chapter 4 study guide tour of the periodic table chemistry

CHAPTER 4 STUDY GUIDE TOUR OF THE PERIODIC TABLE CHEMISTRY SERIES

But he chooses episodes to relate carefully and never discusses his children. In an interweaving between the elements and stories, Primo Levi tells his life. I don't know if this helps you, but writing it helped me! I'm glad you asked. My attention span is terrible, and I find that reading aloud helps me focus, especially when the prose is so beautiful. Oh, and it helped me a lot to read portions of it aloud. I had a favorite chapter, 'Iron', which I found very moving, and which I felt I understood clearly. I let myself be satisfied with the tiny bit I did 'get', and it wouldn't surprise me if I opened the book back up again randomly from time to time. I was aware of taking only a fraction of it away with me in a first reading. I found lots of humor and irony, even in the sections where he's actually in the concentration camp.įinally, the book came recommended by someone who said she re-read parts of it over and over again-returned to it a lot-so I knew it was something I wouldn't fully absorb in a single reading.

I didn't struggle super hard to make big overarching sense of the whole thing. It doesn't alienate the reader who is non-clever (at least, it didn't alienate me) because each little story is a story.

CHAPTER 4 STUDY GUIDE TOUR OF THE PERIODIC TABLE CHEMISTRY SERIES

The lightness and leanness of his prose and the freedom he felt in constructing his autobiography in this peculiar series of essays-it's clever, but it's more than that. Second, I found I could appreciate it just on the level of purely beautiful writing (and translation). It's the life story of a man who survived the concentration camps of World War II, and I think it helps to know that going in. I loved it-I was surprised by how much I loved it, in fact-but I think it's because I approached it a certain way.įirst, there IS a narrative structure, but it's very subtle. I loved it-I was surprised by how much I loved it, in fact-but I think it's because I approached it a certain wa …more Well, it's not a book for everyone. (3) It's a lot easier to remember facts about 18 elements than over 100 elements.Darkemeralds Well, it's not a book for everyone. (2) These eighteen elements make up most of the matter in the Universe. Remember that the orbitals are the places you will generally find the electrons as they spin around the nucleus. (1) Electrons fit nicely into three orbitals. Since the launch of the site, we've been asked, 'Why start with 18?' The rules for the first eighteen elements are very straightforward: You will never stop discovering new reactions and compounds, but the elements will be the same. With the tools you learn here, you can explore and understand the Universe. The iron atoms in the red soil of Mars are also the same.

Iron (Fe) atoms found on Earth are identical to iron atoms found on meteorites. While there are more elements to discover, the basic elements remain the same. Scientists just confirmed the creation of element 117 in 2014. Up to this point in time, we have discovered or created about 120. Chemists have learned that over 95% of your body is made up of hydrogen (H), carbon (C), nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus (P), and calcium (Ca).Īs far as we know, there are a limited number of basic elements. For example, you are made up of billions of billions of atoms but you probably won't find more than 40 elements (types of atoms) in your body. The term 'element' is used to describe atoms with specific characteristics. Remember that 'atom' is the general term.

The atoms for each element are unique, even though they are all made of similar subatomic parts. If you have seven protons, neutrons, and electrons, you will have a nitrogen (N) atom. If you have eight protons, neutrons and electrons, you will have an oxygen (O) atom. When those pieces start combining in specific numbers, you can build atoms with recognizable traits. You know that a generic atom has some protons and neutrons in the nucleus and some electrons zipping around in orbitals. Now we're getting to the heart and soul of the way the Universe works.

Chapter 4 study guide tour of the periodic table chemistry