Poor Man’s Periodic Coffee Table Update

17. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Periodic Coffee Table (In Progress)

 

I am happy to report that the Poor Man’s Periodic Coffee Table now exists in physical form! No longer is it a collection of random Radio Shack bags, specimen boxes from the local Rock Shop and a myriad of (often random!) items littering my kitchen table, my counters, and sometimes the living room floor.

I decided that it was time to assemble what I had. I did so for two reasons (1) to get rid of all the clutter and (2) to finally decide what objects I wanted to represent given elements. That way, I’ll nudge this project closer to completion, which is important, as there’s a baby on the way. Needless to say, I’ll have more important projects to attend to soon. See also, parenting.)

Truth be told, I also assembled the table a bit earlier than I planned because I’ve been waffling a bit. I started this out as a poor man’s periodic table; a diy table. But I’m slowly becoming a perfectionist about each item. An example will suffice. At first, I thought garlic (ten percent sulfur, give or take) would work for sulfur, but then I considered “upgrading” to sulfur garden dust (fifty percent sulfur) as it is just a bit more, and so much closer to the real thing. Then I read that roses of sulfur (powdered sulfur) is sometimes sold at pharmacies (none around here). That’s pretty pure sulfur, so I held off, thinking “Hey, why not get one pure if it’s easy and cheap?”

The problem is, there’s over 100 elements and this perfectionism rears its head with each element. I decided that I had to draw a line somewhere, so I’m now expediting things as much as possible. I’m planning on acquiring pure elements if it’s cheap and speedy, but if it’s not, I’ll get something less pure and let that be my sample of the element*.

That way, I can get going on a couple of other fun sciency-projects I’ve got cooking.

* Besides, there’s no reason one can’t add more pure elements later. I think this element collecting will be a lasting hobby, as damn is it fun.

 

 

Partial Solar Eclipse of May 20, 2012: When To View It Where You Are

17. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

An Annular Solar Eclipse

For folks interested in sky-watching, there will be an annular solar eclipse on Sunday, May 20th. While folks in the western portion of the U.S. will get the best show, a partial eclipse will also be visible in a much wider swath of the country, including my very own Minnesota.

This eclipse is a called an annular eclipse. During the eclipse, the moon will pass directly in front of the sun, and the entire moon will essentially appear to “fit” inside the sun, but not cover it completely. (This happens because the apparent size of the moon is not sufficient to block the whole sun.) This will create a blazing halo that should be quite a sight.

The rest of us will get a partial eclipse, as the moon will appear to block a portion of the sun. Still pretty nifty, if you ask me.

In Minneapolis, the eclipse will start at 6:19 pm and last until 7:20 pm. To determine when you should view it, check out this handy table from NASA. (FYI: The table refers to Universal Standard Time, so you have to convert it to your time zone.)

If you plan to view the eclipse, be sure to take precautions. Viewing a solar eclipse without eye protection is dangerous. Also, do not attempt to view a solar eclipse through a telescope or other viewing device unless you have a proper solar filter. (That’s how you melt your face off.) For tips on how to observe the eclipse safely, check out this article by NASA.

For more info: NASA’s Solar Eclipse page (which includes a solar eclipse schedule for the next 1000 years). I’m not kidding. How awesome is that?

 

http://eclipse.gsfc.nasa.gov/SEcat5/SEcatalog.html

Periodic Coffee Table Update: The Table Arrives, Acquiring More Elements, and the Status of the Collection

13. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

A brief Periodic Coffee Table update: So the table has arrived! A glass-topped table, the periodic table poster I designed will go underneath the glass top, along with the specimen boxes and the respective elements/items. It’s due here Tuesday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While carpet shopping the other day at Lowe’s, I was on the lookout for a light bulb to add some more tungsten, molybdenum and copper to my collection. I found one for pretty cheap and I smashed it this evening. (It’s a bit wasteful, I know, but I wanted to be sure to get pure elements when possible.) I took some photos to document the process. (Clearly, I need to cut my nails.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the bottom-left photo, you can see the tungsten filament. In the right-hand photo, you can see a square of moybdenum. (By the way, if you are planning on breaking a light bulb, be careful. Once you break the exterior of the bulb, there’s usually another small tube inside that is also pressurized. When I whacked this with a wrench, it exploded, throwing glass all over the place. Be sure to wear the appropriate gear, or be prepared to buy an eye-patch.)

