ESA Science Department

Elizabeth Seton Academy Science Deparment Blog for all your Science needs! You may go to the blog specific to your class by clicking on the appropriate link. Check back often for useful links, study guides and listing of daily assignments.

Monday, November 21, 2005

Classtime!

Our wonderful students hard at work.





Thursday, November 17, 2005

Miracles in Science

Tuesday, November 08, 2005

Class Links

Attention all science classes!
Every Science Class now has its own Website.
Finding information on assignments, study guides for upcoming quizzes and tests has never been easier!!

All you have to do is this:
  1. Turn your computer on.
  2. Click on the appropriate class below.
  3. You will be automatically directed there.
  4. Smile.

Physical Science

Biology

Chemistry

Anatomy & Physiology

Sunday, November 06, 2005

For Monday 11 / 7 / 2005

Physical Science:
Quiz on Section 3.1 on Tuesday.
Be sure to understand solids, liquids and gases in terms of definite or variable shape and volume.
What is plasma? What is a Bose-Einstein Condensate?
Understand the Kinetic Energy (energy an object has due to its motion).
The faster an object moves, the greater the kinetic energy.
Kinetic Theory of Matter:
all particles of matter are in constant motion (yes, even the particles of
a solid!).

Also, understand that just as there is constant motion within all particles of matter, there also are forces of attraction among particles of matter.

Be sure to name the three main points of the kinetic theory as applied to gases:
  1. particles in a gas are in constant, random motion
  2. the motion of one particle is unaffected by the motion of the other particle unless the particles collide
  3. forces of attraction among particles in a gas can be ignored under ordinary condition (they are too weak in comparison to the kinetic energy of a gas)

Mean Free Path is the distance a particle of gas travels between collisions.



Biology:
Quiz on Section 3.1 on Tuesday.

Know the levels of organization:

  1. Individual ( the species )
  2. Poplulation
  3. Community
  4. Ecosystem
  5. Biome
  6. Biosphere

Be sure to understand the relationship between interactions and interdependence.

How is observation important?

Why is experimenting used?

Understand the differences between observing and experimenting.

How is modeling helpful to scientists?



Chemistry:
Homework for Monday is finish reading section 3.1 and answer "Practice Problems" #3-8 within that section.

Review of materials covered so far: (taken from this site)

Scientific notation:

A system of representing large numbers, ... in order to
express [them] in manageable terms. 1123,000,000 is represented in
scientific
notation as 1.123X109.

Problem 1: Please express the following in scientific notation:

  1. 209.4
  2. .00220
  3. .087686

Solution.

Significant Figures:

Digits in a recorded value that are reliable and believable.

Problem 2: How many significant figures are there in the following numbers:

  • a. 209.4
  • B. 1.74x10-23
  • c. 0.00220
  • d. 0.087686

Solution.

Problem 3: Please perform the necessary math and give the number with the correct number of significant figures. Use scientific notation where appropriate.

  • A. 4.632 x 2.5
  • B. 12.443 +1.94672
  • C. 0.0000042 x 24365
  • D. 5.4 x 104 x 2.3 x 102
  • E. (41 x 3890)/36

Solution.

Accuracy:

The extent to which an experimental result agrees with a known or correct
value.

Precision:

The extent to which an experiment is reproducible.

An example:

A chemist is asked to determine the concentration of a chemical dissolved in
a solution. The chemist performs the experiment three times for good measure,
and the concentration determined to be 1.74 M, (moles/liter), 1.73 M and 1.75 M.
The average of these numbers is 1.74 M. This result is extremely precise, but
suppose the chemist is not a very good chemist and made the same mistake in all
three experiments: the true concentration of the chemical in solution is 2.32 M.
Even though this experiment was done three times, and the concentration was
determined very precisely, it is not an accurate result.
Now let's say that
another chemist performs three more experiments to determine the concentration
of the same chemical in solution, and finds the following values: 2.87, 1.48 and
2.61 M. When averaged, these values accurately give 2.32 M, but the experiments
were not precise. In fact, it may have been lucky that they averaged out
perfectly.

Here is a useful website with tons of information.


Anatomy & Physiology:
Quiz on Anatomy of the Cell on Tuesday. For this quiz, you will be asked to name all the components within the figure "Anatomy of the Cell" and also to give their defenitions.

Anatomy of the Cell:


Below are the Figures from the text book which we will focus on later on this week.
The Cell's Plasma Membrane:


The Structure of the Cell:

Thursday, November 03, 2005

Thursday

Chemistry:
For Homework, Read pages 63-67. Answer questions 1 and 2 under "Practice Problems" on page 68. It is very important you do the reading!

Wednesday, November 02, 2005

Wednesday

Anatomy & Physiology:
Optional Project on Sickle-cell anemia. Due on Friday by the end of the day.
Answer the following question:

A new-born is diagnosed with sickle-cell anemia, a genetic disease in which substitution of ONE AMINO ACID results in abnormal hemoglobin. (you may use the links from my post for Monday to aid you with information)

Explain IN YOUR OWN WORDS to the parents of the new-born the following: (these are only some useful guidelines of things I'd like to see)
What is sickle-cell anemia is, when does it happen, what do we mean by "genetic"?
What can you tell me about sickle-cell anemia and the malaria-belt in Africa?
What is hemoglobin?
What is a mutation?
How can the substitution of one amino acid have such a drastic effect on the structure of the protein. Explain thorougly. Name (and diagram) the amino acid substitutions.

What can be done medically? Any treatments?
Use visuals if needed. Make a poster if you want. Be creative!
However, make sure you use footnotes and list your sources!!!!
The more information given, the better the explanations you provide, the better your grade will be.

Tuesday, November 01, 2005

Tuesday

Physical Science:
Homework for Wednesday is answer questions #1-8 and "Connecting Concepts" on page 74.

Biology:
Study for Test on Chapter 2 for Wednesday. Scroll below to Monday's post for study guide.
I suggest you finish the "Organizer" Handout to help you put concepts together.
Answers to the handout:
1. hydrogen 2.-4. oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus 5. lipids 6. proteins 7. nucleic acids 8. polysaccharides 9.-10. to store energy; to form biological membranes 11. amino acids 12.-13. DNA; RNA

Chemistry:
We do not meet on Wednesday (gym). Test will be Thursday. Scroll below to Monday's post for study guide.

Anatomy & Physiology:
Study for the Test on Chapter 2 for Wednesday. Scroll below to Monday's post for study guide. Look at your old quizzes for help.
Don't forget your colored pencils for class tomorrow!