Friday, February 26, 2010
Friday = Snow Day
Bio- The unit exam on the Immune System is on Monday.
I'll be in Room 308 for extra help on Monday morning @ 8:15 AM.
Again, do the practice quizzes on Blackboard and practice writing your answers from the hw questions regarding a typical immune response, active immunity via vaccination, and disorders of the immune system;
as always, review your standard "scientific method/investigation" answer by identifying the cause/independent variable and effect/dependent variable right in the stimulus/question. Then write your if/then hypothesis statement and make sure that ONLY the independent variable is different/varied between the control and experimental group or groups.
AP Chem- Le Chatelier what, how, and why on Monday. Unit exam is on
We also begin AP exam review this week! Yes, about 10 weeks till the big day!
# posted by C @ 9:46 PM 
Thursday, February 25, 2010
Thurs-Day 2
Bio - I WILL HAVE A (makeup) EXTRA HELP SESSION TOMORROW MORNING (Friday) AT 8:15AM in ROOM 308. You can have your LAST MINUTE questions answered BEFORE the test tomorrow morning. Take advantage of this opportunity.
There are also multiple practice worksheets and quizzes as well as today's info on the lymphatic system that contains a nice diagram.
AP Chem - we got to the heart of the equilibrium unit with respect to quantitative gas/solid equilibrium calculations. We saw how to deal with solids in our "ICE" tables - basically cross out the info given that solid concentrations can't change and solids have no partial gas pressures, and how to use regularly stoichiometry to calculate changes in the mass of solid reactants or products.
We noted that adding or taking away a solid reactant or product does NOTHING to the equilibrium pressures or concentrations of gaseous reactants and products because solids and liquids are NOT in the equilibrium expression at all.
Look at Blackboard for more practice problems and solutions.
I can tell you that tomorrow's test involves the DETAILED explanations (HOW AND WHY) that we are used to writing in the class NOTES.
Check Blackboard for the answers to the HW objectives (later today) so that you can review your answers (if you made a copy of your hw).There are also multiple practice worksheets and quizzes as well as today's info on the lymphatic system that contains a nice diagram.
AP Chem - we got to the heart of the equilibrium unit with respect to quantitative gas/solid equilibrium calculations. We saw how to deal with solids in our "ICE" tables - basically cross out the info given that solid concentrations can't change and solids have no partial gas pressures, and how to use regularly stoichiometry to calculate changes in the mass of solid reactants or products.
We noted that adding or taking away a solid reactant or product does NOTHING to the equilibrium pressures or concentrations of gaseous reactants and products because solids and liquids are NOT in the equilibrium expression at all.
Look at Blackboard for more practice problems and solutions.
# posted by C @ 7:02 AM
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Wednes-Day 1
Bio - We didn't finish all of the objectives yet so you do not have to hand in the following objective answers:
#'s 18, 21, and 22.
For #17, just explain which BLOOD TYPES will be accepted and which blood types will be rejected by a given RECEIVER of the blood. Make sure that you cover at least types A, B, AB, and O (you can do the Rh + and - , if you want to master that). Rh antigens are not on this test nor the Regents.
Don't worry about the organ transplant part of the question, though the ANSWER to that is the same as that for the blood types: people with different blood types typically ALSO have different antigens on their organ cells so the organ might be attacked by existing antibodies in the organ receiver.
We discussed leukemia- the disease that occurs when leukocytes/white blood cells turn into cancer cells via mutation or expression of built-in cancer genes. Cancer cells sap the body of nutrients/energy because they are dedicated to just making more of themselves without doing any other function.
We discussed the difference between a primary immune response (the FIRST time that you are exposed to a given pathogen) and the faster, better SECONDARY immune response (the NEXT and FUTURE times that you are exposed to the SAME pathogen) during which you already have antibodies made against that specific pathogen which will immediately be bound and marked for death by phagocytosis.
AP Chem - we finished two problems in which we predicted the NET favored direction of a reaction from initial conditions as the reaction proceeded towards equilibrium. By comparing K to Q, we can see whether the current conditions have relatively higher or lower product concentrations than those that exist at equilibrium.
We then did our FIRST major equilibrium problem type, where we SOLVED for the actual concentrations of ALL reactants and products given:
1. the initial concentrations
2. the BALANCED stoichiometric equation (for the "C" line of the ICE table!)
3. the equilibrium constant
There was only one unknown, the relative change in molarity of the reactants and products, which we solved for using a calculator or graphing program.
