Synthesis

When it comes to chemical engineering, people always show their awe to chemical engineers. A lot of people think that chemical engineering field must be so hard that normal people cannot reach it. However, the truth is that chemical engineering actually is not a super academic major. It doesn't like the chemistry major, which is basically, do all kinds of researches and projects. What chemical engineers do is applying chemistry knowledge we known to real life case and finding the best solution. Thus, chemical engineering is truly a common job and actually appears everywhere.

For most chemical engineers, mastering top knowledge is unnecessary. After all the overall goal is not to make breakthrough in our field. The most things we need to know are principle of chemistry knowledges. Like what chemicals will react with what chemicals and so on. We do not have to get a PhD degree, which almost touch the edge of human understanding of a certain field.

Chemical engineer is a practical job. It more focus on whether it works in real life rather than just work theoretically. Also practicality means more diverse job options. Excepting chemistry field itself, chemical engineering also can fit in biology field, medical field, material field, energy field and so on. Because chemical Engineering is a branch of science that applies physical sciences and life sciences  together with applied mathematics and economics to produce, transform, transport, and properly use chemicals, materials and energy. (Wikipedia) 

Chemical engineering is an engineering major, and soft skills also required. As engineers, we hired by our clients or companies. We not only need good at academic filed, how to being a businessman is also important for us. Communication kills, teamwork and building a budget all are indispensable. Also, the ability like how to make a poster and how to host a presentational are also vital.

Personally, I would like to describe my filed as a problem solver rather than a scientific related major. When we receive a project, it just like we get a problem to fix it. We come up with all kinds of plans and designs. Then based on our design to build a prototype and test whether it works. Next, revise it and test it again and again until it perfectly worked. A lot of people have serious stereotype of chemical engineering, even me before enter the chemical field also thought in that way. But now, I realized it is wrong. I hope these past several months posts can help people who especially have plan to enter chemical engineering field understand the chemical engineering better and not just heard from parents or follow ideas from public blindly. 

Prompt#10 Misconcept In TV Shows

The TV series, Silicon Valley, describes several computer engineers how to built their own company. In this show, they are bunches of super smart and intelligent people but have a non-mainstream lifestyle. For example, they maybe good at programing things but they don't know how to make friend and communicate with others in polite way.

Image from:150609-ep18-1024x374.jpg

However, the reality is, engineers maybe a nerd but we are not a geek. A geek is someone whose passions or obsessions are outside the mainstream. And a nerd is someone with above average intelligence and debatable social skills. I admit that there are might be some nerds in our field, but they are not a geek. They maybe lack of some social skills but they still master most of them. I am a engineering major person, but I am not a nerd or a geek. Besides study, I will also attend all kinds of club events in campus and make friend. I think engineers just a group of normal people plus knowing some academic knowledge.

Another misconnect in this show is that they picture engineers as a extremely genius person. For example, a lot peoples always thought engineers must be really obsess with math, physics and other science object. Actually, we are not fans of math and other object. It is just we need those knowledge to help us become a engineer. As a engineer, I hear a lot of my classmate complain about the class they took. In short, our engineer really just a normal people as public and engineering really is a touchable job for everyone.

Buffers

Buffer is a solution that can either neutralize the acid and neutralize base. Here is a application of buffer. H₂CO₃, appears in our blood to control the acid-base of our blood. Usually, the normal blood pH is tightly between 7.35 to 7.45, which is a relatively small range.

H⁺+HCO₃^-ßàH₂CO₃ßàH₂O+CO₂

Image from: 2325_Carbon_Dioxide_Transport.jpg

If our blood tend to be acid, the H₂CO₃ in the blood will decomposed to H₂O and CO₂. At the same time, because the concentration of H₂CO₃ in blood decreased, it will shift the reaction toward right: H⁺+HCO₃^-àH₂CO₃. So the excess H⁺ in the blood are used to form H₂CO₃, and then decomposed to be H₂O and CO₂, which CO₂ will expel to outside of body through lungs.


By contrast, if the blood tend to be basic, the H₂CO₃ in the blood will decomposed to be H⁺ and HCO₃^-. This is because the basic solution means less H⁺ ion, and the less H⁺ in solution means low concentration of H⁺. So, the reaction will shift to left: H⁺+HCO₃^-ßH₂CO₃. The extra H⁺ that generate by H₂CO₃ will neutralized the excess basic iron and keep the pH in a certain range. Also, the excess HCO₃^- will be expel to outside body by kidney.

So, through shifting the equilibrium of reaction, the buffer can make the solution neither too acid nor too basic.

Prompt#9 Accomplishment of Chemical Engineers

About the significance of chemical engineering, it has much more positive impact than people expected. In the past several decades, our chemical engineers actually are constantly enhance the life of people.

Energy, everything are rely on it. Without energy, the modern society built by us will become nothing. In the last contrary, the main source of energy is depend on the burning of wood and coal. One weakness is that burning coal and wood has a really low efficiency. A lot of energy which is heat will distribute into atmosphere rather than use in where it should be. Second is it will create air pollution. The coal people burned usually are not pure carbon coal. It also has sulfur which will create another bad effect--acid rain.

So, right now, our chemical engineers not only revise the burning way but also invent a lot of other way to supply energy. For burning way, before burn the coal, we will "clean" it by chemical reaction. Also, we will put some basic solution in the chimney to neutralize the acid gas such as SO2. For other ways, we have primary cell and electrolytic cell to produce and store electricity; we have nuclear energy by react radioactive element; also we invent various device to transfer renewable energy such as wind and solar energy to energy people want. I can say chemical engineers contribute a lot for broaden our energy source options.

There are a lot of other achievements done by chemical engineers, please check out this website: http://www.che.ncsu.edu/information/documents/ten_achievements.pdf

pH

Usually, people will measure the concentration of  H⁺ in solution to determine the acidity, and measure the OH^- in solution to determine the basicity. But if people use the number like 1.0*10⁷, it is not simple enough to directly show the acidity and basicity. So, scientists create a way to help us understand the acidity and basicity concisely, that is pH scale.
pH=-log₁₀[H⁺]
For example, if a solution has 1.0*10⁷ M H⁺, then the pH=-log₁₀[1.0*10⁷]=7.

At the same time, we also have pOH.
pOH= -log₁₀[OH^-]
For example, if a solution has 1.0*10⁸ M OH^-, then the pOH=-log₁₀[1.0*10⁸]=8

However, generally, people only use pH instead of using both pH and pOH. The relationship between pH and pOH:  pH+pOH=14 (at room temperature 25。C)
That is because the product of concentration of H⁺ and OH^- always equal to 1.0*10^-14 M at 25。C.
[H⁺][OH^-]=1.0*10^-14 M 
So, we can know the pOH just by using 14 subtract the pH, and do not have to measure the concentration of OH^- in the solution.

Image from: Acids-and-Alkalis-The-pH-Scale.png