Grammar Gazette-Issue 1, 2020

House Spirit

House Spirit Supporting the Science Learning Centre

BEANLAND: Erbium Erbium is found principally in the minerals monazite and bastnaesite, and is extracted by ion exchange and solvent extraction Erbium can give a pink colour to sunglasses, glass and gemstones Broadband signals, carried by fibre optic cables, are amplified by including erbium in the glass fibre.

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Er

GIBSON: Argon Argon is a colourless, odourless and versatile gas that is totally inert to other substances Argon makes up 0.94 per cent of the Earth’s atmosphere and is the third most abundant atmospheric gas. Argon is used in fluorescent ‘neon’ tubes and low-energy light bulbs, where it produces a purple/violet colour when excited by electricity Double-glazed windows use argon to fill the space between the panes, and car tyres sometimes contain argon to protect the rubber and reduce road noise

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Ar

'Science and everyday life cannot, and should not, be separated.’ —Rosalind Franklin, Chemist

The School’s Science Learning Centre (SLC) is a significant learning facility made possible through the contributions of all in the BGGS community. The Wall of Thanks, which takes the form of the Periodic Table, will be located within the new building in honour of donors who chose an element to represent their support of this transformational project. During Term 1, students in each of the School’s nine Houses voted to choose an element to signify their House These elements provide an opportunity for students, families and alumnae to support the Science Learning Centre by contributing to their House’s fundraising efforts. To find out more, visit bggs.qld.edu.au/house-giving

ENGLAND: Cobalt Cobalt is a lustrous, silvery-blue metal Cobalt-60 is a radioactive isotope widely used in cancer treatment Cobalt can be magnetised, and is alloyedwith aluminiumand nickel tomake particularly powerful magnets Cobalt salts have been used for centuries to produce brilliant blue colours in paint, porcelain, glass, pottery and enamels The tomb of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, who ruled from 1361–1352 BC, contained a small glass object coloured deep blue with cobalt

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Co

HIRSCHFELD: Copper Copper is a widely used pinkish-orange metal that is an essential element for humans; an adult needs about 1.2 milligrams of copper per day to help enzymes transfer energy in cells Historically, copper was the first metal to be worked by people; its combination with tin, to form the alloy bronze, gave the name to the Bronze Age Today, copper is used in electrical equipment, such as wiring and motors, industrial machinery and agriculture, because it conducts both heat and electricity very well

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Cu

GRIFFITH: Strontium Strontium is a soft, silvery metal that burns in air and is best known for the brilliant red colours its salts give to fireworks and flares. It is also found in the shells of some deep-sea creatures and is essential to some stony corals Strontium-90, a radioactive isotope, is a by-product of nuclear reactors and present in nuclear fallout However, it is also one of the best high-energy beta-emitters, and can generate electricity for space vehicles, remote weather stations and navigation buoys

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Sr

LILLEY: Barium Barium is a soft, silvery metal that rapidly tarnishes in air and reacts with water Barium occurs only in combination with other elements It is not extensively used, but is used in drilling fluids for oil and gas wells, as well as in paint, bricks, tiles, rubber and glassmaking Barium is a heavy element and scatters X-rays, so as it passes through the body, the stomach and intestines can be distinguished. Barium nitrate gives fireworks a green colour, reminiscent of Lilley House

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Ba

MACKAY: Aluminium A silvery-white very versatile metal, aluminium is soft and malleable Aluminium is the most abundant metal in the Earth’s crust, and is used in a variety of products including cans, foils, kitchen utensils, window frames and aeroplane parts It has low density, is non-toxic, has a high thermal conductivity, has excellent corrosion resistance, and can be easily cast, machined and formed It is also non-magnetic and non-sparking, and a good electrical conductor

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Al

WOOLCOCK: Tungsten Woolcock House chose Tungsten because of its chemical symbol, W, which is drawn from its other name, Wolfram It has the highest melting point of any metal and is alloyed with other metals to strengthen them Tungsten carbide is immensely hard and is very important to the metal-working, mining and petroleum industries It is made by mixing tungsten powder and carbon powder and heating to 2200°C

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W

O’CONNOR: Rhenium Rhenium is one of the few elements discovered by a woman, Ida Noddack Its number is 75, which echoes 1875—the School’s foundation year, when Mrs Janet O’Connor became the School’s first Lady Principal. Rhenium is a silvery metal with a very high melting point, and is among the rarest metals on Earth It is used as an electrical contact material as it resists wear and withstands arc corrosion

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above Architect’s impression of the Science Learning Centre

Gazette

Gazette

Brisbane Girls Grammar School

Brisbane Girls Grammar School

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Issue 1, 2020

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Issue 1, 2020