Rso Chem1 eBook

R.E.A.L.
SCIENCE ODYSSEY
Chemistry (level one)
RSO Chemistry
for Grades 2 – 5
R.E.A.L. SCIENCE ODYSSEY - Read • Explore • Absorb • Learn

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R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey
• Read
• Explore
• Absorb
• Learn
RSO Chemistry
(level one)
for Grades 2 - 5
Written by Blair Lee, M.S.

© 2009 Pandia Press
ISBN: 978-0-9798496-3-3
All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or used in any form by any
means —graphic, electronic, or mechanical including photocopying, recording, taping,
or information storage and retrieval systems—without written permission from the
publisher.
Note: The purchaser of this book is expressly given permission by the publisher to copy
any pages of this book for use within his/her own family and with his/her own children.
School, group, and co-op electronic files and licenses for copying are available from
Pandia Press.
The publisher and author have made every attempt to state precautions and ensure all
activities and labs described in this book are safe when conducted as instructed, but
assume no responsibility for any damage to property or person caused or sustained while
performing labs and activities in this or any RSO course. Parents and teachers should
supervise all lab activities and take all necessary precautions to keep themselves, their
children, and their students safe.
Illustrated by Margie Navarro (margie.navarro@yahoo.com)
p andia
ress
Pandia Press
Mount Dora, FL
www.pandiapress.com
What’s Inside This Book?
•Denotes “For My Notebook” lesson page *Denotes lab or activity
5 An Introduction to RSO Chemistry 135 UNIT 4: THE CHEMIST’S ALPHABET APPLIED
7 What’s the Big Idea? 136 Eighteen Elements Hiding in a Poem
12 Lab Supply List 137 *Element Book
141 •He Likes Nachos - Group 1
14 Suggested Schedule
143 *The Incredible Floating Egg
17 Reading and Web Site Suggestions 147 *Element Book Group 1
19 UNIT 1: WHAT IS CHEMISTRY? 153 •Be Mgnificent - Group 2
20 I Am a Chemist poem 155 *Crystal Creation
21 •What Is Chemistry? 159 *Element Book Group 2
23 *Be a Chemical Detective 163 •Bumblebees Alight - Group 13
27 *Telling Things Apart 165 *The Slime That Ate Slovenia
31 Unit 1 Crossword Puzzle 167 *Element Book Group 13
33 UNIT 2: STARTING SMALL 171 •Constantly Silly - Group 14
34 The Atom Song 173 *S’more Carbon
35 •The Atom 177 *Element Book Group 14
181 •Nice Penguins - Group 15
37 *Are Atoms Small?
183 *Eating Air
41 *Do Atoms Move ?
187 *Element Book Group 15
44 What’s in an Atom? poem
191 •Obnoxious Seagulls - Group 16
45 *Parts!
193 *That’s Not My Egg You’re Cooking, Is It?
49 *Let’s Be Positive
195 *Bubble Trouble
53 •Types! 199 *Element Book Group 16
55 *The First Ten 203 •Frequently Clever - Group 17
63 Unit 2 Crossword Puzzle
205 *Dancing Drops
65 UNIT 3: The Chemist’s Alphabet DEFINED 209 *The Tooth, the Whole Tooth, and
66 The Periodic Table Rap Nothing but the Tooth
67 •The Alphabet 213 *Element Book Group 17
69 *My Periodic Table 217 •He Never Argues - Group 18
75 *Chemical Symbol Match 219 *The Incredible Shrinking Balloon
77 *My Favorite Element 223 *Element Book Group 18
81 •Atomic Numbers 227 Unit 4 Crossword Puzzle
83 *Is Milk an Element? 229 UNIT 5: MOLECULES RULE
87 *Flipbook 230 Making Molecules poem
95 •Massive Matters 231 •Putting It All Together
97 *My Favorite Element Explored 233 *Make a Molecule Puzzle
101 *Which Weighs More? 239 *Friendly Gumdrops
105 •Why Do They Call It the Periodic Table 243 *Mixture or Compound?
Anyway? 247 •Molecular Formulas Are Useful
107 *Periodic Table Worksheet 249 *Molecular Formulas Worksheet
111 *Periodic Play Dough 251 *The Celery Blues
113 •We Are Family 255 •Drawing Lessons
257 *Drawing Lessons Worksheet
115 *The Friendship of Beryllium and Boron
261 *Capillary Action in Action
119 *Prove It!
123 •It’s Elementary
125 *Twenty Questions 267 UNIT 6: WHAT’S THE MATTER?
268 What’s the Matter? poem
129 *Eating Hockey Pucks
269 *Matter: An Introduction
271 *Build a Drop of Water Matter

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273 *Atoms Are the Matter
275 •The States of Matter
277 *Presto-Change-O Water
281 •Let’s Get to the Point
283 *What Is the Point?
287 *State of Confusion
291 •Solids Are Dense
293 *Some Are Denser Than Others
297 *The Sinking Tub Boat
301 •Molecules Stick Together
303 *A Big Rock Candy Mountain!
307 •What Makes a Liquid a Liquid?
309 *Liquids Are Dense Too
313 *Drawing the States of Matter
317 •The Friendship of Oxygen and Hydrogen
319 *Smart Ice
323 *The Breakup
327 •What Makes a Gas a Gas?
329 *Bubbles
333 *Popping Corn
337 *Let’s Go Fly a Kite!
339 •The Air You Breathe
341 *Air Takes Up Space
345 *Why Do Boats Float?
351 UNIT 7: REACTIONS IN ACTION
352 Chemical Reactions Make the World Go Around song
353 •Changes
355 *Physical or Chemical?
359 *Detecting Changes
363 *Chemical Reactions
365 *Let’s Heat Things Up
369 *Let’s Cool Things Down
373 •Some Like It Sour, Some Don’t
375 *Step 1 (or the day you stink everyone out of the house)
377 *Step 2 (or the fun begins)
381 •Hydrogen and Oxygen and Hydrogen Make Water
383 *Let’s Make Water
387 *Painting Magic
389 •pHunny pHriends
391 *Make a pH Scale
395 *pHun with Acids
399 •Building Teeth
401 *Precipitates
405 •Combustion Action
407 *Playing with Fire
411 *Burning Money
415 Crossword Puzzles Answer Key
417 Vocabulary
423 Index
431 About the Author and Dedication

4
An Introduction to RSO Chemistry
Atoms, molecules, chemical reactions, the periodic table—concepts intimidating enough
to make a person weak in the knees! Young children can learn chemistry! Students as young as
seven years old can successfully complete this course even though many of the concepts taught
in this book are those usually reserved for high school. Don’t worry, this book is written with the
science novice in mind. Even if you have never been taught chemistry or don’t know an electron
from a proton, you will find yourself learning right alongside your child, and looking like a pro the
whole time! You and your child will never look at a common piece of matter (like your shoe) the
same again, without thinking about the billions and billions of molecules and atoms that make it
up.
This course is not a collection of random labs, meant to entertain but with little real
science. Nor is it a long progression of fill-in-the-blanks and trivial facts to be memorized and
forgotten. Instead, this book is rich in vital concepts that will lay a firm foundation for studying
chemistry in later years. This book is intended to be used from start to finish, like a math book.
Concepts are taught through clever repetition and engaging labs, building upon one another
and introducing science vocabulary and age-appropriate math gently and in context. There is
particular emphasis placed on scientific method throughout this course. Students will learn how
to speculate, hypothesize, experiment, observe, interpret, and conclude just like real scientists.
A good chunk of this course is devoted to learning about the periodic table and studying
several important elements on the table. Any serious study of chemistry must include the
periodic table. It is the chemist’s alphabet and it is as vital to chemistry as letters are to
literature. When students are in a chemistry class later in life, they will have the background to
advance farther; they will not fear the table.
There is evidence that science is best learned when taught as a single subject and not
lumped together with multiple mini-subjects taught in the span of a school year. That said, all the
sciences do interrelate. Chemistry is the study of atoms, what they make, and how they interact.
Since everything is made from atoms, the argument can be made that chemistry is the central
science. Unfortunately, it is the science least likely to be taught before high school. The problem
with that is, if you try to understand a scientific concept with any degree of depth, you had
better know some chemistry. I have thought for some time now that educators start teaching
chemistry too late. It is a fascinating subject, but there are new facts and new vocabulary, and
you are learning about things that are the size of an atom—way too small to see! With chemistry,
more than any other science, you often have to memorize a fact and take scientists’ word for
what is happening. The time to do that is not when someone is in high school or college; it is when
a child is in the beginning stage of learning. This is the ideal time for absorbing facts, memorizing
content, and filling a child’s mind with the knowledge that creates a firm foundation for later
years.
While creating this book, a lot of thought was given to teaching to the three main learning
styles—visual, auditory, and tactile/kinesthetic. Science, by its very nature, lends itself to
teaching to all three styles. With that in mind, each lesson in this book has visual, auditory, and
tactile components. For visual learners, there are diagrams and charts that students help create
and visualize. There are illustrations coupled with the text. There are crossword puzzles to help
learn vocabulary words. The experiments have been carefully selected and designed to support
the concepts taught in the text. Therefore, the experiments themselves are powerful visual aids.
For auditory learners, those who learn best through listening, there is the text itself,
which has been designed to be read to students. There is a poem in each unit of this book to
help reinforce vocabulary and key concepts. There are questions peppered throughout the text

5
and within the experiments to help these students think through and hear the answers, thereby
cementing the concepts being taught in an auditory fashion.
For tactile/kinesthetic learners, those who learn through moving, doing, and actively
exploring the physical world, this book has been designed for them as well. There are activities
that use movement to teach concepts. There are drawings and models to make. There are puzzles
for students to put together. There are diagrams and charts to create. There are hands-on labs
to perform which directly teach to the concepts.
Science is a creative and thought-provoking endeavor. It is the one academic subject
where you are supposed to move around and get your hands dirty. With such an emphasis on
test scores these days, it seems breadth and depth in academics has been forgotten. It is time
to bring science back as a core part of curriculum, engaging young people’s minds with the stuff
they really find interesting. Let’s get started!
THE UNIQUE PAGES in this book
For My Notebook Pages
1. All the student pages have a boxed outline around the material presented. That way it is easy to
identify what is for the child and what is for the parent or teacher.
2. The For My Notebook (FMN) pages are the lesson pages that present the majority of new material to
the student. They are intended to be read aloud. Some students, who are good readers, may want to
read the FMN pages aloud themselves to the parent or class. However orchestrated, these pages are
intended to be read aloud and not silently to encourage discussion and questions.
3. New vocabulary words are underlined. You will notice that many of the vocabulary words are not
presented with a classic dictionary definition. Instead, the explanation is given in context so it is “felt”
rather than memorized. Formal definitions for the vocabulary words are offered in the back of the
book.
Lab Sheets
1. The lab sheets are those pages that the student writes on. They also have a boxed outline because
they are intended for the student, not the parent/teacher, to complete.
2. The lab sheets not only reinforce the material presented in the FMN pages, but they are also the
vehicle through which this course reinforces and formalizes scientific method. On the lab sheets,
students will be making hypotheses based on questions formed during the lesson. Students record
observations and lab results, and make conclusions based on those results. They will also practice
sketching details of their lab experiences, an important process that reinforces observation skills.
3. If you are working with a student who isn’t writing yet, then have him dictate the information to be
written on the lab sheets. If your student is unable to draw (meaning physically incapable; I’m not
referring to artistic abilities), then have him describe in detail his observations as you create them on
the lab sheet.
The Instructor Pages
1. The instructor pages contain the supply lists for the labs or activities and procedure instructions.
2. These pages are written for the parent/teacher, but the procedure is often written as if for the
student. For example, “Complete the hypothesis portion of the lab sheet,” is instruction for the
student, not the parent.
3. Most instruction pages include a prompt to read aloud to students. A great deal of course
instruction is found in these prompts. If you dislike prompts, then be sure to present the information
in your own words.
Poem Pages and Crossword Puzzles
1. Each unit contains a poem and a crossword puzzle that are intended to help reinforce vocabulary and
key concepts.
2. The poems can be used as you wish—recite, memorize, transcribe, illustrate. Concepts learned to verse
are learned more quickly and not as easily forgotten.
3. The crossword puzzles review the vocabulary presented in each unit.

6
What’s The Big Idea?
Whenever you study a subject, there are main ideas and details to learn. It’s true, that in
science, there is a lot of new material to discover. If you are using a classical education approach
to teaching, you will cover every subject three times throughout your child’s education. Because
of this, don’t sweat the small stuff. This outline gives you the big ideas that your child should
get from each unit and the small stuff that is an added bonus. If you and your child are timid
scientists, just have fun as you try to learn the big ideas. If you and your child have a strong
science background, work on learning the small stuff as well as the big ideas. There are many
challenging words in this course that are used because they are the right words, and after
hearing them over and over, they will “sink in.” They are not here for your child to memorize the
first time around. Use difficult words and science concepts gently, not with force, and your child
will enjoy his science experience.
BI = BIG IDEA SS = SMALL STUFF
Unit 1 - What Is Chemistry?
What is chemistry?
BI = All things are made of chemicals.
Chemistry is the science that studies chemicals.
A chemist is a person who studies how chemicals interact.
A hypothesis is your best guess about the outcome of an experiment.
SS = Chemist’s use two types of tests to tell different things apart—physical tests and
chemical tests.
Most chemicals are benign.
Unit 2 - Starting Small

The Atom
BI = Atoms are extremely small.
Everything is made of atoms.
Atoms move.
SS = A Greek philosopher named Democritus talked about the concept of atoms 2,400 years
ago.
Temperature affects how fast atoms move and the rate of diffusion.
A scanning-tunneling microscope is needed to see atoms.
Parts!
BI = The three parts of an atom are protons, neutrons, and electrons.
Protons and neutrons are found in the nucleus.
Electrons are found orbiting the nucleus in energy levels.
All protons, neutrons, and electrons are like every other proton, neutron, and electron.
SS = Protons and electrons are charged particles.
Atoms are mostly empty space.
Types!
BI = Each type of atom has a unique name.
The thing that makes one type of atom different from another type of atom is the number
of protons that the atom has in its nucleus.
The number of electrons a neutral atom has is the same as the number of protons in its
nucleus.
An element is a group of the same type of atoms.
SS = A maximum of two electrons go in the first energy level. A maximum of eight electrons go
in the second energy level.
When going from one type of atom to the next, one and only one proton is added to
nucleus.
Most atoms have more than one energy level.
7
Unit 3 - The Chemist’s Alphabet Defined
The Alphabet
BI = The periodic table is a chart that has the names of all the elements on it.
Everything is made from these elements.
Elements are on the periodic table in abbreviated forms, called symbols.
SS = Dmitri Mendeleev invented the periodic table.
Some symbols come from names of the elements that are still used today.
Some symbols come from earlier names used for the element.
Atomic Numbers
BI = The atomic number is found on your periodic table above the symbol for the element.
The atomic number equals the number of protons in the nucleus of that type of atom.
The number of electrons in an atom’s elemental form equals the atomic number.
SS = If something is an element, all parts of it will react the same in a chemical test.
When going from one element to the next one on the periodic table, one proton is added to
the nucleus.
Massive Matters
BI = The atomic mass of an element equals the number of protons + the number of neutrons.
Mass is the same anywhere in the universe. Weight is affected by gravity.
SS = Things that take up the same amount of space can have different masses.
If the number of the same type of atoms stays constant, the liquid state weighs the same
as the solid state.
a.m.u. = atomic mass unit. It is the unit used to measure the atomic mass of an atom.
Why Do they call it the PERIODic Table Anyway?
BI = The rows of the periodic table are called periods.
There are seven periods on the periodic table.
The periodic table is read from left to right and down, like a book.
SS = The period an element is in equals the number of energy levels it has.
We are Family
BI = The columns of the periodic table are called groups.
Elements in the same group on the periodic table share traits with each other.
There are 18 groups on the periodic table.
SS = Elements in the same group have the same number of electrons in their outer energy level.
It’s ELEMENTary
BI = The top three rows (periods) on the periodic table have 18 commonly occurring elements.
SS = 92 of the 118 elements are naturally occurring, the rest are man-made.
Unit 4 - The Chemist’s Alphabet Applied

Unit 4 is a step by step, group by group, explanation of how the elements on the Periodic Table are arranged
based on their structure.
BI = One and only one proton is added to the nucleus of an element when going from one element to
the next on the periodic table.
The number of protons in an element’s nucleus equals its atomic number.
The atomic mass of an element equals the atomic number plus the number of neutrons.
The total number of electrons for elements on the periodic table equals the number of
protons for that element.
All elements in the same group have the same number of electrons in their outer energy
level.
SS = The number of neutrons does not increase consistently, but does increase overall.
He Likes Nachos – Group 1
BI = Introduction to the elements hydrogen, lithium, and sodium.
SS = Things are more buoyant in NaCl + water than in water alone.