OK, so here’s the current status of the element collection.

Status of the Element Collection for the Periodic Coffee Table

Legend:

# Abbv. Name Status Representative Object
1 H Hydrogen    
2 He Helium    
3 Li Lithium   Actual lithium from battery
4 Be Beryllium   Emerald Pieces;  Be3Al2Si6O1
5 B Boron   Borax
6 C Carbon Pencil Lead
7 N Nitrogen   Air
8 O Oxygen   Rust
9 F Fluorine   Fluorite
10 Ne Neon   Neon bulb
11 Na Sodium    
12 Mg Magnesium   Pure sample from firestarter
13 Al Aluminum   Pop can top, about 97 percent aluminum
14 Si Silicon   Manmade silicon carbide
15 P Phosphorus   Strike-on-box match head, red phosphorus
16 S Sulfur    
17 Cl Chlorine   Water-purification tablet.
18 Ar Argon   A flashlight light bulb
19 K Potassium  
20 Ca Calcium    
21 Sc Scandium    
22 Ti Titanium    
23 V Vanadium    
24 Cr Chromium    
25 Mn Manganese    
26 Fe Iron   Taconite pellets, about 60 percent iron, give or take
27 Co Cobalt    
28 Ni Nickel   U.S. Nickel, 25 percent nickel
29 Cu Copper   Pre-1982 Penny, 95 percent copper
30 Zn Zinc   U.S. Penny after 1982, 99.2 percent zinc
31 Ga Gallium    
32 Ge Germanium    
33 As Arsenic   Realgar specimen
34 Se Selenium    
35 Br Bromine    
36 Kr Krypton   Krypton light bulb
37 Rb Rubidium    
38 Sr Strontium   Celestite specimen
39 Y Yttrium    
40 Zr Zirconium   Cubic zirconia
41 Nb Niobium    
42 Mo Molybdenum   Molybdenite sample and molybdenum wire
43 Tc Technetium    
44 Ru Ruthenium    
45 Rh Rhodium   Rhodium-plated jewelry
46 Pd Palladium    
47 Ag Silver   Pre-1964 dime, 90 percent silver
48 Cd Cadmium    
49 In Indium    
50 Sn Tin   Tin sample
51 Sb Antimony    
52 Te Tellurium    
53 I Iodine    
54 Xe Xenon   Xenon bulb
55 Cs Cesium    
56 Ba Barium   Barite sample
57 La Lanthanum    
58 Ce Cerium    
59 Pr Praseodymium    
60 Nd Neodymium    
61 Pm Promethium    
62 Sm Samarium    
63 Eu Europium    
64 Gd Gadolinium    
65 Tb Terbium    
66 Dy Dysprosium    
67 Ho Holmium    
68 Er Erbium    
69 Tm Thulium    
70 Yb Ytterbium    
71 Lu Lutetium    
72 Hf Hafnium    
73 Ta Tantalum   Tantalum capacitor
74 W Tungsten   Tungsten from filament
75 Re Rhenium    
76 Os Osmium    
77 Ir Iridium    
78 Pt Platinum    
79 Au Gold   Gold-plated jewelry
80 Hg Mercury   Mercury from old thermometer
81 Tl Thallium    
82 Pb Lead Lead fishing weights
83 Bi Bismuth   Bismuth sample
84 Po Polonium    
85 At Astatine    
86 Rn Radon    
87 Fr Francium    
88 Ra Radium    
89 Ac Actinium    
90 Th Thorium    
91 Pa Protactinium    
92 U Uranium    
93 Np Neptunium    
94 Pu Plutonium Trinitite sample, not radioactive
95 Am Americium    
96 Cm Curium    
97 Bk Berkelium    
98 Cf Californium    
99 Es Einsteinium    
100 Fm Fermium    
101 Md Mendelevium    
102 No Nobelium    
103 Lr Lawrencium    
104 Rf Rutherfordium    
105 Db Dubnium    
106 Sg Seaborgium    
107 Bh Bohrium    
108 Hs Hassium    
109 Mt Meitnerium    
110 Ds Darmstadtium    
111 Rg Roentgenium    
112 Cn Copernicium    

 

Smashing Light bulbs, Rummaging Around Thrift Stores and Raiding Radio Shack: Another Handful of Elements for the Periodic Coffee Table

10. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A whole boatload of elements courtesy of thrift stores and Radio Shack

I’m happy to report that the Periodic Coffee Table project is moving along swimmingly. The table I plan to use arrived yesterday, and the periodic table I created in InDesign as my base is winging its way here via UPS. By this weekend (or early next week at the latest), I’ll actually be able to start laying out my periodic coffee table.

