Potions and Poisons 2016-2017 Science olympiad – Flashcards

the complete transfer of valence electron between atoms

sharing pairs of electrons

mixture of two or more compounds no individual unit

chemically unique combination of two or more elements which are bonded to each other by chemical bonds

Count the atoms of each element in the reactants and the products. Use coefficients place them in front of the compounds as needed

NH3 - colorless highly irritating gas - sharp suffocating odor - dissolves easily in water forms ammonium hydroxide solution can cause irritation and burns - Ammonia gas is easily compressed and forms a clear, colorless liquid under pressure

H2O2 - clear liquid - pure hydrogen peroxide will decompose over time into hydrogen and oxygen without a stabilizer - can cause serious contact burns to the skin at high concentrations - boiling point is 150.2 ℃ - freezes at - 51℃

C3H7OH - dissolves a wide range of non-polar compounds - evaporates quickly - leaves nearly zero oil traces - relatively non-toxic, compared to alternative solvents - widely as a solvent and as a cleaning fluid, especially for dissolving oils

NaCl - used for removing mildew, killing weeds - whitens clothes - irreversibly denatures and destroys many pathogens - an extremely versatile disinfectant

MgSO4 - In water, it breaks down into magnesium and sulfate -an extremely versatile disinfectant - drying agent - effective in the removal of splinters - highly soluble in water

CH3COOH - produced either by fast or slow fermentation processes - slow methods are used with traditional vinegars

(Toxicodendron radicans) causes an itching, irritating, and sometimes painful rash in most people who touch it - caused by urushiol, a clear liquid compound in the plant's sap - a member of the cashew family - commonly eaten by many animals - The leaves are trifoliate with three almond-shaped leaflets - Leaf color ranges from light green (usually the younger leaves) to dark green (mature leaves), turning bright red in fall - leaflets of mature leaves are somewhat shiny - leaflets are 3-12 cm (1.2-4.7 in) long, rarely up to 30 cm (12 in) - The urushiol compound in poison ivy is not a defensive measure - helps the plant to retain water - grows throughout much of North America and mountainous areas of Mexico - normally found in wooded areas - grows as a forest understory plant - somewhat shade-tolerant - rarely grows at altitudes above 1,500 m (4,900 ft) - altitude limit varies in different locations - causes severe itching that develops into reddish inflammation or non-coloured bumps, and then blistering - oatmeal baths and baking soda help - If poison ivy is burned and the smoke then inhaled, this rash will appear on the lining of the lungs, causing extreme pain and possibly fatal respiratory difficulty -

(Aconitum sp.) dark green leaves - deeply palmately lobed with 5-7 - Each segment is 3-lobed with coarse sharp teeth - tall, erect stem is crowned by racemes of large blue, purple, white, yellow or pink zygomorphic flowers with numerous stamens - one of the five petaloid sepals called the galea, in the form of a cylindrical helmet - two upper petals are large and are placed under the hood of the calyx - hollow spur at their apex, containing the nectar - 3-5 carpels are partially fused at the base - food plant of caterpillars - either blue or yellow flowers - grow in the shade of trees - Marked symptoms may appear almost immediately, usually not later than one hour - with large doses death is almost instantaneous - Death usually occurs within two to six hours in fatal poisoning (20 to 40 mL - initial signs are gastrointestinal including nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea - followed by a sensation of burning, tingling, and numbness in the mouth and face, and of burning in the abdomen - In severe poisonings pronounced motor weakness - Poisoning may also occur following picking the leaves without wearing gloves - aconitine toxin is absorbed easily through the skin - Aconitine is a potent neurotoxin

(Arum maculatum) enclosed in a pale green spathe or leaf-like hood - enclosed in a pale green spathe or leaf-like hood - clustered at the base of the spadix with a ring of female flowers at the bottom and a ring of male flowers above them - Above the male flowers is a ring of hairs forming an insect trap - spadix may also be yellow, but purple is the more common - autumn, the lower ring of (female) flowers forms a cluster of bright red berries - attractive red to orange berries are extremely poisonous - contain oxalates of saponins which have needle-shaped crystals which irritate the skin, mouth, tongue, and throat, and result in swelling of throat, difficulty breathing, burning pain, and upset stomach - large amounts are rarely taken and serious harm is unusual - one of the most common causes of accidental plant poisoning - can produce allergic reactions