8
Be Mgnificent - Group 2
BI = Introduction to the elements beryllium and magnesium.
SS = A solution = solute + solvent.
Water is the universal solvent.
Bumblebees Alight – Group 13
BI = Introduction to the elements boron and aluminum.
Constantly Silly – Group 14
BI = Introduction to the elements carbon and silicon.
SS = Carbon browns when heated.
Sugar is made from carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.
Nice Penguins – Group 15
BI = Introduction to the elements nitrogen and phosphorus.
Obnoxious Seagulls – Group 16
BI = Introduction to the elements oxygen and sulfur.
SS = When hydrogen peroxide bubbles it is turning into water and O2.
Hydrogen peroxide bubbles on cuts because of catalase in your blood, not germs in the cut.
Frequently Clever – Group 17
BI = Introduction to the elements fluorine and chlorine.
SS = Fluorine bonds to calcium in teeth making teeth stronger.
He Never Argues – Group 18
BI = Introduction to the elements helium, neon, and argon.
SS = Gas shrinks (has a smaller volume) when it is cold.
Unit 5 - Molecules Rule

Putting it all Together
BI = Atoms bond (link) together and make molecules.
The bonds form when atoms share electrons from their outer energy levels.
SS = A compound is a group of all the same type of molecules.
A mixture is a group of different types of molecules.
Molecular Formulas
BI = Molecular formulas tell the amount and type of atoms present in a molecule.
To write a molecular formula, write the symbol for the element and the number of atoms
present.
SS = Capillary action in plants is a result of the interaction between water molecules and the
cellulose molecules in the plant.
Drawing Lessons
BI = There is a special method for drawing molecules called Electron Dot Structures.
When drawing molecules, place the atoms so they are sharing electrons on the side
where there is a single electron.
SS = Electron Dot Structures pair electrons from different atoms using only electrons in
the atoms’ outer energy levels.
The rate of capillary action can be affected by how “sticky” water finds molecules it
encounters.
Unit 6 - What’s the Matter?

Matter: An Introduction
BI = Protons + neutrons + electrons make atoms. Atoms group together to make molecules.
Molecules group together to make matter.
SS = Sometimes when two different types of molecules get together, they switch atoms around
and make different molecules. When this happens, it is called a chemical reaction.
When chemical reactions happen, atoms cannot be created or destroyed.
John Dalton wrote the Atomic Theory of Matter in 1766.
9
The States of Matter
BI = Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass (weight).
Matter comes in three states—solid, liquid, and gas.
The three states of matter are differentiated by the physical properties of definite shape and
volume.
SS = Water is found in all three states—ice, liquid water, and steam—over the normal
temperature range.
Let’s Get to the Point
BI = The special name for the point where matter goes from solid to a liquid = melting point.
The special name for the point where matter goes from liquid to a solid = freezing point.
The special name for the point where matter goes from gas to a liquid = condensation
point.
The special name for the point where matter goes from liquid to a gas = boiling point.
SS = The temperature of the freezing point = the temperature of the melting point.
The temperature of the boiling point = the temperature of the condensation point.
The melting point of water = freezing point = 32˚F (0˚C)
Boiling point of water = condensation point = 212˚F (100˚C)
Some matter does not fall completely into one of the three defined states.
Solids are dense
BI = The molecules in a solid are close together.
The molecules in a solid do not move much, they vibrate slightly and have a fixed position
relative to each other.
Solids are more dense than gases.
Density = the amount of stuff in a given space.
SS = Solids have a definite shape and a definite volume.
Solids are more dense than liquids, with the important exception of water.
Density is affected by the amount and type of molecules or elements present.
Molecules stick together
BI = Molecules stick together by sharing electrons.
SS = Molecules in solids are close together and don’t move much.
Molecules in liquids are farther apart and move more.
Molecules in gases are not very close together—they move a lot.
What Makes a Liquid a Liquid?
BI = The molecules in a liquid are close together but not as close as in a solid.
The molecules in a liquid move around but not as much as in a gas.
Liquids have a definite volume, but not a definite shape.
SS = Different types of liquids can have different densities.
The Friendship of Oxygen and Hydrogen
BI = Water is an important and unique compound. It is essential to life, as we know it.
SS = Hydrogen bonds hold water molecules together.
Because ice is less dense than liquid water, the same number of molecules in ice has
a greater volume than those molecules in liquid water.
Water can be separated into hydrogen and oxygen gases through a process called
electrolysis.
What Makes a Gas a Gas?
BI = The molecules in a gas have a lot of space between them.
The molecules in a gas are fluid, move very fast, and mix freely.
Gases do not have a definite volume or a definite shape.
Gases are less dense than solids and liquids.
SS = Because gases are less dense than liquids, they will float to the top and out of a liquid.

10
The Air You Breathe
BI = Oxygen is essential to life.
Air takes up space.
SS = Air is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen,
Oxygen is cycled between people, animals, and plants.
Air is important for regulating the temperature on earth.
Unit 7 - Reactions In Action

Changes
BI = Chemical change = chemical reaction
In a chemical reaction, the molecules at the beginning are not the same as those at the
end. The same atoms are there, but they are bonded differently.
When there is a physical change, the molecules present do not change.
In a chemical reaction, the starting molecules are called reactants.
In a chemical reaction, the ending molecules are called products.
SS = Evidence of chemical change = temperature change, the formation of bubbles, or a solid
forming.
Chemical reactions are written as equations.
Exothermic reactions release heat.
Endothermic reactions absorb heat.
Some like it sour, some don’t
BI = Acids taste sour.
Bases taste bitter and feel slippery.
Indicators tell if a solution is an acid, a base, or neutral.
SS = In acids, the hydrogen atom comes off in a solution and leaves an electron. This is called a
dissociation reaction.
In bases, the oxygen and hydrogen atoms come off in solution and take electrons. This
is also called a dissociation reaction.
Hydrogen and Oxygen and Hydrogen Make Water
BI = acid + base = water + salt = an acid-base reaction
SS = H without its electron (from an acid) and OH with an electron (from a base) makes H2O.
If an acid and a base solution are mixed, and the resulting solution is neutral, it is
called a neutralization reaction.
pHunny pHriends
BI = The pH scale is used to measure the strength of an acid or a base.
SS = The pH scale measures from 0 to 14.
7 is neutral.
Less than 7 is an acid.
Greater than 7 is a base.
Building Teeth
BI = In precipitation reactions, different liquids are mixed together and one of the products
formed is a solid.
SS = Precipitation reactions are the type of chemical reactions used to make bones, teeth,
shells, and coral reefs.
COMBUSTION ACTION
BI = Combustion reactions must have oxygen gas as one of its reactants.
SS = Combustion reactions are exothermic.
If oxygen gas is taken away, the fire goes out and the reaction stops.

11
Lab Supply List (see page 2 for RSO supply kit information)
Items are listed by unit in the order in which they are first needed. + means an item will be needed for later
labs also. The amounts listed are totals for the entire course. Most items are common household items.
* means the item requires some explanation. Ordering hints or explanations are given on the next page.
UNIT EQUIPMENT / MATERIAL AMOUNT UNIT EQUIPMENT / MATERIAL AMOUNT
1+ Teaspoon 3 3+ Re-sealable baggies 10
1+ Clear glass 3 3+ Peanut butter 1 small jar
1 Dish 3 3 Powdered milk 1 cup
1+ Kitchen towel 1 3 Honey ¼ cup
1 Box of cereal 1 3+ Wooden spoon 1
1+ Confectionery sugar 2 ¾ cups 3+ One-gallon freezer baggie 4
1+ Baking powder 1 cup 3+ Mixing bowl 1
1 Baby powder ¾ cup 3+ Tablespoon 1
1+ White vinegar 5 cups 3+ Fork 1
1+ Cooking oil (vegetable oil) 2 cups 3+ Table salt 1 ½ cups
1+ Food coloring (blue) 1 bottle 3 Salt substitute (potassium chloride) ¼ cup
1 Dish soap 1 3 Cooked potato 1
2+ Balloons 6 3 Crushed ice 2 cups
2 Almond extract 1T 3+ Small cup 2
2+ Water (tap) 1 -2 gallons 3 1/8 teaspoon measuring spoon 1
2+ Cinnamon 2T 3+ Thermometer (science or kitchen-type*) 2
2 Lemon, orange, or peppermint extract 1T 3+ Eggs 7
2+ Magnifying glass (hand lens) 1 3+ Flour 3 cups
2 ½ teaspoon measuring spoon 1 3+ Granulated sugar 5 cups
2 Permanent marker 1 3 Cinnamon sugar (optional) 1T
2+ Crayons or colored pencils 1 box 3 Muffin pan 1
2 Construction Paper (8 ½” x 11”) 1 3 Muffin cup liners 12
2+ School glue (Elmer’s glue) 2 bottles 3 Whisk 1
2 Inflated balloon 1 3+ Oven and stove top with a timer 1
2 Mirror 1 4 12” x 12” card stock (different colors) 10 sheets
2 Carpet or fabric sofa 1 4 Glue stick 1
2 Aluminum foil 4+ Distilled water 10 cups
2 Pencil lead or a sharpened pencil 1 4 Epsom salt 3T
2 Mini marshmallows (all one color) 1 bag 4 Black construction paper 8 ½” x 11” 1
2+ Regular-size marshmallows (two colors) 2 bags + 4 4 20 Mule Team Borax* 2t
2+ Blank sheets of paper 8 ½” x 11” 20 4 Grated Styrofoam or polystyrene beads* 1 cup
2+ Kitchen scale that measures grams 1 4+ Food coloring 1 bottle
2+ Scissors 1 4 Small cake pan 1
3+ Lemon juice 1 cup 4 Graham crackers 2
3+ Paintbrush 1 4+ Baking sheet / cookie sheet 1
3+ Heat source, such as a lamp 1 4 Brown colored pencil 1
3+ Pot holder 2 4 Egg whites 3
3+ Milk 1 ½ cup 4 Parchment paper
3+ Measuring cup various sizes 4 Shortening or nonstick spray
3+ Stapler 1 4 Electric mixer 1
3+ Internet access 4+ Pot 1
3+ Chemistry books/encyclopedias 4+ Knife 1
3 Frozen water in a baggie 1 cup 4+ Hydrogen peroxide 1 bottle
3 Brown sugar 1 cup 4 Raw potato 1
3 Grapes 1 cup 4+ Sink or work bucket 1
3 Grape juice 1 cup 4 Bleach ½ cup

12
UNIT EQUIPMENT / MATERIAL AMOUNT UNIT EQUIPMENT / MATERIAL AMOUNT
4 Eyedropper 1 6 6-inch insulated copper wires 2
4 Fluoridated toothpaste 4.6 oz. 6 9-volt battery 1
4 Toothbrush 1 6 Can of soda 1
4 Colored nail polish 6 Popping corn 1 cup
4 Plastic wrap 6 Empty 2-liter soda bottle 1
4 Helium-filled balloons 2 7 Alka-Seltzer tablet 1
4 Flexible cloth tape measure 1 7+ Matches or lighter 1
4+ Freezer 1 7 Kool-Aid 2 packs
5 8 ½” x 11” card stock 1 7+ Pitcher with pour spout 1
5 Bag of gumdrops (assorted colors) 1 7 Bubble-blowing solution and wand 1
5 Toothpicks 1 box 7 Cast-iron skillet or fire-proof container 1
5 Pepper ½t 7 Yeast 1t
5 Lettuce 1 head 7 Clear measuring cup 1
5 Tomato 1 7+ Baking soda 11 t
5 Carrot 1 7 Head of red cabbage 1
5 Salad bowl 1 7 Strainer 1
5 Stalk of celery 1 7 Large 8-cup container with a cover 1
5+ Chalkboard or dry erase board 1 7 White coffee filters 2
5 WHITE paper towel with NO designs on it 1 7 Rubber gloves 1 pair
5 Shallow dishes 3 7 Ammonia 2t
5 Q-tip 1 7 Laundry detergent 1t
5 Ruler 1 7 7-Up 1t
5+ Tape 7 Clear plastic disposable cups 10
6 Lego pieces 10 - 15 7 Newspaper 1
6 Ice cubes 2 cups 7 Red, blue, and white watercolor paint 1 T of each
6 Rock 1 7 Paint palette 1
6 Drinking straw (optional) 1 7 Lemon 1
6 Crushed ice 1 cup 7 Grapefruit 1
6 Jell-O 1 box 7 Lime 1
6 Cold water 1 cup 7 Cherry Tomato 1
6+ Hot water 2 cups 7 V-8 Juice 1 cup
6 Mayonnaise 1T 7 Chalk 6 pieces
6+ Refrigerator 1 7 Different size glass jars 3
6 Plate 1 7 Roasting pan 1
6 Medium-sized box or container 1 7 Sand 5 cups
6 Stuffed animals 10 7 Votive candles 3
6 Wash tub, bathtub, or sink filled with water 1 7 Stopwatch 1
6+ Orange 2 7 Dollar bill 1
6 Small (1- to 2-cup size) plastic container 1 7 Tongs 1
6 Marbles 10 - 20 7 91% Rubbing alcohol ½ cup
6 Assortment of water-proof solids 8 *Ordering Hints:
6+ Quart-size glass jar with lid 1 Thermometer: A good science thermometer goes down
6 6-inch long piece of rough string or yarn 1 on its own, unlike a medical thermometer, which must
6 Clean metal washer or a Lifesaver candy 1 be shaken down. Some kitchen thermometers will
6 Funnel (optional) 1 work, but most do not go low enough. You will need a
6 Corn syrup ¼ cup thermometer that will go down to 30° F or 0° C.
6 Clear 2-cup container 1 20 Mule Team Borax: A laundry booster found next to
6 Empty plastic soda bottles 2 laundry detergents in grocery stores.
6 Pan for under soda bottles 1 Polystyrene beads: Used for stuffing stuffed animals.
Found in some craft stores in the sewing section.
Grated Styrofoam is an excellent substitute.
13
Suggested Weekly Schedule
The following schedule is suggested for those wishing to complete this course in a 36-week school
year, teaching science twice a week. General supplies needed for each week are listed. Refer to the lesson
or supply list for specifics on supplies including quantities. FMN indicates For My Notebook lesson pages.
Week
Day
Lesson / Lab Supplies Needed for the Week Dates / Notes