That’s not to say that I don’t have some elements to track down; while doing some research in that regard, I stumbled upon LanthanumK, an amateur chemistry blog, which has been quite helpful in pointing me in the right direction for some of the elements.

As a matter of fact, the blog’s owner directed me to a number of specific products at Radio Shack, where I was able to purchase a neon lamp assembly, a xenon strobe tube, a krypton flashlight bulb, and two tantalum capacitors (which have about a gram of tantalum each), all for next to nothing. He also encouraged me to pick up a lithium coin cell, which has pure lithium in it (though I don’t know if I’ll be disassembling it or not, given how reactive lithium is). If I do, and inadvertently blow myself up, I’ll be sure to record the whole thing, so the world can at least get a laugh out of my demise. More importantly, if I record it, my Darwin Award can be confirmed.

Speaking of toxic/hazardous elements, I finally found my source of mercury. I’ve been rummaging around thrift stores for a few days now looking for a cheap old mercury thermometer, and I finally found one. I have not busted it open, as I don’t have any appropriate storage containers yet. When I do so, there will be pictures of course. By the way, thrift stores are great for finding old light bulbs, though it can be a bit tricky at times to determine what exact metals are within them. It’s almost always a good bet that the filaments are tungsten, but the other metals are more of a tossup unless you have the Material Data Safety Sheets. Even then, it’s difficult to tell sometimes, as it’s not exactly easy to identify metals from sight alone (given the small quantities involved). My advice: Go with a brand name, as the big brands usually have dedicated MSDS sites that will give you a bunch of specific information about the product. That way, you’ll have a pretty good idea of where to look for each element.

After doing some MSDS research, I had the pleasure of busting open a few old light bulbs, and I managed to fish out the tungsten filaments, as well as some pure copper wire, thereby knocking off two more elements from the list. I actually already have a damn nice sample of native copper (from Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula), but it’s too big to fit into the table. Still, I’m including a picture of it because it’s fantastic.

Anyway, I’ll post an updated list of my periodic table status this weekend, and I’ll hopefully be able to include pictures!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bismuth, Molybdenum, and other Elemental Fun on a Saturday

05. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’m the only person I know who goes to a rock shop with a shopping list. On a Saturday. What you have heard is true: I am a wild and crazy guy. Still, it was worth it, as I bagged a bunch of pretty cool elements (or minerals that contain those elements).

Had I been pulled over, a geologically astute police officer would have noticed that the shopping list sitting on my passenger seat included minerals that contain poisons such as mercury and antimony. (They are reasonably safe to handle for short periods, if you take precautions. Plus, mine will be in little containers.)

Anyway, here’s what I have to report: My favorite item–and one that was totally unexpected–was a man-made bismuth crystal I picked up. It is absolutely gorgeous and consists entirely of the element (though the shimmery exterior surface is an oxide coating that is the result of bismuth weathering).

Man-made Bismuth Crystal

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another favorite was molybdenite, the primary ore of molybdenum. My photo below doesn’t do it justice (I don’t have a macro lens, so I have to improvise), but the metallic sheen on it is quite nice.

Molybdenite

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s the entirety of my purchases (and the elements they contain):

A fluorite specimen (Fluorine); $3

Rough emerald chips (Beryllium); $2

Rhodium plated jewelry (Rhodium); $0.69

Gold plated beads (Gold); $1.90

A chunk of barite (Barium); $1

Realgar (Arsenic;) $5

Celestite (Strontium); $3

Rutilated quartz (quartz containing bits of rutile, the primary ore of Titanium); $2

Lab-grown bismuth (Bismuth); $10

Molybdenite (Molybdenum); $5

96 1″x1″ Display cases; $18

Now I’m off to assemble the elements I’ve got home; I’ll report in a bit later when I’ve assembled some more of the periodic coffee table.

