Extensions and Projects
1. Several very important scientists have contributed to the biogeochemical
cycle, including the following:
a. Ernest Solvay. His process for manufacturing washing soda
(Na 2 CO 3 . 10H 2 O) and baking soda (NaHCO 3 ) uses carbon dioxide (see
Alkali Metals module).
b. Fritz Haber. He devised a way to produce ammonia by directly combining
nitrogen and hydrogen gases (see Industrial Inorganic Chemistry module).
c. Friedrich Wilhelm Ostwald. He devised a three-step process to prepare
nitric acid from ammonia (see Industrial Inorganic Chemistry module).
d. Melvin Calvin. His research gave a clearer picture of photosynthesis.
He discovered the “dark reaction” of photosynthesis, which is called the
“Calvin Cycle.”
Research the lives and work of these famous scientists in your school library.
Which ones received the Nobel Prize for their research? Add others to the list.
2. Carbon shares some properties with silicon. A possible “silicon-based” life
form has often been considered, similar in many respects to the “carbon-based”
life form as we know it. Have students speculate on the possibility of
such a role for silicon. (Silicon chemistry is discussed in the modules
Chemistry of Rocks, Minerals and Gems and Materials Science.)
3. In the 1950s, the famous Miller-Urey experiments proved that nitrogen-containing
amino acids, the building blocks of protein molecules, could have
been synthesized from electrical discharges in a primitive atmosphere. Have
students do a library research project on the work and prepare a report. See
Miller, S. L., and Urey, H. C. (1959). Organic compound synthesis on the
primitive earth. Science, 130, 245.
4. Nitrous oxide, N 2 O, is sometimes called “laughing gas.” It is used now as an
anesthetic for some surgery and is a favorite among children’s dentists.
When it was first discovered, it was considered quite a novelty. Chemists
carried bladders filled with this gas to parties, and it was made in school
laboratories and passed around so that everyone could experience the
pleasing and unpredictable effect of this gas. Have students do library
research and prepare reports on the discovery and use of “laughing gas.”