Week 5 assignment

I think that everyone should have some basic knowledge of the acids and alkalines that are in their diet.  Keeping those in balance helps keep the body in balance, which helps keep the hormones and everything else in balance. 

I feel that i heard the expression. "everything in moderation" for most of my life but it actually only started making sense not too long ago.  I guess it started making sense when i started to get a little older and realized that I can't just eat anything i want to anymore.  That there are actual consequences to my meals now, along with everything else.  So knowing what is in your meals, keeps everything in balance.

Week 5 Quiz

1. How is Avogadro’s Number related to The Mole Concept?

Well,  if I understand this...  The number is amount of atoms, molecules or ions that when out together allow them all to bond correctly in to a more whole bond???   I guess int that with the bonding of the substance,  it will be a sturdy and solid bong and not be volatile?

2. Why does our body need to use “buffers… to maintain a constant pH”?

The buffers allow the body to have the time to adjust.  It gives it time to asses the pH balance of the body and make changes accordingly.  At least that i s my basic understanding.

3. Why might alkaline foods be “better” for you than acidic foods?

I would be harder for the body to rid itself of an acidic balance than to recover from an over alkaline balance.  Plus,  the excessive acidic balance can do damage to the body or organs as well as cause inflammation in the body.  All of these factors create a more hostile internal environment in the body, versus excess alkaline. 

Week 4 - Class discussion comments

I just really likes when we talked about the colors of foods.  I guess I'm getting used to my classmates being aware of all this foods stuff in terms of colors, properties, temp, and functions.  I myself and still getting used to it, but it wasn't until not too long ago I had no thought at all about the colors of foods,  the temp or benefits of foods,  or even the idea of treating your foods as medicine.  So it is exciting for me to be actually getting a grasp on these concepts and also be able to be in a community that can talk about it. 

It was shortly before starting school that I became aware of the colors of foods the organ relationship.  If one feels that there may be a problem in a certain area or organ,  one can use food as medicine to help their ailments.  Fascinating really, or at least a fascinating concept here in the west where we are taught to eat what we want or what our appetite "feels like".  But actually putting some effort into my diet and focusing on what my body needs and not what my taste buds want, makes a big difference.

Week 4 - The colors of foods in my kitchen

Well,  this actually came at a great time for colorful foods in my kitchen.

There is typically some type of dark leafy greens in the fridge,  but what was in there this week was big basket of strawberries and a bowl of cherries.

There was also some red and green apples as well. 

White Rice and oat milk.

Red potatoes and a red onion

Rainbow chard

That is most of it,  I guess a lot of reds and greens!

Week 4 Quiz

1. What topic have you selected for your Chemistry Research Presentation?

For my topic i chose to do a presentation on common household soaps/body soaps and the harmful chemicals that may be in them and the harmthey can cause to the body.

2. What were your reasons for selecting your Chemistry Research Topic?

I think just for more awareness about what the ingredients actually are in these products.

3. What information would you use to support the view that “..having a multitude of colors on your plate is the key to healthy eating..”?

Well, from Chinese medicine point of view the color of the food can easily coordinate with a particular organ.  So white foods for the Lungs, green foods for the Liver etc...  But having a wide variety of foods, as well as food colors can only be beneficial.  I think of it not only a way to get different vitamins and nutrients, but it also keeps the digestive system fluctuating and kind of keeping it on its toes.  Having to do this adaptation constantly keeps it strong and resilient. Every different type of food carries it own unique energy, so eating the same thing all the time without variation is not benefiting the body or the mind.

Week 3 quiz

ACCHS CHEMISTRY Summer 2020

Class Quiz – Green Chemistry

Your Name: Scott

Today’s Date:Week 3

1. Do you consider Green Chemistry to be an effective Social Movement?

I do, because something has to start changing.  I think that it can be a wonderful social movement if more people were aware of it.  But as for now, it seems that until all the resources are used up or destroyed, the powers that be will keep doing what they do.  But everything has to start somewhere, and it seems like the mindset is where it should be, now we just need to bring humanity up to speed.