What Is Chemistry? (FMN) Box of cereal, Confectionery sugar, Baking powder, Baby
Day 1
Be a Chemical Detective powder, Water, Vinegar, Cooking oil, Blue food coloring,
1
Telling Things Apart Teaspoons, Pour container, Clear glasses, Dishes, Kitchen
Day 2
towel, Sink, Dish soap

The Atom (FMN) Balloons, Almond extract, Water, Cinnamon, Lemon or
Day 1
Are Atoms Small? peppermint extract, Magnifying glass, Measuring spoon,

2
Permanent marker, Water at three temperatures, Food
Day 2
Do Atoms Move ? coloring, Clear glasses, Thermometer, Colored pencils

Parts! Crayons or colored pencils, Construction paper, Glue,
Day 1
Let’s Be Positive Inflated balloon, Wall, Mirror, Carpet or fabric sofa, Large
3 work surface, Aluminum foil, Pencil lead, Mini marshmallows,
Types! (FMN) Regular-size marshmallows, Blank sheets of paper, Kitchen
Day 2
The First Ten scale, Scissors

The Alphabet (FMN)
Day 1
My Periodic Table Lemon juice, Paintbrush or cotton swab, Sunlight or lamp,

4
Chemical Symbol Match Periodic table, Pot holder
Day 2
My Favorite Element
Atomic Numbers (FMN)
Day 1
Is Milk an Element? Milk, Glass, Lemon juice, Measuring cup, Scissors, Colored
5
pencils, Stapler
Day 2
Flipbook
Massive Matters (FMN) Internet access and/or chemistry books,

Day 1
My Favorite Element Explored Colored pencils or crayons, Water (frozen), Liquid water,
6 Powdered Sugar, Brown sugar, Grapes, Grape juice, Kitchen
scale, Measuring cup, Sealable baggies
Day 2
Which Weighs More?
Why Do They Call It the Periodic Table

Day 1
Anyway? (FMN)
Periodic table, Peanut butter, Honey, Powdered milk, Sealable
7 Periodic Table Worksheet
baggie, Mixing bowl, Measuring cup, Wooden spoon
Day 2
Periodic Play Dough
We are Family (FMN) Periodic table, Table salt, Salt substitute (potassium
Day 1
The Friendship of Beryllium and Boron chloride), Oil, Vinegar, Cooked potato (optional), Water,
8
Crushed ice, Glass, Cups, Measuring spoon, Towel, Science
Day 2
Prove It! or kitchen thermometer

It’s Elementary (FMN) Periodic table, Flour, Salt, Cinnamon, Eggs, Sugar, Milk,
Day 1
Twenty Questions Vegetable oil, Baking powder, Cinnamon sugar (optional),

9
Muffin pan, Muffin cup liners, Mixing bowls, Whisk, Measuring
Day 2
Eating Hockey Pucks cup, Measuring spoon, Oven, Hot pads

Element Book Periodic table, 12” x 12” card stock, Scissors, Glue stick,
Day 1
He Likes Nachos - Group 1 (FMN) Stapler, Art supplies (markers, colored pencils, crayons),
10
The Incredible Floating Egg Eggs, Tall clear glasses, Distilled water, Salt, Tablespoon,
Day 2
Element Book Group 1 Stirrer

Be Mgnificent - Group 2 (FMN) Epsom salt, Black construction paper, Warm water,
Day 1
Crystal Creation Magnifying glass, Measuring cup, Tablespoon, Cake pan,

11
Scissors, Periodic table, Scissors, Glue, Art supplies
Day 2
Element Book Group 2 (markers, colored pencils, crayons)

14
Week
Day
Lesson / Lab Supplies Needed for the Week Dates / Notes
Bumblebees Alight - Group 13 (FMN) 20 Mule Team Borax, Water, White school glue, Grated
Day 1
The Slime That Ate Slovenia Styrofoam or polystyrene beads, Food coloring (optional),
12 Freezer baggie, Mixing bowl, Measuring cup, Teaspoon,
Tablespoon, Fork, Periodic table, Scissors, Glue, Art supplies
Day 2
Element Book Group 13

(markers, colored pencils, crayons)
Constantly Silly - Group 14 (FMN)
Day 1
S’more Carbon Large marshmallows, Graham crackers, Baking sheet, Oven,

13 Hot pad, Brown colored pencil, Periodic table, Scissors, Glue,
Art supplies (markers, colored pencils, crayons)
Day 2
Nice Penguins - Group 15 (FMN) Egg whites, Confectionery sugar, Parchment paper, Nonstick
Day 1
Eating Air spray, Flour, Cookie sheet, Mixing bowl, Fork, Spoon, Electric
14 mixer, Oven, hot pads, Magnifying glass, Periodic table,
Scissors, Glue, Art supplies (markers, colored pencils,
Day 2

crayons)
Obnoxious Seagulls - Group 16 (FMN) Eggs, Clear glass, Heat source, Pan, Water, Timer, Salt,
Day 1
That’s Not My Egg You’re Cooking, Is It? Knife, Hydrogen peroxide, Raw potato, Sink, Periodic table,
15
Bubble Trouble Scissors, Glue, Art supplies (markers, colored pencils,
Day 2
Element Book Group 16 crayons)

Frequently Clever - Group 17 (FMN) Bleach, Dark food coloring, Water, Glass, Eyedropper,
Day 1
Dancing Drops Toothpaste, Egg, Vinegar, Glass, Water, Toothbrush, Spoon,

16
The Tooth, the Whole Tooth, . . . Colored nail polish, Plastic wrap, Periodic table, Scissors,
Day 2
Element Book Group 17 Glue, Art supplies (markers, colored pencils, crayons)
He Never Argues - Group 18 (FMN)
Day 1
Helium-filled balloons, Cloth tape measure, Freezer, Timer,

The Incredible Shrinking Balloon
17 Periodic table, Scissors, Glue, Art supplies (markers,
colored pencils, crayons)
Day 2
Putting It All Together (FMN)

Day 1
Scissors, Glue, Card stock, Gumdrops, Toothpicks, Colored

Make a Molecule Puzzle
pencils, Large work surface, Sugar, Salt, Flour, Pepper,
18
Friendly Gumdrops Peanut butter, Vegteble oil, Clear glass of water, Lettuce,
Day 2
Mixture or Compound? Tomato, Carrot, Salad bowl
Molecular Formulas Are Useful (FMN)

Day 1
Molecular Formulas Worksheet

19 Celery, Glass, Blue food coloring, Water
Day 2
The Celery Blues
Drawing Lessons (FMN) My Periodic Table, Blank paper, Chalkboard or dry

Day 1
Drawing Lessons Worksheet erase board, White paper towel, Water, Shallow dishes,
20
Tablespoon, Food color, Vegetable oil, Q-tip, Scissors, Ruler,
Day 2
Capillary Action in Action Tape, Protected work surface

Day 1
Matter: An Introduction
My Periodic Table, Colored pencils, Blank paper, Lego pieces
21
Day 2
Matter: An Introduction (continued)

Day 1
The States of Matter (FMN)

Ice, Water, Pot, Heat source, Glass containers, Sealable
22
baggies, Rock, Kitchen scale, Drinking straw (optional)
Day 2
Presto-Change-O Water
Let’s Get to the Point (FMN) Crushed ice, Clear glass, Distilled water, Stove, Pot, Science
Day 1
What Is the Point? thermometers, Pot Holder, Science encyclopedia or internet

23
access (optional), Jell-O, Cold and hot water, Peanut butter,
Day 2
State of Confusion Mayonnaise, Cups, Spoons, Bowl, Refrigerator, Plate

15
Week
Day
Lesson / Lab Supplies Needed For the Week Dates / Notes
Day 1 Solids Are Dense (FMN)
Some Are Denser Than Others Colored pencils, Medium-sized box or container, Stuffed
24 animals, Bathtub or sink filled with water, Orange, Small
plastic container, Marbles, Assortment of solids
Day 2
The Sinking Tub Boat
Sugar, Water, Saucepan, Stove top, Glass jar, Rough string

Day 1
Molecules Stick Together (FMN)

or yarn, Wooden spoon, Metal washer or a Lifesaver candy,
25
Funnel (optional)
Day 2
A Big Rock Candy Mountain!
What Makes a Liquid a Liquid? (FMN)

Day 1
Liquids Are Dense Too Corn syrup, Vegetable oil, Water, Clear container, Measuring
26 cup, Food coloring, Chalkboard or sheet of paper, Slime
(made in former lab)
Day 2
Drawing the States of Matter
Friendship of Oxygen & Hydrogen (FMN) Freezer, Water, Empty plastic soda bottles, Blue food
Day 1
Smart Ice coloring, Blue crayon, Pan, Water, Clear glass tumbler,
27
Insulated copper wire, 9-volt battery, Salt, Spoon
Day 2
The Breakup
What Makes a Gas a Gas? (FMN) Unopened can of soda, Clear glass, Popping corn, Pan to
Day 1
Bubbles pop popcorn, Knife, Oil, Heat source for popping corn, Kite,
28
Popping Corn Windy day
Day 2
Let’s Go Fly a Kite!

The Air You Breathe (FMN)
Day 1
Air Takes Up Space Balloon, Empty 2-liter soda bottle, Glass jar with a lid, Tub
29
or sink full of water
Day 2
Why Do Boats Float?
Changes (FMN) Piece of paper, Alka-Seltzer tablet, Water, Match or lighter,

Day 1
Physical or Chemical? Kool-Aid, Sugar, Glass, Container to freeze Kool-Aid,

30
Pitcher, Bubble blowing solution and wand, Cast iron skillet
Day 2
Detecting Changes or other fireproof container, Scissors

Chemical Reactions Legos, Chalkboard or dry erase board, Science or kitchen
Day 1
Let’s Heat Things Up thermometer, Yeast, Hydrogen peroxide, Clear container,

31
Baking soda, Lemon juice, Spoon
Day 2
Let’s Cool Things Down
Some Like It Sour, Some Don’t (FMN) Red cabbage, Knife, Distilled water, Strainer, Glass quart jar
Day 1
Step 1 with a lid, Large container, White coffee filters, Cookie sheet,
32 Bowl, Rubber gloves, Baggie, Vinegar, Ammonia, Lemon juice,
Baking soda, Laundry detergent, 7-Up, Salt, Clear plastic
Day 2
Step 2
disposable cups, Protected work surface
Hydrogen & Oxygen & Hydrogen. . .(FMN)
Day 1
White vinegar, Baking soda, Cabbage indicator, Indicator

Let’s Make Water
33 paper, Scissors, Small cups, Paint brush, Water, Protected
surface
Day 2
Painting Magic
pHunny pHriends (FMN) Red, blue, and white watercolor or acrylic paint; Paintbrush;
Day 1
Make a pH Scale Paint pallet; Water; Cabbage indicator paper; Scissors;

34
Knife; Lemon; Grapefruit; Lime; Orange; Cherry tomato; V-8
Day 2
pHun with Acids Juice; Cup; Glue or tape

Building Teeth (FMN)
Day 1
Precipitates Baggie, Chalk, White vinegar, Container with a spout, Plastic

35
wrap, Clear glass container, Bowl, Warm water, Baking soda
Day 2
Precipitates (continued)
Combustion Action (FMN)

Day 1
Playing with Fire Glass jars, Roasting pan, Sand, Votive candles, Matches or
36 a lighter, Stopwatch, Dollar bill, Tongs, Salt, Rubbing alcohol,
Water, Measuring cup, Sink or other nonflammable surface
Day 2
Burning Money

16
Reading and Web Site Suggestions
The Usborne Science Encyclopedia is a good general science reference.
Unit 1 – What is Chemistry?

How to Think Like a Scientist by Stephen P. Kramer
I Can Be a Chemist by Paul Sipiere
What Is a Scientist? by Barbara Lehn
Unit 2 – Starting Small

Atoms (Simply Science) by Melissa Stewart
What Are Atoms? (Rookie Read-About Science) by Lisa Trumbauer – less advanced
What’s Smaller Than a Pygmy Shrew? by Robert E. Wells
Can You Count to a Googol? By Robert E. Wells
Unit 3 – The Chemist’s Alphabet Defined

The Periodic Table (True Books) by Salvatore Tocci
What is Mass? by Don L. Curry
Grab a Seat At the Periodic Table!: A Chemical Mystery by Laura Layton Strom
The Periodic Table of Elements (Reading Essentials in Science) by Jenny Karpelenia
Sorting the Elements: The Periodic Table At Work (Let’s Explore Science) by Andrew Solway
Unit 4 – The Chemist’s Alphabet Applied

Hydrogen and the Noble Gases by Salvatore Tocci
Calcium and the Alkaline Earth Metals by Nigel Saunders
Neon and the Noble Gases by Nigel Saunders
Carbon and Group 14 Elements by Nigel Saunders
Sodium and the Alkali Metals by Nigel Saunders
Oxygen and the Group 16 Elements by Nigel Saunders
Carbon by Salvatore Tocci
C is for Carbon by Marilee Summers
Nitrogen by Salvatore Tocci
Oxygen by Salvatore Tocci
Sodium by Salvatore Tocci
Aluminum by Salvatore Tocci
Silicon by Salvatore Tocci
Chlorine by Salvatore Tocci
Nitrogen and Group 15 Elements by Nigel Saunders
Fluorine and the Halogens by Nigel Saunders
Unit 5 – MOLECULES RULE

Atoms, Molecules, and Quarks by Melvin Berger
Unit 6 – What’s the Matter?

