Student Science Journal

6.2.1 - 6.2.2

Matter and Energy

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Name ____________________

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Episode #1 - Looking at the World

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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What patterns did you observe in the grass?

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How did what you observe change as the scale changed?

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Based on the patterns observed, what would you expect to see when looking at the blade of grass on an even smaller scale?

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Using the evidence that you have gathered, what would you predict to see if you could zoom into the smallest level of any type of matter?

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Atoms are the building blocks for all matter. Every substance in the world can be broken down into smaller and smaller pieces until all you have left is one atom. An atom is the smallest particle of an element that still has the same properties as that element. Atoms are very small. The length of just one atom is less than one-billionth of a meter! If that is hard to imagine, think of this: TRILLIONS of atoms would fit inside the period at the end of this sentence.

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Scientists have discovered many different kinds of atoms—from hydrogen atoms to oxygen atoms, neon atoms to gold atoms, and sodium atoms to helium atoms. These specific types of atoms are known as elements. The Periodic Table of Elements shows all of the types of atoms that have been discovered. Look at the table below. Do you see any elements you recognize?

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Atoms and Molecules

What do air, water, and rocks have in common?

They are all made up of atoms!

But wait! Can you think of any substances that exist that aren’t found on the Periodic Table of Elements? Water is a pretty important part of our survival on Earth, but it is missing from the table. If water is not an element, then what is it made of?

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Most substances are made when the right combination of atoms come together to form something new. For example, many oxygen atoms combine to create the oxygen that we breathe, but when an oxygen atom combines with two hydrogen atoms, it creates a new substance we call water! H₂O!

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The oxygen atom is still oxygen and the hydrogen atoms are still hydrogen, but when these atoms combine together in those quantities, they form a water molecule. A molecule is formed when different kinds and amounts of atoms bond together. Just like how the 26 letters of the alphabet can create millions of different words, 118 elements can combine in different ways to create millions of different molecules.

Atoms are really just one part of a larger system. Atoms combine to make molecules, molecules combine to make all types of substances, all types of substances combine to make our Earth, and, finally, this combines to make everything in the Universe! All of this is just thanks to atoms!

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What makes up matter?

Using the evidence that you have gathered and the words in the word bank, create an explanation of matter.

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Word bank: atoms, matter, combine, particles, substance

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Episode 2- What’s In the Air?

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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What Gases Make Up the Air We Breathe?

The Earth’s atmosphere is a layer of gas held in place by gravity, which prevents it from escaping into space. It protects life by absorbing UV radiation, by holding in heat to warm the Earth’s surface and by reducing temperature extremes between day and night. The gases that comprise the atmosphere are commonly referred to as air, which is what all living things on Earth breathe.

Nitrogen: Abundant and Inert

It’s a common misconception that oxygen is the most abundant gas in the air breathed on Earth; that honor goes to nitrogen, which makes up 78 percent of the air. Nitrogen occurs as two nitrogen atoms bonded together. The molecular formula of Nitrogen is N₂ . The bond is very strong, making the gas chemically inert. Although inhaled nitrogen passes into the bloodstream, it is not used by the cells in the body. However, since nitrogen is essential for life — it is found in RNA, DNA and proteins — it must be converted to compounds with less stable bonds to be used by animals. One way this happens is through nitrogen fixation in plants.

Oxygen: Life-Giving Gas

Making up almost 21 percent of the air all living things breathe, oxygen is absorbed by the lungs, or lung-like structures in lower animals, and transported to all cells in the body by the blood. Oxygen occurs as two oxygen atoms bonded together. The molecular formula for Oxygen is O₂ . Oxygen is the most unstable, and therefore the most chemically active, gas found in air. Although all animals need oxygen, it can be deadly in higher-than-normal concentrations: Breathing pure oxygen for extended periods leads to oxygen toxicity. In addition to its role in biology, oxygen is essential for combustion, the chemical process responsible for fire.

Argon: Noble Gas

The third-most abundant gas in the air on Earth is argon, although it makes up less than 1 percent of air. Argon is classified as a noble gas in chemistry, meaning it is very stable and seldom reacts with other compounds. It occurs as just Ar--one atom alone. The molecular formula for Argon is Ar. The argon in the air comes mainly from the decay of potassium-40, a radioactive isotope in the Earth’s crust. The bulk of argon used in science is acquired by fractional distillation of air in its liquid form.

