...HANDY-DANDY GUIDE TO WRITING A REACTION PAPER If you were to ask 10 people, "How do I write a Reaction Paper?" you'd probably get 10 different responses. No one seems to know exactly how to do one, yet almost everyone is assigned one at some point in his or her academic career. Here is a guide to what faculty are usually "looking for" in a well-written reaction paper. Remember, however, that every faculty member is different: some will want you to spend more time "analyzing" or "evaluating" the piece, others on giving your personal reactions to it. The best rule of thumb is to ask your faculty member for clarification. You might even consider giving him or her this guideline and asking him or her to revise it to reflect his or her expectations. I. SUMMARY/SYNOPSIS – What are you reacting to? GOAL: Show that you understand the thesis, main ideas, and supporting ideas in the piece you're writing about. Identify all of the "basic information: about the book that you can, including: • the author of the piece, the title of the piece, the title of the book or journal from which it was taken (if relevant), the publisher, and the year of publication; • the topic or subject of the piece—for example, "The Triangle Shirt-Waist Fire" or "Revitalization efforts underway in Roxbury's Codman Square." In other words, tell what the piece is about in a word or a phrase; • the author's purpose or motive for writing the piece—for example, "to expose the dangerous conditions factory workers...
Words: 550 - Pages: 3
...which is a harmful by-product of cellular respiration if it builds up in cells. In this lab, you will perform reactions with the enzyme catalase. OBJECTIVES: 1. Investigate the enzyme catalase in various tissues. 2. Measure the effect of changes in temperature on reaction rates of an enzyme-catalyzed reaction in a controlled experiment. INTRODUCTION: What would happen to your cells if they made a poisonous chemical? You might think that they would die. In fact, your cells are always making poisonous chemicals. They do not die because your cells use enzymes to break down these poisonous chemicals into harmless substances. Enzymes are proteins that speed up the rate of reactions that would otherwise happen more slowly. The enzyme is not altered by the reaction. You have hundreds of different enzymes in each of your cells. Each of these enzymes is responsible for one particular reaction that occurs in the cell. In this lab, you will study an enzyme that is found in the cells of many living tissues. The name of the enzyme is catalase (KAT-uh-LAYSS); it speed up a reaction that breaks down hydrogen peroxide, a toxic chemical, into 2 harmless substances--water and oxygen. The reaction is as follows: 2H2O2 à 2H2O + O2 This reaction is important to cells because hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is produced as a byproduct of many normal cellular reactions. If the cells did not break down the hydrogen peroxide, they would build up toxic levels of this chemical and ...
Words: 755 - Pages: 4
...Background: Acids are substances that are characterized by their ability to donate protons (H+) to other substances in a solution. Acids can be strong or weak. Weak acids do not ionize completely and are found in everyday substances. Acidity is a measure of the amount of dissolved hydrogen ions in a solution. The greater the number of hydrogen ions in a solution, the more acidic the solution. Strong acids donate hydrogen ions in water, to a much greater extent than weak acids. Bases are substances that are characterized by their ability to accept protons or produce hydroxide ions (OH-) in an aqueous solution. As for acids, the difference in strength of bases directly relates to the degree in which hydroxide ions are formed by the base in water. Like strong acids, strong bases are also dangerous chemicals. Weak bases are found in many everyday items. When feeling the consistency of a base, it feels slippery because it degrades the fatty acids and oils in the skin on contact. However, due to the possibility that an acid or a base could be very dangerous to human tissue, never experiment with an acid or base by tasting or touching it. To determine if a substance is an acid or a base, a pH scale may be used. pH is a measure of the concentration of hydrogen ions in a substance. The equation for pH is: pH = -log [H+]. The logarithm for pH is based on a scale of 10. As pH is a negative logarithm, the pH of a substance increases as the concentration of hydrogen ions decreases. For...
Words: 3057 - Pages: 13
...other force of nature. The dangerous thing about the chemical reactions in fire is the fact that they are self-perpetuating. The heat of the flame itself keeps the fuel at the ignition temperature, so it continues to burn as long as there is fuel and oxygen around it. The flame heats any surrounding fuel so it releases gases as well. When the flame ignites the gases, the fire spreads. So it is important that we understand the process of how it works to better protect ourselves from the dangers of fire. People used to considered fire as one of the major elements in the universe, alongside water, earth and air. But fire is really something completely different. Earth, water and air are all forms of matter; they are made up of millions and millions of atoms collected together. Fire isn't matter at all. It's a visible side effect of matter changing form. It’s one part of a chemical reaction. Typically, fire comes from a chemical reaction between oxygen in the atmosphere and some sort of fuel (wood or gasoline, for example). Of course, wood and gasoline don't spontaneously catch on fire just because they're surrounded by oxygen. For the combustion reaction to happen, you have to heat the fuel to its ignition temperature. The sequence of combustion generally goes like this: Something heats the wood to a very high temperature. The heat can come from lots of different things for example a cigarette or lightning. When the wood reaches about 300 degrees Fahrenheit (150 degrees Celsius)...
