After receiving Benchmark 1, my team tested the pH of the water samples given to us and found that the sample from “Lake B” matched the acidity of the contaminant, which caused the team to determine that the police should continue their investigation on Lake Berryessa. After this, we received Benchmark 2 which informed us that after furthering their investigation on Lake Berryessa, the police found a delivery truck submerged at the bottom of the lake, in which the airbag deployed and malfunctioned, causing the airbag to stay inflated. After being instructed to determine if the truck could be safely removed from the lake without the airbag exploding and causing damage, we concluded that the truck could be removed without damaging evidence. After the truck was successfully removed from the lake, we received Benchmark 3 which informed us that chemicals residues were found and taken from the victim, truck, crime scene, and suspects. After we analyzed all chemicals, one chemical, vanillin (C8H8O3), was found on both the victim and at the crime scene, and another chemical, cocaine (C17H21NO4), was found at both the crime scene and on suspect #2 (Gladys V.). We were later given Benchmark 4, in which we learned that the body of the victim was found, and an autopsy was performed. During the autopsy, the medical tracer, Iodine-131, was found in her system, and we were given the task to calculate the time of death by determining when the victim was exposed to the tracer.
Our Report In my chemistry class we made cheese sticks. I'm not the greatest at making food and I rarely ever do, but with the help of my group I feel we did a pretty good job. The only problem we had was that we had the oil too hot. Because of this, the outside was quickly burnt but the inside was barely cooked at all. They were still good but they would have been a lot better if the cheese had at least melted. Before making the cheese sticks, we were required to find a recipe and break the ingredients down to their molecular levels. When doing this I noticed some very interesting things. The first thing I noticed is that a single ingredient wasn't just a single ingredient. Each ingredient was made out of around 10 or more different chemical compounds. But what I found most interesting was that a lot of our ingredients were made out of almost the exact same chemical compounds. For example, we used breadcrumbs and flour, and the only difference between the two is that the breadcrumbs have a little more hydrogen and oxygen. |
Austin Chavoen |