In my mind, this week was the first real week of chem. Not only did I start to feel the full force of the homework load, we also got to do some more interesting things in class than review and straight numbers. To start out the week, we learned about molarity and all that molarity entails. This includes things like learning to use certain equations and how to solve for concentration in any given situation. For me as an individual, I feel very confident about the big ideas of molarity but I get hung up on the actual calculations and how to use units in each situation. I think that as the course progresses and we do more things like this I'll find it easier and more understandable. I also am thinking of doing some practice on my own for this.
I also found this awfully catchy little tune to remind myself what a mole really is. Enjoy!
The other major thing we did this week was our first lab! During the lab we had to dilute a blue #1 dye stock solution with water and measure the absorbency with a colorimeter. I wanted to know more about how colorimeters worked, so I looked for a diagram that would be helpful.
This helped me understand the process a little bit clearer than mud. Anyhow, we also measured the absorbency of blue Gatorade/Powerade. Afterwards, we calculated the concentration of blue #1 dye in each of these solutions. For me, having a real-life experience gave me a better understanding of how to do these things. I look forward to the labs that we may do in the future, as I find them the most rewarding part of all the hard work we do.
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