I spent a morning on Etsy. Unlike my sister, whose charming blog can be found here, who always manages to cute and adorable things, I have unearthed a new monster. Let me share....

Monster Mug with Great Big Teeth

I don't have words.

How much Calcium is there in Total? Day 1

This is what I do in Analytical Chemistry:

We want to determine the amount of calcium in TOTAL cereal. We can do this two ways: by precipitating the calcium out or by a redox reaction (titration). Lucky me I get to do it both ways.

The first day is pretty easy, just making solutions to use for the other two days.

First, the cereal is digested in 6 M HCl. The lovely golden flakes turn in to a horrible, stinky brown goo.

 

Next, the goo is filtered to remove the organic chunks. Ideally, all of the calcium is washed out into the filtrate flask and then filtrate can be diluted and analyzed.

 Note: Do not rip the filter paper because then in has to be re-filtered, which takes considerably longer than you might expect.

Two other solutions are prepared. 

One is 1L of 1 M sulfuric acid (M means molar, which is just a unit of concentration), which is made by diluting 6 M acid. Over all its a rather boring and tedious process due to the fact that dumping  this particular acid in water releases a lot of heat, so you have to add the acid in small portions and monitor the temperature.  Its redeeming quality is that the stir bar makes a pretty awesome tornado in the beaker :D 

 The other is a solution of 1.6 g KMnO4 (Potassium Permanganate) in water. It is very lovely shade of purple that has to be hidden away in a ugly brown bottle to prevent decomposing as it will react with light if over exposed.

To be continuted... (I know you're on the edge of your seat)

 

My life is all together very normal. This is my laundromat. I was forced to visit today, despite a rapidly approaching trip home where laundry is joyously free, due to a lack of clean underwear and  a gravy explosion. 

 

How is it that the brightest pairs of underwear always make it to the front to swirl around in full view?

nom nom nom!

exciting love

The beginning of an epic adventure, to be shared with my beloved sisters.

20

A week and 3 days ago, I celebrated my 20th birthday.

My goal is, for the next year, to post a picture a day to document my twentieth year of life. 

While this may be a bit optimistic due to a lack of functioning camera phone and a tendency to procrastinate, I remain optimistic.

And as far as this first picture, I'm gonna let you figure it out on your own.

So, its that time of year again... New Years Resolutions. I'm only a few days late, right?
So, my aspirations for the next 11 months.


1. Stop procrastinating.

2.

3.Start an art book with my sisters.

4. Figure out how to balance school and my social life.

5.  Stop swearing.

6. Find better things to blog about.

"Puddle" - M. C. Escher

 I thoroughly enjoy this.  

I've arrived

caustic: [kaw-stik]
–adj.

1. capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue.

2.severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark.

 

/rɪˈlif/ Show Spelledrelief: [ri-leef] 

–noun

1. alleviation, ease, or deliverance through the removal of pain, distress, oppression, etc.

yes, i know it sounds creepy.