Chemicals/formulas/elements in computers

[PuppyforChrist]

Okay heres the scoop:

For my Chemistry project I have been assigned to write a report on computers. But I have to include chemestry with it. I need to know chemical formulas that are inside computers, as well as elements on the Periodic table that are found in computer. As well as general chemicals as well.

The problem is, the only think I know is that the element Silicon is found in computers, and that's about it.

I DO know a lot about computers, but when it comes to connecting it to chemistry, I haven't a clue.

Can any of you who are highly inteligant on computers help me out?

 

[SirKenin]

well, there's ceramic. Metal. electro-magnets. Wires.

Resistors are made up of carbon.

What makes up a diode or a transistor?

There's aluminum in a capacitor.

A hard drive platter is made up of glass or Aluminum and coated with a magnetic substance. The read/write heads are an iron core wrapped with wire.

What makes up a CD?

 

[onajourney87]

Gold, tin, silver are some besides what have already been mentioned. There's some kinda acid too used in a battery(dry cell) to keep the time right while the computer is off/unplugged.

CDs are made of plastic and aluminum.

Hope that helps some.

osm

 

[g00dreading]

Try this site: howstuffworks

hxxp://computer.howstuffworks.com/channel.htm?ch=computer&sub=sub-hardware


eg.
How Semiconductors Work: Understanding Silicon

Carbon, silicon and germanium (germanium, like silicon, is also a semiconductor) have a unique property in their electron structure -- each has four electrons in its outer orbital. This allows them to form nice crystals. The four electrons form perfect covalent bonds with four neighboring atoms, creating a lattice. In carbon, we know the crystalline form as diamond. In silicon, the crystalline form is a silvery, metallic-looking substance....

 

[Stryper]

for the guy above ^
http://computer.howstuffworks.com/channel.htm?ch=computer&sub=sub-hardware

how stuff works is an awesome site. i use it for everything. then try looking in encarta or something.

 

[PuppyforChrist]

You guys helped me a lot. Thanks so much!!

 

[PuppyforChrist]

Okay, I only have a week left to do this, but I still don't have enough information.

Besides what was mentioned here, can anyone tell me anything else they know about computers that involves Chemetry? Like for example, What makes up a computer screen? Or the covering of the computer?

And this may sound like a werid question but does anyone also know a place where I could find the chemical formula for plastic?

 

[onajourney87]

Computer covers are generally steel, though you can find aluminum ones.

Computer screen... I'll assume a monitor and not a LCD. The screen is coated with a special chemical that emits light when energized... just what the chemical is I haven't a clue.

osm

 

[ashibaka]

I'm not sure whether this is the type of chemistry you're talking about, but CRTs (computer monitors) are very important to the development of chemistry. The CRT was invented in the 1800s as a device that spit electrons out on onto a screen, and they discovered that when charges are applied to the sides of the tube then the electrons would move. So they just flung different-wavelength electrons into different places to create the computer screen, and that technology was not improved until the invention of the LCD monitor. Look this up on Google if it sounds like a good part of the report...

 

[Jet Black]

well phosphors are used in the display (these are the things that emit light when an electron hits them), so you could look those up. transistors are made up of SiGaAs (Silicon Gallium Arsenide) plastics are all carbon chains, LEDs are the same as transistors, and that is all I can think of at the moment.

 

[Jet Black]

So they just flung different-wavelength electrons into different places to create the computer screen,

not quite, all the electrons are the same wavelength, it is the phosphors that glow.

 

[PuppyforChrist]

Hmm, maybe I didn't make myself real clear on what I need.

I have enough elements that are found in computers, Fe, Al, etc.

But what I need are chemical forumals.

Like for example, some computer parts are made from glass, so I looked up the forumula for glass and found it was Sodium Bicarbonate, which is NaCO3. (something like that).

Well NaCO3 is a chemical forumla and that's what I need.

Hope that clears up any confusion.

 

[enslow]

Start at this site, then do some searching for formulae from what you learn here.

http://www.deh.gov.au/industry/waste/electricals/computer-report/material.html