Trace Gases

There are several additional gases present in the atmosphere in minute amounts. These gases are referred to as trace gases and include water vapor (molecular formula: H₂0), carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), helium (He), hydrogen (H₂), and ozone (O₃). These gases each have their own purpose and forms of production. Methane, for example, is a powerful greenhouse gas, trapping heat in the earth’s atmosphere. Ozone is found in two distinct layers of the atmosphere: high in the stratosphere, where it blocks harmful ultraviolet light from the sun, and the lower atmosphere, where it is one of the components of smog.

6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Nitrogen

Nitrogen

A single particle of an element is an atom. Many substances are made of two or more atoms connected together so strongly that they act as a single particle. These groups of connected atoms are called molecules. A molecule is the smallest part of a substance that still has that substance’s properties.

A molecular formula shows the types and numbers of atoms in a molecule. It uses chemical symbols to identify each atom and subscripts to show how many of each atom are present. For example, H₂O shows that a water molecule contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

Using the diagrams provided and the periodic table of elements on page 4, determine the molecular formulas for each atom or molecule:

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C

H₂O

NaCl

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What are some similarities between water and hydrogen peroxide?

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What are some differences between water and hydrogen peroxide?

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Pick two other substances that you are familiar with from the options listed on the previous page and list similarities and differences

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A student was asked to draw what is in the air if you could zoom all the way in to see it. This is what they drew:

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Do you agree with how the model is drawn? If yes, explain why.

If not, explain why, and what you would change.

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Episode #2b - Molecules

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Draw what molecules are found in …

Using the enlarged water droplet below, draw dots to estimate how many water molecules are found in a drop of water.

What is your group’s estimation of how many molecules are in a drop of water? ________________

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Size of a Molecule

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How many water molecules are in 1 cup of water?

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4,800 x ____________ = _________ molecules in a cup of water

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Based on your evidence, why are there so many molecules in just one cup of water?

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attribution © Karl Harrison 3DChem.com

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Matter is Made in 2 Different Ways

Pure substances are made from the same kind of molecules coming together in different quantities. Some examples of pure substances include water, salt, and carbon dioxide. Whether you have a pool full of water or a drop of water, both are made entirely of water molecules, and each water molecule is made of 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen atom.

However, if you make lemonade from water, you no longer have a pure substance. To make lemonade you have to add sugar molecules and lemon. Lemonade is an example of how you can use a pure substance to make a non-pure substance.

Non-pure substances are made of different kinds and quantities of molecules. Examples of non-pure substances are lemonade, chocolate, gasoline, playdough, and macaroni. The molecular recipe to make a non-pure substance is exact, kind of like the recipe used to make a chocolate chip cookie. If you change the type of ingredients or the amount of specific ingredients, then you will not end up with a good chocolate chip cookie. The ratio of ingredients to make a non-pure substance will remain the same as the amount of that substance increases or decreases. For example, if you want to make 4 dozen cookies instead of 1 dozen cookies, then you would need 10 cups of flour, 8 cups of sugar, and 4 cups of chocolate chips, instead of 2 ½ cups of flour, 2 cups of sugar, and 1 cup of chocolate chips that the original recipe called for. You have to take all the amounts in the original recipe and times them by 4 so the ratios stayed the same.

Playdough is a non-pure substance. It is made of starch molecules, salt molecules, and water molecules. You must use specific amounts of each molecule to create playdough because if you vary the amounts of any of the ingredients, you will get something different like pasta noodles. Pasta noodles are also made of starch, salt, and water but in different quantities. The recipe for playdough is 2 starch, 1 salt, and 1 water. The recipe for pasta noodles is 12 starch, 1 salt, and 5 water.

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Starch + Salt + Water = Playdough

2(C₆H₁₀O₅) + 1(NaCl) + 1(H₂O) = C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + NaCl + H₂O = Playdough

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Starch + Salt + Water = Pasta Noodles

12(C₆H₁₀O₅) + 1(NaCl) + 5(H₂O) = C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + C₆H₁₀O₅ + NaCl + H₂O + H₂O = Pasta

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Why are there so many types of matter?

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Using the evidence that you have gathered and the words in the word bank, create an explanation of why there are so many different types of matter.

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Word bank: atoms, molecules, matter, combination, quantity

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Episode #3 - States of Matter

Phenomenon Video:

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What do you notice or already know about states of matter?

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Simulation:

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Density and the States of Matter

Have you ever wondered why some objects float while others sink? One property that helps explain this is density.

Density is the amount of matter packed into a certain amount of space. Imagine two boxes that are the same size. One is filled with feathers, and the other is filled with rocks. The box of rocks has more matter packed into the same space, so it has a greater density.

Scientists use particle models to explain density. When particles are packed closely together, a substance has a higher density. When particles are farther apart, it has a lower density.

