Energy and Place and Essential Questions
Joint Scientific Statement Link:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1x6pLvdgRSlGWWh3BgTE1Lsnafj2pmvQdUhCfisvabTE/editOpening And Closing Statement:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1deogaMaoE22p-AuT24606g64H8rDUFQFqxpq-EYpRhI/editDebate Video:
http://youtu.be/-FGo1dIXn8IProject reflection:
The motion of the debate was that natural gas found in shale
formations and coal bed methane formations is a cheap, clean and abundant
source of energy that should be a cornerstone of our energy portfolio for the
next several decades. But my motion was against natural gas. My actual position
on natural gas is that it is a cheap and an abundant source of energy that our
nation should us in trying to find new clean renewable sources of energy and
after all my research against natural gas my position has not changed. The
piece of evidence I have found to be the strongest against natural gas is that
by investing in green technology and a carbon pricing system the US would spend
way less on foreign sources of energy to help with our national debt. But the
strongest evidence for natural gas is that it is a cheap and abundant source of
energy that can help in our transitional period to greener energy because it
also releases the least amount of carbon emissions. I would like to research
further on the facts about how the advancements in drilling technology has
created more environmentally safe and exactly what the risks are to nature and people’s
homes with horizontal drilling. It was hard to research against natural gas
because of the fact I am for it. The hardest part was trying to research facts
about the negative effects of natural gas because when researching I didn’t
know what to research and all the facts that I found against n6tatural gas I disagreed
with it in my head. By having humanities and chemistry together it had an
effect on my chemistry because it strengthened my personal position making it
harder for me to research for the debate. If I were to do this debate again I
would have taken the time to try and answer more of a variety of question in
the open debate instead of arguing on the one small topic. I would also want to
come to the debate prepared with my facts written down so that I know where I
got the facts and I don’t mess up the numbers. My opponents said that natural
gas companies do not release information about the chemicals in fracing fluid
but the fact is that they do release this information in certain areas and my
prof is a physical document that I have in my possession. Sam also said that natural gas companies get
back a large percent of fracing fluid in drilling but in my research I found
that in the Marcellus (one of the largest natural gas plates in the US) gets 15%
of the fracing fluid that they put into the ground.
Lette
 3206 Main
Avenue |
Durango,
CO 81301
|
(970)247-2474
|
December 17, 2012
Debby Schwartz
350 Jericho Turnpike, Suite 302, Jericho, New York 11753
Dear Ms. Schwartz,
Thermoplastics have very interesting properties that
have a unique implication to our society today. My name is Skyler Dobbs and I
am a junior at Animas High School and I am writing you about your thermoplastic.
Right now you sell variety of thermoplastic for medical uses but I am very
interested in how its physical and chemical properties can be used in the wild
as a tool for survival. Thermoplastic’s physical and chemical properties allow
for a variety of applications to survival, making it both interesting and
useful for a survival kit.
The implication of the polymers physical attribute of
reshaping when heated and then retaining its shape when cooled is the most
essential in the use of survival. Because of this attribute polymer can be
implemented into survival techniques and uses.
Polymers have a low melting and molding temperature like Polyethylene
which has a melting point of 130 degrees Celsius and a molding temperature of
120 degrees Celsius which can easily be obtained with a camp fire. Polymers
depending on the monomers used in the polymer can be reactive or nonreactive.
If polymer is reactive it becomes more biodegradable resulting in more
environmentally safe substances, but none reactive polymers are safer for
direct contact to the skin such as molding or the use of being implemented into
necessary body ware such as splints soles or other casting/body wear. Polymers
can also be biodegradable being environmentally safe if the polymer is lost. Thermoplastics
have relatively low density such as Polyethylene which has a density of 0.95*103
kg/m3 allowing for low amount of energy excursion to transport it. Further
research should go into the amount of thermoplastic consisting in a survival
kit but for examples if the survival kit consisted of 3in3 it would weigh
72.39 kg or 2.2 pounds. Polymers are great insulators allowing it to be applied
as a pot handle or even a handle to anything else for a better grip or
protection. Polymers are great insulators because of the long molecules that
are covalently bounded are bigger causing the amount of energy required to heat
molecule and transfer to adjacent molecules to be greater than metal and other
substances. Polymers, depending on the production process, can be very strong
or weak. A polymer can be made so that it is strong enough to accomplish most
mechanical purposes, but can still be weak enough to be able to sharpen for the
other uses such as a fishing hook.
