Chemical Bonds:
The Glue of the Universe

If we look at the world around us, we see very little matter in elemental form.  Most of matter is in compounds or in mixtures of some sort.  But why?  And how?  What kind of glue holds atoms together?  What impact does this glue have on the properties of these materials?  Where can we find the answers to these questions?  

Or better yet, let's ask these kinds of questions.  Why does hair get "staticy"?  Why is peanut butter used to remove gum from your hair?  How does a refrigerator work?  What makes peppers so spicy?  Why do our armpits burn after we put on deodorant?  What is the difference between 10W-30 and 10W-40?  How do we remove skunk smell from a  dog's fur that has been sprayed by a skunk?  How many licks does it take to get to the center of a tootsie roll?... and many other real world questions. (Ask your own question(s)!)   Where can we find answers to these kinds of questions?  

The answers to all of these questions and more has its foundation in what we are studying in this unit.  If we understand the principles behind what holds atoms together, we will be able to formulate explanations for both physical and chemical phenomenon that we observe.  We will be coming back again and again to this unit's principles as we work to understand our physical world.  If we lay a strong foundation of understanding in this unit, we should be able to build an accurate insight into how our physical world interrelates.  

It is hard work laying a good foundation, but we are up to it.  Here's a rough outline for what we are planning to do during  this unit.  (Check out the tentative schedule for a more detailed listing.)

• Define the different types of bonding and look at the properties this bonding conveys to its compounds

• Learn how to name and write formulas for ionic and covalent compounds

• Investigate the electrical nature of these compounds and the impact it might have on the compounds' interaction with other compounds.  

• Interpret from formulas and lab data % composition information

• Determine empirical formulas for compounds utilizing lab information

Since this is a lengthy unit, expect several quizzes and or tests.