Chapter 7 mainly focused on the discoveries of the last elements of the periodic table. The discoveries of the last elements started a fued between naming rights to a point where the IUPAC had to step in and give the final names of the elements. Glenn Seaborg and Albert Ghiorso together found at least one-sixth of the elements on the table. The discovery of these elements had people at UC Berkeley and Russia. Seaborg and Ghiorso worked at UC Berkeley and together discovered the most elements than anyone else in history. The experiments that came with discovering elements were doable but one mistake could ruin the experiment. One experiment was done at midnight because radioactive samples had to be transferred from one lab to another, a mile away. One of the highlights was when the team discovered element 101, when the radiation detector detected element 101, the fire alarm shrieked (Ghiorso wired the detector to the fire alarm). This happened during the cold war and the element was named mendelevium in honor of Dmitri Mendeleev. After finding element 103, the Russians stepped into the game.
The Russians found element 104 in 1964 before the Berkeley team did and later discovered element 105. But both teams found element 106 just months apart and the feud for naming rights began. The dispute ran into the 1990s and finally the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry stepped in. They studied the data of both teams and came up with a list of names. Both teams had lists of names they wanted and when the Americans didn't see seaborgium on the list, they basically denounced the names publically. Finally, the IUPAC came up with a final, no contest list of names that included: rutherfordium (104), dubnium (105), seaborgium (106), borhium (107), hassium (108), and meitnerium (109). Seaborg became the first person to have an element named after them while being alive.
I found this chapter really interesting and amusing. I found the whole name debate amusing but understandable. Learning about how the table was completed and how was very educational and enternaining because the process was something really fascinating to me. I still liked how Kean wrote this whole chapter because the way it's written makes it seem like a fast-paced action movie because you don't know who is going to discover the newest element and what the name is going to be. If I had to tell my bae something about this chapter, it would be the discovery of element 101 because I found it funny how the radiation detector was connceted to the fire alarm and how the bell shrieked a total of 17 times, when the process was repeated.
Sunday, August 16, 2015
Chapter 6 summary and reflection
In chapter 6, Kean starts with talking about Henry Moseley. This young man found a mathematical relationship between the wavelengths of x-rays, the number of protons an element has, and the elements atomic number. Moseley basically built an electron gun that helped sort radioactive elements and disprove claims for new elements. Moseley pioneered nuclear science. Moseley died on the field during World War I and his death launched scientists to hunt down the missing elements Moseley had talked about. The periodic table got bigger as more elements were discovered. The neutron was also discovered and the people began to study more about radioactivity.
The studying of radioactivity began the Manhattan Project and the hope of builiding of an atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project a combined with the Monte Carlo method and atomic bombs were able to be created. A uranium bomb was detonated at Hiroshima during WWII and a plutonium bomb was also detonated at Nagasaki. After the bombings, the Monte Carlo pushed the development of early computers but it also pushed the development of nuclear weapons. This lead to the creation of bombs that used radiation, specifically gamma radiation. Kean closes the chapter by explaining how Manhattan Project veterans came up with bombs using cobalt that could wipe out the entire human race and goes on to explain the deal between the US and Soviet governments to lose any nuclear war.
This chapter was also disturbing to me like chapter 6 but it was also informational. I knew about the bombings in Japan by the Americans in WWII and I knew the effects it had on the Japanese but this chapter gave me an inside look on the creation of the bombs. I was disgusted when I read how the people of the Manhattan Project worked so hard to build the atomic bomb. I know it was a breakthrough in science but it's something I feel should have never been discovered and that's what I didn't like about this chapter. This chapter gave me a whole new meaning on elements and how something that seemed so harmless to me could actually have the potential to destroy the only living world we know.
The studying of radioactivity began the Manhattan Project and the hope of builiding of an atomic bomb. The Manhattan Project a combined with the Monte Carlo method and atomic bombs were able to be created. A uranium bomb was detonated at Hiroshima during WWII and a plutonium bomb was also detonated at Nagasaki. After the bombings, the Monte Carlo pushed the development of early computers but it also pushed the development of nuclear weapons. This lead to the creation of bombs that used radiation, specifically gamma radiation. Kean closes the chapter by explaining how Manhattan Project veterans came up with bombs using cobalt that could wipe out the entire human race and goes on to explain the deal between the US and Soviet governments to lose any nuclear war.