Periodic Coffee Table of Elements

02. May 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Shopping List for Elements 52-112

So here is the second half of my “shopping list” for the Periodic Coffee Table of Elements. This covers elements #52-112, Tellurium to Copernicum. Where possible, I’ve provided you with objects that are made of the element, or where the element plays a key role.

A couple of notes: Including all of the elements in the periodic table is impossible, as many of the newly added elements are essentially manmade and are present for a vanishingly short period of time. Other elements stick around for a lot longer, but will probably irradiate you and/or your cat. Still others, such as lead and mercury, are stable, but toxic.

For the manmade/synthetics and most of the radioactives, I’ve included photo suggestions. For those that are stable, but toxic, I’ve , I’ve done my best to provide suggestions that are (in theory) not harmful, but whatever objects you decide to include, make sure you do your own research and take appropriate precautions.

Finally, there is one glaring gap in my table: the lanthanides a.k.a “the rare earth elements.” As one might expect, the rare earths are pretty hard to come by, so it might be best buying a display set of them. If anyone knows where to find them in actual products, let me know; I had a hard time track them down, despite my best efforts.

Oh, one more cool note: the folks over at Element Sales have been producing samples of elements in coin form; these are pretty neat and they are also options for such a table. Check them out: http://www.elementsales.com/ecoins.htm

OK, I’ll now be assembling these elements myself and I’m going to work on getting a table. Stay tuned, and I hope to have something report soon. More »

A Shopping List for Creating Your DIY Periodic Coffee Table, Elements 1-51

28. April 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

So after doing some research over the past week, I’m happy to report that I’ve got a shopping list for elements 1-51 for the Periodic Coffee Table. As I mentioned in the first post, I sought to make this project as cheap and easy to complete as possible, so I’m including a list of what material I’d recommend to represent a given element, where to get it, how much it will cost, and the sources I used to procure said info.

Before I get into the actual list, I should mention a number of websites I’ve found helpful after embarking upon this project.

For info about the elements—and especially their uses: http://www.webelements.com/ and http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/

To determine which products contain the elements you’re after: Material Data Safety Sheets: When a product contains potentially dangerous chemicals, the manufacturer often has to produce a material data safety sheet. Handily, this lets you look up your product by name/model number, and it tells you the chemical composition of that product (and therefore how much of a given element is present). There is no central database for these, but I’ve found that by simply finding a product that you suspect has an element in it and Googling its MSDS does the trick.

To determine the various ores of a given element: I used mindat.org, one of my favorite websites.

For use in determining whether an element is used as a medical/nutritional supplement: Mayoclinic.com; Webmd.com. It’s a touch ironic that one of the best sources for information for this–a glorified science project–has been from the often pseudoscientific practice of taking elemental compounds as a “vitamin” or nutritional supplement. (Don’t get me wrong, if folks are lacking iron in their diet, that’s one thing, but taking Rubidium as a dietary supplement is another issue altogether.)

To determine metallurgical content of coins, I used the: U.S. Coins Official Red Book

Finally, two commercial sites (Ebay and Radio Shack) have been invaluable as well. Radioshack.com (as they often have components with rarer metals) and Ebay, because if there is any possible use for an element, someone will commercialize it and Ebay will probably have it.

OK, here’s my first go at a list for elements 1-51. Tell me what you think. I’ll post the rest of the list this weekend, if at all possible.

