Light Spectrum Lab

Throughout the beginning of the first quarter we studied light spectrums. To demonstrate concepts of light and energy and their relation to the behavior of electrons in atoms. We used spectroscopes that revealed the different spectrums of various lights and gases. The spectroscopes helped in order to see the different colors, a.k.a wavelengths of light. We ultimately weren't just focused on the lights, but the spectrum in which the lights were giving off through the spectroscope.


The first light in which we analyzed was regular white light. This light simply was to help us learn to use the spectroscopes. The whole point of looking at a regular light is so we can get a general view of the continuous light spectrum of ROYGBIV. Within this regular light all the colors within the spectrum were visible with no breaks in between. This ultimately concludes that this light produces all the different possible wavelengths of light.

The next light we then looked at was the regular light with a red liquid placed in front of it. According to my observations with a bit of research the reasoning behind this spectrum missing the blue spectrum is that the red water absorbed the wavelengths corresponding with the blue light.

We then look at the white light with a blue liquid placed in front of it. As with both the waters placed in front of the light, some color from the spectrum went missing and as with this one the orange color was absorbed by the blue liquid and left a black place where its wavelength once resided.

After observing both absorption (wavelengths absorbed) and the continuous (all wavelengths shown) spectrums with the white light and the blue and red liquids we then moved onto other elements in their gas forms. Some of the elements we looked at included neon, helium, hydrogen, and iodine. In order to see the light within these gases a high voltage current had to be passed through the tubes containing the gases until the energy was high enough to see the light spectrum.

This is a picture of a neon light spectrum. As you can see most all of the colors of ROYGBIV are present but within this spectrum the black space lies between the yellow and green wavelengths.

When we observed Helium, it emitted red, orange, green and blue light, with black spaces separating the red, orange, and green wavelengths.

Next came a hydrogen spectrum. Within this spectrum it became very interesting when we viewed it simply because only three of the color bands were actually emitted or shown by the light it produced.

Iodine spectrum contained just about all of the ROYGBIV color spectrum excluding the indigo color. 

The color spectrum is a very unique attribute to the vies of light. ROYGBIV is simply the full spectrum and contains different energy levels for each of the colors produced. The highest frequency level lies with the violet wavelength whereas the lowest resides in the red wavelength. These colors are most easily seen when they are traveling from their "excited state" to their "ground state." By participating in this lab I have learned that each element gives off its own light spectrum. I have come to realize that even the simplest things such as placing colored water in front of a light ray can change its color spectrum depending on which color is absorbed. Overall the light spectrum has more to it then we may believe and the possibilities of the changing spectrum are endless and can vary in multiple ways, but I suppose thats why it is a part of science!

CERN!!!

CERN Article :)

We were given a link to an article to review. This article was found on http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/22/cern-light-speed_n_977014.htmlas an article published by the Huffington Post. Within this article I learned about a team of physicists that seemed to believe that they had discovered a particle that has the ability to travel faster than the speed of light. Einstein once theorized that E=MC², in other words energy equals mass times the speed of light squared. With the research that has been conducted it makes his theory and statement true.

A group of scientists in Geneva are involved in a group called CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research), these scientists have claimed that they observed a neutrino, which happens to be a sub-subatomic particle, traveling at approximately 60 nanoseconds faster then the speed of light! This very idea is vast and critical to the scientific world. Skepticism and doubt automatically occurs as this very thought doubts Einstein’s discovery from so many years ago. Many people find this discovery to be unrealistic and merely to be a hoax. However, there are those who believe this discovery to be true. Although CERN made this discovery, they seem to be mutual in this “debate.” The reason being they themselves want for other scientists and physicists to attempt this controversial discovery simply to deepen the understanding and possibilities of this occurring. After all they want to be sure they are correct before calling to much attention to this situation. However if the results turn out to be true then so many of the bases of science will be uprooted and cause a new uprising of scientific discovery to occur. Overall it will take much time to ensure this particular situation, but one thing is for sure, scientists are continuously making discoveries and the science behind this situation without a doubt wont stop here.

Atomic Structure!

Atomic structure is made up of 3 different types of particles, electrons, neutrons, and protons. Each of these three particles have different characteristics to make them liable for their actions. Electrons have a negative charge and are very small and light weight particles. Neutrons have a neutral charge, they have no electrical charge positive or negative. Neutrons are large and heavy particles as are protons. Protons are large and very heavy particles, that have a positive charge opposite of an electron particle.

Within an atomic structure model the protons and neutrons reside within the nucleus whereas the electrons orbit around the nucleus. Depending on the type of element the amount of protons, electrons, and neutrons will change. The number of neutrons and protons are always the same whereas the electron number is different. Each element has an atomic number and a mass number.

The mass number of an element is the number on top of the element symbol. The bottom number is the atomic number. To fine the number of electrons within the element you simply look at the atomic number.The mass number is 56 and the atomic number is 26 which concludes that there are 30 neutrons and 30 protons. You simply subtract the two to get the number of neutrons and protons.

Elements are substances that are made up of only one type of matter, such as hydrogen or oxygen. Atoms happen to be the smallest particles of any element that actually obtain all the properties of the elements. Within the atom lies the nucleus in which protons and neutrons reside and become the mass of the atom. Within chemistry elements can be combined to create a new substance, these changes are called compounds. Compounds are substances where two or more elements are joined and lose each of their properties to create a new substance among those that have been combined.

Here is a Youtube Video of atomic structure and those scientist who created the atomic theory and provided ideas to support the structure that is behind these tiny particles.

Atomic Theory Song

Pretty Color Lab! Chromatography!

Chromatography=Filtration+Distillation+Centrifugation

              So hear is yet another separation post, in which we used chromatography. This one was way more fun. Each of us colored a design on a water filter paper, then poked a whole in the center and inserted a rolled up piece of a paper towel within the hole. Each end had part of the paper towel sticking out. We then set the paper in a little tray of water, being sure that the paper towel was all that was touching the water, not the paper itself. The paper towel acted both as a handle and an absorption method. From this point we let the paper and paper towel sit, and let science do the talking from there.

We Waited...

And Waited... 

Then Finally This Was The End Result, Our Chromatograph Lab Was Complete!!!

Chromatography happens to be in many situations that we have been doing within chemistry. Within this  lab we used chromatography to separate the colors within the markers in which we used. Filtration happens to be another form of separation. When using filtration a mixture is being separated whether they are different particles being separated or different densities of the color spectrum being separated. Filtration is basically when a filter is used to separate mixtures or materials.

Distillation is yet another form of separation. This is a form that is widely used in chemistry activities when separating mixtures based on differences in the conditions required to change the phase of components of certain mixtures. To separate mixtures that include liquids, one may heat the liquid in order to force elements that may have different boiling points out of the space. This can be conducted by transferring the liquid into a gas. From this phase the gas may be condensed back into a liquid form after it has been recollected. This process can be repeated in order to achieve a more purified product, which is called a double distillation. Double distillations are most commonly used within liquids but the reverse side of their process can be applied to gases as well, by liquifying gases by the changes in temperatures that they endure.

Centrifugation is a process in which it involves the use of centrifugal forces. These forces separate the mixtures within the tubes that are placed within side the machine. The basic act of this machine is the effect of gravity on the particles within a suspension state that cause them to split and separate due to the masses, density, and weight of each of the materials present within the mixture.