In today’s class, we began our introduction into organic chemistry. Primarily, we discussed alkanes, alkenes, and alkynes. We went over how they are similar and different from one another and how to identify and draw them from scratch. We also went over saturated vs unsaturated hydrocarbons. At the end, we finished with some practice problems that Joshua did very well with.

In today’s class, we discussed the topic of redox reactions. Specifically, we went over what defines a redox reaction, how to identify one, and how to complete a reaction on his own. We went through several examples together before Joshua worked on some problems on his own. In these problems, he had to solve a series of mazes that only work when the correct answers are chosen throughout the way.

In today’s class, we discussed oxidation numbers. We went over what they are and how they are different from ionic charges. We also watched a video that helped better explain them and how to calculate them. We then did a practice activity where Joshua had to solve a series of questions to get through a maze to the final correct answer.

In today’s class, we spent our time in the laboratory working with ordinary chemicals like acetic acid, hydrosulfuric acid, and butanol and combined them in unique ways to create floral, aromatic scents. We learned that through chemical processes, we can combine and create new aromas and chemicals that we did not have previously. This was part 2 to a lab we have already done, as new chemicals were ordered and available for use.

study hall

In today’s class, me and Joshua discussed redox reactions, or in other words, oxidation-reduction reactions. We learned why redox reactions occur and how we can easily spot them in any given reaction. We additionally learned what oxidation and reduction mean and some good acronyms to remember them (such as OIL RIG).

In today’s class, we spend our time in the laboratory working with ordinary chemicals like acetic acid, hydrosulfuric acid, and butanol and combined them in unique ways to create floral, aromatic scents. We learned that through chemical processes, we can combine and create new aromas and chemicals that we did not have previously.

In today’s class, we discussed both pH and pOH. We talked about what they tell us in the world of chemistry (acids and bases) and why they are important in things like reactions. We watched a video that helped described pH and pOH and the differences between them. We concluded with starting some practice problems that deal with calculating these numbers.

In today’s class, Joshua and I discussed Lewis structures. Specifically, we went over exactly what they are, what their purpose is, and how to correctly draw them. Then, Joshua was able to put this into practice with some examples. In these examples, Joshua is given a molecule and asked to write out both the correct Lewis structure and stick diagram.

In today’s class, we put into practice what we learned about Brønsted-Lowry acids and bases - Joshua was able to show me what he knows about how to correctly identify and explain these acids and bases in a series of reactions. He was able to show that he can additionally identify conjugate acids and bases from a traditional reaction.