Atoms, Elements, and Ions

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d8/Atom_diagram.png

Summary

Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter. They can't be broken down further without maintaining their function and properties. They are made of protons, electrons, and neutrons. Protons have a positive charge, electrons a negative, and neutrons neutral. The protons and neutrons live in the nucleus of the atom while the electrons orbit around the neutron. They are also defined by the number of protons they have. Elements are pure substances made from only one type of atom. They are all on the periodic table. Ions are atoms that have either lost or gained electrons. There are two types, cations, and anions. Cations are ions that have lost electrons. Because they lost negatively charged elections, they have a positive charge. Anions are ions that have gained electrons. This means they have a negative charge. You can figure of the charge of an ion by subtracting the number of electrons from the number of protons.

SP5: Using mathematics and computational thinking

Over the course of the week, I used mathematics to calculate the density, volume, and mass of different objects. For example, while solving the density dilemma, we had to calculate the densities of 5 different crowns using division. We were given the information on each crowns volume and mass. Since density (how much stuff there is in a given space), is calculated by dividing m by volume we were able to use math the find the densities. Then we had to compare the densities of the crowns to the densities of other materials to figure out what each material was made out of.

XCC: Structure and Function

The structure, (density and buoyancy) determines its ability to float or sink. In class, we tested different objects to see if they would float or sink. If an object has a higher density than water, it will sink. If it has less mass or a lower density, it will float. Whether or not an object float doesn't have to do with its material, weight, or volume. For example, you could have two cubes with the same volume. But one is made out of stone while the other one is wood. The wooden block might float while the stone block will probably sink.