Making fuel and Boat

For the final part of our Biodiesel explorations, we went back into lab and made biodiesel that we later used in our boats. After making it in the lab one day, we had to let it sit overnight so it could separate, and we could remove the bodiless from the glycerin and glycerol.
Here is what that looked like:

Then, with this fuel we built a small putt putt boat out of an Altoids tin and fueled it in a candle with the fuel we made. Our boat got the third fastest time, and for that we got extra credit!
Here is what our boat looks like:

Links to how to build a putt putt boat:
http://sciencetoymaker.org/boat/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ki9Kta8g14

Finished video

We have finished our Biodiesel video, and have submitted it onto the contest page. We wrote up a song and had a friend sing it for us while we did various mini videos in the background.
Here are the lyrics:

Also, here is the link to our video to watch!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t_0DWJnZYcQ

Beginning Video

For our new Biodiesel unit, we have to make a public service announcement video on the use of Biodiesel fuel. To begin, we had to start researching since we knew nothing about it before. So far, just in the little research I have done, I already know it is a much cleaner alternative to diesel fuel, and uses ingredients such as old restaurant oil and vegetable oil.
Here are some links that we learned this from:
http://www.afdc.energy.gov/fuels/biodiesel.html
http://biodiesel.org/what-is-biodiesel/biodiesel-basics
http://www.nrel.gov/learning/re_biofuels.html

http://www.aa1car.com/blog/biodiesel_logo.jpg

http://www.ebb-eu.org/infograph/biofuels_IG_teaser2.jpg

We will post the video when we finish for the contest!

Molecular Shapes Practice

Since I have been struggling understanding molecular shapes and how to apply this concept, I decided to look up some videos and practices to do before our final test, this way I should be more comfortable. http://www.softschools.com/quizzes/chemistry/lewis_structures_molecular_shapes/quiz939.html
http://people.cornellcollege.edu/cstrong/courses/vsepr_practice1.htm
http://butane.chem.uiuc.edu/anicely/chem102Dfa10/Worksheets/Worksheet13_VSEPR_Key.pdf

http://ths.talawanda.org/~bramblen/classroom/Pictures/molecularshapenotes.JPG

YouTube Video Help:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keHS-CASZfc

Molecule Shapes and Resonance

In class for our second lesson, we talked about the various shapes a molecule can take as well as resonance  To have resonance, it means that a compound had multiple bonds, and when you move one of the bonds it has, it must fit in any given place. This is what it looks like:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/ed/Carbonate-ion-resonance-2D.png/380px-Carbonate-ion-resonance-2D.png

As shown, the double bond can be moved to any of the three sides of the molecule, and it is still the same; This means it has resonance.
The next thing that we talked about are the selection of shapes that the molecules that we deal with can have. The five primary shapes that our teacher told us we would be working with are: a trigonal planar molecule has three bonded entities to the central atom and the central atom does not have any lone pairs, a tetrahedral molecule which has 4 bonded entities around one central atom, a linear molecule has two bonded entities to the central atom and this does not have a lone pair, a trigonal pyramidal molecule which has three bonded entities and one lone pair of electrons around the central atom, and a bent molecule which has two bonded entities with two lone pairs of electrons around the central atom.
This is what these five look like:

http://cnx.org/contents/d5d1d182-3eb0-419a-bfda-3615e56fafea@1

Here are some more links to help. I found the shapes to be fairly tricky to remember and practice.
http://intro.chem.okstate.edu/1314f00/lecture/chapter10/vsepr.html
https://www.chem.wisc.edu/areas/clc/organic/343/02_resonance_structures_343_ans.pdf

First Unit Lesson

Our first lesson for out new unit over chemical bonding was reviewing the Lewis Dot structure that some of us learned back in Freshman year. This model is when you take the element symbol and place the electrons around the outside on each of the four sides clockwise and singularly, then you can double.

http://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/img/content/multimedia/chapter_4/lesson_6/lewis_dot_table_big.jpg

We also learned about the octet rule, which states most elements can only hold eight electrons in their valence shell, but we also leaned there are exceptions to this. These are that Hydrogen and Helium only have up to two, Boron requires six, and Beryllium only needs 4. 

To end the lesson, we went over the Have, Need, Share chart to determine the number of electrons and bonds to place on the diagrams. 

Here is what that type of diagram looks like:

Here are some additional links for help:

http://www.chem.purdue.edu/vsepr/practice.html

http://www.kentchemistry.com/links/bonding/lewisdotstruct.htm

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82E0GR0-bdw