Saturday, March 21, 2020

Why Do NaNoWriMo

Why Do NaNoWriMo For half a million writers worldwide the month of November is NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month). As a  NaNoWriMo  mentor and writer its the highlight of my writing year. Have you considered it? The NaNoWriMo challenge to write 50,000 words in 30 days began in 1999. Its a non-profit effort run mostly for Elephants">Water for Elephants. The regions are supported Is there a prize? No. NaNoWrio isnt a writing competition, its a creative challenge. Its benefits include discounts on writing tools, bragging rights, improved writing resume, increased creativity, finding a local writing community, and most importantly, a first draft of your book. Does it have to be in November? November doesnt suit everybody. You could try  Camp NaNo. It runs in April and July and is a smaller event with more flexible targets. I used it to start a short fiction collection. Others complete a novel, edit a book, or write a script – your choice. Is there a cost? No, it runs on writer donations. Is it possible? Yes, but must commit to it. Statistically 17 percent  of writers finish NaNoWriMo but weve pushed that to 40 percent in my region thanks to advance preparation. Telling your friends and family gives you cheerleaders. Planning your plot and  characters and doing some research helps you face the blank page. Scheduling two hours for writing daily will keep you on track. Freezing dinners and turning off the TV will create writing time. When struggling to meet my word count I hand the WiFi router to my husband. Will it get me published? No, but its a start. My small region now has several published writers who still participate in NaNo annually. One poet self-published her collection and runs the poetry performances in the regional arts festival. A romance novelist has her first childrens book out. A zombie-thriller writer is a national novel contest finalist. What you do with your book after NaNoWriMo is up to you, but meeting other writers is inspirational. Why bother? I get asked this often and I have many answers. Writing a book in November gives me work to edit and submit for the rest of the year. Writing daily (as Hope recommends) gives  me a more professional approach to my work. NaNoWriMo encourages  me to try new genres and restored the fun in my writing. I meet other writers and built a year-round network. NaNoWriMo provides plenty of support apart from your local mentor. Theres a blog and published authors interact and inspire via  #NaNoCoach. The discounts on writing tools are hand,  and I enjoy my winners certificates and web-badges. Exclusive pep talks from bestsellers like  Neil Gaiman,  Diana Gabaldon, and  John Green  are fantastic. First-timers worry about the deadline but shouldnt. Even if you dont reach 50,000 words you will definitely write more than normally that you would otherwise in November. If you prefer to write plays, poetry or short fiction, join us anyhow. You get a cool title – NaNoRebel. If you write, youre welcome. This November consider becoming participant 500,001. NaNoWriMo Resources  ·      Ã‚  Ã‚  nanowrimo.org  ·         http://ywp.nanowrimo.org  Ã‚   Young Writers Programme (age 17 and under)  ·         http://campnanowrimo.org/about   Camp NaNo  ·         http://nanowrimo.org/pep-talks   Exclusive Pep Talks archive  ·         http://blog.nanowrimo.org/ Blog free cover contest  ·         http://nanowrimo.org/sponsor-offers   Offers for winners and participants

Thursday, March 5, 2020

Determine Concentration and Molarity

Determine Concentration and Molarity Molarity is one of the most common and important units of concentration used in chemistry. This concentration problem illustrates how to find the molarity of a solution if you know how much solute and solvent are present. Concentration and Molarity Example Problem Determine the molarity of a solution made by dissolving 20.0 g of NaOH in sufficient water to yield a 482 cm3 solution. How to Solve the Problem Molarity is an expression of the moles of solute (NaOH) per liter of solution (water). To work this problem, you need to be able to calculate the number of moles of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and be able to convert cubic centimeters of a solution into liters. You can refer to the Worked Unit Conversions if you need more help. Step 1 Calculate the number of moles of NaOH that are in 20.0 grams. Look up the atomic masses for the elements in NaOH from the Periodic Table. The atomic masses are found to be: Na is 23.0H is 1.0O is 16.0 Plugging these values: 1 mol NaOH weighs 23.0 g 16.0 g 1.0 g 40.0 g So the number of moles in 20.0 g is: moles NaOH 20.0 g Ãâ€" 1 mol/40.0 g 0.500 mol Step 2 Determine the volume of solution in liters. 1 liter is 1000 cm3, so the volume of solution is: liters solution 482 cm3 Ãâ€" 1 liter/1000 cm3 0.482 liter Step 3 Determine the molarity of the solution. Simply divide the number of moles by the volume of solution to get the molarity: molarity 0.500 mol / 0.482 litermolarity 1.04 mol/liter 1.04 M Answer The molarity of a solution made by dissolving 20.0 g of NaOH to make a 482 cm3 solution is 1.04 M Tips for Solving Concentration Problems In this example, the solute (sodium hydroxide) and solvent (water) were identified. You may not always be told which chemical is the solute and which is the solvent. Often the solute is a solid, while the solvent is a liquid. Its also possible to make up solutions of gases and solids or of liquid solutes in liquid solvents.  In general, the solute is the chemical (or chemicals) present in smaller amounts. The solvent makes up most of the solution.  Molarity is concerned with the total volume of the solution, not the volume of the solvent. You can approximate molarity by dividing moles of solute by volume of solvent that is added, but this isnt correct and can lead to significant error when a large amount of solute is present.Significant figures can also come into play when reporting concentration in molarity. There will be a degree of uncertainty in the mass measurement of the solute. An analytical balance will yield a more precise measurement than weighing on a kitchen scale, fo r example. The glassware used to measure the volume of solvent also matters. A volumetric flask or graduated cylinder will yield a more precise value than a beaker, for example. Theres also an error in reading the volume, relating to the meniscus of the liquid. The number of significant digits in your molarity is only as many as that in your least precise measurement.