(Convallaria majalis) herbaceous perennial plant that forms extensive colonies by spreading underground stems called rhizomes - upright shoots are formed at the ends of stolons in summer - grow in the spring into new leafy shoots - stems grow to 15-30 cm tall, with one or two leaves 10-25 cm long, flowering stems have two leaves and a raceme of 5-15 flowers on the stem apex - six white tepals (rarely pink), fused at the base to form a bell-shape, 5-10 mm diameter, and sweetly scented - flowering is in late spring - fruit is a small orange-red berry 5-7 mm diameter that contains a few large whitish to brownish colored seeds that dry to a clear translucent round bead 1-3 mm wide - self-sterile - colonies consisting of a single clone do not set seed - prefers warm summers - All parts of the plant are highly poisonous - If ingested—even in small amounts—the plant can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, reduced heart rate, blurred vision, drowsiness and red skin rashes

(Rhinella marina) large, terrestrial true toad - native to South and mainland Middle America - prolific breeder; females lay single-clump spawns with thousands of eggs - diet of both dead and living matter - Adults average 10-15 cm (3.9-5.9 in) in length - has poison glands, and the tadpoles are highly toxic to most animals if ingested - now considered a pest and an invasive species - Larger toads tend to be found in areas of lower population density - can live considerably longer in captivity, up to 35 years - skin of the cane toad is dry and warty - distinct ridges above the eyes, which run down the snout - a large parotoid gland lies behind each eye - pupils are horizontal and the irises golden - juveniles lack the adults' large parotoid glands, so they are usually less poisonous - tadpoles are small and uniformly black, and are bottom-dwellers - tadpoles range from 10 to 25 mm (0.39 to 0.98 in) - displayed a "distinct preference" for areas modified by humans - cause rapid heartbeat, excessive salivation, convulsions and paralysis

(Dendrobates sp.) great toxicity, derive this from their diet of ants, mites and termites - sometimes less than 1.5 cm (0.59 in) in adult length, although a few grow up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in length - bright coloration is associated with their toxicity and levels of alkaloids - endemic to humid, tropical environments of Central and South America - many species of poison dart frogs are dedicated parents - parents carry their newly hatched tadpoles into the canopy - tadpoles stick to the mucus on the backs of their parents - dart frog family is mostly female biased - females have a choice of mate - males show brighter coloration, are territorial, and are aggressive toward other males - Many poison dart frogs secrete lipophilic alkaloid toxins

(Androctonus australis) one of the most dangerous groups of scorpions species in the world - found throughout the semi-arid and arid regions of the Middle East and Africa - venom contains powerful neurotoxins and is especially potent - Stings from Androctonus species are known to cause several human deaths each year - does not dig burrows to protect itself from a sandstorm - it can withstand sandstorms powerful enough to strip paint off steel, without any apparent damage - Its armor is covered with dome-shaped granules that are 10 µm (0.0004 in) high and 25-80 µm (0.0010-0.0031 in) across -

(Toxicodendron vernix) all parts of the plant contain a resin called urushiol that causes skin and mucous membrane irritation to humans - inhalation of the smoke may cause the rash to appear on the lining of the lungs, causing extreme pain and possibly fatal respiratory difficulty - shrub or small tree, growing up to nearly 30 feet in height - each pinnate leaf has 7-13 leaflets, each of which is 2-4 inches long - oval-to-oblong; acuminate (tapering to a sharp point); cuneate (wedge-shaped) at the base - an underside that is glabrous (hairless) or slightly pubescent (down-like hair) beneath - stems along the leaflets are red and the leaves can have a reddish tint to them, particularly at the top of the plant - new bark is lightish gray, and as the bark ages, it becomes darker - flowers are greenish, growing in loose axillary panicles (clusters) 3-8 inches long - fruits are subglobose (not quite spherical), gray, flattened, and about 0.2 inches across - fruit are creamy white and part of a cluster - fruit and leaves of the poison sumac plant contain urushiol, an oil that causes an allergic rash upon contact with skin - grows exclusively in wet and clay soils - poison sumac is more toxic than its relatives poison ivy and poison oak

