Net Ionic Equations

Thiocyanate is beautiful. A solution of ammonium thiocyanate, added to a solution of iron (III) chloride, forms a product of a very unusual composition and a beautiful color. Iron (III) thiocyanate is deep red, often referred to as “blood red.” The color is a strange reminiscence to the middle school days when eighth graders dressed in black snatched red ink from an innocent child to fake blood. They would not have liked it. Iron (III) thiocyanate is, in fact, a little too deep for them.

Then there are all the transition metals, atomic number twenty-seven to twenty-nine. They are cobalt, nickel, and copper. Cobalt ion turns blue in solution. Nickel is green, and copper is greenish blue with a positive one charge and clear blue with a positive two charge. They might be just like that little ugly duckling in Andersen, hiding beautiful appearances behind cold grey surfaces (which are pretty anyways).

Watching pennies turn silver and gold was quite impressive, too. A shiny 2009 penny was connected to a wire covered in black rubber and connected to a battery on the other side. The battery had another wire connecting it with a piece of zinc. An unidentified gross-looking mixture served to transfer electrons and plate zinc on the penny. A minute later, the penny would have turned sneakily into a dime-penny. Carefully heated, the zinc rapidly turns into gold—which is not really gold but brass. The wonders of chemistry hit the class too late, and it was four days before the AP exam.

Chemistry is all about symmetry, balancing equations, and predicting reactions; but for a moment, it can be about pretty colors.



I wonder if it's really that important that we don't use first person in our journals. With the assumption that journals are short essays, it really doesn't seem necessary, and it stands in my way to better writing. I mean, look at that last paragraph. When writing about rather personal experiences, first person definitely improves the quality of the piece... I think (for example─Headmaster's Dinner is better writing than this one). That's why I'd rather write short stories than meaningless essays like this one. But then you can't achieve anything with a one-page short story.