What Is the World Made Of? All About Solids, Liquids, and Gases by Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
and Paul Meisel
What Is Matter? by Don L. Curry
What Is Volume? by Lisa Trumbauer
What Is Density? by Joanne Barkan
Everything Is Matter! by David Bauer and David Lewis
Matter: Solids, Liquids, and Gases by Mir Tamim Ansary
Will It Float or Sink? by Melissa Stewart
Matter: See It, Touch It, Taste It, Smell It by Darlene R. Stille and Sheree Boyd

17
What’s the Matter in Mr. Whiskers’ Room? by Michael Elsohn Ross and Paul Meisel
Solids, Liquids, and Gases by Ginger Garrett
Change It!: Solids, Liquids, Gases and You by Adrienne Mason and Claudia Dávila
Freezing and Melting by Robin Nelson
Air Is All Around You by Franklyn Mansfield Branley and Holly Keller
A Drop Of Water by Walter Wick
Ask Magazine, April 2007, “The Wonder of Water”
KIDS Discover Magazine, May 2007, “Water”
I Get Wet by Vicki Cobb
Unit 7 – Reactions in Action

Acids and Bases by Carol Baldwin
Web sites: Web site suggestions are given with caution. With the ever-changing nature of the Web,
we cannot guarantee the availability or appropriateness of the following sites. Some sites (especially
YouTube) may contain inappropriate viewer comments and/or advertising.
Good general sites for information about chemistry:

www.chemistry.about.com
www.chem4kids.com
Many of the fabulous “Bill Nye - The Science Guy” episodes can be viewed on YouTube.
Bill Nye on atoms and molecules:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNjKVe7cC0Q
www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtBm4MkpiJc&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEMQLjbJ5bo&feature=related
Bill Nye on chemical reactions:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KGtLz081eI&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=rY2hSp1n6mA&feature=related
www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TjxChL0SMA&feature=related
The periodic table and elements:

www.chem4kids.com/files/elem_intro.html
www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/science/periodictable.html
Observe what happens when pure sodium and potassium metal are dropped into water (We Are Family lab):
www.science.tv/watch/abcb736ab9a754ffb617/Reactions-of-Sodium-and-Potassium-with-Water
www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d16c49462fb3c951b3eb
The three states of matter:

http://ksnn.larc.nasa.gov/k2/s_statesMatter_v.html
www.idahoptv.org/dialogue4kids/season7/matter/facts.cfm
Rock changing from a solid to a liquid (What Is the Point? lab):

www.volcanovideo.com/p8vidclp.htm
www.learner.org/interactives/volcanoes/meltrock.html

18
Unit 1
What Is Chemistry?
© 2009 Pandia Press Unit 1 - What Is Chemistry?

19
I Am a Chemist
It started with an atom
To this I must confess.
Then it was a molecule
With not one atom less.
Some kids they build with Legos

And some with Playmobile.
But me
Oh, I like atoms
I build things that are real.
I may be only eight

But I already know my fate.
It has been addressed
Yes, I am a chemist.

Unit 1 - What Is Chemistry? © 2009 Pandia Press
20
NAME ______________________________ DATE __________________
For my notebook
What is Chemistry?
Have you ever heard grown-ups talking about
chemicals in the food you eat, the water you drink,
or in the air you breathe? Can I tell you a secret?
Everything around you that you can see, and even the
things you cannot see, are chemicals. Everything in
food is a chemical. Water, itself, is a chemical. The
air we breathe is made up of chemicals. If your sister
has blue eyes and you have brown eyes, it is because
of chemicals. This book is made of chemicals. When
grown-ups talk about chemicals, they are usually
talking about chemicals that are bad for you. Most chemicals, though, are
either good for you or won’t hurt you at all. Okay, maybe if you drop this
book on your foot it would hurt, but you get my point.
Chemistry is the science that studies chemicals. Since everything
is made of chemicals, the science of chemistry interrelates with all other
types of science. When you study why a plant grows or how your five
senses work in life science, you are also studying chemistry. When you
study volcanoes erupting in earth science or how
the planets are different from one another, you
are studying chemistry. Why a rainbow forms and
makes colors, or why some things float and some
things sink, is physics and chemistry too. Medical
science is as much chemistry as it is biology.
You have probably been studying chemistry for a
long time and didn’t know it!
A chemist is a person who studies how
chemicals interact. Chemists ask questions like: Why do
lemons taste sour and smell lemony? How do plants die in the winter and
come back in the spring? How can a group of chemicals come together

21
and make a cat? Why do volcanoes erupt? What are stars made of? Why
do some people have blue eyes? Why are blue and green next to each other
in a rainbow? What kinds of medicine will best help kids when they catch
colds? There are so many questions. This year you are going to ask and
answer a lot of questions, because this year you are going to be a chemist.

22
What Is Chemistry? Lab #1: Be a Chemical Detective - instructions
Materials:
• Lab sheet, pencil
• Box of cereal that has several ingredients
Aloud: Today you will be a chemical detective. You will be looking for chemicals in common,
everyday things. That shouldn’t be very hard since everything around you is made of
chemicals.
Procedure:
1. In a home situation: Have students go through the house with the lab sheet and a pencil. They will
look at a box of cereal and read the list of ingredients. Then they will search items in the rest of
the house, looking for chemicals listed on labels. Good places to look include your laundry room,
bathroom, garage, and pantry.
2. In a classroom situation: You will need to make sure you have cereal boxes and several other items
with chemicals on hand.
Instructor’s Notes:
• The list of ingredients on boxes of your food items are a good place to look for many of the
chemicals.
• Cleaning fluids are a good place to look for dangerous chemicals. Bleach, ammonia, toilet bowl
cleaner, and lighter fluid are dangerous.
Possible Answers:
Cereal box:
I have heard of these - rice, granola bar pieces, sugar, salt, oats
I have never heard of - red dye #50, annatto, apple puree concentrate
Around your house or school:
Four chemicals you have never heard of - smoke flavor, sodium benzoate, sodium pyrophosphate,
sodium stearoyl lactylate
Four things made of chemicals I use everyday - air, water, toilet paper, your brain
Two chemicals that are dangerous - bleach and lighter fluid
A chemical that makes your car go - gasoline
Your favorite chemicals to drink - apple juice
Your favorite chemicals to eat - coconut
Two things that are bigger than a microwave made from lots of chemicals - refrigerator, television, my
mom (more than two, but all are good answers)
Two things smaller than a toaster made from lots of chemicals - knife and a mouse
If you were a chemist, what question would you try to answer? - (“What are black holes made of?”)

23
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
What Is Chemistry? Lab #1: Be a Chemical Detective
Chemicals in a box of cereal
I have heard of these: I have never heard of these:
Around your house or classroom

Four chemicals I have never heard of:
1. 2.
3. 4.
Four things made of chemicals I use everyday:

1. 2.
3. 4.
List two chemicals that are dangerous:

1. 2.
A chemical that makes your car go =
Your favorite chemicals to drink (hint: mine is water) =
Your favorite chemicals to eat (hint: mine is chocolate) =
Two things bigger than a microwave that are made from lots of chemicals:
1. 2.
Two things smaller than a toaster that are made from lots of chemicals:
1. 2.
Bonus: If you were a chemist, what question would you try to answer?

25
What Is Chemistry? Lab #2: Telling Things Apart - instructions
Materials:
• Lab sheets (two pages), pencil
• ½ cup Confectionery sugar
• ½ cup Baking powder
• ½ cup Baby powder
• ¾ cup Water
• ¾ cup Vinegar
• ¾ cup Cooking oil – any type
• Blue food coloring
• Three teaspoons
• Container to pour liquids from
• Three clear glasses
• Three dishes to hold confectionery sugar, baking powder, and baby powder
• Kitchen towel to clean as you go along
• Sink
• Dish soap
Aloud: Sometimes things look the same even though they are different. That can make it hard
to tell them apart. When chemists want to know if one thing is different from another, they use
two main types of tests. The first type of testing is physical. In physical tests, observations
are made about the physical properties of things. Physical properties are how things look, smell,
taste, and feel. A chemist would not taste things if she did not know what they were, though,
because she would not know if they were dangerous.
The second type of testing is chemical. With chemical tests, a chemist performs experiments
on things to see how they behave chemically. She will look at things to see what happens when
she puts them in water, in oil, or in an acid, such as vinegar.
In this experiment, you will learn how you can tell different things apart using physical tests
and chemical tests. You will take three similar-looking powders and examine them. You will run a
series of physical and chemical tests on baby powder, confectionery sugar, and baking powder.
Your goal is to observe the physical differences between these three powders and to observe
the different ways that these three things behave when you perform chemical tests on them.
You begin this lab, as you do most of the labs in this book, by writing a hypothesis for the lab. A
hypothesis is your best guess about the outcome of the lab based on what you have learned so
far.
Procedure:
1. Complete the hypothesis portion of the lab report.
2. Get out all the materials. The liquids do not need to be measured out at this time.
Physical Tests:
3. Measure about ½ cup each of confectionery sugar, baking powder, and baby powder into separate
dishes.
4. Have students look at each of the powders and note the differences they observe using the physical
tests of sight, touch, and smell on the lab sheet. When smelling these, be careful not to breathe in or
out too hard.
Chemical Tests:
5. Use a different spoon for each powder. Measure a leveled spoon of each powder into a separate glass.
6. Add about 1/8 cup of water to each powder. Stir them with a clean spoon and record observations on
the lab sheet.
7. Clean out the glasses and dry them.
8. Measure a leveled spoon of each powder into separate glasses.
9. Add about 1/8 cup of vinegar to each. Stir them with a clean spoon and record observations on the lab
sheet.
12. Add 3 drops of food coloring to each glass.
(continued on the back)
27
13. Add about 1/8 cup of water to each. Stir them with a clean spoon and record observations on the lab
sheet.
14. Add about 1/8 cup of vinegar to each of the glasses. The baking powder mixture might fizz out of the
glass.
15. Do they behave differently than they did with only one of the liquids? Record observations on the lab
sheet.
18. Add about 1/8 cup of oil to each. Stir them with a clean spoon and record observations on the lab
sheet.
19. Add about 1/8 cup of vinegar to each glass. Wait a minute or so for this part to see what happens. Do
not stir. Record observations on the lab sheet.
20. Add 3 drops of food coloring to each glass. Stir them with a clean spoon and record observations on
the lab sheet.
21. Raise the glasses to look at the bottoms.
• I have given specific measurements for the amounts of ingredients, but that is only to make sure you
have enough of everything. These measurements do not need to be very accurate.
• Have students fill out their lab sheets as they go along in the experiment. A lot happens in this
experiment.
• Use a clean spoon for each of the powders during the Chemical Tests part of this experiment.
• When you are doing this experiment, it is advised that you pick the glasses up to see what is
happening on the bottom of each glass.
• The answers for this experiment are only possible answers. Your students will be able to tell the three
powders apart, but their descriptions of what is happening might be different from mine.
• I have intentionally not gone into the chemistry involved in this experiment. That would confuse the
intention of this experiment at this level. My intention was to teach the difference between physical
and chemical tests and to demonstrate how a chemist might go about telling different things apart.
This experiment emphasizes observation skills and attention to details. These are very important skills
for studying science.
• 1/8 cup = 1 ½ tablespoons
Possible Answers/Observations:
Physical Tests
Sight Smell Touch
baby p. sugar baking p. baby p. sugar baking p. baby p. sugar baking p.
white white white good none none soft soft grainy
Chemical Tests
baby p. + water sugar + water baking p. + water
does not dissolve dissolves bubbles/fizzes
baby p. + vinegar sugar + vinegar baking p. + vinegar
does not dissolve dissolves fizzes a lot
baby p. + food color + water sugar + food color + water baking p. + food color + water
scummy and lumpy blue/ mixes with food color bubbly blue
+ vinegar + vinegar + vinegar
does not dissolve dissolves and clear blue bubbly blue
baby p. + oil sugar + oil baking p. + oil
does not dissolve does not dissolve does not dissolve
oil on top, baby p. does not dissolve oil on top, sugar dissolves bubbly and oily
+ food color + food color + food color
food color dots in oil oil on top of blue liquid blue, bubbly, and oily

28
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
What Is Chemistry? Lab #2: Telling Things Apart - page 1
Hypothesis - Write your best guess to the following questions:
1. When I look at the physical properties of confectionery sugar,
baby powder, and baking powder, I think I __________________ be able
to tell them apart. (will/will not)
2. I think that confectionery sugar, baby powder, and baking

powder will be _________________ to tell apart using chemical tests.
(easy/hard)
Results/Observations Physical Tests
Sight Smell Touch
baby sugar baking baby sugar baking baby sugar baking

powder powder powder powder powder powder
Chemical Tests
baby powder + water confectionery sugar + water baking powder + water
baby powder + vinegar confectionery sugar + vinegar baking powder + vinegar
baby powder + food color + confectionery sugar + food color + baking powder + food color + water
water water
baby powder + oil confectionery sugar + oil baking powder + oil
+ food color + food color + food color

29
What Is Chemistry? Lab #2: Telling Things Apart - page 2
Discussion and Conclusion
Was there something special about each powder that helped you to tell
them apart? Circle all the answers that fit for each powder. There are two
extra spaces for you to write your own observations.
1. Baby powder
is white smells good is soft
is grainy fizzes mixes with food color
dissolved in water dissolved in vinegar dissolved in oil
does not dissolve in water does not dissolve in food color
does not dissolve in oil ________________ ________________
2. Confectionery sugar
does not dissolve in oil ________________ ________________
3. Baking powder
does not dissolve in oil __________________ _________________

30
What Is Chemistry? - Crossword Vocabulary Review
1
EclipseCrossword.com
Across
5. An educated guess about the results of an experiment.
6. The science that studies chemicals.
Down
1. A chemist performs this to test how things behave chemically. (Two words)
2. A person who studies how chemicals interact.
3. A chemist performs this to test the physical properties of something. (Two words)
4. Chemists study these.

31
Unit 2
Starting Small
© 2009 Pandia Press Unit 2 - Starting Small

33
The Atom Song
An atom
is so small
you can’t see it,
not at all!
But without atoms

none of us
would be.
They make up
everything
you see.

Unit 2 - Starting Small © 2009 Pandia Press
34
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
The Atom
Have you heard of atoms? Did you know that everything in the world
and universe is made of atoms? Atoms are the basic building blocks of
everything you see, including yourself. That means even cells are made
of atoms. You remember what cells are, don’t you? They are the building
blocks of living things and atoms are the building blocks of them. Atoms
are like the Legos of the universe, only atoms are a lot smaller than
Legos. They are so small that a person who weighs 75 pounds would have
about 3,500,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (three octillion, five hundred
septillion) atoms in his body! Try writing that number down; it’s 35 followed
by twenty-six zeros.
Thousands of years ago, the ancient Greeks
thought a lot about how things are made. About 2,400
years ago, a Greek named Democritus (dih-MOCK-rih-
tuss) said that everything was made from particles,
called atoms. He thought that all things could be broken
down into smaller and smaller pieces until you got to
atoms. Democritus also thought atoms moved all the time
and that they could join with each other.
The problem with Democritus’ theory about atoms
was that at that time, there was no scientific way to prove
that atoms exist. Atoms are so small that people cannot
see them without using a special type of microscope called a
scanning-tunneling microscope. There were no scanning-tunneling
microscopes 2,400 years ago. Most people living then found it hard to
believe in something they could not see. That meant most of the people
alive when Democritus was alive did not believe in atoms.
Today we know that Democritus was right. All things are made of
atoms. He was right that atoms move all the time. He was also correct
that atoms join together. When atoms join, they make molecules.
Move your hands in the air. As you move your hands through the air,
you are hitting atoms and molecules. You cannot see them, but they are
there. Air is mostly made of two types of atoms whose names are nitrogen
and oxygen. Water is made of atoms, too. Water is made of two types of
atoms called hydrogen and oxygen. Everything is made of atoms!