Fe by mass the most common element on Earth - iron exists in a wide range of oxidation states, −2 to +6, although +2 and +3 are the most common - reactive to oxygen and water - oxidize in normal air to give hydrated iron oxides, commonly known as rust - iron oxides occupy more volume than the metal and thus flake off, exposing fresh surfaces for corrosion - significance for planetary cores

iron overload caused by a large excess of iron intake and usually refers to an acute overload rather than a gradual one - primarily associated with young children - first indication of iron poisoning by ingestion is stomach pain - iron is corrosive to the lining of the gastrointestinal tract, including the stomach - nausea and vomiting are also common symptoms and bloody vomiting may occur - abates for 24 hours as the iron passes deeper into the body, resulting in metabolic acidosis, which in turn damages internal organs, particularly the brain and the liver - can cause hypovolemic shock due to iron's potent ability to dilate the blood vessels - death may occur from liver failure

occurs in many minerals, usually in combination with sulfur and metals, but also as a pure elemental crystal - primary use of metallic arsenic is in alloys of lead (for example, in car batteries and ammunition - arsenic contamination of groundwater is a problem that affects millions of people across the world - used in the production of pesticides, treated wood products, herbicides, and insecticides

occurs due to elevated levels of arsenic in the body - symptoms may include vomiting, abdominal pain, encephalopathy, and watery diarrhea that contains blood, thickening of the skin, darker skin, abdominal pain, diarrhea, heart disease, numbness, and cancer - Prevention is by using water that does not contain high levels of arsenic - toxicity of arsenic has been described as far back as 1500 BC

soft, malleable and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity - essential to all living organisms as a trace dietary mineral because it is a key constituent of the respiratory enzyme complex cytochrome c oxidase - In molluscs and crustaceans copper is a constituent of the blood pigment - adult body contains between 1.4 and 2.1 mg of copper per kilogram of body weight. Hence a healthy human weighing 60 kilogram contains approximately 0.1 g of copper. However, this small amount is essential to the overall human well-being

refers to the consequences of an excess of copper in the body - occur from eating acid foods cooked in uncoated copper cookware, or from exposure to excess copper in drinking water or other environmental sources - in the blood and blood stream exists in two forms: bound to ceruloplasmin (85-95%), and the rest "free", loosely bound to albumin and small molecules - distinct difference between organic and inorganic copper - organic copper, like that found in food, is a beneficial micronutrient needed for good health - inorganic metallic copper, like that found in electrical wire, plumbing pipes, brass fittings, redox water filters, sheet metal, cooking utensils, jewelry and pennies, is a neurotoxic heavy metal linked to physical and psychiatric symptoms

an oily organic allergen found in plants of the family Anacardiaceae - causes an allergic skin rash on contact - the oxidation and polymerization of urushiol in the tree's sap in the presence of moisture allows it to form a hard lacquer - a specific gravity of 0.968 and a boiling point of 200 °C - 50% of the urushiol can be absorbed within 10 minutes - once urushiol has penetrated into the skin, attempting to remove it with water is ineffective

previously used as an antipyretic and analgesic and still has some limited application in herbal medicine - barely soluble in water but very soluble in organic solvents - soluble in mixtures of alcohol and water if the concentration of alcohol is high enough - the first symptoms of aconitine poisoning appear approximately 20 minutes to 2 hours after oral intake and include paraesthesia, sweating and nausea. This leads to severe vomiting, colicky diarrhea, intense pain and then paralysis of the skeletal muscles

NH4NO2 - Ammonium nitrite not used in pure isolated form, since it is highly unstable and decomposes into water and nitrogen even at room temperature - forms colorless crystals which are soluble in water, but decomposes when heated or in the presence of acid into water and nitrogen - If there is any decrease in pH lower than 7.0, it may lead to an explosion

sodium hypochlorite the sodium salt of hypochlorous acid - when dissolved in water it is commonly known as bleach or liquid bleach - practically and chemically distinct from chlorine - frequently used as a disinfectant or a bleaching agent - containing 3-8% sodium hypochlorite and 0.01-0.05% sodium hydroxide; the sodium hydroxide is used to slow the decomposition of sodium hypochlorite into sodium chloride and sodium chlorate - has destaining properties - can be used to remove mold stains, dental stains caused by fluorosis - exhibits broad spectrum antimicrobial activity and is widely used in healthcare facilities in a variety of settings - A weak solution of 2% household bleach in warm water is used to sanitize smooth surfaces prior to brewing of beer or wine - mode of disinfectant action of sodium hypochlorite is similar to that of hypochlorous acid - This 1:10 dilution of 5.25%-6.15% sodium hypochlorite with water (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) yields between 5250-6150 ppm available chlorine and is able to inactivate both C Diff[6] and HPV - used to treat dilute cyanide wastewater, such as electroplating wastes - oxidized to cyanate (OCN−) that is not toxic, idealized as follows CN− + OCl− → OCN− + Cl− dilute bleach baths have been used for decades to treat moderate to severe eczema in humans