AP Chem - we finished two problems in which we predicted the NET favored direction of a reaction from initial conditions as the reaction proceeded towards equilibrium. By comparing K to Q, we can see whether the current conditions have relatively higher or lower product concentrations than those that exist at equilibrium.
We then did our FIRST major equilibrium problem type, where we SOLVED for the actual concentrations of ALL reactants and products given:
1. the initial concentrations
2. the BALANCED stoichiometric equation (for the "C" line of the ICE table!)
3. the equilibrium constant
There was only one unknown, the relative change in molarity of the reactants and products, which we solved for using a calculator or graphing program.
# posted by C @ 1:44 PM
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Tues-Day 2
Bio - we explained how vaccines work by stimulating a primary immune response by using a weakened/attenuated form of the pathogen or part of the pathogen that contains its unique antigens.
We showed the benefits of vaccines in preparing your immune system against a future invasion by the same pathogen, even in its normal/non-weakened form because of the already circulating antibodies and memory B and T cells. This way, you will have a rapid immune response against this pathogen and very likely avoid infection or sickness.
AP Chemistry - we showed how to write an equilibrium constant expression from the balanced equation of a given reaction noting that ONLY gases and aqueous substances go into the expression.
We then discussed the meaning of the K values with respect to reactant and product concentrations AT EQUILIBRIUM.
We then discussed, Q, the reaction quotient , which is IDENTICAL in form but contains the INITIAL (NOT THE EQUILIBRIUM) concentrations of the reactants and products.
We then compared Q to K to determine the direction that the reaction "shifts to" as equilibrium is reached.
We showed the benefits of vaccines in preparing your immune system against a future invasion by the same pathogen, even in its normal/non-weakened form because of the already circulating antibodies and memory B and T cells. This way, you will have a rapid immune response against this pathogen and very likely avoid infection or sickness.
AP Chemistry - we showed how to write an equilibrium constant expression from the balanced equation of a given reaction noting that ONLY gases and aqueous substances go into the expression.
We then discussed the meaning of the K values with respect to reactant and product concentrations AT EQUILIBRIUM.
We then discussed, Q, the reaction quotient , which is IDENTICAL in form but contains the INITIAL (NOT THE EQUILIBRIUM) concentrations of the reactants and products.
We then compared Q to K to determine the direction that the reaction "shifts to" as equilibrium is reached.
# posted by C @ 10:45 PM
Monday, February 22, 2010
Mon-Day 1
Bio - welcome back! We reviewed the previous information from this unit: disease, its causes, and the general forms of immunity/protection that humans have against any pathogen or toxin. We focused on the BENEFITS of having a FEVER (as long as it doesn't get too high!) to create a more hostile, enzyme-denaturing environment for the infecting pathogens. We also pointed out the benefits of inflammation in speeding up the immune response to the infected area.
We then reviewed the pathogen-specific response from helper T-cells, B (antiBody producing) cells and their memory cells, and killer T-cells.
We then discussed some diseases of the immune system:
AUTOimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid fever.
We also discussed the IMMUNODEFICIENCY disease, AIDS, which is caused by HIV.
AP Chem- If you make mistakes on a unit exam, you are expected to attend extra help or to make an appointment with me sometime to clear up your misunderstanding or misapplication. Do not continue to move away from your past mistakes without learning from them; the quantity of unresolved, un-corrected yet required information is enormous and growing. Also, the best way to AVOID making mistakes on these exams is to properly prepare for them: that includes actually staying after school for extra help, coming prepared with practice questions, following test-taking advice, and perusing/re-writing the notes.
We began our unit on Equilibrium by discussing its definition, and showing the effects of equal forward and reverse rates of reaction. We then discussed the discovery of the formula for an equilibrium CONSTANT expression- which was discovered empirically after manipulating experimental data by using the coefficients from the balanced stoichiometric equation as exponents in the expression.
We then reviewed the pathogen-specific response from helper T-cells, B (antiBody producing) cells and their memory cells, and killer T-cells.
We then discussed some diseases of the immune system:
AUTOimmune diseases such as lupus and rheumatoid fever.
We also discussed the IMMUNODEFICIENCY disease, AIDS, which is caused by HIV.
AP Chem- If you make mistakes on a unit exam, you are expected to attend extra help or to make an appointment with me sometime to clear up your misunderstanding or misapplication. Do not continue to move away from your past mistakes without learning from them; the quantity of unresolved, un-corrected yet required information is enormous and growing. Also, the best way to AVOID making mistakes on these exams is to properly prepare for them: that includes actually staying after school for extra help, coming prepared with practice questions, following test-taking advice, and perusing/re-writing the notes.
