Reactions of the Mind

And common reactions that occur in a STEM students mind

Yellow Ochre
● Cobalt(II)-chloride (CoCl2 · 6H2O) + KNO2 + Acetic acid
● There is a double displacement reaction between the CoCl2 and KNO2
○ This creates Cobalt Nitrite and Potassium Chloride
● Original mixture did not work
○ Color was not at all yellow
○ No precipitate
● Remade mixture
○ Chemical became more yellow tinted
○ Still no precipitate
● This led to an overall failure of yellow ochre color making
● The issue was likely due to using NaNO2 instead of KNO2 because we didn’t
have Potassium Nitrite
Malachite
- Green pigment made from copper (II) carbonate precipitate.
- Naturally, the pigment is made from the malachite mineral. It is ground up to a
fine powder.
- Artificially (How we made it) it is a made from a reaction which begins with
copper (II) sulfate solution and sodium carbonate solution
- The result of this double displacement reaction leaves a copper (II) carbonate
precipitate, which is then filtered to get the fine pigment.
Mystery seafoam green
Made with cupric chloride and sodium hydroxide mixed with sodium carbonate.

Not much is known about this color because it was made on accident.
Red Ochre
-Pigment made from iron oxide

-Appears red due to the mineral hematite (Fe2O3)

-Naturally found in silica and clay deposits

-Most abundant in France and Brazil but can be found all over the world
How to make Red Ochre!
-Put a bundle of steel wool in water to expedite the rusting process

-Rusting is an oxidation reaction

-Occurs when iron is in contact with oxygen

-Water expedites the reaction because it flows into the pores on the iron surface,
brings oxygen directly into the iron.
How to make Red Ochre pt.2
-Once the steel wool has rusted, grind it up

-Heat up the iron oxide powder that is left

-Apply a base

-Viola!
So what are some common chemical reactions
going on in a stem students brain?
Adrenaline
● Hormone emitted by the adrenal gland
● Widely known as the “fight or flight” response
● Released when stressed, scared, or angry
● Extremely important for survival
○ Keeps you alive and gives you a sort of “boost” when injured
○ Provides energy when stressed or angry
Why Adrenaline
● When in STEM, there are many times that you will be stressed
● Helps you take advantage of stress and keeps you from giving up
● Can keep you awake on long nights of experiments and projects
Dopamine
A hormone that assists in the chemical process that produces happiness

Is processed by the brain and kidney

Broken down by metabolites and flows through the bloodstream to the brain and
kidneys

Is produced in several areas of the brain including the substantia nigra and the
ventral tegmental area
Why dopamine?
Dopamine helps boost motivation, which is an essential trait for a STEM student.

Without motivation, quality and efficiency of work decrease.

Without this essential neurological process, Students would suffer academically,

leading to depression and anxiety
Melatonin
-Hormone for sleep-wake cycle

-Excreted from the pineal gland

-Melatonin production stimulated by light dependent reaction

-When light is present, production is inhibited

-When light is not present, melatonin production occurs

Why Melatonin?
-It represents the necessity of a good night’s sleep in every student’s life.

-With sleep, a model STEM student can perform at the top of his game in class

-It does NOT mean that class is so boring that it makes you want to sleep.

--But art is subjective.

Serotonin
Chemical in the brain responsible for our general well being and happiness

Also found in the gut, used for cleansing the digestive system

Responsible for feelings of love and desire.

Why Serotonin
We believe it represents the love we have for this program, because of great
teachers and great learning

The STEM program gives a good reason to love science, and it contributes to our
well being and happiness
 Ethan Fonarev| STEM Chemistry
You better get your rest fosho,
You have the melatonin man but really
are you sleeping though?sr
Reactions of the Mind| Spring Collection 2020
Water, oxygen, and iron are necessary for the oxidation reaction of iron. First, iron will be
oxidized, losing electrons and transferring them to the oxygen. As a result, the oxygen will be
reduced and interact with water to make hydroxide. Iron and hydroxide will then come
together to make iron hydroxide. Finally, iron hydroxide will react with the oxygen to form iron
oxide.

4Fe + 3O2 + 6H2O → 4Fe(OH)3

 Chapin Williams| STEM Chemistry
What color is it, I don't know, but
dopamine comes in, and I go with the
flow.
Reactions of the Mind| Spring Collection 2020
When one mixes cupric chloride and sodium hydroxide create a relaxed seafoam green color.
The cupric chloride was premade, I then mixed 100 ml of cupric chloride and 100 ml of
sodium hydroxide. After a good stir, I filtered out the percipitate.

CuCl2 + NaOH → Cu(OH)2 + 2NaCl

 Kyle Ramser | STEM Chemistry
Adrenaline is the turbo of the brain,
Propelling us through our stress and
pain.
Reactions of the Mind| Spring Collection 2020
To create a yellow ochre color, I mixed a gram of Cobalt(II)- Chloride into 20 ml of
deionized water and then added 1 ml of acetic acid. You then add a mixture of 8
grams of potassium nitrate in 20 ml of deionized water slowly to the original
mixture. This should form a precipitate that can be used with a base to create
yellow ochre paint.

CoCl2 + 7KNO2 + 2CH3COOH → K3[Co(NO2)6] + NO + 2KCl + H2O + 2CH3COOK

Source: https://chemiday.com/en/reaction/3-1-0-2420
 Mateo Eusebio | STEM Chemistry
When we feel real down and lack any
desire, serotonin comes in and makes
it all worthwhile.
Reactions of the Mind | Spring Collection 2020
On this portion of the artwork, I used a Malachite pigment. To make it, I used copper
(II) sulfate solution and sodium carbonate solution. The first step was to mix it in a
beaker. During the reaction, the mixed solutions bubbled up releasing carbon dioxide
as a byproduct. The resulting solution was a mix of aqueous sodium sulfate and a
copper (II) carbonate precipitate. The final step was to filter the solution to get the the
blue green copper (II) carbonate precipitate.
CuSo4(aq) + Na2Co3(aq) → CuCo3(s) + Na(So4)2(aq)