1. It's All Quite Elemental, Dear Hydrogen Atom
Follow the recommended links below to "interact" with the periodic table. What basic information are you given here about hydrogen? Notice that hydrogen is a nonmetal-describe the characteristics of nonmetals and compare them with metals. What other elements are considered to be nonmetallic?
Explain briefly what alternative fuel and alternative fuel vehicles are. Can you describe how a hydrogen car would work? How practical do you think this would be at the moment? What about in the future?
Consider This Before Answering the Questions
Let's take a trip to the periodic table of elements.
Go to http://chemicalelements.com . (You can click on any element and continue linking onto other related sites full of useful information.) Since hydrogen is the first element and one that is so nicely diagrammed in the chapter, go ahead and click on that one (it's the green square at the top left of the chart). You're given some basic information here about hydrogen. Notice that hydrogen is a nonmetal. Click on the link http://chemicalelements.com./groups/nonmetals.html and now you should now be able to describe the characteristics of nonmetals and compare them with metals. Go back to your first link http://chemicalelements.com./elements/h.html in the "Related Links" section and click on the first, "Pure Power" http://sln.fi.edu/inquirer/hydrocar.html Once you've read the article and looked at the diagram of the hydrogen car (there's a link), you should be able to describe how the car would work and what the positive and negative points are for producing hydrogen-powered cars. Next, link to http://www.afdc.nrel.gov/ , the Alternative Fuels Data Center web site and check out the "Frequently Asked Questions" section. Then read information at http://www.afdc.nrel.gov/afv/hydrogen.html Now you should be able to explain what alternative fuel and alternative fuel vehicles are. After You Answer the Questions
Okay, you've done some work, so let's try a little fun: in the Energy Quest site at
http://www.energy.ca.gov/education you can link to some of the fun stuff at the "Games and Puzzles" site
http://www.energyquest.ca.gov/games/index.html By the way, you will find it particularly helpful in learning the table of elements to check out each of the symbols at the initial site in this exercise,
http://chemicalelements.com .
2. Beam Me Up, EBIT
According to the text, commercial use of controlled fusion is presently elusive. Have you heard of the Electron Beam Ion Trap (EBIT)? How close are we really to being able to control production of those highly charged ions necessary for commercial use? What exactly is the EBIT and what are its practical applications? If you were to become a physicist interested in nuclear fusion, how might you be able to use this device? What future applications can you see in the field of nuclear fusion, and how could you develop them?
Explore answers to these questions by following the recommended links at below.
Consider This Before Answering the Questions
As noted in the text's discussion of nuclear fusion, commercial use of controlled fusion is presently elusive.
After You Answer the Questions
You should now know a lot about EBIT. Feel free to go back and work through the site for further interesting information.
