Chemblog!

Regents: we got into the Nuclear unit discussing the factor that makes some isotopes/nuclei unstable (its the RATIO of neutrons to protons in the nucleus). For unstable nuclei, a certain fraction of those nuclei are randomly decaying at a given time. The rate of decay of a particular sample of isotope can be qualitatively estimated from the "half-life" of the isotope/nuclide. Samples of radioisotopes with short half-lives decay rapidly, those with long half-lives decay slowly.
We then looked at the four types of emissions/emanations from radioisotopes: alpha particle decay, beta (-) decay (an electron) , beta (+) decay/ positron decay, and gamma emission (although some gamma radiation is also emitted in all decay processes.
We also did some of the Jan. 2006 Regents. Keep looking at that test and be ready with questions for review.

Honors: we reviewed the rest of Jan. 2006 and did select questions on Jan. 2007.
As you practice, don't forget to THOROUGHLY mark up each question and DRAW out your answers; I keep grading tests, EVEN AP EXAMS, that have unbelievably careless mistakes (and therefore ZERO CREDIT due to the incorrect answers that followed) due to poorly read questions and poorly drawn answers and NO double checking. You honestly would not believe some of the errors that I have been encountering. These errors are EASILY CORRECTED and/or AVOIDED. You just have to TAKE PAINS to make the effort of writing, drawing, and checking that your work agrees with what is asked for.