Seemingly trivial things that intrigue you

So for your year 7, acid and alkali are terms most commonly used for aqueous (water based) systems. They correlate to more general terms Lewis acid or base, which I think they learn about in A-levels.

Anyhow, it is all to do with the effect these species have in solution. An acid leads to an excess of H+ ions (or more properly H3O+, because protons don't exist on their own) and an alkali leads to more OH- ions.

Some compounds when dissolved liberate H+, either from themselves.or because they preferentially attract OH-. These are acidic.

Other compounds do the opposite, liberate OH- from themselves, or preferentially attract H+. These are alkalis.

The result is a solution with more of one than the other. If there is more H+ floating around, the solution is acidic. If there's more OH-, it is alkaline.

That's it really.

Looks like something other than carotene is a pH indicator, and that it's reversible.

Cool.

That's very hard to describe when they don't know what atoms are yet tho... ;)

However that's the best description I've seen of it so much kudos!

Please.dont ask me about Lewis acids and bases. The background to that takes a couple of years. I think they used to float the concept at A level but it makes no sense until it's underpinned by some degree level stuff.

My daughter is year 6 (final year primary) and not sure if she knows about atoms. Their science curriculum doesn't seem to have much chemistry. Loads of biology, bit of states of matter (freezing, evaporating et), bit of planets, bit of electrical circuits.

It does seem a bit basic, especially compared to the English grammar that they do, which is pretty much beyond me

I agree, I have a science ish background (chemistry & physics a level, material science degree) and find the science curriculum at primary level to be pretty lacklustre. The cabbage experiment was one that we did as a holiday project (no actual experiments were assigned, we could choose anything). They also haven't learned the basics of writing up an experiment, which seemed strange

I suspect I have probably explained atoms to her before but doubt she remembers much about it.

I distinctly remember getting a book on “space” for my 8th birthday which explained atoms in terms of nuclei and electrons and how that determined what elements you got.

Didn’t get as far as chemical bonds and free elections etc till year 9

Particles, chemical/physical change, that sort of thing... (Atoms come later)

Kids these days aren't taught how to write up things in science, blame/praise* Mr. Gove.

*(and there is a genuine debate there...)

Was it the constraints of the material that resulted in the new Gabba R looking like terrible fetish wear or was it a conscious choice.

Isn't Pythagorean theory quite complex? Like proving 1 x 1 is 1? That's degree level maths.

Or does "explain why" really mean "explain that"?

Atoms are year 7, I just looked it up. Or part way through middle school, in old money. This means a lot of kids, you would hope, already came across the concept from parents, older siblings, books*, asking questions in school.

*This is an old concept, now replaced by the internet

Yeah but proving it is hard. So is defining zero. I was told.

Anyway, I’m intrigued by people who feel the appropriate response to a solar eclipse is to clap and cheer it as though one of the objects involved has planned it all for them.

I made the mistake of watching Independence Day in a US cinema when it first came out. I swear some of them thought it was a news reel and the Yanks had genuinely saved Earth.

Yeah, first year secondary (in these parts at least - I think the English system is the same).

For me it was always infants, junior and secondary although the first two were the same primary school. The ‘new’ system decided to start with reception to confuse things. I haven’t got a clue when people talk about key stages though.

@rick_chasey

“Didn’t get as far as chemical bonds and free elections etc till year 9…”

I suspect this means you did Political Science and not actual science. 😁

What is it about people on hired electric scooters that instantly gets me riled up and annoyed.

Absolutely out of proportion. Logically it's absolutely fine, what's wrong with me.