Chemistry 101 - Introduction and Index of Topics

Chemistry 101 - Introduction and Index of Topics Welcome to the world of Chemistry 101! Chemistry is the study of matter. Like physicists, chemists study the fundamental properties of matter and they also explore the interactions between matter and energy. Chemistry is a science, but it is also used in human communication and interaction, cooking, medicine, engineering, and a host of other disciplines. Although people use chemistry every day with no apparent problem, if the time comes to take a course in chemistry in high school or college, many students are filled with dread. Dont be! Chemistry is manageable and even fun. Ive compiled some study tips and resources to make your encounter with chemistry easier. Not sure where to start? Try Chemistry Basics. Periodic Table of the Elements You need a trusty periodic table for practically all aspects of chemistry! There are links to characteristics of elements groups, too. Periodic TablePrintable Periodic TablesGroups of Elements Periodic Table Helpful Resources Use these resources to look up unfamiliar terms, identify chemical structures, and recognize the elements. Worked Chemistry ProblemsChemistry GlossaryChemical Structures ArchiveInorganic ChemicalsElement PhotographsFamous ChemistsScience Lab Safety Signs Introduction to Chemistry 101 Learn about what chemistry is and how the science of chemistry is studied. What Is Chemistry?What Is a Chemical?What Is the Scientific Method? Math Basics Math is used in all the sciences, including chemistry. To learn chemistry, you need to understand algebra, geometry, and some trig, as well as be able to work in scientific notation and perform unit conversions. Accuracy Precision ReviewSignificant FiguresScientific NotationPhysical ConstantsMetric Base UnitsTable of Derived Metric UnitsMetric Unit PrefixesUnit CancellingTemperature ConversionsExperimental Error Calculations Atoms and Molecules Atoms are the basic building blocks of matter. Atoms join together to form compounds and molecules. Learn about the parts of the atom and how atoms form bonds with other atoms. Basic Model of the AtomBohr ModelAtomic Mass Atomic Mass NumberTypes of Chemical BondsIonic vs Covalent BondsRules for Assigning Oxidation NumbersLewis Structures and Electron Dot ModelsIntroduction to Molecular GeometryWhat Is a Mole?More About Molecules MolesLaw of Multiple Proportions Stoichiometry Stoichiometry describes the proportions between atoms in molecules and reactants/products in chemical reactions. Learn about how matter reacts in predictable ways so that you can balance chemical equations. Types of Chemical ReactionsHow to Balance EquationsHow to Balance Redox ReactionsGram to Mole ConversionsLimiting Reactant Theoretical YieldMole Relations in Balanced EquationsMass Relations in Balanced Equations States of Matter The states of matter are defined by the structure of matter as well as whether it has a fixed shape and volume. Learn about the different states and how matter transforms itself from one state to another. States of MatterPhase Diagrams Chemical Reactions Once you have learned about atoms and molecules, youre ready to examine the type of chemical reactions that can occur. Reactions in WaterTypes of Inorganic Chemical Reactions Periodic Trends The properties of the elements exhibit trends based on the structure of their electrons. The trends or periodicity can be used to make predictions about the nature of the elements. Periodic Properties TrendsElement Groups Solutions Its important to understand how substance dissolve and how mixtures behave. Solutions, Suspensions, Colloids, DispersionsCalculating Concentration Gases Gases exhibit special properties based on having no fixed size or shape. Introduction to Ideal GasesIdeal Gas LawBoyles LawCharles LawDaltons Law of Partial Pressures Acids Bases Acids and bases are concerned with the actions of hydrogen ions or protons in aqueous solutions. Acid Base DefinitionsCommon Acids BasesStrength of Acids BasesCalculating pHpH ScaleNegative pHBuffersSalt FormationHenderson-Hasselbalch EquationTitration BasicsTitration Curves Thermochemistry Physical Chemistry Learn about the relationships between matter and energy. Laws of ThermochemistryStandard State ConditionsCalorimetry, Heat Flow and EnthalphyBond Energy Enthalpy ChangeEndothermic Exothermic ReactionsWhat Is Absolute Zero? Kinetics Matter is always in motion! Learn about the motion of atoms and molecules, or kinetics. Factors that Affect Reaction RateChemical Reaction Order Atomic Electronic Structure Much of the chemistry that you learn is associated with electronic structure, since electrons can move around much more easily than protons or neutrons. Valences of the ElementsAufbau Principle Electronic StructureElectron Configuration of the ElementsAufbau Principle Electronic StructureNernst EquationQuantum Numbers Electron OrbitalsHow Magnets Work Nuclear Chemistry Nuclear chemistry is concerned with the behavior of protons and neutrons in the atomic nucleus. Radiation RadioactivityIsotopes Nuclear SymbolsRate of Radioactive DecayAtomic Mass Atomic AbundanceCarbon-14 Dating Chemistry Practice Problems No matter how well you understand the text or the lecture, sometimes you need to see examples of how to approach and solve chemistry problems. Index of Worked Chemistry ProblemsPrintable Chemistry Worksheets Chemistry Quizzes Test your understanding of key chemistry concepts. How to Take a TestAtomic Structure QuizAcids Bases QuizChemical Bonds QuizElement Number QuizElement Picture QuizUnits of Measurement Quiz Science Fair Projects Doing a science fair project? Learn how to use the scientific method to design an experiment and test a hypothesis. Science Fair Project Help Other Useful Stuff Acids and BasesBefore You Buy a Chemistry TextbookCareers in ChemistryHigh School Courses Needed for College ChemLaboratory Safety RulesLesson PlansMaterial Safety Data SheetsStudy TipsTop Chemistry DemonstrationsTop Ways to Fail a Chemistry ClassWhat is the IUPAC?Why Get a Doctoral Degree?Why Students Fail Chemistry