Words: 1288 - Pages: 6
...Paper Assignment Option (A) You are assigned a short paper, three to five pages in length, on four pieces of artwork you have seen in person by visiting Detroit Institute of Arts, Toledo Museum of Art or University of Michigan Museum of Art (You have to attach the ticket or museum sticker with your paper to demonstrate your museum trip). The paper is due no later than Thursday, April 12, 2012. In order to articulate your point of view more effectively, you might want to attach pictures of the artworks you are talking about. The bulk of this assignment is about writing paragraphs that visually describes the piece, using terms and concepts learning in class. Consider the subject, medium, technique, and composition. Also consider the design elements and principles that we have learned in class. Try to be complete. You must use the vocabulary that we have learned. Choose four works of art each created in a different media. Types of media could be oil painting, ink wash painting, wood carving, metal casting, photography, video, cloth tapestry, or other media. Typical questions to consider about each work of art include: -Describe what you have seen. -Explain your reaction to the work. -What do you think the artist’s intent was for creating this work? -How would interpret the work? -For contemporary art works, how would the theme be rendered if it was created several centuries earlier? For example, included in your visual description of the piece shall be commentary on: Form Composition...
Words: 994 - Pages: 4
...Distance of a Car Question: How can we determine the deceleration rate of a virtual car? How does reaction time affect the stopping distance of a car? Go to this website: http://higheredbcs.wiley.com/legacy/college/halliday/0471320005/simulations6e/index.htm?newwindow=true and on the left side of the screen select “Stopping Distance of a Car” Introduction: In this virtual experiment, a yellow sports car is coming to a stop from some initial velocity. On the left of the screen below the car you see a position vs. time and velocity vs. time graph of the motion. On the right of the screen below the car you are given lots of information about the car’s motion: time, distance covered, speed, distance traveled before braking, distance traveled after braking, and total stopping distance. Follow the instructions for the lab and answer questions as you proceed. Instructions: 1. Load up the Java Lab from the website shown above. 2. On the left side of the screen select “Stopping Distance of a Car” 3. Before you start recording data for the lab, “play” around with the buttons at the bottom of the screen and see what they do. (Play, pause, reset, step back, step forward.) 4. When you feel comfortable, hit the “clear trace” button and go on to procedure 1. Procedure-Part 1 Reset/clear trace and have the initial speed is set at 80 km/hr, the reaction time is 0.10 s, and the coefficient of friction is equal to 1.00. Answer the questions below PRIOR...
Words: 1538 - Pages: 7
...Year Eleven Chemistry Rust prevention in coating. Introduction/Abstract. The context of ships rusting at sea. Steel has many properties that make it a useful and essential building material in boats. Its strength and durability make it a great choice for structures exposed to high amounts of stress, such as weather, heat, large amounts of applied force and constant usage and is also a viable option for the sea although it can still be bettered. Steel is better protected by; galvanisation, waterproof paint or a sacrificial anode to better the corrosion protection for boats in the water compared to just bare steel framework (Corrosion methods, Corrosion-doctors.com;) these methods in theory protect the steel from the chlorides and salts to further the durability and life of the framework of a boat and hence allow them to endure more, and with corrosion costing $2.7 billion to just ships alone it’s easy to see why corrosion must be prevented. (The cost to the world because of corrosion with ships at $2.7 billion.) The chemistry of rust. Rust is caused by a few factors; moisture is the leading cause of rust along with water and salt, all making boats the most common victims of rust. (4 Fe+ 3O2 + 6 H2O= 4 Fe(OH)3,) Both water and oxygen must be present for rust to start and with water and oxygen on its own enough for rust to start destroying the structure of a boat, but along with salt to the water, it’ll become evident quickly that rust can be a big problem for many boat...
Words: 2400 - Pages: 10
...molecules known as monomers and polymers. Polymers are joined monomers. A chemical reaction links monomers together occurs and releases a water molecule, this is called dehydration synthesis. Hydrolysis separates polymers into monomers by using water to break bonds. Organic catalysts called enzymes are proteins that increase the speed of a chemical reaction. In the lab we used Biuret reagent to test for proteins, iodine solution to test for starch, paper to test for lipids. In the first lab, we tested for the presence of proteins in samples by using blue solution called Biuret reagent, which changes to purple when a protein is present and pinkish-purple for peptides. First test tubes were marked at 1cm and then filled to the mark with water, albumin, pepsin, and starch. Next, five drops of Biuret reagent was added to the sample, covered with Parafilm, and swirled to mix. The water remained clear, indicating the sample lacked the presence of proteins, and thus was our negative control. The albumin sample observed changed to an orange-purple color, indicating the presence of protein. The peptin sample changed to a pink-purple hue, testing positive for presence of peptides. The starch sample test tube turned opaque, indicating starch is not a protein. The results of the experiment were in line with my predictions. Although I knew that starch and water would lack protein I was unsure about the albumin and pepsin. Next, we tested for the presence of starch, the complex carbohydrate...
