The Chemistry and Sustainability of Construction Metals
The structure of matter on an atomic level greatly impacts and determines it levels of physical properties, especially in construction. I researched the different types of metals used in construction and how the difference in there atomic levels affects what they can and cannot be used for. Metals are typically used for structure and strength when it comes to construction and if a type of metal without the necessary physical strength (due to its molecular structure) is used the building is going to fail. You can also look at it the other way, if you were to build a fence you typically would not use the same metal that would be used as a support beam in a building because you don't need that amount of strength.
The design of a building affects the over sustainability and user experience of said building for man reasons. If a building is constructed with the correct materials for necessary parts of the building it will be more susceptible to failing and falling faster than intended. If the building is not constructed correctly according to the climate it is built in, it can corrode faster leading to the decreasing of its longevity and quality. |
My Reflection
Through this project I did lots of research online as well as talking to my father (a welder) and one of the engineers that is working on the new animas campus. I learned that most constructional steel is made out of carbon steel but the process in making it is different. The different ways that it's formed such as cold-rolled and hot-rolled steel is what makes the difference and determines the placement of where it's needed structurally. I also learned that there is more to decorative steel than its appearance. I learned that the occurrence of rust is more negative than just making the steel appear dirtier. It changed the steel on a molecular level and will eventually deteriorate the steel, but it can also be used in moderation for specific decorations. For this project I created an infographic. Prior to this project I was not sure how to do this but Steve shared Venage with me. I learned how to use that software to edit an infographic which is potentially important for the future. I also learned that I can reach out to the community, further than the school or my family, to ask questions. I spoke with someone working on the actual building our project was based off of which taught me that I can get more relevant and accurate information in the future. Throughout the project I was confused on the purpose of why we were doing it based off of the new building. I liked the project and learning about construction but it was hard for me to find the connection and importance of it needing to relate to the new building. In the future especially since some of this years junior’s projects will be on display, you could take out the aspect of the project being specific to one building.
Through this project I did lots of research online as well as talking to my father (a welder) and one of the engineers that is working on the new animas campus. I learned that most constructional steel is made out of carbon steel but the process in making it is different. The different ways that it's formed such as cold-rolled and hot-rolled steel is what makes the difference and determines the placement of where it's needed structurally. I also learned that there is more to decorative steel than its appearance. I learned that the occurrence of rust is more negative than just making the steel appear dirtier. It changed the steel on a molecular level and will eventually deteriorate the steel, but it can also be used in moderation for specific decorations. For this project I created an infographic. Prior to this project I was not sure how to do this but Steve shared Venage with me. I learned how to use that software to edit an infographic which is potentially important for the future. I also learned that I can reach out to the community, further than the school or my family, to ask questions. I spoke with someone working on the actual building our project was based off of which taught me that I can get more relevant and accurate information in the future. Throughout the project I was confused on the purpose of why we were doing it based off of the new building. I liked the project and learning about construction but it was hard for me to find the connection and importance of it needing to relate to the new building. In the future especially since some of this years junior’s projects will be on display, you could take out the aspect of the project being specific to one building.
Chemistry of Food and Cooking "Soggy Salads?"
Project Reflection
My experiment would have been successful in helping me understand my food and improve it’s characteristics if I had never seen or eaten salad before. My experiment was super simple and I was questioning very common knowledge. Even though being able to preserve the crispness of a salad does enhance its desirability, most people know to just not leave food unrefrigerated. If I were to continue research on this topic I would change my independent variable. Instead of testing something most people already know, not to leave food at room temperature, I would experiment with different salad dressings or in which order I made the salad. I know I didn’t know which salad dressings would make lettuce wilt faster so that would be interesting to experiment with. Cooking and doing science come hand in hand. Cooking uses science, in order to cook you need to know lots of science. You need to know how and why things react together. They are similar because they are both looking at things on a molecular level. Cooking and doing science is different because doing science can expand to anything and everything, biology, psychology, the science of animals and so much more. Cooking is only using the science of food and how it reacts to things like temperature, moisture, chemical reactions, etc. A cook and a food scientist are similar because they both work with food. They are both looking at and working with food science just in different ways. To me a scientist is someone who experiments. I'd assume that a food scientist is someone working with food and lots of variables to find out new information. That makes a cook different because a cook working in a restaurant would most likely know all the science they'd need too. A food scientist is discovering the science and what it means, the cook is just using it. |