35
The Atom Lab #1: ARE ATOMS Small? - instructions
Materials:
• Five balloons that have not been inflated
• Almond extract
• Water
• Cinnamon
• Lemon, orange, or peppermint extract
• Magnifying glass
• ½ Teaspoon measuring spoon
• Permanent marker
Part 1:
Aloud: Atoms are really small. Think of the smallest thing you have ever seen with your own two
eyes. Atoms are a lot smaller than even that. Look at your lab sheet. Do you see the dash under
the magnifying glass? How many atoms do you think are in that dash?
Procedure:
Have students trace over the dash on the lab sheet with a pencil, and examine it with a magnifying glass.
Wait for students to write a guess about the number of atoms.
Aloud: There are 40,000,000 (40 million) atoms in that dash! Atoms are small, but everything is
made of them. The next time you go outside, look at all the different things in the world that
are made of atoms. If it is a sunny day, remember even the sun is made of atoms. If it is rainy
or cloudy, remember the clouds and the raindrops are all made of atoms. Oh, by the way, a
raindrop has about 5,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 (5 sextillion) atoms in it. If you catch one on
your tongue, think about that! Do you remember what kind of atoms are in raindrops? There are
hydrogen atoms and oxygen atom in raindrops because raindrops are made of water.
• The dash is 2mm long. There are about 20 million carbon (graphite) atoms in a pencil dash that is 1
mm.
Part 2:
Aloud: What does the outside of a balloon smell like? Would you say sort of rubbery or like
nothing at all? What if you put something with a strong scent or smell into a balloon? Would
you be able to smell what’s in the balloon if you inflated it? How could you? Maybe you could put
a small hole in it. The problem with that is, if a balloon had a hole, it wouldn’t hold air, would it?
Today, you are going to smell five balloons. Each balloon has something different in it.
You will see if you can smell the scent atoms through the balloons.
Balloons are made of atoms like everything else in the world. The things you will be
putting into the balloons are made of atoms too. Do you think the scent atoms will be small
enough to go through the atoms of the balloon?
Procedure (read over the entire procedure before starting the lab):
1. Complete the hypothesis portion of the lab sheet.
2. Before inflating the balloons, have students examine them. They should smell them and check them for
holes with a magnifying glass. If they find a hole in a balloon, discard it and get another with no holes.
Blow one of the balloons up and have the students examine this balloon with the magnifying glass.
They are checking it for holes.
37
3. Do this next step before inflating the rest of the balloons and out of sight of your students. Pour
water, cinnamon, almond extract, and the other type of extract in four different balloons. After each
addition, blow the balloon up and tie off tightly. Do not over-inflate the balloons. If you do, they could
pop and you will have a mess. Be careful not to get anything on the outside of the balloons or your
hands. If you do get something on the balloon, wash it off with soap and let it dry. Label the balloons
“1,” “2,” “3,” and “4,” or you can use different-colored balloons for identification. The students will guess
what is in them. The rest of the experiment is done in front of the students. Shake each balloon for
30 seconds starting with the balloon that has only air in it. Have students smell the outside of the
balloon. Have them record results on the lab sheet.
• If you use peppermint extract, put it at the end of the experiment. It smells so strong that it can
affect how the unscented balloons smell. You might want to leave it in another room until all the other
balloons have been tested.
• Cinnamon and vanilla extract can be seen through light-colored balloons. Try using a dark-colored
balloon for these scents.
Possible Answers:
Results / Observations
Before being inflated, the balloons should smell like nothing, or rubbery, or like a balloon.
Before and after the balloons are inflated, students should not see any holes in the balloons.
Data Table
Students should fill in the part of the data table where they guess what the balloons have in them. You
should help them fill in the part that tells what was really in the balloons.
They should smell both extracts and cinnamon. They should not smell anything from the balloon with air in
it and the balloon with water in it. They might correctly guess the balloon with water because they will be
able to hear that it has liquid in it.
Discussion/Conclusion
They should have smelled all three things that had a scent.
From this, students should have learned that the scent molecules and atoms are small enough to travel
between the atoms that make up the balloon.

38
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
The Atom Lab #1: ARE ATOMS Small?
Part 1:
I think there are ____________________________________________ atoms in that dash.
Part 2: Hypothesis (circle your answer):

I think scent molecules are small enough to travel through the molecules of the
balloons and that I will smell the scents put in the balloons.
Yes No I don’t know
I think the balloons with air and water will smell the same as they did before being
inflated.
Results / Observations:
Before being blown up, my balloons smelled like
When I looked at the balloon with my magnifying glass, I saw:
Before being blown up
After being blown up
Data Table The balloon smelled like What was in the balloon?
balloon filled with air air
balloon #1
balloon #2
balloon #3
balloon #4
Discussion and Conclusion:
Did you smell any of the things put into the balloons?
Which ones did you smell?
What did the scents teach you about the size of atoms and molecules?

39
The Atom Lab #2: DO ATOMS MOVE ? - instructions
CAUTION: THIS LAB INVOLVES HANDLING VERY HOT WATER. ONLY THE PARENT/INSTRUCTOR SHOULD HANDLE
THE HOT WATER.
Materials:
• Color pencil or crayon (same color as the food coloring)
• 3 cups of Water at three different temperatures:
1) Chilled (Put ice and water into a container and drain off the water for use.)
2) Room temperature
3) Very hot (just been boiled)
• Food coloring (Use the same color and amount for each test. A darker color is better.)
• Three clear glasses, the same size
• Thermometer, science or kitchen-type
• Stopwatch or a timer that counts in seconds
Aloud: When you look at a drop of water, can you tell that the hydrogen and oxygen atoms in
it are moving? Well, they are moving, and very fast too. In this lab, you are going to drop food
coloring into water. You will not see a single food color atom move through the water; atoms are
too small to see by themselves. But you can see a group of food color atoms move through the
water. When you put the drops in the water, the food coloring will mix with the water without you
stirring it. When things mix without being stirred, it is called diffusion. Temperature can affect
how fast atoms and molecules mix with each other. The water in each glass will be a different
temperature. Do you think the molecules will diffuse faster in the hot water or the cold water?
Procedure:
2. Measure one cup of each temperature of water into three clear glasses.
3. Right away, measure the temperature of each glass of water. Do this very carefully so you don’t stir
the water. (To prevent the thermometer from shattering, allow it to cool for a few seconds between
the hot and cold water.) When the thermometer stops moving up or down, record the temperatures on
the lab sheet.
4. Carefully drop 5 drops of food coloring into each glass of water.
5. Immediately observe what happens in each glass and record observations on the lab sheet.
Observations should be recorded in words and pictures.
6. Wait 2 minutes. Measure the three temperatures again. Record observations on the lab sheet.
7. Wait 30 minutes. Measure the three temperatures again. Have there been any changes?
8. Complete the lab report.
Aloud: When you can see things diffuse, you are watching molecules and atoms in motion. Heat
can make atoms and molecules move faster. You used colored molecules in this experiment so it
would be easy to see them move through the colorless water. But atoms are moving all the time,
even when you can’t see them.
• Make sure each glass has the same amount of water. If you use more or less than a cup of water the
rate of diffusion will be affected.
• Make the sure the water is not stirred, or otherwise moving, when you carefully drop in the food
coloring. You want the atoms to mix through diffusion, not from stirring.
• When food coloring is put in the hot water, it diffuses very quickly. Make sure students are watching
the experiment right from the start.
• Thirty minutes might not be enough time for the food color to diffuse completely through the water
in the room temperature and cold water. Try leaving the glasses sitting out until the color diffuses
completely.
41
Possible Answers:
Hypothesis:
The correct answers are yes, yes, hot.
Results:
Data Table
The temperatures will vary.
Observations:
Each square represents a glass of water with food coloring in it. The coloring in each square should look
similar to the diffusion pattern in each glass of water + food coloring at the specified time.
Conclusion:
The atoms diffused fastest in hot water.
The atoms diffused slowest in cold water.

42
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
The Atom Lab #2: DO ATOMS MOVE ?
Hypothesis:
Do you think you will see the food color atoms diffuse
(move) through the water?
Do you think the temperature of the water affects the
rate of diffusion (how fast things move) in the water?
I think atoms move faster when they are ______________.
cold room temperature hot
Results:
Room temperature
Chilled water Hot water
Temperature: water
Start
2 minutes
30 minutes
Observations: Color the squares to show what is happening to the food

coloring in each glass of water.
Room temperature
Chilled water Hot water
water
Start 2 min 30 min Start 2 min 30 min Start 2 min 30 min
Conclusion: Circle the correct word(s) to complete each sentence.

The atoms diffused fastest in cold room temperature hot water.
The atoms diffused slowest in cold room temperature hot water.

43
What’s in an Atom?
So what’s in an atom?
Let’s start
And learn
Each part.
Proton,
Electron,
Neutron,
Yeah.
Inside the nucleus,

There are two kinds of things,
The neutral neutron
And the positive proton.
They’re good friends,
Like you and me.
They don’t like to be seen separately.
Proton,
Electron,
Neutron,
Yeah!
Then there’s a little guy

Orbiting around.
He’s really fast
But he doesn’t make a sound.
He’s the electron
And he’s negatively charged.
He’s really small.
He’s not at all large.
Proton, Proton, Proton,

Electron, Electron, Electron,
Neutron, Neutron, Neutron,
Yeah!! Yeah!!! Yeah!!!!

44
Parts!
Materials:
• “Parts of an Atom” poster, 1 per student
• Crayons or colored pencils - purple, red, blue, green, and orange
• Construction Paper - one 8 ½ “ x 11” piece
• Glue
• “What’s in an Atom?” poem (p. 44)
Hand out the “Parts of the Atom” poster found page 47. Students should follow along on it while you read
below.
Aloud: The picture on the poster shows the parts of an atom. Atoms are very small, but there
is something even smaller than atoms. Atoms are made of three main parts, and the parts that
make up atoms are smaller than atoms. These three parts are called protons (proh-tonz),
neutrons (noo-tronz), and electrons (ee-lek-tronz).
Let’s learn what an atom looks like. I am going to read a description of the parts of an
atom to you. I want you to follow along on your Parts of an Atom poster using your crayons.
Look in the center of the atom. Do you see the four circles in the center of the atom?
This center part of an atom has a special name. It is called the nucleus (noo-klee-uhss). With a
purple crayon, draw one tight circle around all four circles in the nucleus. Can you find the word
“nucleus” in the word box? Shade the word “nucleus” purple. The nucleus is made of things called
protons and neutrons.
Find the two neutrons by looking for the letter “n” inside two of the circles in the
nucleus. Color the neutrons blue. Look at the neutrons. They look the same as each other. That
is because all neutrons are the same as each other. Find the word “neutron” in the word box.
Shade the word “neutron” blue.
The two protons in the nucleus have a “p+” inside their circles. Color the protons red. Look
at the protons. They look the same as each other. That is because all protons are the same as
each other. Find the word “proton” in the word box. Shade the word “proton” red.
An electron is a small particle that orbits around the nucleus. There are two of them; they
have an “e-” in their circles. Can you find both of them? Color them green. Look at the electrons.
They look the same as each other. That is because all electrons are the same as each other.
Shade the word “electron” green.
The energy level is where you find the electrons of an atom. Trace over the energy level,
the big circle the electrons are in, with an orange crayon. Shade the words “energy level” at the
top of the page orange.
Now there is one last part of your atom I want you to notice. Well, it’s actually not a part,
but rather the lack of a part. Let me explain. Do you notice what is between the nucleus where
the protons and neutrons are and the energy level where the electrons are? Nothing! Atoms
have a whole lot of empty space in them. In fact, empty space is the biggest “part” of an atom.
Cut out your Parts of an Atom poster and glue it onto a piece of construction paper.
Hang it on your wall to help you remember the parts of the atom while you study chemistry this
year.
The atom you just colored is a helium (HEE-lee-em) atom. It is a special type of atom.
Helium is used in balloons to make them float. It is also what they put in blimps to make them
lighter than air.
45
• The Parts of The Atom poster created today is used as a reference by students throughout this book.
• Recite the “What’s in an Atom?” poem to help students remember the parts of an atom.
• Throughout this course I will be referring to electrons being on energy levels as they circle the nucleus
in an atom. Traditionally these circles were called “orbits” but recent atomic discoveries have led to the
more accurate term “energy level.” Whether energy level or orbit, when teaching about atoms we draw
models with electrons neatly circling the nucleus. But the fact is, the placement of electrons is more
accurately described as a cloud, and the location of electrons in a cloud is determined by a probability
function. For this age-group, however, this concept is best taught as tidy energy levels.
For More Lab Fun:

If you have a group of three or more students, try acting out an atom while reciting the “What’s
in an Atom?” poem. Have students play the parts of the “proton” and the “neutron” standing very close
together in the center, and the “electron” orbiting around them in the “energy level.” Clap and shout the
chorus.
Recite “What’s in an Atom?” at the start of each science class for the next few weeks until
students know the parts of an atom well. Then review the poem periodically throughout the school year.

46
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Parts of an Atom
nucleus proton (p+) neutron (n)
electron (e-) energy level
e-
p+ n
n p+
e-
Helium (He)
47
Parts! Lab: LET’S BE POSITIVE - instructions
Materials:
• Copy of lab sheet, pencil
• Inflated balloon
• Wall
• Mirror
• Carpet or sofa covered in cloth material (leather sofas won’t work)
• Completed “Parts of an Atom” poster
Aloud: Have you ever gotten a shock when you touched something or someone? Have you taken
something out of the dryer and had it cling to you? These things happen when enough electric
charge builds up and moves from one thing to another.
Are you thinking, “Hey, wait a minute! Isn’t charge what horses do at the start of a
battle?” Maybe you are thinking, “Isn’t charging what my mom does when she goes shopping?”
You can see both of those types of charge. You can see the other type of charge too.
The electrons orbit around the outside of the atom and sometimes you can rub them
off onto something else. A charge can be either positive or negative. Do you notice the protons
have “+” signs and the electrons have “-” signs in the atom on the “Parts of an Atom” poster?
Protons have positive charge and electrons have negative charge. That is why there are “+”
signs in the protons and “-” signs in the electrons.
When you rub a balloon on carpet or a sofa, electrons will rub off them and on the
balloon. The balloon will have a negative charge from the electrons because of this. The positive
part of your hair and the wall will be attracted to the negatively charged balloon. Opposites
really do attract!
Procedure:
1. Before rubbing the balloon on anything, put the balloon next to a student’s hair and the wall. Have
students record their observations on the lab sheet.
2. Rub the balloon ONLY in one direction on your carpet or sofa. Rub it five to ten times. Be careful not to
pop the balloon.
3. After rubbing the balloon, hold it next to a student’s hair and let him look in a mirror. After that, touch
the balloon to a wall. Have students record their observations on the lab sheet.
Aloud: When the balloon is rubbed on the sofa/carpet, electrons rub off the sofa/carpet and
onto the balloon. The extra electrons on the balloon attract the protons in your hair and on the
wall. Try it on more things. If you rub the balloon again, though, make sure you do not rub it in a
different direction.
Instructor’s Note:
• If it is humid or rainy where you live, this might not work. Wait for a drier day.
Possible Answers:
Before rubbing the balloon: nothing happened, nothing happened
The pictures should show hair standing up and a balloon sticking to the wall.

49
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Parts! Lab: LET’S BE POSITIVE
Before rubbing the balloon on the carpet or sofa, . . .
when I held the balloon close to my hair

___________________________________________________
__________________________________________________.
when I held the balloon close to the wall _____________

___________________________________________________
_________________________________________________.
Results:
Draw pictures to show what happened after rubbing the balloon.

