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Get Science Fair Project Ideas It can be a challenge to come up with a science fair project idea. There is fierce competition to come up with the coolest idea, plus you need a topic that is considered appropriate for your educational level. I've arranged science fair project ideas by topic, but you might like to take a look at ideas according to education level. A well-designed project at the college level can open the door to future educational and career opportunities, so it pays to put some thought and effort into your topic. Answer a question, test a hypothesis. College students usually have a semester to complete their project, so you have some time to plan and conduct your research. The goal at this level is to find an original topic. It doesn't have to be something complicated or time-consuming. Also, appearances count. Aim for professional-quality images and presentation. Handwritten work and drawings won't work as well as a printed report or poster with photographs...

Get Science Fair Project Ideas It can be challenging to think of a good project idea. H. Berends, stock.xchng I t can be a challenge to come up with a science fair project idea. There is fierce competition to come up with the coolest idea, plus you need a topic that is considered appropriate for your educational level. I've arranged science fair project ideas by topic, but you might like to take a look at ideas according to education level. Elementary School Science Fair Project Tips Elementary school projects aren't supposed to be rocket science (though of course they could be). Look for a project that you can do over a fairly short time span, such as over a weekend. Keep in mind, judges will disqualify you if they suspect your parents did the project and not you, so though you may get help from adults, be sure the project is really yours. Resist the temptation to make a display or do a demonstration. Try to answer a question or solve a problem. Can you predict what things wil...

Chemistry is the study of matter and the interactions between different types of matter and energy. The fundamental building block of matter is the atom. An atom consists of three main parts: protons, neutrons, and electrons. Protons have a positive electrical charge. Neutrons have no electrical charge. Electrons have a negative electrical charge. Protons and neutrons are found together in what is called the nucleus of the atom. Electrons circle around nucleus.                                                     Chemical reactions involve interactions between the electrons of one atom and the electrons of another atom. Atoms which have different amounts of electrons and protons have a positive or negative electrical charge and are called ions. When atoms bond together, they can make larger building blocks of matter called molecules. All matter consists of particles called atoms. Here are some useful facts about atoms: Atoms cannot be divided using chemicals. They do consist of parts, w...

There are several methods of defining acids and bases. While these definitions don't contradict each other, they do vary in how inclusive they are. Antoine Lavoisier, Humphry Davy, and Justus Liebig also made observations regarding acids and bases, but didn't formalize definitions. Sulfuric acid can donate two protons or hydrogen ions in an aqueous solution. Ben Mills Svante Arrhenius acids produce H+ ions in aqueous solutions bases produce OH- ions in aqueous solutions water required, so only allows for aqueous solutions only protic acids are allowed; required to produce hydrogen ions only hydroxide bases are allowed J ohannes Nicolaus Brønsted - Thomas Martin Lowry acids are proton donors bases are proton acceptors aqueous solutions are permissible bases besides hydroxides are permissible only protic acids are allowed Gilbert Newton Lewis acids are electron pair acceptors bases are electron pair donors least restrictive of acid-base definitions Properties of Acids taste sour ...

Virtual Chemistry Text Table of Contents The citric acid and ascorbic acid in a lemon are both weak acids. There are several ways to define acids and bases. One way is to look at hydrogen ion concentration. No matter which method you choose, these categories of chemicals participate in some very important reactions. Learn about acids, bases, and pH.

>Introduction > A knowledge of basic chemistry is important for understanding just about any area of biology from the function of cells to the behavior of organisms and the ecological relationships between organisms and their environment. Indeed, chemists are fond of teasing biologists by claiming that all biology is chemistry*. While this isn't quite true, in order to make sense of the structure of cells and organisms a little chemistry goes a long way. Ball and Stick" Model of a Heme group. This group is part of a larger molecule, hemoglobin. Grey=Carbon, Blue= Nitrogen, Red= Oxygen. Hydrogens not shown. *Of course the physicists say that all chemistry is physics!

The chemical properties of an atom are determined largely by how full or empty the outer electron shell is. For example, atoms of fluorine(F), chlorine(Cl) and the other elements in that second from the last column of the periodic table need only one electron to fill the outer shell. These atoms have a very strong tendency to steal electrons from other atoms. Oxygen and sulphur have 6 electrons in their outer shell which again holds 8 maximum. Thus these elements tend to steal electrons. Elements such as Lithium(Li) Sodium(Na) and Potassium(K) on the left hand side of the periodic table have an almost empty shell and these elements readily give up those outer shell electrons to atoms such as oxygen and chlorine. Elements that tend to give up electrons to other atoms are called metals. Elements in the middle of the periodic table tend to share electrons rather than give them up or take them entirely. Many of these such as iron, copper or gold are also considered metals. The elements at ...

