Daily Journal #81 – February 2, 2011

1. Daily Journal #81 – February 2, 2011 1. A family has 7 children. What is the probability of all seven being boys? 1/128= ½ x ½ x ½ x ½ x ½ x ½ x ½ = (1/2)7 Look what happens if you add ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ = 3½ 2. A family has 7 children. What is the probability of all seven being girls? 1/128= ½ x ½ x ½ x ½ x ½ x ½ x ½ = (1/2)7 Look what happens if you add ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ + ½ = 3½ 3. Why is an answer of 3 1/2 never correct when determining a probability? By definition a probability must = 0 (it never happens), 1 (italways happens), or any # between 0 & 1 (it may happen) Picture = Punxatawney Phil

2. Daily Journal #82 – February 4, 2011 1. What is the rule for dividing one fraction by a second fraction (ex. a/b ÷ c/d)? • Change ÷ to x ---- 2) take reciprocal of second # (“Flip it”) ---- 3) perform the multiplication • a/b ÷ c/d = a/b x d/c 2. What is the rule for multiplying fractions (ex. e/f x g/h)? Numerator x numerator, denominator x denominator (or top times top, bottom times bottom) ---- e/f x g/h = (e·g)/(f·h) 3. What is 7/1 ÷ 1/7? 7/1 x 7/1 = 49/1 = 49 Picture = vitamin D

3. Daily Journal # 83 – February 7, 2011 1. Elements in the 2nd row of the Periodic Table need 8 electrons to fill their outer shells (they also have fullinner shells of 2 electrons each). How many additional electrons do C, N, O, F, & Ne need to fill the second shell of 8? C = 4 N = 3 O = 2 F = 1 Ne = 0 2. The elements in last column of the Table are called inert gasses. What does “inert” mean? Inert = inactive, doesn’t react (has the need 8 electrons to fill its outer shell) – also called noble gasses (just as royalty often lives on their own and doesn’t need to react with other) 3. What is 1000% of 1000? 1000%/100% = 10, therefore 1000% is 10 times the value of 100% 10 x 1000 = 10,000 picture = C, H, O 10,000

4. Daily Journal # 84 – February 8, 2011 1. With a shake of two six-sided dice (sides labeled 1through six) what is probability of the sum being 1? 0– 0 probability means it will never happen, lowest possible result is 2 (1 + 1) 2. With a shake of two six-sided dice (sides labeled 1through six) what is probability of the sum being > 12? 0– 0 probability means it will never happen, highest possible result is 12 (6 + 6) 3. What is 2000% of 5? 100 2000% ÷ 100% = 20, therefore 2000% is 20 times the value of 100% 20 x 5 = 100 Picture = sulfur

5. Daily Journal #85 – February 9, 2011 1. What is removed from ocean water in the process of desalination? Salt - NaCl 2. Where would the process of desalination be both needed & possible? Areas with inadequate rainfall & access to ocean water – many oil-rich but fresh water poor countries (made up largely of desert areas) in the Middle East with ocean shoreline are rich enough to run expensive desalination plants 3. What is the common name for solid carbon dioxide (CO2)? Dry ice – does not melt into a liquid when exposed to room temperatures, goes directly from solid to gas (process is called Sublimation), it therefore stays “dry” Picture = desalination plants

6. Daily Journal # 86 – February 10, 2011 1. The process of making an acid’s pH higher (closer to a neutral value of 7) is called what? Neutralizing 2. The process of making a base’s pH lower (closer to a neutral value of 7) is called what? Neutralizing – same as question 1 just approaching a pH value of 7 from the opposite direction 3. Substances such as litmus paper or cabbage juice which change color according to pH levels are known as what? Indicators (of pH levels) Picture = diamonds