When I held the balloon close to my hair, it looked like this:
When I held the balloon close to the wall, it looked like this:

51
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Types!
The atom on your “Parts of an Atom” poster is a special type of
atom. It is a helium atom. There are over 100 different types of atoms.
Isn’t that a lot? How could that be if all atoms are made of the same
three things—electrons, protons, and neutrons? It is true, though. Just
look around you. Isn’t it incredible that all the things you can see are
made from the same three things?
So, if everything is made up of the same three things—protons,
electrons, and neutrons, then what makes one type of atom different
from another? Think of a piece of aluminum foil and a pencil lead.
Aluminum foil is made of aluminum atoms, and a pencil lead is made of
carbon atoms. Remember, an electron in an aluminum atom is exactly
the same as an electron in a carbon atom. The
protons are all the same as each other in both
atoms and so are the neutrons. Aluminum and
carbon look so different from each other, it
is hard to believe they are made from the
same things, isn’t it? An atom of aluminum
has more protons, neutrons, and electrons
than an atom of carbon, and that is all
that makes it different. Wow!
Aluminum foil is made of LOTS of
aluminum atoms. The tip of the pencil is
made of LOTS of carbon atoms. A group
of the same type of atoms is called an
element. When you look at aluminum foil,
you are looking at the element aluminum
because there is only one type of atom
in the foil (aluminum atoms) and there is
more than one of them. The pencil lead is
the element carbon because it is made up
of only carbon atoms.

53
Types! Lab: The First Ten - instructions
Materials:
• Small piece of aluminum foil
• Pencil lead or a sharpened pencil
• One bag of mini marshmallows - all the same color (e.g. white)
• Two bags of regular-size marshmallows, 2 different colors - besides traditional white, Kraft Foods
makes chocolate (brown) and strawberry (pink) marshmallows
• Ten blank sheets of paper (8 ½ x 11)
• Large table, counter, or floor space where you can spread out 10 marshmallow atoms (at least 10 feet
wide)
• Kitchen scale
• “Parts of an Atom” poster (completed) and “What’s in an Atom?” poem
• Scissors
• Atomic Energy Levels Diagram (page 59)
• Periodic table found on the inside back cover of this book
Aloud: Look at the piece of aluminum foil* and the pencil lead*. Remember that the only
difference between them is that aluminum atoms have more electrons, protons, and neutrons
than the carbon atoms making up the pencil lead. Today you will make ten different types of
atoms using marshmallows, and the only difference between them will be the number of protons,
electrons, and neutrons. Each different type of atom in the universe has its own name. There
are more than 100 and the number keeps growing. That means there are over 100 names for the
types of atoms. Today you will make the first 10 types of atoms.
* There are impurities (small amounts of other types of atoms) found in aluminum foil and pencil leads.
For the sake of teaching elements, I ignored this fact.
Procedure:
1. Let students examine and compare the aluminum foil and pencil lead.
2. Cut out the name squares of the different types of atoms on the lab sheet. The pronunciation for
them is given as each type of atom is introduced. There is a number by each name. The numbers are
the atomic numbers and also indicate the order in which you will make the atoms. The name with the
number 1 by it, for example, is the atom that is made first.
3. Before beginning to build the atoms, use the “Parts of an Atom” poster that students made last week
and “What’s in an Atom?” poem to refresh their memories about what an atom looks like.
4. Decide which color of the regular-size marshmallows will be protons and which will be neutrons. The
mini marshmallows will be electrons.
5. Students should build each atom on a separate sheet of blank paper as you read the scripted
directions found on the next page. Work your way through building the atoms one at a time, beginning
with hydrogen and ending with neon, placing the marshmallow protons, neutrons, and electrons in their
proper places for each atom. As students make the atoms, have them put the matching atom name
label on the sheet and write in the missing number of protons, electrons, and neutrons on the label.
Instructor Notes:
• This lab is in two parts, building the marshmallow atoms and then placing the marshmallow electrons
in energy levels. You might choose to do both parts consecutively, in one long lab. If you choose to
split this into two days, you have to rebuild the marshmallow atoms for the second day.
• Look at the periodic table found on the inside back cover of this book to assist you with placement
of the marshmallow atoms on your work surface. The placement is important because it mimics the
periodic table, which students will learn about later in this course.
55
• The number of neutrons does not increase by a consistent amount. Therefore, you will provide the
number of neutrons for the student every time. The number of protons and electrons increases by one,
going from one type of atom to the next. You will begin writing the numbers of protons and neutrons for
students until a point, noted in the text. After that, you will discuss the pattern and students will help
determine the correct number of protons and neutrons to write down.
• Many of the names of the atom types (element names) will not be familiar to your students. It is not the
purpose of this lab to teach what these elements are. That is done in another unit. The names are given
here as a way to distinguish the different types of atoms.
• As students build atoms, the number of protons and neutrons will increase. In order to fit all the
marshmallows on the paper, you may have to stack the “protons” and “neutrons” on top of each other.
Aloud Part 1 - Building Atoms:

neutron 0 1. Let’s start making atoms. First is hydrogen (HI-dreh-jen).
proton 1 • Put a blank piece of paper on the top left side of your work surface. Cut out all of the
electron 1
atom labels found on the lab sheet. Glue or tape the name “hydrogen” onto the top of
the paper.
• You need one proton for your hydrogen atom. Where should you put it? (nucleus)
• Now take one electron and put this orbiting the proton.
• You have now made a hydrogen atom. Wait! Did I forget something? Where is the
neutron? Guess what? Hydrogen does not have one, it just has a proton and an
electron. Neutrons are funny little guys; sometimes they match the number of protons
and sometimes they don’t. I will tell you how many neutrons you need for each type of
atom.
neutron 2 2. Helium is #2. (HEE-lee-em)
proton 2
electron 2
• Put another blank piece of paper on the far right side of your work surface. Glue or
tape the name “helium” onto the top of the paper.
• You need two protons and two neutrons for helium. Did you put these in the center of
the atom? They make up the nucleus.
• Next, you need two electrons orbiting the nucleus.
neutron 4 3. Lithium is #3. (LITH-ee-em)
proton 3
electron 3
• Start a second row of atoms by placing a blank piece of paper with the label for
lithium below the hydrogen atom.
• Lithium has three protons and four neutrons in its nucleus.
• All the atoms you are making today have the same number of electrons as protons.
How many electrons does lithium have? (3) Write the number of electrons on the label.
Now I want to teach you something important. Answer these questions for me.
How many protons does hydrogen have? (1) How many electrons does hydrogen have? (1)
How many protons does helium have? (2) How many electrons does helium have? (2)
How many protons does lithium have? (3) How many electrons does lithium have? (3)
Do you see a pattern?
When going from one type of atom to the one that is next in line, you ALWAYS add 1 and
ONLY 1 proton and 1 electron. Let’s make more atoms and see how this works.
neutron 5 4. Beryllium is #4. (beh-RIL-ee-em)
proton 4
electron 4
• Place the paper for beryllium to the right of lithium.
• If hydrogen has 1 proton, helium has 2 protons, and lithium has 3 protons, how many
protons does beryllium have? (4)

56
• Make the nucleus for beryllium. It has five neutrons.
• Beryllium has four electrons.
• Write the number of protons and electrons on the label.
neutron 5 5. Boron is #5. (BO-ron)
proton 5
electron 5 • Put a sheet of paper and the label for boron next to beryllium.
• Boron has five neutrons.
• How many protons and electrons does it have? (5)
• Construct a marshmallow boron atom and write the number of protons and
electrons on the label.
neutron 6 6. Carbon is #6. (KAR-ben)
proton 6
electron 6
• Put a sheet and the label for carbon next to boron.
• A carbon atom has six neutrons.
• How many protons and electrons does it have? Remember boron had 5. (5+1 = 6)
• Construct a marshmallow carbon atom and write the number of protons and
Does it seem simple to make one type of atom and then the next? Well, it is. You
are using marshmallows to make each type of atom. Every time you make an atom,
you use the same kind of marshmallow for the protons and the same kind for the
neutrons and the same kind for the electrons. If you could see something as small as
a real atom, you would see that all electrons are the same as each other. All protons
are the same as each other and all neutrons are the same as each other. What makes
one type of atom different from another is the number of protons, neutrons, and
electrons that it has. Amazing, isn’t it?
neutron 7 7. Nitrogen is #7. (NYE-truh-gen)

proton 7
electron 7
• Put a sheet and the label for nitrogen next to carbon.
• Nitrogen has seven neutrons.
• How many protons and electrons does nitrogen have? Carbon had six of each. (7)
• Construct a marshmallow nitrogen atom and write the number of protons and
neutron 8 8. Oxygen is #8. (OK-si-jen)
proton 8
electron 8 • Put a sheet and the label for oxygen next to nitrogen.
• Oxygen has eight neutrons.
• How many protons and electrons does oxygen have? Nitrogen had seven of each.
(8)
• Construct a marshmallow oxygen atom and write the number of protons and
neutron 10 9. Fluorine is #9. (FLOOR-een)
proton 9
electron 9
• Put a sheet and the label for fluorine next to oxygen.
• Fluorine has ten neutrons.
• How many protons and electrons does fluorine have? (9)
• Construct a marshmallow fluorine atom and write the number of protons and

57
neutron 10 10. Neon is #10. (NEE-on)
proton 10
electron 10 • Put a sheet and the label for neon next to fluorine.
• Neon has 10 neutrons.
• How many protons and electrons does neon have? (10)
• Construct a marshmallow neon atom and write the number of protons and
11. Move the helium atom in the first row over the top of the neon atom. (There should
be a big space between hydrogen and helium.)
12. Weigh the marshmallow nucleus (protons and neutrons) of your neon atom on
the scale. Now add the electrons for neon to the scale. Did the electrons make
much of a difference to the overall weight? Where is almost all of the mass of the
marshmallow neon atom? In real atoms (not just in marshmallow ones), almost all
the mass is in the nucleus too.
Now that you are an expert at making the different types of atoms, let’s talk
about energy levels. Leave the atoms you have made out, you will need them for this
next section.
Aloud Part 2 - Energy Levels:

Can you find the energy level for helium on your “Parts of an Atom” poster?
Remember, an atom’s electrons go in its energy levels. How many electrons are in the
energy level of helium on your poster? (2) Most atoms have more than one energy
level. The energy levels have very strict rules about how many electrons can fit in each
one. Think of it like musical chairs. There are only so many “seats” in each energy level,
and each seat fits only one electron. Any more electrons in the atom have to go in
the next energy level. The first energy level is the one closest to the nucleus. Only two
electrons fit in this energy level. When the “music” stops at the first energy level, there
can only be one or two electrons in it. The first energy level is always the first one to fill
up.
Show the Energy Level Diagram on the next page to students or draw the diagram on a chalkboard.
Think of the nucleus of an atom as a planet and the electrons as moons.

Hydrogen and helium have one energy level. Their electrons are like moons that have
the same orbit. The atoms from lithium through neon have two energy levels.
13. Go back to your atoms. Put the electrons that go in the first energy level in their
special “seats” in the energy level closest to the nucleus. Starting with hydrogen
and ending with neon, put one to two electrons in the energy level closest to
the nucleus.
That leaves most of the atoms with electrons that are not yet in an energy level. The
second energy level can fit UP TO eight electrons in it. That is a lot of moons in one
orbit!

58
14. Go to your marshmallow atoms and put all the remaining electrons in the second energy
level around each nucleus. Do not bunch the electrons up; they should be spread evenly
around the energy level.
• Every type of atom has one and only one amount of protons. That is what defines the type of atom.
The number of electrons can change as a function of bonding. In the neutral state, as represented on
the periodic table and with your student’s marshmallow atoms, the number of electrons equals the
number of protons. The number of neutrons, however, can vary without changing the type of atom.
In fact, every type of naturally occurring element has a variable amount of neutrons. These atoms
are called isotopes. Isotopes are atoms with the same number of protons but different numbers of
neutrons. Every type of atom has isotopes. Here and throughout this book, only the most commonly
occurring number of neutrons is used. The subject of isotopes will be covered in RSO Chemistry (level
two).
Atomic Energy Level Chart

Maximum Number of Electrons
Third energy level
e-
ond energy le
sec ve
l
e-
e-
e- st energy le
fir ve
l e-
e-
e- Nucleus e-
e- e-
e-
e-
e-
e- e-
e-
e- e-

59
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Types! Lab: The First Ten
Hydrogen 1 Carbon 6
neutron 0 neutron 6
proton 1 proton __
electron 1 electron __
Helium 2 Nitrogen 7
neutron 2 neutron 7
proton 2 proton __
electron 2 electron __
Lithium 3 Oxygen 8
neutron 4 neutron 8
proton 3 proton __
electron __ electron __
Beryllium 4 Fluorine 9
neutron 5 neutron 10
proton __ proton __
Boron 5 Neon 10
neutron 5 neutron 10
proton __ proton __

61
Starting Small - Crossword Vocabulary Review
2 3
4 5
Across
4. A group of the same type of atoms.
7. Negatively charged particle that orbits the nucleus.
8. The center part of an atom, where the protons and neutrons are found.
9. When atoms join together, they make this.
Down
1. Where the electrons are found. (Two words)
2. The basic building block of all matter.
3. A positively charged particle found in the nucleus of an atom.
5. A neutral particle found in the nucleus.
6. The process where things mix without being stirred.

63
Unit 3
The Chemist’s Alphabet Defined
© 2009 Pandia Press Unit 3 - The Chemist’s Alphabet Defined

65
The Periodic Table Rap
47
28 79 29
r
kel Silve
Nic
59 Gol
d
108 Co
pp
er
197 64
Each element in its own place.

Each one has its own special space.
Each type of atom has its own symbol.

Nicknames help them to be more nimble.
The periods are written in rows.

Left to right is how it goes.
Seven periods are we.

Just remember 4 + 3.
The groups are written up and down.

Chemical families like to hang around.
They are similar to each other,

These 18 groups are like brothers.
The number of protons equals the atomic number.

It is an important fact to “remumber.”
Protons + neutrons is the atomic mass,

That’s the fact I wrote down last
If you learn this you’ll be great at chemistry.

Just you wait and see.

Unit 3 - The Chemist’s Alphabet Defined © 2009 Pandia Press
66
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
The Alphabet
In 1869, a man named Dmitri Mendeleev (Men-de-LAY-ev) invented
a chart to organize the different types of atoms. There are 118 different
types, after all! Mendeleev’s chart is called the Periodic Table of the
Elements. The periodic table includes the name of every type of atom or
element.
Atoms are the building blocks of the universe. Everything is made
of them. The periodic table, with all the different types of atoms on it, is
like the alphabet of chemistry. When reading and writing words, you use
the alphabet from A to Z and make very simple words such as “I” or more
complicated words such as “astonishment.” Like letters in the alphabet,
atoms can be found by themselves or they can combine to make something
complicated, like a mountain. The elements are not on the periodic table in
alphabetical order like the alphabet is, however. But you will soon learn that
the order of the elements is very specific and very important.
All the names of the elements have abbreviations. These abbreviations
are on the periodic table and they are called symbols. Look at the periodic
table found in this book. Can you find a symbol for an element on the
periodic table? Does the symbol have one, two, or three letters? There are
a couple of rules for the symbols of elements: 1. Symbols have one, two,
or three letters. 2. Like most abbreviations, the symbol is capitalized.
3. If there is more than one letter in the symbol, only the first
letter is capitalized. Sometimes the symbols make sense. The
symbol for hydrogen is H. Some symbols, though, do not seem
to make sense. The symbol for potassium is K! Potassium is
three squares below hydrogen on the periodic table. Can you
find it? When a symbol does not make sense, it is because the
symbol for that element comes from an earlier name we do
not use any more. The name for potassium used to be kalium.
So get ready to learn a whole new
alphabet—the chemist’s alphabet!
But don’t worry; this will probably
be a lot easier than the first time
you learned an alphabet.