A chemical bond is an attraction between atoms brought about by a sharing of electrons between to atoms or a complete transfer of electrons. There are three types of chemical bonds: Ionic, Covalent and Polar covalent. In addition chemists often recognise another type of bond called a hydrogen bond. Ionic Bonds:    Ionic  bonds arise from elements with low electronegativity(almost empty outer shells) reacting with elements with high electronegativity (mostly full outer shells). In this case there is a complete transfer of electrons A well known example is table salt, sodium chloride. Sodium gives up its one outer shell electron completely to chlorine which needs only one electron to fill its shell. Thus, the attraction between these atoms is much like static electricity since opposite charges attract. Covalent bond: Ionic, Covalent, Polar covalent, Hydrogen bond .     Covalent bonds involve a complete sharing of electrons and occurrs most commonly between atoms that have partially f...

The fact that the oxygen end of a water molecule is negatively charged and the hydrogen end positively charged means that the hydrogens of one water molecule attract the oxygen of its neighbor and vice versa. This is because unlike charges attract. This largely electrostatic attraction is called a hydrogen bond and is important in determining many important properties of water that make it such an important liquid for living things. Water can also form this type of bond with other polar molecules or ions such as hydrogen or sodium ions. Further, hydrogen bonds can occurr within and between other molecules. For instance, the two strands of a DNA molecule are held together by hydrogen bonds. Hygrogen bonding between water molecules and the amino acids of proteins are involved in maintaining the protein's proper shape. This picture represents a small group of water molecules. Hydrogen bonds between unlike charges are shown as lines without arrows on the ends. The double arrowed lines ...

Water has a number of unusual properites which come about because the atoms that comprise a water molecule form apolar covalent bonds. The main properties of water that are important for living things are the following: Ice floats. Usually when a liquid freezes the solid ismore dense than the liquid. In water thesolidphase is less dense than the liquid phase under normal conditions. If ice sank, ponds and lakes would freeze solid to the bottom making things very difficult for fish and other creatures to obtain food and oxygen in the winter. Water is a great solvent especially for polar molecules of ionically bonded substances like salt. That's because the charged ends of the water molecules are attracted to the charges on other molecules. Water molecules will surround soluable molecules or ions in a hydration shell. This helps keep the molecules in solution. Many gases dissolve in water because the the combination of attractive and repulsive forces among water molecules leaves spac...

Fatty acids are organic acids which have a long chain of carbon and hydrogens attached to the carboxyl group. Oleic Acid is a common saturated fatty acid. Actually the bend in the carbon chain suggests that oleic acid is not completely saturated. I can't resist this cool looking fatty acid from Chrysanthamums. Notice the interesting triangular ring in the carbon chain. Finally this exotic looking fatty acid is vitamin A

Organic acids are very important compounds in living things. They are important components of structural molecules such as phospholipids and are an important source of energy. Organic acids have a carboxyl group and long a chain of carbons attached to it. This diagram shows formic acid, the simplest organic acid. The name formic comes from the Latin word(Formica) for ant. This acid is an important alarm and defensive compound for many ants. Acetic acid, the acid in vinegar, has one more carbon than formic acid.

Introduction Carbon is important in biology because carbon forms the "back-bone" of just about all biologically important molecules. This is because carbon forms long and sometimes complex covalently bonded structures and also because carbon compounds vary greatly in the type of interactions they have with water. For example some carbon compounds, such as most lipids, have strictly hydrophobic interactions with water, others such as sugars are hydrophilic. Still others such as proteins and phospholipids are partly hydrophobic and partly hydrophilic. 1. Diamond 2. Graphite 3. Fullerine

The concentration of hydrogen ions in a solution is very important for living things. This is because, since the hydrogen ions are positively charged they alter the charge environment of other molecules in solution. By putting different forces on the molecules, the molecules change shape from their normal shape. This is particularly important for proteins in solution because the shape of a protein is related to its function. The concentration of hydrogen ions is commonly expressed in terms of the pH scale. Low pH corresponds to high hydrogen ion concentration and vice versa. A substance that when added to water increases the concentration of hydrogen ions(lowers the pH) is called an acid. A substance that reduces the concentration of hydrogen ions(raises the pH) is called a base. Finally some substances enable solutions to resist pH changes when an acid or base is added. Such substances are called buffers. Buffers are very important in helping organisms maintain a relatively constant p...