7. Daily Journal # 87 – February 11, 2011 1. True or false? Suppose the element with atomic # 123 has just been discovered (but the world chemistry community at first cannot agree upon a name). Until agreement the element would be called unbitrium. Chemists have agreed on the following naming system for these situations - Un = 1, bi = 2, tri = 3, quad = 4, pent = 5, hex = 6, sept = 7, oct = 8, enn = 9, nil = 0 followed by the suffix -ium 2. The element americium can be found in what critical home safety device? Hint: its battery should be changed at least once per year. Smoke detector 3. True or false? There are no chemical elements named after women. Curium (jointly named after Pierre & Marie Curie) - Meitnerium (named after Lise Meitner) Picture = quartz

8. Daily Journal # 88 – February 14, 2011 1. What is the numerical probability of something which will not ever happen (ex.: probability of short, slow, fat, old Mr. Finn signing an professional basketball contract this year)? 0 or 0% 2. What is the numerical probability of something which will always (or is guaranteed) to happen (ex.:probability ofit getting dark tonight)? 1 or 100% 3. What is the numerical probability of something which may or may not happen (ex.: probability of it raining or snowing in the next 4 days)? Between 0 & 1 (but not 0 or 1) or between 0% & 100% (but not 0% or 100%) Picture = Al & Es

9. Daily Journal # 89 – February 15, 2011 1. The cost of this element used in the making of photographic film has gone down with increased usage of digital cameras. Silver 2. What two main factors determine the cost of a good or service? Demand (cost is directly related to demand – higher demand = higher cost ---- if everybody wants the product prices tend to go up) Supply (cost is inversely related to supply – higher supply = lower cost --- if stores are overstocked with a good, store lowers price to get of it) 3. What is the difference between buying a good and buying a service? Good is physical product – car, refrigerator, candy bar, pencil Service is the labor (and/or often the professional advice) of another – doctor, teacher, carpenter, plumber, lawn service, snow removal, bus driver -- picture = Fool’s Gold

10. Daily Journal # 90 – February 16, 2011 1. The element sulfur is referred to in the biblical book of Genesis by what other name? Brimstone 2. True or False? The two nuclear bombs dropped on Japan very late in WWII (on cities of Hiroshima &Nagasaki 3 days apart) were made of the same materials. Hiroshima bomb had uranium (U) as its core explosive material while Nagasaki bomb used plutonium (Pu) and was about 1/3 more powerful 3. What element in gas form was used as a weapon in WWI? Chlorine – chlorine gas reacts with water in walls of lungs to form hydrochloric acid (HCl) – weapon often fatal (sometimes to BOTH attacked and attacking soldiers) Picture = melted coins

11. Daily Journal # 91 – February 17, 2011 1. Moving right on a number line (regardless of origin) always results in a number that is greater than or less than the starting point? 2. Moving left on a number line (regardless of origin) always results in a number that is greater than or less than the starting point? 3. At normal writing speed, how long did it take Mr. Finn to write down today’s Daily Journal? 2:20 – 2 minutes 20 seconds Picture = seismograph

12. Daily Journal # 92 – February 18, 2011 1. True or False? Winter sports such as skating, sledding, & skiing take place on water in its liquid state. Weight on skate blades, skis, sled runners create pressure on solid ice where they meet. This pressure melts ice and creates a thin film of very slippery liquid water resulting in a super fast gliding action over the solid ice. 2. The approximate speed of an oxygen molecule in air at room temperature is: 11 mph, 110 mph, or 1100 mph? 3. Assuming that oxygen molecules are moving, why doesn’t a given open area (say a field) eventually “empty out” of oxygen? Random movementsof oxygen molecules means roughly equal amounts of oxygen are moving in and out of a given area at the same time.Molecular collisionsbetween oxygen molecules and oxygen, nitrogen, water vapor, and other molecules in air prevent oxygen molecules from traveling in long straight lines. ---- Picture = curling stone

