Last updated  August 17, 2012
<-Building Blocks <-CHM107 <-CHM130

C2: Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons Built from Energy
QUIZ

#1. The equation E=mc2 can be used to calculate energy given off when mass is converted to energy or how much energy is required to create a certain amount of mass. A grain of sand weighs about one millionth of a kilogram (1/1,000,000). Plug this into the formula as:

E=     1    kg x 300,000,000 x 300,000,000
   1,000,000

font face="Courier New, Courier, mono">This answer will be in watt-second (joules). Divide that answer by 3,600,000 to get kilowatt-hours. Now multiply by 0.10 (10 cents) to get dollars of electricity to create the mass for a grain of sand. What's your answer?

#2. Here is a guy who scares his neighbors with his Tesla coils. The sparks are streams of electrons flying off the left donut-shaped metal. Electrons (or electricity) don't usually jump into the air because air resists any electrons trying to move through it.

I'm sure he and most of us would be entertained looking at the light show these huge sparks make. However, sparks don't just emit the visible light we see, but all kinds of invisible light that goes across the whole electromagnetic spectrum.

#2 continued. Look at the below illustration of the electromagnetic spectrum. Sparks and lightning produce light (electromagnetic radiation) across most of the spectrum. You have noticed how your radio or TV gets interference from lightning. That's because these produce radio and microwaves. What you don't see is the dangerous ultraviolet light and xrays that sparks create. Our friend above who makes Tesla coils, probably doesn't realize the amount of electromagnetic radiation he is exposing himself to watching the light shows of his Tesla coils. I'd say the ultraviolet rays would be the most abundant light. Do a Web search and report on some dangers to health that ultraviolet light causes.
#3. You learned that a proton, that is positively charged is attracted to an electron that is negatively charged. They pull on each other with equal force. So in our picture the two will move towards each other. But knowing that the electron is 2,000 times lighter than the proton, do you think they will meet halfway? In other words, will one travel faster than the other as they move towards each other? Explain your answer.
<-Building Blocks <-CHM107 <-CHM130

Since Sept 25, 2004