Abbv. Name Object/Its Chemistry/Element Content (if possible to ascertain) Where To Purchase Source Approximate Cost
1  H  Hydrogen Hydrogen sample online, or any number of hydrogen compounds, such as sugar.If you’re a smart-aleck, like me, you can just put a picture of the Hindenburg. Free Element Sales. You can literally borrow a teaspoon of sugar to make this happen. Or you can order a pure hydrogen sample for about eight bucks. If you use the photo of the famed airship, you can teach your kids about history!
2  He  Helium Helium sample online. Or, if you don’t want to spend the eight bucks, put in one of those mini birthday balloons. Element Sales. Helium is actually somewhat hard to come by; order it online.
3  Li  Lithium Lithium-Ion Battery Your home; Department Store Energizer’s website. Amazon. $2.00
4  Be  Beryllium Emerald or Synthetic Emerald; Be3Al2Si6O1 Rock Shop or Department Store  Not too much, really.
5  B  Boron Borax; Na2B4O7·10H2O Your home; Department Store 20 Mule Team $7.00 per package.
6  C  Carbon Pencil Lead; graphite, an allotrope of carbon Your home; Department Store About ten cents, or you can probably get one for free.
7  N  Nitrogen Leave box empty and filled only with air; unless you are in a burning building, your air should be about 80 percent nitrogen Your home; Anywhere on the planet Nitrogen is like the free space on a bingo card
8  O  Oxygen Rust! Ice! Water! It’s actually pretty hard not to include oxygen in your coffee table, whether you want tor not. Pretty much everywhere. Free
9  F  Fluorine Travel-sized toothpaste (which usually has a small, but important amount of sodium fluoride or sodium monofluorophosphate) or a sample of the rock Fluorite (CaF2). Your home; Department Store or Rock Shop Mindat.org. www.crest.com Travel toothpaste goes for a few dollars per package (though you might have to buy more than one). You could also just put some of your toothpaste from home in a small container. Rock samples don’t go for much online, or you could find your own if fluorite is found in your area.
10  Ne  Neon This is actually a tough one; buying one online might be best.  http://elementsales.com/pl_element.htm#ne About eight bucks.
11  Na  Sodium Table salt, NaCl Your home; Department store, grocery store Nominal if you buy some at the grocery store. Free if you look around your kitchen for those little salt packets that come with fast food. (If you’re a condiment hoarder like me, you’ve got bajillions of them.)
12  Mg  Magnesium Magnesium Firestarter, which consists mostly of magnesium; Epsom salt is another option (MgSO4) Department store, (camping section) Rei. Epsom salt is cheap, though magnesium firestarters are a little spendier at about eight bucks.
13  Al Aluminum Pop can tab, over seventy percent aluminum content. Department store; Your house. Free, if you look along the side of the road long enough. Or you could always be creepy and ask someone for one after they were done with it.
14  Si  Silicon Sand, Glass, Quartz (all essentially variants of SiO2) Your house Free and/or easy to find.
15  P  Phosphorus Safety Match (the strike on box kind), contains red phosphorus on the “striking strip”; I believe the “strike anywhere” matches have the phosphorous on the tips of the matches. Your house; department stores Material Data Safety Sheet. Free, if you know people who smoke and bum a match off of them instead of a cigarette.
16  S  Sulfur Garlic clove, contains allicin, an organosulfur that gives garlic its characteristic smell; C6H10OS2 Your house, grocery store A number of universities online, including this one. Free.
17  Cl  Chlorine Water-purification tablet. Contains chlorine dioxide. Online, your local sporting goods retailer (in the camping section) Rei. If you buy a bunch, about 15 bucks.
18  Ar  Argon Small incandescent flashlight bulb; most incandescent light bulbs feature argon as an inert internal atmosphere of sorts. Your house; department store or Radio Shack Free, if you don’t mind breaking your flashlight. If not, a couple bucks at Radio Shack.
19  K  Potassium Potassium supplements, which can range in chemical formulation somewhat Your house; a department store The Mayo Clinic. Three bucks or so.
20  Ca  Calcium Calcite, (CaCO3), Chalk, a Seashell Your house, a department store, a beach, outside. Free, if you live in an area with shells, calcite, or if you have a school-aged child who can ask a teacher for a very small piece of chalk.
