the original atom left, despite most changing to another.

I also did the allotropes investigation. This is a new concept for me as I never knew that the atoms can exist in different forms in the same element. I did not finish answering the questions, though, and I did that for homework.

The magnetism test went fine; I understood the questions I missed and why I missed them. Some I was equivocal about and put the wrong answer in.

At home I watched video #7: Ionic, covalent, and metallic bond as well as Video #8: Lewis Dot diagrams and took notes on them.

Week 1: Day 1

Today in class I took the Magnetism test. On the whole I feel I did rather well.

At home, I seriously started on the new unit.

I opened up the Decay simulation, but when I saw it I felt it would be better to have some background knowledge before trying it out seriously. So I went to the video. I already skimmed through it once, but now I took notes. When organized, it's very easy to wrap your head around it. There are three main ideas:

1. Alpha Decay: 2 neutrons and 2 protons are emitted from the nucleus of the atom to make it more stable. Mass decreased by four. (P - 2, N - 2)
2. Beta Decay: A neutron emits an electron, thus turning into a proton. The mass stays the same, but it's a new element. (P + 1, N - 1)
3. Gamma Decay: The particles rearrange themselves, causing waves of high frequency to be released.
4. Positron Emission: A proton emits a prositon (electrons with positive charge) and turns to a neutron as a result. Mass the same (P - 1, N + 1)

I went back to the simulation afterwards and understood it a bit better. One thing I noticed is the half-life line is not very significant in determining the time of change of a nuclei, even though the probability is to change is 50% there.

NEW UNIT: Plan for Week 1

For this unit, I have hopes that I will complete it early. Unlike the last unit, I know to best way to proceed and avoid tarrying.

Day 1

In Class: Take the Magnetism test

At Home: 

1. Do the simulation (Activity #1 on the outline). 
2. Watch the Nuclear Decay video. Take notes.

Day 2

In Class: 

1. Watch Half Life Video. 
2. Do Allotropes investigation. 
3. Review Magnetism test.

At Home:

1. Watch Videos
1. Ionic, Covalent, and Metallic Bond (Video #7)
2. Lewis Dot Diagrams (Video #8)

Day 3

In Class: Fizzy Drink Lab

At Home: Continue writing Lab Report