Matter exists as solids, liquids, and gases, and each state has a general pattern of particle density. In solids, particles are packed very close together, so solids are usually the most dense. In liquids, particles are still close but can move past one another, making liquids often a little less dense. In gases, particles are spread far apart, making gases much less dense than solids and liquids.

Different materials can have different densities, even if they are in the same state of matter. For example, steel and wood are both solids, but steel has more matter packed into the same amount of space, so it is more dense than wood.

For the same substance, density generally follows a pattern across its states of matter. The solid state is usually the most dense, the liquid state is often less dense, and the gas state is the least dense. Understanding density helps scientists explain why different materials behave in different ways.

Look at the different states of matter. Based on your observations, complete the table.

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Using evidence gathered from the simulation and article, fill in the blanks from the word bank below:

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Density describes how much __________ is packed into a certain amount of space. When particles are packed __________ together, a substance has __________ density. When particles are __________, a substance has __________ density. In general, solids are the most __________, liquids are often __________, and gases are the least dense.

In the density tower simulation, substances with more density settled closer to the __________, while substances with less density stayed closer to the __________. Even though the steel bolt, bottle cap, ping pong ball, grape, and cork are all solids, they have __________ densities. A solid will __________ through liquids that are __________ than it is, but it will __________ when it reaches a liquid that is __________ than the solid.

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Construct an explanation describing how particle density affects the properties of matter to explain why one bowling ball sinks while the other floats.

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Episode #4 - What is heat?

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Explainer: How heat moves

Processes by which energy can be transferred from one place to another.

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By Sid Perkins September 30, 2016 at 6:15 am

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Throughout the universe, it’s natural for energy to flow from one place to another. Heat is movement of molecules and the transfer of energy that naturally flows in one direction: from hot toward cold.

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Heat moves naturally by any of three means. The processes are known as conduction, convection and radiation. Sometimes more than one may occur at the same time.

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First, a little background. All matter is made from atoms — either single ones or those bonded in groups known as molecules. These atoms and molecules are always in motion. If they have the same mass, atoms and molecules in hot environments move, on average, faster than those in cold environments. Even if atoms are locked in a solid, they still vibrate back and forth around some average position.

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In a liquid, atoms and molecules are free to flow from place to place. Within a gas, they are even more free to move and will completely spread out within the volume in which they are trapped.

Some of the most easily understood examples of heat flow occur in your kitchen.

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Put a pan on a stovetop and turn on the heat. The metal sitting over the burner will be the first part of the pan to get hot. Atoms in the pan’s bottom will start to vibrate faster as they warm. They also vibrate farther back and forth from their average position. As they bump into their neighbors, they share with that neighbor some of their energy. (Think of this as a very tiny version of a cue ball slamming into other balls during a game of billiards. The target balls, previously sitting still, gain some of the cue ball’s energy and move.)

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As a result of collisions with their warmer neighbors, atoms start moving faster. In other words, they are now warming. These atoms, in turn, transfer some of their increased energy to neighbors even farther from the original source of heat. This conduction of heat through a solid metal is how the handle of a pan gets hot even though it may be nowhere near the source of heat

What is heat and how does it affect molecules? _______________________

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Episode #5 - Changing States of Matter

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Describe what you see in each video. What is happening on the visible and molecular level? Include the heat source and the flow of heat energy.

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Describe what you see in each video. What is happening on the visible and molecular level? Include the heat source and the flow of heat energy.

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Use your models and the evidence you have gathered to describe the effect of adding heat energy to a solid and a liquid at a visible and a molecular level?

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Use the words from the word bank to fill in the blanks in the sentence to create 3 different cause and effect statements about what happens to matter when heat energy is added.

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Word bank: sold, liquid, gas, particles, moving, removing, adding, more, less

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________________ heat energy causes a ________________ to change to a

_______________ because the molecules become ________________dense.

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1. ie. Adding heat energy causes a ____________________ to change to a __________________ because the molecules become _____________________ dense.

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Episode #6 - How does energy flow through matter?

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Draw a model of each system. Label all matter and energy in the system. Show how energy flows through the system. Show where there are areas of high energy and areas of low energy and how that changes when heat is added or removed from the system.

6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Episode #7 - Heat Affects Density

Balloon:

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Hot and cold water experiment::

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Based on the simulation, draw liquid at the molecular level.

Each sample should contain the same amount of particles.

Room Temperature Liquid

Hot Temperature Liquid

Cold Temperature Liquid

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What does density measure? _____________________________________

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What happens to the density of the water molecules as water is warmed or cooled?

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6.2.1 - 6.2.2

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Develop a model to explain what causes a hot air balloon to fly.