Potassium - Element of the Week from 1/4 -1/11

          

            Potassium is element number 19. It is a soft, light-colored alkali metal that reacts violently with water. It is so soft that it can be cut with a knife. It is the second least dense metal after lithium. Its name comes from the English word "potash," as it was originally found in this substance. Its elemental symbol K comes from the neo-Latin (created after the year 1500) term "kalium," taken from the word "alkali" and before that, derived from the Arabic word for "plant ash."

            Potassium salts were at first not differentiated from sodium salts, but George Ernst Stahl, in 1702, obtained evidence that made him believe that there was a difference between the two. Potassium metal was isolated in 1807 by the English Sir Humphry Davy. He first isolated it from a plant ash (as had previously been done) and then later from lye.

            The element is the eighth most abundant element on Earth and is about 2.1% of the earth's crust.

            Potassium is necessary for the functioning human body. It is important in neuron function and in maintaining the fluid and electrolyte levels in the body. Studies have shown that diets high in Potassium can reduce the risk of hypertension and stroke.

            Potassium is most commonly found in the human body, in fertilizers, and in foods. A potassium salt is one of the main parts of baking powder. Also, in the industrial setting, Potassium hydroxide (KOH) is  commonly used to neutralize acids. 

Charmin' Chameleons

            I'm back! Sorry for the extended holiday break, but now I'm back and ready to go. So, while I was on my blog hiatus we survived the Mayan apocalypse (Congrats guys). I think it is high time for me to start posting again. This week, I'm not exactly reporting on any current science news, but am instead posting about Jackson's chameleons because I got to play with some recently and the pictures are too adorable/awesome to waste.

            We have all been lied to! Chameleons don't actually change color to blend into their surroundings - but rather depending on their mood, health, and temperature. So, the fanciful chameleons of my childhood becoming plaid, polka doted, or any other wacky pattern is just a figment of our imaginations.

             I recently did a story for my news reporting class about my University getting two new Jackson's Chameleons (scientific name: Trioceros jacksonii). Their scientific name comes from the Greek words "tri" meaning three and "keras" meaning horns. It is very similar to the name of the Triceratops dinosaur, as they have a similar horn structure.

            Jackson's chameleons are easily recognized by the three horns that males (and some females) have on their faces. You may remember Liz from the Magic School bus - she was Ms. Frizzle's pet chameleon and has the look of a Jackson's chameleon. They grow to be around 10 inches long and can live around 9 years in captivity. The design of their eyes allows them to see nearly 360 degrees and their tongue is nearly 1.5x the length of their bodies.

            Jackson chameleons were first discovered by a zoologist named George Albert Boulenger in 1896. He discovered the common Jackson's chameleon subspecies (Trioceros jacksonii jacksonii). The other subspecies: the Dwarf Jackson's chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii merumontanus) and the Yellow-crested Jackson's chameleon (Trioceros jacksonii xantholophus) were discovered in 1958 and 1988 respectively.

             These chameleons are actually native to Kenya and northern Tanzania (Eastern Africa) and are invasive species in parts of the United States - namely Hawaii. The yellow-crested Jackson's chameleons were originally brought to Hawaii in the 1970s, so they could be bred as exotic pets. They have since established populations on every major Hawaiian island and are considered invasive, though they are not known as particularly harmful. There have been reports of the chameleons eating native Hawaiian insects and snails.

            So enjoy the photos and if you can't get enough of the crazy reptiles then there is always Rango in Rango (voiced by Johnny Depp - so they have to be cool) and Pascal from Disney's Tangled. These are the most recent pop culture chameleons, though they aren't Jackson's.

Tin - Element of the Week from 11/30 -1/4

           This week's element is atomic number 50 - Tin! Obviously the elemental symbol does not coincide with the name, as most do. The elemental symbol comes from the Latin word for tin, which is Stannum.

            It is not known who discovered Tin because it has been extracted since at least 3000 BC. Tin has a highly crystalline structure, and due to this when a piece of tin is broken a small "scream" ca be heard.

            Tin is one of the few elements that has an alchemical symbol. It also exists as 0.001% of the Earth's crust. Tin has two main forms - gray tin, which exists below 13 degrees Celsius, and white tin, which is the more normal form of the element.

            There are few uses for gray tin, but many for white tin. The "tin" can is often made of aluminum these days, but even the original wasn't tin. These cans were actually steel cans that had a thin tin coating to prevent corrosion.

            The most common use of tin is for the production of bronze (The Bronze Age), which is an alloy of copper and tin. Pewter and solder are made out of tin and lead. Superconductive wires are sometimes made of tin alloys.