21  Sc  Scandium Scandium oxide; or perhaps a piece of a cracked scandium-aluminum baseball bat. Online, a sporting good store. WebElements.com Scandium oxide is listed on Ebay for $20, though I find far more products where scandium is used to strengthen metal (such as baseball bats and bikes). Perhaps if one really wanted to do things on the cheap, you could get a relatively new baseball/softball bat that has cracked and include a piece of that
22  Ti  Titanium Titanium compounds (esp. titanium dioxide) are common in many products as well, especially paint and paper. “Liquid paper” is one such product. Ilmenite, a titanium ore, is another option. Body piercings often are made from titanium. Your house, a department store. Liquid Paper. If liquid paper, then a few bucks.
23  V  Vanadium Dietary Supplement; the various vanadium compounds contain from 20-40 percent Vanadium. A department store. WebMD Five bucks or so.
24  Cr  Chromium Stainless steel, which has about 10 percent chromium; also available as a supplement Your house, a department store. Free, if you have an old spoon you’re OK with breaking.
25  Mn  Manganese Over the counter supplements, which feature manganese compounds. Personally, I’d go the geology route on this one and look for a nice Dendrite, which often feature manganese oxides growing in tree-like shapes on limestone. Your house, a department store, online If you’re buying the supplements, not too much.
26  Fe  Iron Taconite Pellets, a nail, a screw Your house, a department store, a hardware store Free, if you live near railroad tracks in Minnesota. Also free if, like me, you keep every last piece of hardware that’s ever entered your house.
27  Co  Cobalt Cobalt Blue Paint A hardware store, a craft store, a department store Two bucks or so.
28  Ni  Nickel U.S. Nickel, 25 percent nickel Your house, your pocket, the ground. U.S. Coins Official Red Book Exactly five cents.
29  Cu  Copper Pre-1982 U.S. penny (95 percent copper) Your house, your pocket, the ground. U.S. Coins Official Red Book Exactly one cent.
30  Zn  Zinc U.S. penny minted after 1982 (99.2 percent zinc) Your house, your pocket, the ground. U.S. Coins Official Red Book Still exactly one cent.
31  Ga  Gallium The only proper way to display gallium is with a tiny gallium spoon, which you should then use it to serve a tiny cup of tea. Ebay. Gallium DIY kits are a bit spendy, but they are perhaps the greatest practical joke ever. Here’s what you do: You invite a guest over for tea. Before they get there, you fashion a gallium spoon. You put it in their tea and bring it to them. As they stir the gallium, the warm tea causes the gallium to melt (at about 85 degrees). The spoon promptly disappears and hilarity ensues.
32  Ge  Germanium Germanium supplements (various compounds) or a Geranium-coated transistor from radio shack Radioshack.com $15 bucks or so for supplements or $3 or so for a Germanium-coated transistor from Radioshack.
33  As  Arsenic Leadshot bullet Winchester.com Leadshot contains about 1 percent arsenic, as arsenic hardens the lead. There are other ways to get arsenic, but a leadshot bullet ensures you won’t have much and you’ll have it in a fairly safe and stable form (as long as you don’t load your sample into a weapon.)
34  Se  Selenium Nutritional supplement  GNC Mayo Clinic About four bucks for a bottle.
35  Br  Bromine Pool cleaning product, bromine tablets Online or Department store. About ten bucks for a bottle.
36  Kr  Krypton Krypton light bulb Hardware Store; Online Amazon About two bucks.
37  Rb  Rubidium Lepidolite (ore) ? I hate rubidium, as it is really hard to track down on the cheap. Stay tuned.
38  Sr  Strontium Celestite, SrSO4 Rock Shop Mindat.
39  Y  Yttrium Yttrium ion garnet or Yttrium Florite (the primary ore) Rock shop or online.  Ebay. Five bucks or so.
40  Zr  Zirconium Cubic zirconium  Online. Ebay. Almost nothing, plus you can your significant other a horribly tacky gift.
41  Nb  Niobium Used in allergy-free jewelry Jewelry A few bucks.
42  Mo  Molybdenum Molybdenite, ore of Molybdenum. MoS2
Rock shop or online. Ebay A few bucks.
43  Tc  Technetium Stay tuned, doing additional research.
44  Ru  Ruthenium Plated jewelry? Stay tuned, doing additional research.
45  Rh  Rhodium Plated jewelry? Stay tuned, doing additional research.
46  Pd  Palladium Plated jewelry? Stay tuned, doing additional research.
47  Ag  Silver Pre-1964 dime or quarter Your house, a bank, on the side of the road (possibly) Exactly five cents.
48  Cd  Cadmium Cadmium-Nickel battery Your house, hardware store. Energizer. Two bucks.
49  In  Indium Indium, tin solder. Online; hardware store Ebay Eight bucks or so. Mayb
50  Sn  Tin Tin-plated soup can, though the tin content isn’t that pronounced. Your house; the side of the road.  Free.
51  Sb  Antimony Antimony solder. Or stibnite sample online. Hardware store; online. Ebay Eight bucks.