We began our unit on Equilibrium by discussing its definition, and showing the effects of equal forward and reverse rates of reaction. We then discussed the discovery of the formula for an equilibrium CONSTANT expression- which was discovered empirically after manipulating experimental data by using the coefficients from the balanced stoichiometric equation as exponents in the expression.
# posted by C @ 4:46 PM
Bio Class Immune System Test Date = FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26th
Bio - The Immunity Unit exam is on FRIDAY (not Thursday).
HW Objectives will be collected on THURSDAY; make a copy of your hw because I will post the answer key on Thursday afternoon with which you can check your own answers for sufficiency and accuracy.# posted by C @ 7:37 AM
Friday, February 12, 2010
Fri-Day 2
Bio - we discussed the immune system's responses that are tailored specifically to each different type of pathogen. We focused on B and T lymphocytes, which are activated when a given pathogen gets past the general defenses of the body (skin, mucus, fever, stomach acid, etc.); with the chemical communication from "helper T-cells" B cells are stimulated to produced thousands of complementary-shaped protein antibodies to the antigen proteins on the surface of the pathogen. These antibodies will bind up the pathogens and "mark them for death by phagocytosis or by some other means". Some B cells will be stimulated to divide into into "memory B-cells" that will circulate in the blood so that rapid antibody production against that same pathogen will occur if that same pathogen gets into the body again.
Helper T-cells also stimulate "killer T-cells" to bind to and destroy/lyse any of the body's cells that have been infected with the pathogen.
On Blackboard, check out the answers to the class worksheet and come to extra help on Monday morning , if you have any questions.
On Blackboard, check out the answers to the class worksheet and come to extra help on Monday morning , if you have any questions.
We missed some school days due to the snow so our hw schedule will be pushed back a bit as follows:
FRIDAY, February 26th, is the day of our immunity unit exam so I will collect the objectives hw on Thursday, February 25th; make a copy of your hw answers because I will post my answer key on Thursday afternoon so that you can check your answers and come to extra help on Thursday morning or Thursday afternoon, before the test.
AP Chem- had our unit exam on Kinetics.
The winter break assignment is posted on Blackboard and is due on Monday, February 22nd.
We begin Equilibrium I on Monday, also.
# posted by C @ 11:53 PM
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Frozen dihydrogen monoxide closes school!
This chemical is responsible for so much harm on our planet! DHMO is the NUMBER ONE greenhouse gas (as in the "greenhouse effect" that is linked to climate change), DHMO is the most abundant chemical found in ALL cancerous tumors, DHMO can cause suffocation, if it builds up in a person's lungs. Sleeping on this chemical causes night-long discomfort.
In it's frozen, slippery form, DHMO is a causal factor in many auto accidents and it also has been responsible for the grounding of many airplanes.
Can we do something about this chemical please???
AP Chem -
We are falling further behind so we have to get right into equilibrium!
There is a winter vacation assignment on Organic Chemistry names/formulas, functional groups, and reaction types. Practice tests and tutorials will be posted on Blackboard.
I will also post Equilibrium Unit tutorials that you must preview so that we can make up the lost time after vacation.
# posted by C @ 7:06 PM
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Tue-Day 1
Bio - we reviewed and completed the non-specific/general forms of immune protection that some of your body organs/tissues afford you against ANY pathogen or toxin. We then began to discuss some of the cells in your circulatory and lymphatic system that can design SPECIFIC proteins/antibodies or tailor-make SPECIFIC cells that will attack and bind ONLY a SPECIFIC attacking pathogen or toxic substance.
The B-lymphocytes have the ability to synthesize COMPLEMENTARY-shaped antibody proteins to the ANTIGEN/foreign proteins on an invading pathogen virus or bacteria. The millions of antibody molecules can be quickly circulated in your blood to bind up/mark for death, the pathogens that have complementary-shaped antigen proteins on their surface. We will discuss T-cells next time.
We further discussed our "Making Connections" state lab by looking for data patterns and proposing other scientific questions.
AP Chem - we applied the Arrhenius equation to specific questions- more examples and solved problems are on Blackboard.
We also did a real-world kinetics problem in which we took the raw kinetics data involving concentration changes over time to deduct the rate law, propose a consistent mechanism, and get other kinetics variables- see full solution in Blackboard notes.