This chapter was also disturbing to me like chapter 6 but it was also informational. I knew about the bombings in Japan by the Americans in WWII and I knew the effects it had on the Japanese but this chapter gave me an inside look on the creation of the bombs. I was disgusted when I read how the people of the Manhattan Project worked so hard to build the atomic bomb. I know it was a breakthrough in science but it's something I feel should have never been discovered and that's what I didn't like about this chapter. This chapter gave me a whole new meaning on elements and how something that seemed so harmless to me could actually have the potential to destroy the only living world we know.
Chapter 5 summary and reflection
In chapter 5, Kean combines the possibilities of elements and chemical warfare with World War I and II. The author starts the chapter with explaining the beginningsof chemical warfare which actually can be traced back to the Trojan War. The Spartans decided to throw bundles of wood, pitch, and stinky sulfur into Athens to lure the Athenians out but the plan ultimately failed. Even though all of the scientifically advanced countries except the US signed the Hague Convention in 1899 to ban chemical weapons in war, the deal was broken. Countries had secret work done on investigating the uses of bromine and chlorine.
Ultimately, Kean goes on to talk about people such as Fritz Haber who was able to develop ammonia. The ammonia was supposed to help the agricultural field to prevent people from starving to death but used ammonia to help Germany build nitrogen bombs instead. The author describes the effects Haber's life took on when the Germans began builiding these bombs including with his family but Haber just didn't stop. Kean continues and finishes the chapter with explaining the sort of things countries were willing to do in order to receive those elements to use them in bombs and gun machinery and kill people by the millions.
I had mixed feelings about this chapter because it was disturbing and interesting at the same time. Learning about chemical warfare was interesting and learning about how elements fit into all of this was incredible. But the disturbing part came when Kean talked about the horrors the bombs created. This chapter was very well written because it included stories about the creators of these technologies that you don't read in a history book.
Ultimately, Kean goes on to talk about people such as Fritz Haber who was able to develop ammonia. The ammonia was supposed to help the agricultural field to prevent people from starving to death but used ammonia to help Germany build nitrogen bombs instead. The author describes the effects Haber's life took on when the Germans began builiding these bombs including with his family but Haber just didn't stop. Kean continues and finishes the chapter with explaining the sort of things countries were willing to do in order to receive those elements to use them in bombs and gun machinery and kill people by the millions.
I had mixed feelings about this chapter because it was disturbing and interesting at the same time. Learning about chemical warfare was interesting and learning about how elements fit into all of this was incredible. But the disturbing part came when Kean talked about the horrors the bombs created. This chapter was very well written because it included stories about the creators of these technologies that you don't read in a history book.
Chapter 4 summary and reflection
In chapter 4, the author talks about the many theories of where elements come from. Kean starts with the big bang theory and how all elements came to be when the speck of all matter ejected everythign in the big bang. There is confusion that revolves around the big bang and it revolves around stars. The confusion was about why young stars have only helium and hydrogen while older stars had dozens of elements. Another cause for confusion was the fact that certain elements were only available in certain stars and not on Earth.
The author goes on to explain the famous 1957 paper called B2FH that explains stars and their elements. After explaining this very complicated paper, Kean explains supernovae and the possible explanation of our solar system. Kean explains how the gas giants were formed and how the rocky planets were formed. Kean then explains Jupiter and its plausible possibilities because of the elements available on the gas giant. The author then explains Earth and its elements in a detailed way.
This chapter was very interesting and yet somewhat confusing. The theories about the universe, planets, and stars was very informational and somewhat mind blowing. The possibilities that may be found on Jupiter was something that would be nothing short of a sci-fi film. Many of the theories that have been going on for years would make a great sci-fi movie and that's what made this chapter intresting. I had already known about the big bang theory but this chapter gave me opportunities to learn information about stars that I hadn't known before like the differences between young and old stars.
