More About. . . . . . Elements

In science class, we have been learning about elements and the Periodic Table. In all, 117 elements have been discovered, of which 94 exist naturally on Earth. The other 23 have been made artificially. This means that they are radioactive, and if they were to be present on Earth, they would have already decayed. The atomic number of an element is the number of protons in the atom. The number of protons in the atomic nucleus also determine its electric charge, and the number of electrons of the atom in the non-ionized state. This determines the atom's many chemical properties. The mass number is the number of nucleons (protons and neutrons) in the nucleus. Isotopes are atoms of the same element with the same number of protons in their nucleus, but different numbers of neutrons. Most natural elements have more than one isotope. The element with the most isotopes is tin, which has 10.

~~Interesting Fact: The term 'element' was first used by a Greek philosopher named Plato in about 360 BCE.

I find the Periodic table quite interesting and I like learning about elements. It's amazing how there are so many elements, yet there are lots more out there just waiting to be discovered! For more info, and to see the Periodic Table, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_element.

Tree Cloning

In New York on January 11th, city officials chose 25 long-living and "historical" trees to clone. This was for a plan called "Million Trees NYC," which was announced last year. The point of the program is to add a million trees to public spaces over the next decade. Cloning has two stages. First, the cuttings are grafted into roots. Then new growth is later peeled away to make a sapling with the DNA of the original tree. The result is a genetically identical tree. Students who studied agriculture in a nearby high school snipped off sections of new growth, and sent them to a scientific tree nursery in Oregon. If this plan succeeds, the clones of the trees will return to New York in about two years to be replanted. Each cutting will produce ten copies! The trees, including nine species, were chosen for lasting at least a century. One of the oldest trees, called the St. Nicholas elm, is supposedly a tree George Washington had walked under 230 years ago during The Revolutionary War.

Wow! I think this is a great idea because we're cutting down way too many trees, and this will replace them. Trees are important in many ways, and I think this will help. For more information please go to http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080111/ap_on_sc/cloning_trees;_ylt=AnecSRStja2HK12kAmGLkw4PLBIF

Al Gore and Global Warming

When former vice-president Al Gore won the Nobel Peace Prize earlier in October, no one expected him to give a speech on the importance of global warming. He said that this is "the greatest challenge we've ever faced." Al wants us to fix this before it's too late. The green house gases, car gases, and pollution are all heating up the atmosphere, and melting the Arctic ice. This is making it harder for animals, such as polar bears, to survive. Researchers from more than 130 nations are blaming humans for climate changes, ranging from more heat waves to floods. Gore said he would donate his share of the $1.5 million that comes with the Nobel Peace Prize to the non-profit Alliance for Climate Protection.

Many people disagree with Al Gore, but he will keep trying. I think he's doing his best in what is right for the world. For more information, please go to http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21262661/

Tagging

My fav. tv show is probably Hannah Montana because it's sooooo funny.
My fav. meal is cherry chicken because it's sweet and delicious.
My fav. non-school activity is acting in njrt.
Someone i look up to is my mom because she's understanding.
My goal for the future is.... omg, there's too many! but probably to be a violinist or singer.
In the 1st hour after school i'm usually doing hw or reading PATTERNS.

Intro

I will be doing a "Dear Abby" column for this year. Ask me anything.