67
The Alphabet Lab #1: My Periodic Table - instructions
Materials:
• “My Periodic Table” worksheets, 2 pages
• Pencil
• “Chemical Symbol Match” worksheet
• Periodic table found on the inside back cover of this book.
In this exercise, your student will be introduced to his periodic table. He will be adding to his
periodic table in several future lessons. It will eventually become part of his “Element Book.” He will only
be making a couple of labels on it today. You might want to leave the periodic table worksheets in the
book until the next unit. Or you can remove the table worksheets from this book, but do not cut, stable,
assemble, or fold the table. The table will be cut, glued, and assembled in the next unit.
Aloud: Take out the “My Periodic Table” worksheets. First, your table needs a title. It is yours, so
you get to name it. Your title should be written on the line directly above the large square at the
top of the first page. After you have put a title on your table, find the big rectangle under your
title. This rectangle will contain the key for your periodic table, just like a map key. You will start
the key today and add to it later. You need to write in your neatest handwriting. Do not write
too large, either. In the middle of the box, write the words “Element’s Symbol.” Keep your periodic
table in a safe place, you will be working with it a lot more later.
Element’s Symbol
Procedure:
When done titling the table, have your student complete the “Chemical Symbol Match” worksheet.
Use the periodic table found on the inside back cover of this book for assistance. As students are
matching the element names to the correct symbol, discuss the elements listed and their common uses.
Oxygen (O) - used in welding, water purification, and cement; required for supporting life and combustion
Gold (Au) - used to make, jewelry, art, coins; also used in dentistry
Nitrogen (N) - most of the air around us is nitrogen gas; used in fertilizers, liquid nitrogen for freezing
Potassium (K) - used to make glass, soap, lenses, and salt substitute. Also used to make purple fireworks!
Zinc (Zn) - used as a protective coating on steel; also used in paints, pennies, and rubber
Aluminum (Al) - foil, building products, most abundant metal found in the earth’s crust
Chlorine (Cl) - used in water purification and bleaches
Iron (Fe) - most iron is used to make steel, which has many uses; powdered iron is used in magnets
Sulfur (S) - used in acids, fertilizers, and explosives
Silver (Ag) - used in jewelry, batteries, mirrors, electronics, and silverware
Carbon (C) - used in pencils, diamonds, steel, plastics, paint, and carbon dating
Lead (Pb) - used in gasoline tanks, lead batteries, and ceramics


69
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
Potassium Calcium Scandium Titanium Vanadium Chromium Manganese Iron Cobalt

39 40 45 48 51 52 55 56 59
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45
MY PERIODIC TABLE page 1
Rubidium Strontium Yttrium Zirconium Niobium Molybdenum Technetium Ruthenium Rhodium
85 88 89 91 93 96 99 101 103
55 56 57 72 73 74 75 76 77
Cesium Barium Lanthanum Hafnium Tantalum Tungsten Rhenium Osmium Iridium

133 137 139 178 181 184 186 190 192
87 88 89 104 105 106 107 108 109
Francium Radium Actinium Rutherfordium Dubnium Seaborgium Bohrium Hassium Meitnerium

(226) (227) (261) (262) (263) (262) (265) (266)

(223)
28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
Nickel Copper Zinc Gallium Germanium Arsenic Selenium Bromine Krypton

59 64 65 70 73 75 79 80 84
46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
MY PERIODIC TABLE page 2
Palladium Silver Cadmium Indium Tin Antimony Tellurium Iodine Xenon

106 108 112 115 119 122 128 127 131
78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
Platinum Gold Mercury Thallium Lead Bismuth Polonium Astatine Radon

195 197 201 204 207 209 (209) (210) (222)
110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118
Darmstadtium Roentgenium Ununbium Ununtrium Ununquadium Ununpentium Ununhexium Ununseptium Ununoctium
73

(281) (285) (284) (289) (292)

(280) (291) (292) (293)
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Chemical Symbol Match
Match the name of each element with its symbol.
Oxygen Pb
Gold Fe
Nitrogen Au
Potassium Cl
Zinc O
Aluminum S
Chlorine C
Iron Ag
Sulfur Zn
Silver N
Carbon K
Lead Al
75
The Alphabet Lab #2: My Favorite Element – instructions
CAUTION: THIS LAB MIGHT INVOLVE A HEAT SOURCE THAT CAN BURN. ONLY THE PARENT/INSTRUCTOR SHOULD
USE THE HEAT SOURCE.
Materials:
• Lemon juice (fresh squeezed or from a bottle) in a dish
• Paintbrush or cotton swab
• Sunlight or a heat source, such as a light bulb or element of a stove
• Periodic table found on the inside cover of this book, to help choose a favorite element
• Pot holder glove if you use a heat source other than the sun
Aloud: Do you have a favorite element? If you do, keep what it is a secret for right now. If you do
not have a favorite element yet, now is the time to choose one. Look at a periodic table and find
the chemical symbol for your favorite element. Now write it down with invisible ink, which some
people call “lemon juice,” and see if someone else can figure out what your favorite element is.
Procedure:
1. Paint the symbol for your favorite element on the lab sheet.
2. Let the paper dry completely.
3. Hold the paper up to a heat source. If using a light bulb (this does work best), wear a glove pot holder
and hold the paper near the bulb.
4. The writing will turn dark as it heats up. Don’t let the paper touch the heat source, as it could catch on
fire (which is another type of chemical reaction altogether).
• A light bulb, the burner on your stove, or a hot wood-burning stove are the best heat sources to use
for this experiment. These heat sources can burn, so be careful.

77
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
The Alphabet Lab #2: My Favorite Element
My favorite element is .
l e m e n t is . ..
y favo r i t e e
M

79
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
1 Atomic Numbers
1st
1 Periodic Table of the Elements
Look at the periodic table found inside the cover of this book. Do
you see the number above each element’s symbol? This number is
Period H
1 called the atomic number. The atomic number of an element is
2 13 14 15 16 17
a very helpful number because it ALWAYS equals the number
Hydrogen
Atomic Number
2nd
3 4 of protons in theElement’s
nucleusSymbolof the atom for that element. 5 6 7 8 9
Li Be B C N O F
Period
7 9
Therefore, an element is a group of atoms that all
Atomic Mass 11 have 12 the 14 16 19
Lithium same number of protons in the nucleus. If hydrogen has an
Beryllium Boron Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Fluo
11 12 atomic number of 1, how many protons does it ALWAYS 13 14 have 15 in 16 17

3rd
Period Na Mg its nucleus? That’s right, it has one proton. Do you Al remember
Si P S C
23 24 27 28 31 32 35
3 4 5
from 7the marshmallow
6 8 9 10
atoms
11
that hydrogen
12
Sodium Magnesium Aluminum Silicon Phosphorus Sulfur Chlo
has one proton in its nucleus?
4th
19 20 21 22 23 24
Look25at the26
periodic
27 28
table
29
again.
30
Move
31
two
32 33 34 35
K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se B
Period
39 40 45 48 51 squares
52 55 down56 below
59 59hydrogen
64 to sodium.
65 70 73 The75 79 80
Potassium Calcium Scandiumelemental symbol for sodium is Na. What is the
Titanium Vanadium Chromium Manganese Iron Cobalt Nickel Copper Zinc Gallium Germanium Arsenic Selenium Brom
37 38 39 40 41 atomic
42 43 number
44 for sodium?
45 46 47 If 48
the atomic
49 50 number
51 52 53
5th
Period
Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo of sodium
Tc Ru is 11,Rh
how PdmanyAg protons
Cd does In Sn sodium Sb Te I
85 88 89 91 93
Rubidium Strontium Yttrium
ALWAYS have? That’s right, it always has eleven 128
96 99
Zirconium
101 103
Niobium
106 108 112 115 119
Molybdenum Technetium Ruthenium
122
Rhodium Palladium Silver Cadmium Indium Tin Antimony Tellurium
12
Iodi
protons. The atomic number also tells you how

many electrons the atom has in75its elemental
55 56 57 72 73 74 76 77 78
form. 79
Guess80
how 81
many82 83 84 85
6th
Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po A
Period
electrons
133 137 sodium
139 has?181Maybe
178 184 eleven
186 is your
190 192 lucky
195 number.
197 201Without
204 looking
207 209 (209) (21
at the periodic table, I bet you can answer these questions:
Cesium Barium Lanthanum Hafnium Tantalum Tungsten Rhenium Osmium Iridium Platinum Gold Mercury Thallium Lead Bismuth Polonium Asta
87 88 How
89 many
104 protons
105 106 does
107 element
108 109 #118
110 have?
111 112 113 114 115 116 11
7th
Period Fr Ra How Ac manyRf Db electrons
Sg Bh doesHs it haveMt in Ds
all itsRgorbits?
Uub Uut Uuq Uup Uuh Uu
(223) (226) (227) (261) (262) (263) (262) (265) (266) (281) (280) (285) (284) (289) (291) (292) (29
Francium
Chlorine has 17 protons. What is the atomic number for chlorine?
Radium Actinium Rutherfordium Dubnium Seaborgium Bohrium Hassium Meitnerium Darmstadtium Roentgenium Ununbium Ununtrium Ununquadium Ununpentium Ununhexium Ununse
How many electrons are orbiting around it?

You can tell a lot about an element from its atomic number. The
atomic number is quite useful, don’t you agree?
Now take out your periodic table (the one that Atomic Number
has your name on it). Inside the key box write the words
Element’s Symbol
“Atomic Number” over the words “Element’s Symbol.” Put
your periodic table back in a safe place; you’re not done
with it yet!

81
Answers:
How many protons does element #118 have? (118)

How many electrons does it have in all its orbits? (118)
Chlorine has 17 protons. What is the atomic number for chlorine? (17)
How many electrons are orbiting around it? (17)

82
Atomic Numbers Lab #1: IS MILK AN ELEMENT? - instructions
Materials:
• ½ cup Non-fat milk
• Glass
• 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
• Measuring cup
Aloud: Have you ever really thought about what is in milk? Is milk one thing or a mixture of
things? Could milk be an element? It looks like one thing, doesn’t it? How would you figure out
the answer to a question like this one? If something is all one element, that means that all the
atoms present are the same type. If you perform a chemical test on something that only has
one type of atom, all parts of it will react the same way during the test. If you perform a test
on milk and it separates into more than one part, then it cannot be an element.
Procedure:
2. Pour ½ cup of milk into a glass.
3. Stir 1 teaspoon of lemon juice into the milk.
4. Wait 20 minutes.
5. Dip your finger into the milk and see the coagulated bits of milk curd that have separated from the
clear liquid whey.
• This very simple experiment might look familiar to you, if you like to bake. If you need buttermilk for a
recipe and do not have any, this mixture works as a substitute. Baking powder in milk will work too.
• When an acid, such as lemon juice, is added to a protein food, such as milk, the acid causes the
protein to coagulate.
• Non-fat milk is not an element—it is a mixture of about 90 percent water, less than 0.5 percent milk
fat, and 8.25 percent milk solids other than fat. Milk also has vitamin A and usually vitamin D added.
Possible Answers:
Hypothesis
A – I think milk is an element because it looks like one thing.
B – I do not think milk is an element because it is not on the periodic table.
C – I do not know if milk is an element because I haven’t done this experiment yet.
Results
When lemon juice is added to the milk, the milk coagulates.
Conclusion/Discussion
The correct answer is B. When lemon juice is added to the milk, causing it to coagulate, the milk has
clearly been separated into parts.

83
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Atomic Number Lab #1: Is Milk an Element?
Hypothesis
Before you add lemon juice to the milk, answer either
A, B, or C.
A. I think milk is an element because
_______________________________________
________________________________
_______________________________.
B. I don’t think milk is an element because _____________________________
___________________________________________________________________.
C. I don’t know if milk is an element because ____________________________
___________________________________________________________________.
Results (Draw a picture of what happened to the milk.)

When I added lemon juice to milk, it looked like this:
After you add lemon juice to the milk, answer either A or B.
A. I think milk is an element because __________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.
B. I don’t think milk is an element because ______________________________

___________________________________________________________________.

85
Atomic Number Lab #2: FlipBook - instructions
Materials:
• Flipbook activity sheets (three pages)
• Scissors
• Two different colored pencils or pens
• Stapler
• “Atomic Energy Level” chart, found on page 59
• Periodic table found on the inside cover of this book
Aloud: The atoms (elements) on the periodic table are arranged in order of their atomic
numbers, the number of protons in the nucleus. Hydrogen, with an atomic number of 1, has one
proton in its nucleus. It is found at the top left, the first spot, on the periodic table. Ununoctium,
with an atomic number of 118, has 118 protons in its nucleus. It is found at the bottom right, the
last spot, on the periodic table. Today you will make a flipbook of elements number 1 to number 18.
You will be drawing the protons in as you go. Remember, you add one and only one proton as you
go from one element to the next. Also remember that the number of protons ALWAYS equals the
atomic number.
You will also be drawing in the electrons. On the periodic table, the number of electrons
equals the atomic number too. You have to pay attention to the energy levels as you draw the
electrons in, though. Just remember, two electrons are all that will fit in the first (inner) energy
level. Eight electrons are all that will fit into the second energy level, and eight electrons are the
number of electrons in the third energy level found in nature for these elements.
Procedure:
(Do all of the coloring and drawing before cutting the flipbook pages out. Refer to the “Atomic Energy
Level” chart on page 59 for help with the number of electrons in each energy level.)
1. Draw the number of protons for each element.
The names, atomic numbers, neutrons, and energy levels have already been drawn for each element.
Put the protons in one at a time; they can be drawn on top of and next to the neutrons. The first
element, hydrogen, with an atomic number of 1, will have one proton. The next element, helium, with
an atomic number of 2, will have two protons, and so on. Use the same color for all the protons
because every proton is the same, so they will all be the same color.
2. Using a different color, draw the electrons on the energy level of each element.
REMEMBER: The number of electrons EQUALS the number of protons. Put the electrons in one at
a time. Electrons do not like to be right next to each other, so do not bunch them up around the
energy level. The first element, hydrogen, will have one electron in it. The next element, helium, will
have two electrons in it, and so on.
Up to two electrons go in the first energy level, closest to the nucleus.
------Stop when you get to lithium------
3. From lithium to neon, there are two energy levels. The number of electrons is still the same as the
number of protons. Draw two electrons in the first (inner) energy level. The rest of the electrons will
go in the second energy level.
Up to eight electrons go in the second energy level from the nucleus.
-----Stop when you get to sodium------
4. From sodium to argon, there are three orbits. Draw two electrons in the first (inner) energy level.
Next, draw eight electrons in the second orbit. The rest of the electrons, eight, will go in the third
energy level.

