Chemistry Week 5:

WEB SITE:

I checked out the about.com link on light....interesting. Light is broken down into 2 main categories: incandescence and luminescence. Luminescence is then broken down into several sub-categories. I was surprised to see how many different kinds of luminescence humans have defined. For example, electroluminescence refers to luminescence caused by an electrical current, triboluminescence occurs when phosphorescence or electroluminescence is generated by mechanical action some minerals, when scratched together create this and I think maybe this is what's happening under my sheets when I slide into bed in the dark, cathodoluminescence is electroluminescence caused by electron beams (how images are formed on t.v.). In all there are 10 of these subcategories listed on this page. I still can't quite get my head around what light actually IS. It's a wave, it's a particle. How can this particle with mass and all strike the glorious beams, cascading mysteriously through the forest trees? I love the way the sunlight refracts through a prism in the window, dashing rainbow spots all over the room. Of all the phenomena to observe light is truly one of the most fantastic! 

THE COLORS OF MY KITCHEN:

I find a lot of yellow (my neighbor keeps bringing me yellow tomatoes from his patch)...green (in vegetable form), browns (mushrooms and chocolate mochi, yum!), red (seaweed, beans and tomatoes), blue (blueberries and blueberry yogurt), oranges (carrots, sweet potatoes) creams or whites (potatoes, rice, white beans, coconut milk, tapioca granules and coconut bliss frozen ice treat double yum!)

INERT GAS:

HELIUM: 

HE, 

Number: 2

Mass: 4

Helium is so interesting. According to wikipedia it is one of only two true inert gases (the other being neon). And it is the second most abundant element in our observable universe, 12 times more present than all other elements heavier than helium combined. It is not found in great abundance on Earth because it was the evaporation of helium present out of the gaseous dust clouds that condensed to become Earth in the first place.  Its melting and boiling points are the lowest among all elements. Helium makes your voice sound like The Chipmunks (very important scientific fact).