The Chemistry of Petroleum

Petroleum Chemistry is made of a mixture of different hydrocarbons. The most prolific hydrocarbons found in the chemistry of petroleum are alkanes, these are also sometimes knows as branched or linear hydrocarbons. More you can find out here.

Courtesy: http://www.petroleum.co.uk

Phase Rules

The system is simply the matter that we are studying, collected in one place and with definite boundaries. Our systems will generally not exchange matter with the surroundings, and so will be called closed. They may be isolated and not exchange energy with the environment, or sometimes in contact with a thermal reservoir of temperature T.  More details here.

Courtesy: J. B. Calvert, http://mysite.du.edu

Ester Chemistry

Esters are derived from carboxylic acids. A carboxylic acid contains the -COOH group, and in an ester the hydrogen in this group is replaced by a hydrocarbon group of some kind. This could be an alkyl group like methyl or ethyl, or one containing a benzene ring like phenyl. Click here for more details.

Courtesy: Jim Clark, http://www.chemguide.co.uk 

Phases and Equilibrium

The phases of matter represent classes of the type of molecular motion found at different temperatures.  The 'motion' of the maolecules is described by the position and momenta of the atomic nuclei. The position of the molecule as a whole is derived from the center of mass of the atoms that compose it  The molecules undergo classical (not quantum mechanical) motion, either harmonically bound (solid), chaotically quasi-bound (liquid) or unbound (gas). More here.

Courtesy: PJ Brucat, University of Florida

Sir James Chadwick - Birthday

James Chadwick was born on October 20, 1891, in Cheshire, England. He graduated from Manchester University's Honours School of Physics in 1911 and spent the next two years working on various radioactivity problems in the Physical Laboratory in Manchester, earning a M.Sc. degree in 1913 as well as the 1851 Exhibition Scholarship, which allowed him to continue his research and move to Berlin to work with Professor Hans Geiger. More here.

Sir James Chadwick

Courtesy: http://www.atomicarchive.com

Ozone Affects Forest Watersheds

U.S. Forest Service and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) scientists have found that rising levels of ozone, a greenhouse gas, may amplify the impacts of higher temperatures and reduce streamflow from forests to rivers, streams, and other water bodies. For more click here.

Small stream in Maryland, U.S. (Credit: Copyright Michele Hogan)

Courtesy:  Ge Sun, Eastern Threat Center research hydrologist

Rise of the Molecular Machines

Mastering and mimicking how molecular machines work has been a fascinating adventure for chemists, and one in which their creativity has been unleashed. For more click here.

Courtesy: Josh Howgego, www.rsc.org/eic