Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1998 18:06:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gene Thompson <gthompso@ccsf.cc.ca.us>
To: pinhole@exploratorium.edu
Subject: Lotsa Chem questions
I'm lesson planning in a different way than previously and have run into a
number of places where I need more info. If anyone out there can help,
I'd appreciate it lots. Thanks.
copper -- Copper metal is copper colored. Copper oxides are blue. Copper
braclets turn skin green. I've been told this is due to the oils on the
skin. Can this be shown in a lab (like by putting copper metal into an
oil)?
biochem and organics -- I have labs for IDing starch and sugars but is
there anything easy (both in terms of equipment and chems) for IDing
proteins and lipids?
I've heard of an A.P. Bio lab which took a whole meal, blended it up, and
analyzed the resulting mush. Anyone have this one?
Is there anywhere an organized look at the size and function of matter in
living things, from the atomic size up to a whole living organism
(including things like small and huge molecules, esters and ketones, amino
acids and carbohydrates, etc.)?
atomic stability -- Is there a source for the periodic table based not on
chemical reactivity and electron configuration but on nuclear reactivity
and the stability of nuclear arrangement (esp. something on-line)?
Phonecians and purple dye -- Does anyone have a good description of the
Phonecians and the smell and secretiveness of their purple dye process?
homunculus -- Is there a homunculus based on the amounts of energy
required by the different parts of the human body? If not, is that number
information available, especially in Joules or calories (or Calories)?
make-up -- Does anyone have interesting information or labs on make-up
(all I've got is Cleopatra, and the pH changing lipstick)?
water analysis -- Anyone have good, cheap and easy (both chems and
equipment) ways to check for radon? lead? plastic? dioxin? pesticides?
I'm not done planning yet, so I'm sure there will be more questions.
Anything, any clues or references, will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Ellen Koivisto
George Washington High School
gthompso@ccsf.cc.ca.us
or offstage@earthlink.net