Last updated 10-8-08
<-Building Blocks <-CHM130 <-CHM107

C5: The Building Blocks of
Inorganic Compounds
QUIZ

#1: In an early tutorial you learned about stone tool technology. A favorite mineral used to make knives and arrowheads was obsidian. In the tutorial, I said it is made mostly of "silica." Go to the below site and type in silica to get more info.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

1a)What is the chemical formula for silica? 1b) Name at least two things made from silica?

At the same site, do a search for "obsidian." 1c)What is given as its main ingredient?
1d) And what causes its dark color?
#2. In the movie, "Total Recall", the alien factory could decompose ice in the Martian soil into oxygen and hydrogen. That would require very high temperatures and would end up with a flammable mixture of oxygen & hydrogen. A better idea is use the iron oxide that is in Martian soil. That would turn into iron metal and oxygen gas at a temperature much lower than decomposing water.
What temperature is necessary to decompose red iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3) which will liberate oxygen? [hint: do a search for iron oxide melting point. Be sure it's for iron(III) oxide (Fe2O3) .]

#3. 3a) What are the three most abundant elements in the Earth's crust?

3b) In the picture snow is on the Earth's crust, so what additional element besides the three mentioned in "3a" is sure to be present?

#4: All gems are inorganic compounds. One, cubic zirconia, is a cheap alternative to diamonds. The building block is ZrO2, which can stack in different ways. However, if the stacking is such to make cubic crystals, it's called cubic zirconia. It's hard to tell the difference between cubic zirconia or diamonds. Jewelers use thermal conductivity test because diamonds conduct heat much faster than cubic zirconia. 4a) What metal combines with oxygen to make cubic zirconia?
4b) Cubic zirconia is the second best simulant for diamonds. Another inorganic compound called "Moissanite" is the best. It is also better than a diamond in many ways. Do a search for "Moissanite" and report which ways it is better than a diamond.
<-Building Blocks <-CHM130 <-CHM107

Since Sept 29, 2004