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Randy D

Are you a scientist?

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Posted - September 2, 2020
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Responses


  • 44601
    Indeed. Most folks are, but don't know it.
      September 2, 2020 8:50 AM MDT
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  • 53502
    How so?
    ~
      September 2, 2020 10:48 AM MDT
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  • 44601
    If you have ever asked a question about the natural world, then researched the answer, you are a scientist. My definition. It's what I told my students.
      September 2, 2020 10:50 AM MDT
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  • 7280
    "....all scientists are united by their relentless curiosity and systematic approach to assuaging it."   

    https://sciencecouncil.org/about-science/our-definition-of-a-scientist/
      September 2, 2020 4:17 PM MDT
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  • 44601
    Good one.
      September 3, 2020 3:27 PM MDT
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  • 10052
    I love this so much! You're a wonderful teacher. 
      September 4, 2020 1:56 PM MDT
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  • 53502

     

      Oh, so you like intelligence in people, do you?  Good to know. VERY good to know. (Wink.)

    ~

      September 5, 2020 6:52 AM MDT
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  • 10052
    Duh. 

      September 5, 2020 7:35 AM MDT
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  • 13395
    I was when I was in middle teens, always trying to concoct something that would explode.I could make enough hydrogen to fill a small balloon but not oxygen to even produce a decent 'pop' I did get a fairly good 'bang' by putting a lump of sodium in a bucket of water anyway. 
      September 2, 2020 8:51 AM MDT
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  • 44601
    Where did you get the sodium? I ran out at school and we couldn't buy more.  I posted my exploding balloon demo here a few times.
      September 2, 2020 10:52 AM MDT
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  • 13395
    There was a huge unlocked cupboard in the classroom where I found a large jar containing chunks of sodium immersed in a liquid. I took a couple of chunks out and nobody noticed the shortage.

    Years later I wanted to experiment with sodium again and I called around to some companies that I thought might supply the stuff.  I did find one that did have it available for retail sale at $25./lb. I guess I lost interest or something and never did go to make a purchase. That was around 1990. 
      September 2, 2020 11:51 AM MDT
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  • 44601
    The liquid was probably mineral oil.
      September 2, 2020 12:18 PM MDT
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  • 53502

     

      So I take it that sodium is either rare or is extremely difficult to find?
    ~

      September 2, 2020 3:03 PM MDT
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  • 7280
    Although sodium is the sixth most abundant element on earth and comprises about 2.6% of the earth's crust, it is a very reactive element and is never found free in nature. (Internet)

    (In other words, it "burns" upon exposure to air.) 

    Sodium reacts with oxygen, so it has to be kept away from air. Storing it under a liquid is an easy way to do that. Water is our usual go-to liquid, but sodium reacts with water (and also floats on top, because it’s less dense than water), so water is not a good choice. Sodium also reacts with alcohols, so those are no good. It does not react with hydrocarbons, and is denser than all the ones I can think of, so they are a good choice. Kerosene is cheap, pretty non-toxic, does not evaporate as fast as some hydrocarbons, and so is a pretty good choice.

     

    However, for long-term storage, mineral oil is preferred, since kerosene will evaporate eventually if the container is not perfectly sealed. (Quora)

    Barry Gehm, Asst. Prof. Of Chemistry/Biochemistry
    Answered June 22, 2017
    Originally Answered: Why is sodium kept in kerosene?

    This post was edited by tom jackson at September 2, 2020 5:18 PM MDT
      September 2, 2020 4:10 PM MDT
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  • 13277
    Can't you just use good old salt?
      September 2, 2020 4:23 PM MDT
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  • 53502

     

      Why are you asking me?

    :[

      September 2, 2020 4:25 PM MDT
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  • 13277
    Can't you just use good old salt?
      September 2, 2020 4:41 PM MDT
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  • 44601
    Salt is a compound NaCl, sodium chloride. It does not react with water. Elemental sodium reacts explosively with water. Throwing salt in a bucket of water would be like watching golf or paint dry.

      September 2, 2020 5:23 PM MDT
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  • 13277
    I have never watched golf dry.
      September 2, 2020 5:24 PM MDT
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  • 44601
    As soon as I re-read it, I knew that would be your response. Hey...I'm a scientist, not a grammar professor.
      September 2, 2020 5:26 PM MDT
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  • 13277
    That's OK. I've never watched it wet either.
      September 2, 2020 5:29 PM MDT
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  • 7280
    I had to think about "watching golf or paint dry."

    Using "either" as well as or after "watching" would solve the problem.

    So would using "drying" rather than "dry"

    But I'm going to stop at that level of inference even though refraiming the sentence itself would also work.
      September 3, 2020 12:53 PM MDT
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  • 44601
    Now I'm more confused.
      September 4, 2020 1:56 PM MDT
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  • 13395
    'Fraid not because the sodium element is not available after being chemically  bonded to the chlorine  element.
      September 2, 2020 7:13 PM MDT
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