Thermoplastic’s unique physical property of softening
at a relatively low temperature and then hardening when cooled can be explained
by the intermolecular attraction and there bounds. Thermoplastics are bound
together by van der Waals forces between molecules and mechanical entanglement
between the polymer molecule chains. Thermoplastics are polymers and due to a
weaker intermolecular force and covalent bond causing a lower melting point. When
thermoplastics are heated there is more inner molecular movement causing the
bonds between molecules to be easily broken and reshaped. When cured, polymers hold
their shape until polymer is reheated or physical attributes are exceeded.
Polymers are created from initiators and monomers that unwind
when reacted with the initiator becoming a monomer. The ratio of monomer to
initiator causes different length of molecules. The more initiator that is
added to a set amount of monomer creates shorter strains of molecules. The
longer the molecules are the stronger the intermolecular force is causing
stronger plastics.
Because polymers physical attributes are defined by the
chemical structure the proper production process should be found so that the
physical attributes of strength, melting point and brittleness will be achieved.
If the polymer was going to be implemented in to the use of survival the proper
ratio of physical attributes such as strength would need to be obtained. For
example the polymer should be strong enough to make traps and pulley system but
not past the point where it can’t be cut with a knife. The proper production
process should be found so that the ratio of the physical attributes allow for
a wide range of survival uses.
The use of other structuring of the polymer with different
initiators catalysts and monomers can be implemented to achieve these
attributes on the molecular scale. The implication of different structuring the
molecules during the production process should be looked into to achieve these
physical attributes. Production process can contain different structuring on
the molecular scale such as structuring the molecules in Heteropolymers/Copolymers
or homopolymer. Heteropolymer consist of alternating of different monomers in
different ways. This alternating consists of many different structuring that
are Alternating, Periodic, Statistical, Block, Stereoblock, and Graft. If
Heteropolyer is going to be implemented further research should be done to identify
what structuring of the heteropolymer will give the best ratio of physical
properties. Homopolymer is the structuring of a polymer’s molecules by the
repeating of monomers. In different production process of homoplymers will
create shorter or longer chains. Shorter Strains of Polymers have less
intermolecular force creating a weaker polymer that has a lower melting point.
Polymers with longer molecules have a stronger intermolecular force and a
higher melting point. Further test and research should be done to determine
what production process creates the greatest physical attributes for survival
implications.
The chemical structure depicts the physical properties of
each polymer. But the basic properties of polymers are constant. The use of
thermoplastics mechanical capability to survival is bound to the amount of
thermoplastic one has, its physical properties, and an individual’s
imagination. In the wild there are many situations that occur where a
thermoplastic would help. For example substances that help with survival are
scarce like rope. But depending on what the substance is thermoplastic can
replace it so that the substance can be used for more important mechanical
reasons or it can be a replacement if something for survival is missing or
needed. Thermo-plastics can also be used
in the wild as a first aid kit. For example if an individual breaks their hand
they would be able to mold the polymer around it, acting as a cast, to ensure
there is no further damage. Thermoplastic’s ability to be molded into objects
for mechanical use makes it a great substance to be implemented in the use of
survival and this is why I think that you should look into applying research of
your substance in survival and selling it to the public.
Sincerely,
Skyler
Dobbs
Student,
Animas High SchoolReflection
The chemistry of materials has
shaped the course of history by chemical and physical properties each one has. From
the beginning of time man began to shape the elements around him to meet the
needs for life. The early cavemen shaped soft rocks with hard rocks so that
they could make tools. They also when going into caves burned fat for light
because of the unique chemical quality that it did not smoke. The Chemistry of
Materials is still being researched and new discoveries are continuity being
found. These discoveries are still influencing the world and as time goes on
old discoveries are being implemented into new ideas. The chemistry of materials
is still affecting our society and is shaping our society as well. This is why
the chemistry of materials will never become and useless and this is why it is
so important to understand the chemistry of materials.
Chemical
structure of materials determines its properties because the structures of
materials (which are different between each material) are affected differently.
This is present as you can see in the periodic table as you go down in columns
the properties are alike. This is because the structure in each column has the
same amount of valence electrons creating similar properties. Chemical structure
of materials defines its properties because the properties are how it is
affected by things and because the structure of each material is different the
way that it reacts to it is also different.
No comments:
Post a Comment