# posted by C @ 11:03 PM
Monday, February 8, 2010
Mon-Day 2
Bio - we discussed the various sources/causes of disease/failure to maintain homeostasis, focusing on the general/nonspecific forms of protection: skin, mucus, stomach acid, tears, saliva, and cilia.
AP Chem - we discussed collision theory as it relates to the factors that cause an effective collision. We related the temperature of a reaction mixture to the fraction of "molecules" that have SUFFICIENT (kinetic) energy to MEET or EXCEED the activation energy (Eact) requirement for bond breakage; this is one of the TWO factors required for an EFFECTIVE collision i.e. a reaction.
We then discussed the Arrhenius equation, which was derived from the factors in the previous discussion.
We showed how kinetics data on rate constants at various temperatures for a given reaction can be used to determine the activation energy for a given reaction as well as the, "A term", the frequency factor, which is a constant for a given reaction (this constant is the same no matter what the temperature).
# posted by C @ 11:38 PM
Friday, February 5, 2010
Fri-Day 1
We discussed the various sources of disease and some of the front-line protections against those diseases.
We did the first part of the state "Making Connections Lab" in which we will formulate and test hypotheses and use the gathered data to reach a conclusion regarding each hypothesis.
AP Chem- we did several problems in which we applied the time-dependent rate laws. Check Blackboard for practice tests, worksheets, and the "summary chart" to help you prep for Wednesday's exam- the first of the third quarter.
# posted by C @ 10:04 PM
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Thurs-Day 2
Bio - took the unit exam on Transport, Respiration, and Excretion.
AP Chem- derived the time-dependent rate laws for 0th, 1st, and 2nd order reactions for a given reactant.
We also looked at the special case of half-life times for each of the above rate laws.
AP Chem- derived the time-dependent rate laws for 0th, 1st, and 2nd order reactions for a given reactant.
We also looked at the special case of half-life times for each of the above rate laws.
# posted by C @ 10:00 PM
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Wednes-Day 1
Bio - we discussed common diseases of the excretory system: gout and kidney stones.
We then wrote out an explanation of how the circulatory and excretory systems work together to help maintain homestasis in the body.
We discussed the scientific method with respect to today's profound article regarding the seminal paper on vaccination and autism that was retracted by The Lancet. I posted the article in your notes on Blackboard.
We reviewed for tomorrow's exam; there are a lot of extra help materials on Blackboard. I have posted practice quizzes, animations, and the answers to all of the worksheets handed out in class (including today's).
If you have questions about anything, email me or see me at extra help tomorrow morning in Room 308 @ 8:15.
Let's start the third quarter with a great score- apply your test-taking skills, CAREFULLY identify/underline keywords in the questions, predict/DRAW an answer, and MAKE SURE that your answer DIRECTLY addresses what is asked for. You can use the many colored pens to highlight your tests.
Be sure that you are familiar with the various diagrams of the heart, lungs, kidney, organ systems for this unit.
Remember the lung demonstration that we did with the balloons: as I pulled down on the diaphragm (contraction), the volume of the cavity expanded, decreasing the air pressure inside, so the lungs passively inflated as the higher pressure external air rushed into the balloons! Lungs are NOT muscles, they CANNOT contract, but rather passively get filled with air or get the air squeezed out of them due to the diaphragm contraction and relaxation, respectively.
As always, please review the videos on the scientific method and on graphing properly- these videos are located at the BOTTOM of the Unit 1 Files section on Blackboard.
AP Chem- we finished the mechanism problem and then did a combined mechanism/ rate law from raw data problem.
Tomorrow, we will cover the "time-dependent" rate law equations - the final of the three main parts of this unit.
I had to stress the importance of being busy and attentive at all times in class because we are losing time in this fast paced course. We needed to start the equilibrium unit yesterday. We have to pick up the pace so you have to practice REINFORCING the material from class with repetition and practice problems that are available on Blackboard, always. If you do NOT understand something, you MUST come to extra help or at the very least, ask me a SPECIFIC question via email. I am here every day; if you want a special review session on a particular topic or even to reinforce a given day's lesson, I will DO SO.
We then wrote out an explanation of how the circulatory and excretory systems work together to help maintain homestasis in the body.
We discussed the scientific method with respect to today's profound article regarding the seminal paper on vaccination and autism that was retracted by The Lancet. I posted the article in your notes on Blackboard.
We reviewed for tomorrow's exam; there are a lot of extra help materials on Blackboard. I have posted practice quizzes, animations, and the answers to all of the worksheets handed out in class (including today's).
If you have questions about anything, email me or see me at extra help tomorrow morning in Room 308 @ 8:15.