The author goes on to explain the famous 1957 paper called B2FH that explains stars and their elements. After explaining this very complicated paper, Kean explains supernovae and the possible explanation of our solar system. Kean explains how the gas giants were formed and how the rocky planets were formed. Kean then explains Jupiter and its plausible possibilities because of the elements available on the gas giant. The author then explains Earth and its elements in a detailed way.
This chapter was very interesting and yet somewhat confusing. The theories about the universe, planets, and stars was very informational and somewhat mind blowing. The possibilities that may be found on Jupiter was something that would be nothing short of a sci-fi film. Many of the theories that have been going on for years would make a great sci-fi movie and that's what made this chapter intresting. I had already known about the big bang theory but this chapter gave me opportunities to learn information about stars that I hadn't known before like the differences between young and old stars.
Chapter 3 summary and reflection
In chapter 3, the author begins with talking about Robert Bunsen and how he perfected the Bunsen burner and with his obsession with arsenic and how an explosion left him half blind for the last 60 years of his life. Kean goes on to introduce and give short biographies of the people who built the periodic table. Next, the author talks about Dmitri Mendeleev, the man accredited for creating the first periodic table. Mendeleev put the 62 known elements into columns and rows although he wasn't the only who did this. Mendeleev's rival Julius Lothar Meyer also worked on his own periodic table. The difference between the two men was that Mendeleev actually predicted the new elements that were yet to be found.
Kean also went on to introduce other scientists with contributions. Mendeleev had left blanks in his table where the lanthanides are. Mendeleev didn't know what belonged in those spots so he left them blank but those elements were later found in the mine called Ytterby in Sweden. There, people like Johan Gadolin isolated clusters of lanthanides. Many other scientists made the trip to Ytterby to find the missing elements from Mendeleev's table and seven were found. Of the seven lanthanides found, six were from the elements Mendeleev predicted on his table.
I really enjoyed this chapter because it provides a perspective on the periodic table that you don't see everyday. For me the periodic table is a big map of letters and numbers. The way Kean uses analogies and stories makes me learn more about how elements work and how they were found. I also learned that scientists are also human and make mistakes or let their talent get to their heads. An example is that of Mendeleev where he said Lecoq de Boisbaudran's findings of gallium was wrong because the density and weight was wrong. Although Mendeleev could have been wrong, he was confindent in his findings and it turned out he was right so Lecoq de Boisbaudran had to retract his findings.
Kean also went on to introduce other scientists with contributions. Mendeleev had left blanks in his table where the lanthanides are. Mendeleev didn't know what belonged in those spots so he left them blank but those elements were later found in the mine called Ytterby in Sweden. There, people like Johan Gadolin isolated clusters of lanthanides. Many other scientists made the trip to Ytterby to find the missing elements from Mendeleev's table and seven were found. Of the seven lanthanides found, six were from the elements Mendeleev predicted on his table.
I really enjoyed this chapter because it provides a perspective on the periodic table that you don't see everyday. For me the periodic table is a big map of letters and numbers. The way Kean uses analogies and stories makes me learn more about how elements work and how they were found. I also learned that scientists are also human and make mistakes or let their talent get to their heads. An example is that of Mendeleev where he said Lecoq de Boisbaudran's findings of gallium was wrong because the density and weight was wrong. Although Mendeleev could have been wrong, he was confindent in his findings and it turned out he was right so Lecoq de Boisbaudran had to retract his findings.
Chapter 2 summary and reflection
In chapter 2, the title is "Near Twins and Black Sheep; The Genealogy of Elements". This title is actually very clever because it explains the author's point. In this chapter, the author focuses on the relationships between carbon, silicon, and germanium. The author starts with explaining how carbon is the backbone of amino acids. Kean explains the reason why amino acids all bunch together and that is because of carbon. The carbon element is in the middle of the amino acid chain and it wants to fill its outer energy level with 8 electrons. Since carbon needs 4 electrons, it latches on to as many as 4 atoms to get those electrons and this is how carbon is able to build complex chains.