 

Amazing Video of Saturn from Voyager and Cassini

26. April 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , , ,

A great compilation of footage from the Voyager and Cassini probes by director Sander van den Berg.

The coolest part: All of the images are real. Holy cats. Science wins.

The Poor Man’s Periodic (Coffee) Table

24. April 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized · Tags: , , , , , , ,

The Periodic Coffee Table Template in Progress.

At first glance, the periodic table is confusing. Full of strange abbreviations, numbers, and a variety of colors, it resembles an esoteric game board. Yet within those squares and numbers, there’s a good deal of knowledge, and when one begins to study the periodic table, one begins to see how it—and to an extent, the world around us—works.

A straightforward way to study the periodic table is to assemble a real-life version of your own. By definition, this requires one to learn about each element, how it is used, and it also enables one to see how the elements are related to one another.

It’s also pretty handy if you happen to need a coffee table.

I’m therefore embarking on creating a periodic coffee table. In the spirit of science and the do-it-yourself ethos, I want this to be as replicable as possible. With a little work, I want anyone to be able to assemble these objects and to do so safely. I also want to incorporate as many objects that show the elements in use as possible. After all, collecting objects that actually incorporate the elements tells you a bit more about the elements themselves than a bunch of vials full of gases or metallic flakes.

Here are my basic rules for this project:

(1)   Safety. Assembling the coffee table and having it in your living room should not, in fact, kill you. As I actually plan to use this as a coffee table in my living room, I don’t want to inadvertently irradiate my morning paper, my wallet and car keys, or my cat. I’m therefore not including anything that’s particularly radioactive—say a sample of pure uranium—as I can’t afford getting pure samples of such elements, nor would I want them if I could get them. (Plus, I write zany letters to the President. Imagine the watch-lists I’d get put on if I were actively seeking out purified uranium.)

For the same reason, I won’t be including other volatile and potentially dangerous elements (such as sodium or phosphorous) in their pure form.

(2)   Replicability and Affordability. I want to make this project as easy to complete—and affordable—as possible. Acquiring pure samples of even relatively cheap elements (such as the noble gases, for instance), things can add up pretty quickly. When you start dealing in rarer elements, things only get more spendy.

To complete a periodic coffee table on the cheap, one has to be a bit flexible. For the purposes of this project, I’m going to attempt to include each element—in at least some form, with bonus points for objects that show how the element is incorporated into everyday life. Let me be clear: This will not be an attempt to create a collection of native elements. My basic rule is that the object, compound, or material should have a significant amount of the element. And if that’s not possible, then the element should at least play an important role in the object. I’ll do my best to include objects that can be picked up at local department stores, hardware stores, rock shops, Ebay and the like. I will undoubtedly purchase some from online specialty shops, but I will use those as a last resort.

Please note that I am not too proud to admit outright failure: When displaying the element is entirely expensive, impossible, or outright dangerous expect a smart-aleck compromise or a photo. As a matter of fact, if I think a photo makes for a better joke, I’ll probably include it anyway.

(3)   Practicality and aesthetics. I intend to use this coffee table as a coffee table, so I want it to look halfway decent and not to fall apart at the slightest touch. Given that I have the woodworking abilities of a ham sandwich, I’m enlisting the help of my father (and his collection of power tools) for this project.

The end result, I hope, will be a sort of poor man’s periodic coffee table. While there will not be a succession of native elements, each object will feature the specific element, and they will occur in the correct order. Given some analysis, this, I think, would be enough to deduce the periodic nature of this particular coffee table.

I’ve begun doing some initial research about the objects I’m going to include to represent each element, and once I’ve finalized that list, I’ll post it here, as well as some information about other options. I’ll also be posting a template you can use for your own version of this project.

If you’ve questions, comments or suggestions, let me know, and don’t hesitate to join the fun.

An Interactive 3D model of the Solar System

19. April 2012 · Write a comment · Categories: Uncategorized

Wow, this is Interactive 3D Model of Solar System is pretty great, and the story behind it is even better:

You can support this effort here.

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