13. Daily Journal # 93 – February 22, 2011 1. The red die Mr. Finn is holding has 10 sides (numbered 0-9). What is the chance (on one roll) of rolling a 2, 5, 6, or 9 (in lowest fractional terms, decimal & %)? 4/10 =2/5 = .4 = 40% 2. The blue die Mr. Finn is holding has 20 sides (numbered 1-20). What is the chance (on one roll) of getting a 1 or 20 (in lowest fractional terms, decimal & %)? 2/20 =1/10 = .1 = 10% 3. What is the chance of getting a 20 (on one roll) of the red die (in lowest fractional terms, decimal, & %)? 0/10 =.0 = 0% Picture = 1/36

14. Daily Journal # 94 – February 23, 2011 1. Concerns about the toxicity of this element used in fillings have led to the increased use of ceramic materials in dental work. Mercury 2. This gaseous element which is present naturally in soil can seep into basements and can be a health risk when exposure to it is long term. Radon Radiation from radon gas estimated to cause 21,000 lung cancer deaths/year (second leading cause after smoking) – problem easily solved by increased ventilation 3. Close examination of melting snow banks often shows melting in a straight line “ray” pattern on the south side. Why? Melting lines up with sun rays (this is area where heating is most direct) Picture = radon test kit

15. Daily Journal # 95 – February 24, 2011 1. True or False? Scientific studies have shown that students who eat breakfast have lower rates of tardiness and absences. 2. True or False? Scientific studies have show that students who eat breakfast have less discipline problems. 3. True or false? Scientific studies have shown that students who eat breakfast score higher on math and many standardized tests. Picture -- eating breakfast = better grades

16. Daily Journal # 96 – February 25, 2011 1. The temperature at which molecules do not move at all (not even vibrations) is called what? Absolute zero 2. In degrees Fahrenheit which of the following is equal to the answer in question 1? 0ºF, -30ºF, - 459ºF 3. What is the probability of flipping heads, rolling a 6 (6-sided die), and flipping tails? ½ x 1/6 x ½ = 1/24 Picture = hemoglobin

17. Daily Journal # 97 – February 28, 2011 1. What is 25% of 25? 25% = 25/100 = ¼ = .25 .25 x 25 = 6.25 2. What is 2500% of 25? 2500% = 2500/100 = 25 25 x 25 = 625 3. What is the probability of flipping heads, rolling a 6 (6-sided die), rolling 6 again (same 6-sided die), and flipping tails? ½ x 1/6 x 1/6 x ½ = 1/144 Picture = Dr. Zahorchak

18. Daily Journal #98 – March 1, 2011 • Tungsten metal (W) has an extremely high melting point (6170°F). It is therefore used as a filament in what common illuminating device. Standard light bulb 2. True or false? There is enough gold (Au) in the world’s crust to cover all land areas up to the depth of one’s knees. 3. What is the only letter not to appear in the Periodic Table of the Elements? J Picture = Earth’s crust

19. Daily Journal #99 – March 2, 2011 1. True or False? 40% of all modern medicines come from chemicals produced by plants or animals. Aspirin (pain killer) originally found in bark of willow tree, penicillin (antibiotic) found in mold, digitalis (heart stimulant used on heart attack victims) found in foxglove plant, chemical in vampire bat saliva used to dissolve blood clots 2. True or False? Destroying plant/animal habitats can have a negative impact on humans. Destruction of possible sources of new medicines (see question 1 above), water pollution 3. What is 1% of 1? 1% = 1/100 = .01 .01 x 1 = .01 Picture = diamonds

20. Daily Journal #100 – March 3, 2011 • What percentage of high school basketball players end up playing for Division I (major) colleges: 3%, 7%, 15%, or 20% 2.What percentage of Division I college basketball players end up having a significant career in professional basketball: 3%, 7%, 15%, or 20%? 3. How many high school basketball players out of every 10,000 will have a significant pro basketball career? 9-- (3% x 3% = .03 x .03 = .0009 or 9/10,000th or 9 of every 10,000 players – chances are less than 1in a thousand!!!!! – moral of story…enjoy playing sports, always play to the best of your ability but don’t count on sports as a career) – picture = razor blade edge