2. Suppose you could enforce the Twelve Principles of Green Chemistry, which principles would you choose to prioritize?

1-Design safer chemicals and products

2-Prevent waste

3-Design less hazardous chemical syntheses

3. Given J&J are now withdrawing sales of their talcum powder in the U.S. – generally, do we have adequate health and safety controls, in your view? (J&J to still sell baby powder in UK despite US ban)

I do not think we have adequate health or safety controls here or just about anywhere.  We get rid of talcum powder but still import farmed salmon that are banned in Third World Countries.  That is just one example of little care goes into the health of our foods or how close anyone is looking at safety controls.

Week 3 - Green Chemistry

I really like the idea of green chemistry, but like with most things,  what will the waste product be?  It seems that there are almost always a product of mixing and making things,  so the concern is what will the new bi-product be of green chemistry.   Will we think it is is green and safe now, but a decade or two down the road we are back in the same spot from where we started?  Trying to figure out what to do with all our waste.....

Week 3 - My element - Lithium

Lithium

Atomic #3

Melting point

180.50°C, 356.90°F,   453.65 K

It is the lowest density of all the metals. 

The most important use of lithium is in rechargeable batteries for mobile phones, laptops, digital cameras and electric vehicles. Lithium is also used in some non-rechargeable batteries for things like heart pacemakers, toys and clocks.

Lithium metal is made into alloys with aluminum and magnesium, improving their strength and making them lighter. A magnesium-lithium alloy is used for armor plating. Aluminum-lithium alloys are used in aircraft, bicycle frames and high-speed trains.

Lithium oxide is used in special glasses and glass ceramics. Lithium chloride is one of the most hydroscopic materials known, and is used in air conditioning and industrial drying systems (as is lithium bromide). Lithium stearate is used as an all-purpose and high-temperature lubricant. Lithium carbonate is used in drugs to treat manic depression, although its action on the brain is still not fully understood. Lithium hydroxide is used as a means of storing hydrogen for use as a fuel.

It gets its name from "lithos," the Greek word for stone.

It is a mineral and trace amounts can be found in almost all rocks.

It is used in medications to help treat mental illnesses.  Bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia.  They don't really know how it works, but they think it increases chemical messengers in the brain.

week 1, quiz 1

ACCHS CHEMISTRY                                    Summer 2020

Class Quiz – The Cultural Influence of Chemistry
Your Name:
Today’s Date:

1.    “It's also a valuable reminder that requesting natural or naturally-derived ingredients in place of synthetics may result in them coming from unexpected places.”
    (7 gross ingredients found in cosmetics)
    Any surprises from this article?

I was not totally surprised by this article as I was already under the assumption that terrible ingredients were in there.  I had a classmate whos proffession was cosmetology, and she would talk abotu how you really need to read the ingredients of make up because most are just filled with very un-natural products.








2.     Do you expect our focus on reducing our carbon footprint will be changed now?

I sure hope so!  I was actually just looking at before/after pics on the internet of major cities with as much as 50% decrease in smog.  The waters are cleaner, the air is cleaner, so I would hope that this is a good little wake up call to the whole world.  But do i expect that this will be a focus when things start goingback to normal, no I don't.  People will just want to get back to what they were doing.









3.     “Cultured Meat” – yummm! – what is your take?


Well, there will have to some sunstitute happening at some point.  If they were smart about it,  they would leak it out little by little, or even start mixing it with real meat, so that over time, we won't even know the change has been made.  I was just reading how 200,000 pigs per day are not being slaughtered,  that up to 1 million per week that will have no use and just be killed because there is no one to take care of them, so, there has to be a balance.

Week 1

Hello!  I am Scott and I am a 3rd year student at ACCHS.  I live in SF and have for the past 18 years, I love this city even though it has gone through many changes that may not always be for the best,  but that is SF.

I am very excited to be in another Larry Spears class, I really like his style and he also brings such great topics and awareness to the class.  So thank you Larry!  Any questions,  feel free to ask!