Science and Math

Breaking Down a Breakdown Reaction

In grade 10 science, the chemistry unit is primarily focused on chemical reactions.  Simply discussing the various types of chemical reactions and what they entail can be for many students a bit abstract. Luckily for chemistry, there are a lot of “cool” demonstrations (or demos as we call them in the biz) that can be utilized to visually represent the power, speed and awesomeness that chemical reactions can have.  One of the types of chemical reactions students learn about in grade 10 chemistry is a decomposition reaction in which a single reactant molecule breaks down into simpler constituents (parts).

2 H₂O_{2 (l)} à  2 H₂O _(l) + 0_{2 (g)}

On Monday October 15, our science class witnessed a decomposition reaction.  In particular this decomposition reaction was one used on the hit comedy series, The Big Bang Theory, and so aside from its “cool” factor, it also had pop culture factor and something the students could relate to.  The reaction is essentially the breakdown (decomposition) of hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) into water (H₂O) and oxygen (O₂). Hydrogen peroxide is a liquid substance that can be found in drug stores and is used on cuts.  The drug store variety of hydrogen peroxides, are only 3%.  The hydrogen peroxide we used for our demonstration was 6 and 30 percent (to make the outcome more dramatic).

To make the reaction go really fast we mixed yeast in warm water and added it to the hydrogen peroxide (the yeast speeding up the reaction significantly).  Added to the hydrogen peroxide before hand was food colouring (for cool effect), and ordinary dish soap.  The oxygen that is released during the decomposition is caught by the dish soap bubbles which causes the liquid to expand as it does.  The outcome is a fun and “cool” demonstration of a decomposition reaction, which is a lot better than simply describing its mechanics.

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Laser keyboards!  Augmented reality!  Life-size touch screens!  These were just some of the impressive, futuristic technologies on display for students at the RBC Innovation Centre.  The Academy’s grade 10 Business class took a tour led by James Miller of some emerging technologies that the Royal Bank of Canada will be implementing in the near future to change the face of banking.  Students also heard from Nermeen Mikhail about the impressive array of accessible technologies for customers and employees with disabilities.  Jennifer Stott rounded out the experience with an engaging discussion about financial trends and how to avoid identity theft with the new bank card chip.  A big thanks to everyone at RBC for this awesome trip!

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Visit the RBC Innovation Centre Website

Unlimited account interactions!  Student-friendly banking plans!  Extended week-day hours!  These are just some of the services that the Introduction to Business students learned today in an interactive banking workshop.  Perusing flyers and surfing online, students investigated how the Big 5 Canadian banks compete and what they offer their clients.  Stay tuned for a report on Friday’s upcoming trip to the RBC Innovation Centre!

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Space dust is all around us…even in the alley next to our school!  Cathy McWatters, astronomy educator extraordinaire, led the Academy’s Astronomy Club in a hunt for micrometeorites – tiny particles of space rock weighing usually less than a gram and appearing as near-perfect circles under a microscope.  The best chance of collecting micrometeorites is after a meteor shower, so get your magnets ready because the Leonids will be peaking in the early hours of November 18!

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On Wednesday June 1st, the grade 9 and 10 science classes along with the grade 11 environment class walked over to the Royal Ontario Museum for a viewing of the limited time water exhibit.  The grade 9 class learned about the effects water can have on ecosystems, the grade 10 class about the role of water in the regulation of Earths climate and the grade 11 class about the role of water in the environment at large.  The exhibit also allowed for many hands on and interactive experiences, giving the students an opportunity to learn about the many interesting facts about water beyond the curriculum expectations.  During the end of the visit we also got the pleasure to experience the Edward Burtynsky Oil Exhibit.

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