Words: 1676 - Pages: 7
...Zn metal in the test tube with the diluted solution. I then capped the test tube with a rubber stopper with a short, straight plastic gas delivery tube through the center. The test tube was then placed into one of the wells on the well plate. The test tube had to be upright so it was necessary to wrap the tube with a piece of paper towel to hold it into place. Reaction was observed and recorded. A pipette bulb was filled with water and placed on top of the test tube’s gas delivery tube. The well plate with the test tube was placed in the tin while the gas displaced some of the water. When the water in the pipette was completely replaced by the gas I quickly removed it and placed my finger over the opening to prevent any gas from escaping. I lit a match and gently squeezed out some of the gas and observed and recorded the reaction. I then took a marker and marked 3 equal parts on the pipette. The pipette was again filled with water and placed on the gas generation tube like previously. When the bulb was 2/3 filled with gas it was removed and placed in a well with the opening done to be used later in the experiment. The test tube was taken apart and the items disposed of properly. The test tube was thoroughly cleaned for the next experiment. Oxygen: A few pieces of Mn were placed into a clean test tube then I added hydrogen peroxide to fill the test tube leaving only 1 cm open at the top. The rubber...
Words: 1390 - Pages: 6
...Community College J. Etheridge Summary, Response, Analysis Short Paper Goals: * Students will understand the difference between summary, response, and analysis * Students will apply that knowledge by writing a summary, response, analysis short paper on one of the readings listed below * Students should demonstrate knowledge of Standard American English (SAE), including clean grammar/editing and clear, effective style * Students should demonstrate knowledge of effective paragraph organization * Students should apply standards of MLA formatting and citation Requirements: * Papers should be turned in via Blackboard by the date listed on the course schedule or as mentioned by the instructor * Papers should be 550-700 words in length. Papers which do not meet the length will be severely penalized. Do not use unusual fonts or formatting. * Papers should address all three elements (summary, response, analysis), but the least amount of space should be spent on the personal response section. * Paper should have a Works Cited entry and at least one use of parenthetical/in-text documentation for a direct quote. Information on in-text citation can be found starting on page 284 in the Current Issues text and in the LB Brief. Directions: For our first short paper, you will choose one of the essays out of the Current Issues text (options listed below) to read. Then you will write a paper which summarizes, responds to, and analyzes that essay. You...
Words: 596 - Pages: 3
...Purpose How do we determine the reaction type and write a balanced equation for chemical reactions? Background Discussion There are many kinds of chemical reactions and several ways of classifying them. One popular and useful method is to classify reactions into five major types. These are: (1) synthesis, (2) decomposition, (3) single replacement, (4) double replacement, and (5) combustion. Most reactions can be put into one of these categories. In a synthesis reaction, two or more substances (elements or compounds) combine to form a more complex substance. A decomposition reaction is exactly the opposite of a synthesis reaction. In a decomposition reaction, a compound breaks down into two or more simpler substances (elements or simpler compounds.) In a single replacement reaction, one element in a compound is replaced by a more active element. In a double replacement reaction, the positive ions of two different ionic compounds can be thought of as “replacing each other.” Most replacement reactions (both single and double) take place in aqueous solutions containing free ions. In a double replacement reaction, one of the products must be removed from the solution as a precipitate, water, or an insoluble gas. A precipitate is a solid that is produced as a result of a chemical reaction in solution. As the precipitate separates from the solution, the solution appears cloudy. In a combustion reaction a substance combines with oxygen, releasing a large amount...
