Eleanor Roosevelt High SchoolDimitri Saliani, Principal

Chemistry Museum Quest

Welcome to the Chemistry Museum Quest. Successful completion of the quest is worth four points on your

last exam of MP2. In addition to this, you also receive the experience of being exposed to some of nature’s most magnificent and beautiful creations. Enjoy!

When the quest is submitted to your teacher, it must be complete and have your receipt from the museum attached to it. Photocopies are unacceptable. Please also include a photo of yourself at the exhibit.

Part 1 - Minerals in General.

Enter the museum and proceed through the Hall of Human Biology and the Hall of Meteors until you are at the entrance to the Hall of Minerals and Gems. These are on the 77th St. side of the building and any guard can direct you there. Go to the case that is straight through the entrance.

o Look at the sample of sulfur. Describe what you see. Include the obvious physical properties. How does it differ from what you’ve seen in the lab?

o Look at pyrite (FeS). It contains sulfur. Why isn’t it yellow? Why is it called ‘Fool’s Gold’?

o Go left to the case labeled California Gold. Choose your favorite specimen. Describe why you chose it.

1

Proceed right to the case labeled Introduction to Mineralogy.o Look at the list of minerals. How are they categorized?

o Find a mineral containing uranium. What is its number? Describe its appearance.

Turn around and look at the low cases, each of which contains minerals made of the same compound.

o What do you notice about the appearance of samples in a given case?

o How would you account for this variety?

o Examine the first few of these cases. Find and identify a perfect cubic crystal.

As you proceed down the corridor, note the variety of compounds. o Near the center of the hall there is a case containing 3 samples

(see photo for guidance). Which do you think is most beautiful? Why?

The entire left corridor continues in the same manner. Enjoy! As you approach the end of the corridor, examine the crystal lattice drawings in each of the cases containing silicate minerals. These are minerals that

2

contain silicon, a fairly common metalloid which is in the same group as carbon (group 14).

o What seems to be the geometric basis for all these crystals? In the case of the silicates, why would this make sense (hint: Think back to the work that we did with molecular models and carbon’s geometry)?

At the end of the corridor, take some time to examine the Esthetic Minerals.o Which is your favorite? Why?

o Look at #26. What is it? Would you be willing to wear it around your neck or on your finger?

Part 2 - Gold

Proceed past the geode exhibit at the far end of the hall and enter the small room where the film, Forever Gold, is playing. Wait until it starts and watch it.

o Where is gold (Au) found?

o Why is Au found in a pure state rather than as a compound?

o What are some of the unusual uses that ancient civilizations found for Au?

Part 3 – Gems

Go to the gem room. It is adjacent to the gold room. In the middle of the room is a case containing sapphires, rubies and emeralds.

o What is a carat? (You may need to answer this from a source other than the exhibit).

3

o Find the Star of India. How many carats is it? Describe its appearance.

Behind the Star of India case is a case containing various ‘Objet d’Art’. Read what Confucius says about Jade.

o Pick an object that, in your opinion, best reflects Confucius’ description. Identify it and explain why you think this is so.

Part 4 – Fluorescent Minerals

Go to the next room and find the case containing fluorescent minerals. It is just to the right of the case containing radioactive minerals. Wait until the light in the case turns off.

o Explain what you see using your knowledge of electron configurations and the ground and excited states.

Part 5 – Crystals and Properties

Proceed to the center of the large hall which is your final stop. There are four cases here: physical, chemical, optical, and lattices and crystals. Take the time to listen to the presentation, starting at the appropriate case and following the narration from case to case.

o How do all of these aspects of mineralogy contribute to the physical properties of the various minerals that you observed today. Use the chart below to organize your thoughts

4

Example of Property Mineral Exhibiting

PropertyPhysical Properties

Chemical Properties

Optical Properties

Lattices and Crystals

5