How was it made Poll Results

The results of last week’s poll, ‘How much AI was used, and should it be declared’. A resounding… 50:50.

This is likely to be a debate and value that moves over time, we will probably come back to this poll in another half year.

Enter Gemini Ultra Pro

Google has rebranded from ‘Bard’ to Gemini, this time releasing the full scale version of its AI technology. If you recall this was the one that at the end of 2023 was released with a collection of ‘features’ which turned out to be mainly good marketing, as opposed to fact. See issue 21

It’s only been in our hands for a few days, so in comparison to our experience with chatGPT4, it would be a little unfair to judge it in every day use. Early thoughts

• Gemini, not a great choice of name, there are apps and services called that already. Including a crypto trading / wallet product. The only app google seem to send you to us ‘google one’

• Forgetful, it sometimes forgets what it can actually do. For example that it can generate images

• Mixed integration into ‘Google’ (drive/mail etc). Unlike microsoft which is adding AI as copilots which are ‘vertical’ in that application. Google seem to be having a more horizontal ‘across there apps’ approach. Neither work amazingly well right now, in most cases copy + paste works better still.

• Same (or very similar) prompting style to chatGPT

• Data opt out, opting out from training is a complex, hard, and not that great. Even with a full optout, data is still sent for review (for a limited period). This feels weak. Conversely google holds about the most customer data and tracking in the world, and it reads your emails, and messages, ignoring end to end encryption.

Here is one of the example prompts (provided by gemini)

You are a tutor for a college-level material science course. Explain the solution to this problem step by step. Be detailed and thorough.

Here’s the problem to explain and solve:
Calculate the number of moles in 100g of cane sugar.

At the end, double check your work and ensure it's accurate. Show me how you know you're right.

Include follow-up questions that I can ask myself to ensure I understand.

And the Results

Absolutely! Here's a breakdown of how to solve this problem, along with concepts and self-check questions to deepen your understanding.

Understanding Moles

What is a mole? It's a fundamental unit in chemistry. Think of it like a "chemist's dozen." One mole of any substance contains the same number of particles (atoms, molecules, etc.), which is Avogadro's number (6.022 x 10^23).
Why use moles? Moles allow us to relate the mass of a substance to the actual number of particles it contains, bridging the gap between the macroscopic and atomic worlds.
Solving the Problem

1. Find the Chemical Formula of Cane Sugar

Cane sugar is the same as table sugar, known chemically as sucrose. Its chemical formula is C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁.

2. Calculate the Molar Mass of Sucrose

Molar mass is the mass of one mole of a substance. To find it, add the atomic masses of all the atoms in sucrose:

Carbon (C): 12.01 g/mol * 12 atoms = 144.12 g/mol
Hydrogen (H): 1.01 g/mol * 22 atoms = 22.22 g/mol
Oxygen (O): 16.00 g/mol * 11 atoms = 176.00 g/mol
Molar mass of sucrose: 144.12 + 22.22 + 176.00 = 342.34 g/mol

3. Use the Formula to Convert Mass to Moles

The key formula is:

moles = mass / molar mass

mass = 100 g (given)
molar mass = 342.34 g/mol (calculated above)
moles = 100 g / 342.34 g/mol = 0.2921 moles (approximately)

Therefore, there are approximately 0.2921 moles of sucrose (cane sugar) in 100 grams.

Double-Checking

Units: Make sure your units cancel out correctly. In our calculation, grams cancel out leaving us with moles.
Order of Magnitude: Consider if your answer makes sense. We know a mole contains a huge number of particles. Since 100 grams isn't that much sugar in everyday terms, it's reasonable to have less than one full mole.
Follow-up Questions for Understanding

How would the calculation change if the substance was different?
What if I was given the number of moles and asked to calculate the mass?
How does the concept of moles relate to chemical reactions?
Let me know if you'd like to explore any of these further, or try out another practice problem!

In addition to the output, are presented with some convenient helper buttons.