Let's start the third quarter with a great score- apply your test-taking skills, CAREFULLY identify/underline keywords in the questions, predict/DRAW an answer, and MAKE SURE that your answer DIRECTLY addresses what is asked for. You can use the many colored pens to highlight your tests.
Be sure that you are familiar with the various diagrams of the heart, lungs, kidney, organ systems for this unit.
Remember the lung demonstration that we did with the balloons: as I pulled down on the diaphragm (contraction), the volume of the cavity expanded, decreasing the air pressure inside, so the lungs passively inflated as the higher pressure external air rushed into the balloons! Lungs are NOT muscles, they CANNOT contract, but rather passively get filled with air or get the air squeezed out of them due to the diaphragm contraction and relaxation, respectively.
As always, please review the videos on the scientific method and on graphing properly- these videos are located at the BOTTOM of the Unit 1 Files section on Blackboard.
AP Chem- we finished the mechanism problem and then did a combined mechanism/ rate law from raw data problem.
Tomorrow, we will cover the "time-dependent" rate law equations - the final of the three main parts of this unit.
I had to stress the importance of being busy and attentive at all times in class because we are losing time in this fast paced course. We needed to start the equilibrium unit yesterday. We have to pick up the pace so you have to practice REINFORCING the material from class with repetition and practice problems that are available on Blackboard, always. If you do NOT understand something, you MUST come to extra help or at the very least, ask me a SPECIFIC question via email. I am here every day; if you want a special review session on a particular topic or even to reinforce a given day's lesson, I will DO SO.
# posted by C @ 2:47 PM
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tues-Day 2
Bio - we reviewed the breathing mechanism and how its rate is controlled by the level of CO2 in the bloodstream; we showed how this CO2 level is regulated via interactions between the medulla, diaphragm, and respiratory system.
We then looked at the rest of the excretory system, namely, the urinary system. The urinary system involves FILTRATION of metabolic wastes such as UREA and excess substances such as water and salts/ions from the blood by the KIDNEY (renal organ); this filtrate is called URINE which travels through URETER tubes, there are TWO ureters, one from each kidney. The urine collects and is temporarily stored in the URINARY BLADDER, until the bladder sufficiently fills at which point, the urine is passed through a SINGLE tube, the ureTHRA, at which point the urine is out of the body.
We saw that the functional units of the kidney are NEPHRONS. The nephron is a tube that is surrounded by capillaries. The wastes and nutrients DIFFUSE from the capillary blood into the nephron tube BUT THEN most of the nutrients are RE-ABSORBED back into the blood from the nephron tube BUT the wastes stay concentrated in the tube to form urine. The nephron does lots of active transport to concentrate the wastes in the urine and get the nutrients back into the blood.
The bottom line is that the concentrations of nutrients and ions, as well as the pH of the blood is REGULATED by the kidney.
AP Chem - we practiced the "quick method" of determining the rate law for a reaction from a data table containing varying reactant concentrations and their effect on the initial reaction rate. Each experiment in the table is conducted at the SAME TEMPERATURE so that the rate CONSTANT, k, will be the same for each experiment.
We then saw the formal method of calculating the exponent of each reactant by taking the RATIO of the rate laws between two experiments.
We then emphasized how to tell the difference between an intermediate and a catalyst, in a reaction mechanism both in the mechanism and on a potential energy curve for a given reaction.
We started a problem in which 3 proposed mechanisms were evaluated for consistency with an experimentally determined rate law.
# posted by C @ 1:43 PM
Monday, February 1, 2010
Mon- Day 1
Bio - Since we didn't get to the kidney or beyond, you should omit the following HW objectives:
11. Name the functional unit of the kidney that is responsible for the filtration of the blood.
12. Name and describe two disorders of the excretory system.
13 b. Write a long paragraph (at least six sentences with no redundant information), using
SPECIFIC structures and their functions, describing the interaction of the circulatory
system and the excretory system that helps you maintain homeostasis.
I will post today's lab info on Blackboard.
AP Chem- we reviewed reaction mechanisms and the check to see whether is consistent with an experimentally determined rate law.
We then showed how to use a data table of several experiments to determine the exponent/order of reaction for each of the reactants in a rate law. We did the exponent calculations informally, today. We will do the formal work, tomorrow.
We also reviewed the meaning of rate law with respect to the elementary steps in a mechanism and the formal definition of "order of a reaction" with respect to each reactant and the "overall" order of reaction.
# posted by C @ 2:22 PM