The Ludlow Amendment and American Isolationism

The Ludlow Amendment and American Isolationism Once upon a time, Congress nearly gave away its right to debate and declare war. It never actually happened, but it came close in the days of American isolationism something called the Ludlow Amendment. Shunning the World Stage With the exception of a brief flirtation with empire in 1898, the United States attempted to avoid involvement in foreign affairs (European, at least; the U.S. never had many problems shouldering into Latin American affairs), but close ties to Great Britain and Germanys use of submarine warfare dragged it into World War I in 1917. Having lost 116,000 soldiers killed and another 204,000 wounded in just over a year of the war, Americans were not eager to get involved in another European conflict. The country adopted its isolationist stance. Insistent Isolationism Americans adhered to isolationism throughout the 1920s and 1930s, regardless of events in Europe and Japan. From the rise of Fascism with Mussolini in Italy to the perfection of Fascism with Hitler in Germany and the hijacking of the civil government by militarists in Japan, Americans tended their own issues. Republican presidents in the 1920s, Warren G. Harding, Calvin Coolidge, and Herbert Hoover, also gave scant attention to foreign affairs. When Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931, Hoovers Secretary of State Henry Stimson merely gave Japan a diplomatic slap on the wrist. The crisis of the Great Depression swept Republicans from office in 1932, and new President Franklin D. Roosevelt was an internationalist, not an isolationist. FDRs New Attitude Roosevelt firmly believed that the United States should respond to events in Europe. When Italy invaded Ethiopia in 1935, he encouraged American oil companies to enact a moral embargo and stop selling oil to Italys armies. The oil companies refused. FDR, however, won out when it came to the Ludlow Amendment. Peak of Isolationism Representative Louis Ludlow (D-Indiana) introduced his amendment several times to the House of Representatives beginning in 1935. His 1938 introduction was the one most likely to pass. By 1938, Hitlers reinvigorated German army had retaken the Rhineland, was practicing blitzkrieg on behalf of Fascists in the Spanish Civil War and was preparing to annex Austria. In the East, Japan had started a full-out war with China. In the United States, Americans were scared history was about to repeat. Ludlows Amendment (a proposed amendment to the Constitution) read: Except in the event of an invasion of the United States or its Territorial possessions and attack upon its citizens residing therein, the authority of Congress to declare war shall not become effective until confirmed by a majority of all votes cast thereon in a Nation-wide referendum. Congress, when it deems a national crisis to exist, may by concurrent resolution refer the question of war or peace to the citizens of the States, the question to be voted on being, Shall the United States declare war on _________? Congress may otherwise by law provide for the enforcement of this section. Twenty years earlier, even entertaining this resolution would have been laughable. In 1938, though, the House not only entertained it but voted on it. It failed, 209-188. FDRs Pressure FDR hated the resolution, saying it would unduly limit the powers of the presidency. He wrote to Speaker of the House William Brockman Bankhead that: I must frankly state that I consider that the proposed amendment would be impracticable in its application and incompatible with our representative form of government. Our Government is conducted by the people through representatives of their own choosing, FDR continued. It was with singular unanimity that the founders of the Republic agreed upon such free and representative form of government as the only practical means of government by the people. Such an amendment to the Constitution as that proposed would cripple any President in his conduct of our foreign relations, and it would encourage other nations to believe that they could violate American rights with impunity. I fully realize that the sponsors of this proposal sincerely believe that it would be helpful in keeping the United States out of war. I am convinced it would have the opposite effect, the president concluded. Incredible (Near) Precedent Today the House vote that killed the Ludlow Amendment doesnt look all that close. And, had it passed the House, its unlikely the Senate would have passed it on to the public for approval. Nevertheless, its amazing that such a proposal got so much traction in the House. Incredible as it may seem, the House of Representatives (that house of Congress most answerable to the public) was so scared of its role in U.S. foreign policy that it seriously considered giving up one of its bedrock Constitutional duties; the declaration of war. Sources Ludlow Amendment, full text. Accessed September 19, 2013.Peace And War: United States Foreign Policy, 1931-1941. (U.S. Government Printing Office: Washington, 1943; repr. U.S. Department of State, 1983.) Accessed September 19, 2013.