Many of you had a three-day weekend – I hope it was enjoyable!
Most school budgets are depleted for the 2015-2016 class year. The book Chemistry on a Budget contains inexpensive chemistry labs that could be useful. You can buy this lab book for $23 at amazon.com or lulu.com. Check it out!
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget
http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html
There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report. This way the teacher has the option! Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout.
It will take a week or so to get to you, so Order Now!
*Some of you have purchased my lab book – be sure to check out Page 141 !
One concern about nuclear energy is the waste produced and the long half-lives involved for the radioactive decay.
A Newsweek article dated 4/20/15 states, “Researchers have discovered new properties of the radioactive element californium that may someday help the United States store and recycle its spent nuclear fuel.”
http://www.newsweek.com/2015/05/01/researcher-discovers-how-recycle-nuclear-fuel-radioactive-element-323453.html
“Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt, a researcher at Florida State University, has discovered new properties of californium that may someday help the United States store and recycle its spent nuclear fuel.”
“The cost of the element, however, could be a limiting factor. The 5 mg of Californium used for the experiments cost $1.4 million (R15million).”
http://www.infrastructurene.ws/2014/03/27/californium-has-potential-to-store-radioactive-waste/
“Several groups initially succeeded, only to be met with several subsequent problems down the line, rendering the solution unfeasible. Meyer and his team, including Chris Dares [at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill], who spearheaded the project, have found a way to remove the radioactive element without encountering downstream problems that have hindered progress.”
http://phys.org/news/2016-03-year-old-nuclear-problem-storage-safer.html
“In the americium project, Meyer and Dares adapted the technology to tear electrons from americium [Am], which requires twice as much energy input as splitting water. By removing those three electrons, americium behaves like plutonium and uranium, which is then easy to remove with existing technology.”
Perhaps you could have your students attempt to write the nuclear reaction of Americium (atomic number 95) changing to Plutonium (atomic number 94) and Uranium (atomic number 92) by loss of electrons (beta radiation).
*Remember, this Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom. Remember, you can check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.
Also, Write To Me about your successes, challenges, or questions in the Chemistry Classroom.
Remember, buying a copy of the lab book Chemistry on a Budget can be very useful to your Chemistry classroom with labs and class article ideas.
Have a great week!
Most school budgets are depleted for the 2015-2016 class year. The book Chemistry on a Budget contains inexpensive chemistry labs that could be useful. You can buy this lab book for $23 at amazon.com or lulu.com. Check it out!
http://www.amazon.com/Chemistry-Budget-Marjorie-R-Heesemann/dp/0578129159/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389410170&sr=1-1&keywords=chemistry+on+a+budget
http://www.lulu.com/shop/marjorie-r-heesemann/chemistry-on-a-budget/paperback/product-21217600.html
There are two versions of each lab, one with a ten-question conclusion and one with directions for a full lab report. This way the teacher has the option! Each lab is two pages to allow for one two-sided handout.
It will take a week or so to get to you, so Order Now!
*Some of you have purchased my lab book – be sure to check out Page 141 !
One concern about nuclear energy is the waste produced and the long half-lives involved for the radioactive decay.
A Newsweek article dated 4/20/15 states, “Researchers have discovered new properties of the radioactive element californium that may someday help the United States store and recycle its spent nuclear fuel.”
http://www.newsweek.com/2015/05/01/researcher-discovers-how-recycle-nuclear-fuel-radioactive-element-323453.html
“Thomas Albrecht-Schmitt, a researcher at Florida State University, has discovered new properties of californium that may someday help the United States store and recycle its spent nuclear fuel.”
“The cost of the element, however, could be a limiting factor. The 5 mg of Californium used for the experiments cost $1.4 million (R15million).”
http://www.infrastructurene.ws/2014/03/27/californium-has-potential-to-store-radioactive-waste/
“Several groups initially succeeded, only to be met with several subsequent problems down the line, rendering the solution unfeasible. Meyer and his team, including Chris Dares [at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill], who spearheaded the project, have found a way to remove the radioactive element without encountering downstream problems that have hindered progress.”
http://phys.org/news/2016-03-year-old-nuclear-problem-storage-safer.html
“In the americium project, Meyer and Dares adapted the technology to tear electrons from americium [Am], which requires twice as much energy input as splitting water. By removing those three electrons, americium behaves like plutonium and uranium, which is then easy to remove with existing technology.”
Perhaps you could have your students attempt to write the nuclear reaction of Americium (atomic number 95) changing to Plutonium (atomic number 94) and Uranium (atomic number 92) by loss of electrons (beta radiation).
*Remember, this Blog contains several entries that would be helpful to your chemistry classroom. Remember, you can check out the Topic List to help you to find past Blog entries.
Also, Write To Me about your successes, challenges, or questions in the Chemistry Classroom.
Remember, buying a copy of the lab book Chemistry on a Budget can be very useful to your Chemistry classroom with labs and class article ideas.
Have a great week!
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