The author then goes on to explain the cousin of carbon, silicon. This element also needs 4 electrons to fill its outer energy levels and because of this, it has the ability to mimic carbon. The problem is that silicon doesn't really have the life sustaining abilities like carbon since silicon dioxide can be fatal and carbon dioxide isn't. The author finally explains how silicon and germanium are alike but how germanium is kind of the black sheep of the family. Both of these elements are semiconductors and can be used for technology. The part where germanium is the black sheep comes from the part where silicon is used for the technology instead of germanium. Silicon provided a better use for electronics and that is why germanium was passed over when men were sent to the moon and computers and cell phones where made.
This chapter was very interesting because again, the author made good use of analogies. The author also makes good use of analogies of scientists to explain elements better. I enjoyed reading about the uses of silicon and germanium and how easily history could have been reversed. The author explained how Silicon Valley could have easily been Germanium Valley as well. The problem was that silicon was cheap and available and that is why we have our technology and Silicon Valley.
The author then goes on to explain the cousin of carbon, silicon. This element also needs 4 electrons to fill its outer energy levels and because of this, it has the ability to mimic carbon. The problem is that silicon doesn't really have the life sustaining abilities like carbon since silicon dioxide can be fatal and carbon dioxide isn't. The author finally explains how silicon and germanium are alike but how germanium is kind of the black sheep of the family. Both of these elements are semiconductors and can be used for technology. The part where germanium is the black sheep comes from the part where silicon is used for the technology instead of germanium. Silicon provided a better use for electronics and that is why germanium was passed over when men were sent to the moon and computers and cell phones where made.
This chapter was very interesting because again, the author made good use of analogies. The author also makes good use of analogies of scientists to explain elements better. I enjoyed reading about the uses of silicon and germanium and how easily history could have been reversed. The author explained how Silicon Valley could have easily been Germanium Valley as well. The problem was that silicon was cheap and available and that is why we have our technology and Silicon Valley.
Chapter 1 summary and reflection
In chapter one of the Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean, the author starts with the basics of the periodic table. He explains the setup of the periodic table and this leads to him explaining the make up of the table. The author uses analogies to explain the elements and how the table of elements looks maybe "like a castle." Kean goes on to explain how the elements are the bricks of the castle and that not all of them are made from the same substance. This analogy explains how the elements on the periodic table are metals, gases, noble gases, halogens, etc. Kean explains how the position of an element on the table determines its uses.
In this chapter, Kean explains how atoms sometimes need electrons to feel complete and that is why ions are made. Ions are made when atoms or molecules take electrons or give electrons to another atom or molecule to get a net electrical charge. The author also goes on to explain that one can predict the combinations of elements by looking at their column numbers and figuring out their charges. The chapter later includes information about how elements have shells which they fill them with their electrons and how certain elements hide their electrons from other elements in order to not share. The author says that behavior of electrons is what drives the periodic table and the author finishes the chapter with the story of Maria Goeppert-Mayer and her contributions to science with the magic nuclei and with explanations on how to read the periodic table to make more sense of it.
I liked chapter one of the book because it gave me a new perspective on the periodic table, I learned many things I didn't know like how all of the elements are related to each other and the people who came with the discoveries of parts of the table. Understanding the periodic table has always been a challenge for me but the author helped me by explaining how to read the periodic table to get a better understanding of it. I also liked how the author uses analogies to get his point across.
In this chapter, Kean explains how atoms sometimes need electrons to feel complete and that is why ions are made. Ions are made when atoms or molecules take electrons or give electrons to another atom or molecule to get a net electrical charge. The author also goes on to explain that one can predict the combinations of elements by looking at their column numbers and figuring out their charges. The chapter later includes information about how elements have shells which they fill them with their electrons and how certain elements hide their electrons from other elements in order to not share. The author says that behavior of electrons is what drives the periodic table and the author finishes the chapter with the story of Maria Goeppert-Mayer and her contributions to science with the magic nuclei and with explanations on how to read the periodic table to make more sense of it.
I liked chapter one of the book because it gave me a new perspective on the periodic table, I learned many things I didn't know like how all of the elements are related to each other and the people who came with the discoveries of parts of the table. Understanding the periodic table has always been a challenge for me but the author helped me by explaining how to read the periodic table to get a better understanding of it. I also liked how the author uses analogies to get his point across.
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