The periodic table is an arrangement of the elements by increasing atomic number. Since the electrons add to energy levels in a regular pattern, elements with similar chemical properties tend to repeat themselves with a set period. This allows the table to be constructed such that elements that are most alike in chemical properties are in the same column. The first view shows an abbreviated version of the periodic table from the Las Alomos National Laboratory.

Atomic Number, Element Symbol & Element Name Here's a list of chemical elements ordered by increasing atomic number. The names and element symbols are provided. 1 - H - Hydrogen 2 - He - Helium 3 - Li - Lithium 4 - Be - Beryllium 5 - B - Boron 6 - C - Carbon 7 - N - Nitrogen 8 - O - Oxygen 9 - F - Fluorine 10 - Ne - Neon 11 - Na - Sodium 12 - Mg - Magnesium 13 - Al - Aluminum, Aluminium 14 - Si - Silicon 15 - P - Phosphorus 16 - S - Sulfur 17 - Cl - Chlorine 18 - Ar - Argon 19 - K - Potassium 20 - Ca - Calcium 21 - Sc - Scandium 22 - Ti - Titanium 23 - V - Vanadium 24 - Cr - Chromium 25 - Mn - Manganese 26 - Fe - Iron 27 - Co - Cobalt 28 - Ni - Nickel 29 - Cu - Copper 30 - Zn - Zinc 31 - Ga - Gallium 32 - Ge - Germanium 33 - As - Arsenic 34 - Se - Selenium 35 - Br - Bromine 36 - Kr - Krypton 37 - Rb - Rubidium 38 - Sr - Strontium 39 - Y - Yttrium 40 - Zr - Zirconium 41 - Nb - Niobium 42 - Mo - Molybdenum 43 - Tc - Technetium 44 - Ru - Ruthenium 45 - Rh - Rhodium 46 - Pd - Palla...

Click on an element symbol in the periodic table to get facts for that element. Printable periodic tables and a list of elements by increasing atomic number are also availab

Question: What Is a Mole and Why Are Moles Used? Answer: A mole is simply a unit of measurement. Units are invented when existing units are inadequate. Chemical reactions often take place at levels where using grams wouldn't make sense, yet using absolute numbers of atoms/molecules/ions would be confusing, too. Like all units, a mole has to be based on something reproducible. A mole is the quantity of anything that has the same number of particles found in 12.000 grams of carbon-12. That number of particles is Avogadro's Number, which is roughly 6.02x1023. A mole of carbon atoms is 6.02x1023 carbon atoms. A mole of chemistry teachers is 6.02x1023 chemistry teachers. It's a lot easier to write the word 'mole' than to write '6.02x1023' anytime you want to refer to a large number of things! Basically, that's why this particular unit was invented. Why don't we simply stick with units like grams (and nanograms and kilograms, etc.)? The answer is that mole...

The molecular weight of a molecule is calculated by adding the atomic weights (in atomic mass units or amu) of the atoms in the molecule. The formula weight of an ionic compound is calculated by adding its atomic weights according to its empirical formula. *The Mole A mole is defined as the quantity of a substance that has the same number of particles as are found in 12.000 grams of carbon-12. This number, Avogadro's number, is 6.022x1023. The mass in grams of one mole of a compound is equal to the molecular weight of the compound in atomic mass units. One mole of a compound contains 6.022x1023 molecules of the compound. The mass of 1 mole of a compound is called its molar weight or molar mass. The units for molar weight or molar mass are grams per mole. Here is the formula for determining the number of moles of a sample: mol = weight of sample (g) / molar weight (g/mol)

@@@ Learn about Molecules. Moles and Avogadro's Number @@@ Molecules and Moles A molecule is a combination of two or more atoms that are held together by covalent bonds. A molecule is the smallest unit of a compound that still displays the properties associated with that compound. Molecules may contain two atoms of the same element, such as O2 and H2, or they may consist of two or more different atoms, such as CCl4 and H2O. In the study of chemistry, molecules are usually discussed in terms of their molecular weights and moles. Ionic compounds, such as NaCl and KBr, do not form true molecules. In their solid state, these substances form a three-dimensional array of charged particles. In such a case, molecular weight has no meaning, so the term formula weight is used instead.