Week 9 Reflection

In chemistry class this week, one of the main components we reviewed involved the relations of volume, pressure, and the temperature of a gas. The volume of a gas is directly related to the temperature of a gas, meaning that if the volume is increased by 2 units, so does the temperature and vice versa. The pressure of a gas is inversely related to its volume; this means that if the volume is multiplied by 2, the pressure is multiplied by 1/2, the inverse of two and vice versa. This was extremely helpful, especially when completing PTVn charts. PTVn are story problems based on chemistry that consist of at least two the components above (pressure, temperature, volume, and number of particles). The relations reviewed above played a huge roll in solving these problems, for they helped limit certain areas with their rulings.

Also, another idea explored this week in class was the barometer. A barometer is tool used in chemistry to measure the atmospheric pressure. Our assignment was to make a barometer outside of school with a partner for class. My partner and I made sure to utilize various materials, such as a glass jar, a ballon, a straw, tape, a rubber band, and water. Our first step was to fill the glass jar up halfway up with water. After, we were to cut the balloon in half and stretch the half without the neck over the top of the jar, before sealing it with a rubber band. The straw was then taped down on top of the balloon, in the center. Then, we drew marks on a piece of paper showing where the straw originally started, along with other tick marks to show where the straw could potentially move to as the atmospheric pressure changes throughout the day and was placed behind the jar. If the pressure increased, you could tell by physically looking at the balloon; as the pressure increases, it exerts a downward force on the ballooon, causing the top of the balloon to become concave and straw to point upwards. If the atmospheric pressure decreases, you can also see this through a physical change in the balloon; since the pressure decreases, the balloon is now slightly convex and the straw is pointing downawards. In lower pressure systems, the temperature is generally warmer and the air is usually containing more moisture, while higher pressure systems usually consist of cooler temperature and less humidity and moisture in the air. This was demonstrated after the class took their barometers outside to test and everyone's straw was pointing upwards within 15 minutes, ultimately proving this to be true. This is the same for those of us here on Earth, because after all, "We are the Spongebobs under this ocean of air."