Words: 2021 - Pages: 9
...into harmless substances. Enzymes are proteins that speed up the rate of reactions that would otherwise happen more slowly. The enzyme is not altered by the reaction. You have hundreds of different enzymes in each of your cells. Each of these enzymes is responsible for one particular reaction that occurs in the cell. In this lab, you will study an enzyme that is found in the cells of many living tissues. The name of the enzyme is catalase (KAT-uh-LAYSS); it speeds up a reaction which breaks down hydrogen peroxide, a toxic chemical, into 2 harmless substances--water and oxygen. The reaction is: 2 H2O2 ----> 2 H2O + O2 This reaction is important to cells because hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is produced as a byproduct of many normal cellular reactions. If the cells did not break down the hydrogen peroxide, they would be poisoned and die. In this lab, you will study the catalase found in liver cells. You will be using chicken or beef liver. It might seem strange to use dead cells to study the function of enzymes. This is possible because when a cell dies, the enzymes remain intact and active for several weeks, as long as the tissue is kept refrigerated. MATERIALS: 1molar HCl solution 1molar NaOH solution 6 Test tubes Measuring Pipette 10-ml Graduated cylinder 40 ml 3% Hydrogen peroxide solution (found in stores) Straight-edged razor blade Scissors and Forceps (tweezers) pH paper (optional) Stirring rod Fresh liver, Apple, and Potato Test tube...
Words: 1103 - Pages: 5
...Visit us at www.pro-base.eu - 1 - HOMEMADE BATTERIES Making and evaluating homemade batteries Author Ken Gadd, 4science, Stratford sub Castle, SP1 3YP, UK; ken@4science.org.uk Languages available English, Slovenian Summary Batteries power most of the portable electrical and electronic devices we use. Different types are available, suited for different uses. Batteries convert chemical energy into electrical energy. You can make a battery from a lemon, a piece of zinc and a piece of copper. So why don’t we use this instead of buying batteries from shops? In this activity you find out. You also explore other homemade batteries, including a seawater battery made by scientists in the BBC TV programme Rough Science. The purpose is to explore the potential of low technology homemade batteries as emergency power supplies. Activity type H Use of scientific knowledge and understanding to solve problems Working in teams to solve problems Communication Resource/budget management Time and workload management Techniques Field Electrochemistry Visit us at www.pro-base.eu - 2 - Time Practical lessons: 600 minutes Theory lessons: 120 minutes Out of class time: 360 minutes StandardBase procedures None StandardBase techniques None Other resources Zavod za šolstvo, Ljubljana (The National Education Institute of the Republic of Slovenia), http://www.zrss.si/ Other resources are listed in the activity...
Words: 6187 - Pages: 25
...hard, others are soft. Some are transparent, others are opaque. Most plastics are made in factories, but here’s one you can make at home. For this experiment you will need: * 1 teaspoon (5 cm3) laundry borax * 1 tablespoon (15 mL) white glue (e.g., Elmer's Glue-All) * food coloring (optional) * two cups * spoon * water Here's what to do: 1. In one of the cups, dissolve 1 teaspoon of laundry borax in 5 tablespoons (75 mL) of water. You will need to stir this for a while to get it to dissolve. (If a tiny bit does not dissolve, that is OK.) 2. In the other cup, combine 1 tablespoon of water and 1 tablespoon of white glue. If you wish, you may color the mixture with a couple drops of food coloring. With a clean spoon, stir the mixture thoroughly until it is uniform. 3. Put 2 teaspoons of the borax solution from the first cup into the glue mixture in the second cup. Stir the mixture. 4. As you stir the mixture, it will stiffen into a soft lump. After the lump has formed, take it from the cup and knead it in your hand for a couple minutes. The material you have made is called Gluep, and it is ready for you to examine. * Roll the Gluep into a ball and then let it rest. Does the ball maintain its shape? * Drop a Gluep ball onto a table top. What does the ball do? * Flatten the Gluep into a thin strip. Hold up the strip by one end. What happens to the strip? * Roll the Gluep into a cylinder and pull the ends slowly. What happens to...
Words: 2480 - Pages: 10
...ENZYME-CATALYZED REACTION Lab 5: Investigating an Enzyme-Catalyzed Reaction September 24, 2014 Principles of Biology 120.601 Mrs. Annemarie Duncan Abstract: (Burmania) This experiment was performed in order to examine ways in which a potato catalase enzyme reacts to various assays with differing variables. To do so a baseline assay (undiluted extract and room temperature H2O2) was used within the experiment with only one other variable changed in the other assays. These variables included a boiled, frozen and then thawed, and frozen potato extract and dH2O instead of the potato extract. It was noted that the temperature and or way the potato extract was prepared effects how the enzyme with the potato will react. Therefore the results of each assay varied, suggesting there is more than one way that a catalyzed reaction can occur. Introduction: (Burmania) The main purpose for this experiment was to explore how an enzyme catalase caused a reaction to catalyze through doing various assays using potato extracts. Enzymes are catalysts that are crucial in helping to speed up reactions, and catalase is a common enzyme found in almost every living organism that is exposed to oxygen. For this experiment, potatoes were used because they were previously known to have significant catalase activity. The potato catalase was mixed with hydrogen peroxide because the catalase helps to breakdown the hydrogen peroxide which helps determine how long a paper disk takes to float...
Words: 1565 - Pages: 7
