Module 1 Project: Dimensional Analysis - Why Did the Dinosaurs Disappear?

Overview

The disappearance of the dinosaurs has been a topic of discussion since the first of the huge skeletons
were discovered. Fossils found in various layers of the Earth’s crust helped to delineate the species that
may have existed during specific geologic times. This analysis has not been without controversy, as the
interpretation of the data has been taken to indicate different things by different scientists.

This project will help lay the foundation for an increased ability to perform calculations based on
mathematical approximation, and dimensional analysis. This project will also prepare you to analyze
chemical word problems and feel confident in your mathematical approach for the entire semester.

Instructions

Indicate all sources of information in APA format, show all work mathematically, and use an equation
Likethis
editor to create conversion factors ( ), to show the progression of your calculations. Type and
¿this
label all of your answers, numbering them as the questions are below. Include an explanation of your
work as you go along noting why you are executing an operation or step. Submit your final typed
document to the corresponding assignment folder.

Answer the following questions.

1. Research at least two different theories for the disappearance of the dinosaurs. Provide a brief
summary (1-2 paragraphs) of these. A few pictures or timelines would be nice! Include sources.
2. Give a brief overview of the steps of scientific method and outline how you see the scientific
method used in the investigation of the disappearance of the dinosaurs. (1-2 paragraphs)
3. Can we refer to these explanations of the disappearance of the dinosaurs as theories or
hypotheses? Explain the difference between a theory and a hypothesis and how these terms can
be applied to the explanations for the disappearance of the dinosaurs. (3-4 sentences)
4. It has been suggested that an asteroid, that when striking the Earth, vaporized a large quantity
of soil and rocks on the Earth’s surface, including itself. This impact resulted in a layer of
material settling out relatively uniformly over the surface of the globe. Current evidence
indicates 22% of the mass of the asteroid turned to dust and resulted in about 0.022 g/cm 2 of
the Earth’s surface being covered
a. If the asteroid had a density of about 2.0 g/cm3 and the area of the Earth is 510.1 trillion
m2, calculate the mass of the asteroid. Show all your work clearly, using an equation
editor in the word processor. Also explain in a narrative the mathematics that are being
done and why.
b. Calculate what the radius of the asteroid had to have been to cover the Earth to the
extent listed above. What shape would you have to assume the asteroid is to do this
calculation? Show all your work clearly, using the equation editor in the word processor.
Also explain in a narrative the mathematics that are being done and why.
5. There is nothing more exciting than finding a fossil!
a. As far as the dinosaurs are concerned, were the skeletal remains really skeletons, actual
bone material, or casts of the remains?
b. You studied the difference between chemical and physical changes in Chapter 1. What
happened to the skeletons of the dinosaurs as far as the “change” was concerned? Was
it physical or chemical, or both? Explain the difference between these changes
specifically applied to the dinosaur bones.
c. For a chemical change to occur, a chemical reaction must have taken place. If we
assume the bone material is becomes ”fossilized”, and bone material is mainly
hydroxyapatite, which has the formula Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2, what chemical changes could
have possibly occurred to form a fossil? During fossilization of bone, various elements
are replaced with other elements, according to Figure 1

(How SUE Became a Rock Star, ChemMatters, October/November 2016)

But first, to understand chemical formulas of ionic compounds a bit better,
analyze the following table. Remember the charges on the ions should result in a certain
ratio of elements in the final formula. For example, the hydroxyapatite formula reflects
this idea.

Ion Name Ioncharge Number of Total

Each Charge
Calcium Ca2+ 10 +20
Phosphate PO43- 6 -18
Hydroxide OH- 2 -2
Resultant
Formula
Net Charge on Zero(0) Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2,
 the
compound?

i. Create a table like this, with your chosen ion replacements and the final formula
that would result, then move to ii.
ii. To illustrate the chemical change that can occur, write a chemical equation
showing the change of one unit of hydroxyapatite(as a reactant) plus the
elements you are replacing with, changing into a different substance by
replacing the calcium for something else, the phosphate for something else, and
the hydroxide for something else from the figure. So the final equation should
have 4 reactants(one unit of hydroxyapatite, plus the three ions you are
replacing with(including phase labels) to create a final product with the
replacements, and the other ions now separate, with their phase labels(Hint,
usually these replacement fossils form in a river or stream)
d. The mass of a piece of fossilized bone is very heavy. Given the fossilization equation you
wrote, calculate the change in the mass from one mole of hydroxyapatite to one mole of
the new, altered substance you created. Did the mineralized fossil piece become heavier
or lighter in mass?
e. Research the difference between the structure of the bone and the structure of the
mineralized fossil. Are there as many empty spaces in the mineralized fossil?
f. Finally, include an image of a fossil of an extinct “dinosaur”. Indicate the name of the
dinosaur and the era in which it was supposed to have lived.

Again, make sure to include all citations for references used. The article Figure 1 was taken from is in
Module 1 Project content module.

See the Schedule and Course Rubrics in the Syllabus Module for due dates and grading information.