Chemistry week#2: Thoughts on class discussions & Nominee of “Periodic Table Hall of Fame”

 Thoughts on “From lipstick to burgers: how our lives have become so chemical dependent. ”

It turned out that petrochemical could be used to make anything. Our homes are saturated with chemicals, such as cooking ware, clothing, cosmetics, cleaning products, etc. Our food is chemical-dependent as well.  And chemicals go into our drinking water! It seems that each time human beings create a solution, and end up becoming a greater problem. We have a better understanding of the problems now, but little has been done. There's no doubt that money plays a critical role here. We camped on a family owned walnut farm last weekend. I was shocked to hear that they only made 2000 dollars last year. It is so difficult for these small farms that are competing with large corporations. Maybe we need to be more conscious of ourselves, our planet and the future. 

Na - My Nominee of “Periodic table Hall of Fame”

My Nominee of “Periodic table Hall of Fame” is sodium. I love sodium products, such as salted potato chips, cakes made from baking soda, natural bar soap, etc. Sodium exists everywhere in our lives. The Earth's crust contains 2.27% sodium, making it the seventh most abundant element on Earth and the fifth most abundant metal.  Sodium is an essential element for all animals and some plants. In humans, sodium is an essential mineral that regulates blood volume, blood pressure, balances PH. Sodium is a chemical element with the symbol Na (from Latin "natrium") and atomic number 11. It is a  being in group 1 of the periodic table. Sodium atoms have 11 electrons, one more than the stable configuration of the noble gas neon. The following are some interesting facts about Sodium.

• Sir Humphry Davy discovered sodium only a few days after he discovered potassium. 
• Humans and other animals need sodium to maintain the correct fluid balance in their cells. An immediate effect of low sodium can be seen in heat cramping, when athletes’ muscles seize up after exertion. Heat cramping is caused by the loss of sodium ions when salt is removed from the body in sweat.
• Our bodies lose sodium when we sweat. However, most people eat far more sodium than their bodies actually need. If the body runs low on sodium, it can cause the muscles to cramp.
• Sodium is produced in heavy stars, mainly when atoms of neon gain a proton. 
• If all the sodium chloride (table salt) in the oceans could be extracted and dried, it would cover the entire surface of the USA to a depth of almost a mile and a half (about 2.3 km).