87
5. Cut the flipbook along the lines on each page. Staple the pages together, starting with #1, hydrogen,
and ending with #18, argon. You may need to cut the outside edge again. The pages need to be the same
length on that end for the book to flip well from one page to the next.
6. Flip the book and watch the atoms change as the number of electrons, protons, and neutrons change.
• This flipbook will be used as a reference later in the course.
• The third energy level will accomodate a maximum of 18 electrons. This is seen in elements lower on the
Periodic Table.

88
Flipbook page 1
Hydrogen #1 Helium #2
Lithium #3 Beryllium #4
Boron #5 Carbon #6
© 2009 Pandia Press Unit 3 - The Chemist’s Alphabet Defined 89

Flipbook page 2
Nitrogen #7 Oxygen #8
Fluorine #9 Neon #10
Sodium #11 Magnesium #12

91
Flipbook page 3
Aluminum #13 Silicon #14
Phosphorus #15 Sulfur #16
Chlorine #17 Argon #18

93
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Massive Matters
Electrons are really small. Like almost
all really small things, they weigh very
little. Most of the mass of an atom is in
the nucleus. Have you ever heard the term
“mass” before? Mass is a lot like weight.
The difference between mass and weight
is that the mass of an object is the same
anywhere in the universe. But weight is
affected by gravity. So the weight of an
object will be less on the moon than on the earth because the
gravitational force of the moon is less than the gravitational
force of the earth. But the mass will be the same. We talk
about mass, not weight in chemistry, because that is what
scientists do, but you won’t notice a difference because on the
earth, we can measure an object’s mass by weighing it.
Most of the weight or mass of an atom is found inside
the nucleus, so the mass of an atom is determined by adding
the number of protons (the atomic number) to the number of
neutrons. Scientists do not use grams or pounds for the mass
of atoms; they use atomic mass units (a.m.u). The atomic
mass units of atoms are on the periodic table.
Look at your “Parts of an Atom” poster. There are two
protons and two neutrons in the nucleus of the helium atom,
so that means that helium would have an atomic mass of
2 protons + 2 neutrons, or 4 a.m.u. Now find the symbol for
helium, He, on the top right corner of the periodic table. Do you
see the number below the symbol? That is the atomic mass of
helium and it is 4.
When you are calculating the atomic mass, the number of
protons is easy to figure out, because it is the atomic number.

95
The number of neutrons is not as easy to figure out. It would be
nice if the number of neutrons matched the number of protons,
but a lot of the time it does not. The number of neutrons can vary,
so in this book I will always tell you the number of neutrons and
you can figure out the rest.
Take out your periodic table. In the box on top, below the
words “Element’s Symbol,” write the words “Atomic Mass.” That is
where you will write the atomic mass of the elements as you fill in
your periodic table.
Atomic Number
Element’s Symbol
Atomic Mass

96
Massive Matters Lab #1: My Favorite Element Explored - instructions
Materials:
• Copy of lab sheet, pencil
• Internet access and/or chemistry books/encyclopedias
• Colored pencils or crayons
• Periodic table found in the inside cover of this book
Aloud: Choose a favorite element from the periodic table. You can choose the same element you
wrote in secret ink or maybe you have a new favorite element. Look up your favorite element on
the Internet or in an encyclopedia. Go to google.com, type in the name of the element and see
what comes up. You can find out how your element is used, when it was discovered, and for what
or whom it was named.
Some helpful Web sites:
Basic information on the first 36 elements:

Chemistry4Kids
www.chem4kids.com/files/elem_intro.html
More detailed information:

EIA for Kids
www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/science/periodictable.html
A searchable wooden periodic table:

www.theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/

97
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Massive Matters Lab #1: My Favorite Element Explored
What is the name of your favorite element? ___________________________
What are the atomic number, atomic mass, and symbol

of your favorite element?
____________ ____________ ____________
Why is it your favorite element?
Draw a picture of one atom of your favorite element:
Write down four facts you learned about your favorite element:
1. __________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.

2. __________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.
3. __________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.
4. _________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.

99
Massive Matters Lab #2: WHICH WEIGHS MORE? - instructions
A sealable baggie with 1 cup of water needs to be frozen before this experiment.
Materials:
• 1 cup Water, frozen in a baggie
• 1 cup Liquid water
• 1 cup Powdered sugar
• 1 cup Brown sugar
• 1 cup of Grapes
• 1 cup Grape juice
• Kitchen scale that measures grams
• One-cup measuring cup
• Six sealable baggies
Aloud: Have you ever picked something up and found it was a lot heavier than you thought it
was going to be? Which would have a larger mass, a big box of cereal or a gallon of milk? They
take up about the same amount of space, though, don’t they? The relationship between mass
and the space something takes up is a property chemists can use to tell different things
apart.
For this experiment, you are going to compare three different sets of things. First, you
will predict which has a larger mass. Then you will measure the masses by weighing the items on
a scale to find out if you were correct.
Procedure:
1. Freeze 1 cup of water in a baggie overnight.
2. The next day, pour 1 cup of liquid water into a baggie.
3. Measure 1 cup of powdered sugar and pour it into a baggie.
4. Measure 1 cup of packed brown sugar and pour it into a baggie.
5. Measure 1 cup of grapes and pour them into a baggie.
6. Measure 1 cup of grape juice and pour it into a baggie.
7. Complete the hypothesis portion of the lab sheet
8. Weigh each baggie on the scale. Record the actual masses in grams.
Aloud: Why is it that things that take up the same amount of space do not always have the
same mass? Sometimes it is because of how the things fill the space. For instance, grapes do
not fill all the space in the measuring cup; there is air between the grapes. The grape juice does
fill the entire space of the cup. The mass of a cup of air is less than a cup of grapes or grape
juice. Sometimes the difference is because of the amounts and types of atoms present in
what you are weighing. As you can see from looking at a periodic table, there is a big difference
between the atomic mass of hydrogen (H), which is 1, and that of gold (Au), which is 197. A cup
of hydrogen would weigh a lot less than a cup of gold because its atomic mass is a lot less.
Did you guess the water would have the same mass (weigh the same) as the ice?
It does because there is the same amount of the same kind of molecules in both baggies.
Freezing the water molecules does not change the mass. It does affect which one you would
rather have drop on your foot, though!

101
• The distinction between mass and weight is one that stumps many science students (young and old).
Mass is usually measured in grams or kilograms and is most accurately measured on a balance scale,
like a triple beam scale. For this age group, however, we will measure mass by measuring weight on a
common scale. When you measure weight, the scale shows only an approximate value of mass for a
given weight.

102
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Massive Matters Lab #2: WHICH WEIGHS MORE?
In the table below, write the name of the item you think has the larger
mass. If you think they weigh the same, write an S for “same.” Then weigh
the items and see if your prediction was accurate.

Ice/Water P. Sugar/B. Sugar Grapes/Grape Juice
Prediction
Actual Ice = P. Sugar = Grapes =

Weight/Mass
Water = B. Sugar = Grape Juice =
P. = powdered B. = brown
My Predictions and the Actual Facts
 I am so good at predicting masses that I must

have a scale in my head.
 I am so bad at predicting masses I could not

tell a watermelon from a cherry.
I was surprised that ____________ weighed (more) (the same) (less)

than/as ________________.
1 cup of ___________________ had the smallest mass of the six things I

weighed.
1 cup of ___________________ had the largest mass of the six things I
weighed.

103
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Why Do They Call It the PERIODic Table Anyway?
Look at the periodic table found inside the cover of this book. The
rows of the periodic table have a special name. They are called periods.
The periods on the periodic table have the same name as periods
that go at the end of sentences, but it doesn’t mean the same thing.
Starting with hydrogen, H, count down three elements; your finger
should be on potassium, K. Now take your finger and trace it across
the fourth row. The fourth row is called the 4th period. This row starts
with the element potassium, K, and ends with the element krypton, Kr.
How many periods are on your periodic table? Let’s count the rows and
find out. There are seven rows on the periodic table. That means there
are seven periods on the periodic table. Do all the periods have the
same number of elements in them? (No) What is the shortest period?
(The 1st period, with H and He in it)
The period an element is in tells you the
number of energy levels that element has.
Electrons move around all the time. All that
movement creates energy. Elements in the
same period have the same number of energy
levels. For example, all elements in the 4th
period have four energy levels.
Now locate your periodic table. On the title
of your periodic table, underline the word “period” found in the word
Periodic. In small-sized numbers, write the ordinal number for each
period from 1st to 7th on the left side of your table. The first row is on
the top and the seventh row is on the bottom. Turn your periodic table
a ¼ turn clockwise. Write the word PERIODS beside the numbers.
1st H
2nd Li
PERIODS
3rd Na
4th K
5th Rb
6th Cs
7th Fr

105
Why Do They Call It the PERIODic Table Anyway?: Worksheet - instructions
Materials:
• Worksheet, pencil
• Periodic table found on the inside back cover of this book
Procedure:
Use the periodic table to answer the questions on the lab worksheet.
Answers:
Energy Levels Quiz

How many energy levels are in the 1st period? 1
How many energy levels are in the 2nd period? 2
How many energy levels are in the 3rd period? 3
How many energy levels are in the 4th period? 4
The Metals Quiz

What period is tin, Sn (50*), in? 5th
What period is gold, Au (79), in? 6th
What period is silver, Ag (47), in? 5th
What period is aluminum, Al (13), in? 3rd
What period is copper, Cu (29), in? 4th
What period is mercury, Hg (80), in? 6th
*The atomic number is given in parenthesis after the elemental symbol for each metal element to help you
locate it on the periodic table.

107
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Why Do They Call It the PERIODic Table Anyway?: Worksheet
ENERGY LEVELS QUIZ
How many energy levels are in the 1st period? ______________________
How many energy levels are in the 2nd period?
How many energy levels are in the 3rd period?
How many energy levels are in the 4th period?
The Metals Quiz
What period is tin, Sn (50), in? _________________________________
What period is gold, Au (79), in? _________________________________
What period is silver, Ag (47), in? _________________________________
What period is aluminum, Al (13), in? ______________________________
What period is copper, Cu (29), in? _______________________________
What period is mercury, Hg (80), in? _____________________________

109
Why Do They Call It the PERIODic Table Anyway?
Lab: PERIODIC PLAY DOUGH - instructions
Materials:
• 1 cup Peanut butter*
• ¼ cup Honey
• 1 cup Dry powdered milk
• One-gallon-size sealable baggie
• Mixing bowl
• Measuring cup
• Wooden spoon
• Flipbook for reference
• Periodic table for reference
There is not a lab sheet for this lab.
Aloud: Today you are going to make periodic play dough. You can use it to sculpt things, and it
tastes yummy! When you make sculptures with it, you will feel little particles in it. Pretend the
particles are atoms of an element. Which period is the element in? Form the play dough into
the shape of the symbol for the element, the period number it is found in, and the shape of one
atom in the element with protons, neutrons, electrons, and energy levels.
Procedure:
1. Mix the first three ingredients in the mixing bowl with the wooden spoon until well mixed.
2. The powdered milk particles or “atoms” can be felt in the play dough. Students can use their flipbooks
and periodic tables for reference to mold the play dough into shapes of atoms, period numbers, and/
or elemental symbols. The play dough is edible and delicious!
3. Leftovers are perishable, so store in a sealed container and refrigerate.
Instructor’s Notes
• If the dough is sticky, try adding a little more powdered milk, or add a little flour to the mixture.
• This recipe makes about 2 cups of play dough. It can be doubled or tripled if making play dough for a
crowd.
• * ½ cup of cream cheese can be substituted for the cup of peanut butter in this recipe.

111
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
We Are Family
Your family group is important to you. The elements on the periodic
table are in family groups, too. Put your finger on hydrogen, H. Now trace
your finger all the way down this column. Did you end on francium, Fr?
You have just traced your finger down Group 1 of the periodic table. Each
column on the periodic table is a chemical family or group. There are 18
chemical families.
The elements in a chemical family have similar traits or properties.
They also have things that are unique just to them. It is like your own
family. Each member of your family has things that make them special.
You might also share traits, such as the color of your hair or eyes, with
the other members of your family.
Look at hydrogen’s chemical family, Group 1. When you look at that
collection of names and numbers and symbols, do you wonder what they
have in common? It isn’t their names or symbols, is it? Do you see any
pattern for their atomic numbers: 1, 3, 11, 19, 37, 55, and 87? (No) Do you
see any pattern for their atomic masses: 1, 7, 23, 39, 85, 133, and 223?
(No)
What is it that makes this group of elements a chemical family?
Take your flipbook out and let’s look for a pattern. Hydrogen, lithium, and
sodium are all Group 1 elements and they are all in your flipbook. Look at
hydrogen. How many electrons does hydrogen have in its outer energy
level? (1) Now look at lithium. How many electrons does
lithium have in its outer energy level? (1) Finally,
look at sodium. How many electrons does
it have in its outer energy level? (1) The
elements in Group 1 ALL have one electron
in the outer energy level.
This means that all the elements
of a group have similar traits to all the
other elements in their group, because
they have the same number of electrons
in their outer energy level. But they are
also unique, just like the members of
your family.

113
We Are Family:
The Friendship of Beryllium and Boron - Worksheet instructions
Materials:
• “My Periodic Table”
• Periodic table found in the inside cover of this book.
Procedure:
1. In the middle of your periodic table, above the squares, in that low spot, draw an arrow going across. Write
the word “GROUPS” above this arrow. Starting with the number 1 and ending with the number 18, write the
number of each group above the columns on your periodic table.
1 18
2 GROUPS 13 14 15 16 17
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
2. Complete the fill-in-the-blank worksheet. Use the periodic table as a reference.
Answer Key:
Beryllium and Boron are best friends. They are even next-door neighbors. They live on a street
called the 2nd row. In a town called Periodic Table. They have nicknames that are almost the same too. Their
nicknames are Be and B.
The town they live in, Periodic Table, is small. There are only 18 family groups in the entire town.
Beryllium sometimes tells people he is Boron’s twin brother, but they don’t believe him because he looks and
acts so much like the rest of his family, called Group 2. Besides, Beryllium’s family is pretty well known in
town; they like to get together and help make fireworks. Boron’s family name is Group 13. Beryllium has 6
members in his family, and Boron also has 6 members in his.
They were so excited when they were picked to be on the same baseball team. The day the coach gave
out numbers, Beryllium got 4 and Boron got 5. Beryllium wanted the larger number, but Boron got it by one
number. Then Beryllium remembered his nickname was one letter longer, so maybe it was okay.
Beryllium and Boron both have brothers who live two streets down from them on a street called the
4th row. Their brothers also have nicknames that are nearly the same. Their brothers’ full names are Calcium
and Gallium, but everyone calls them by their nicknames, Ca and Ga. Their brothers are famous baseball
players. Their numbers are 20 and 31. When Beryllium thought about it, his brother’s number was 11 smaller
than Gallium’s. Maybe one number smaller is not so bad after all.

115
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
We Are Family: The Friendship of Beryllium and Boron
Fill-in the blanks. Everything you need for the answers can be found on a periodic table.
Beryllium and Boron are best friends. They are even next-door
neighbors. They live on a street called the _______ row. In a town called
_______________ Table. They have nicknames that are almost the same
too. Their nicknames are _______ and ________.
The town they live in, Periodic __________ , is small. There are only
_______ family groups in the entire town. Beryllium sometimes tells
people he is Boron’s twin brother, but nobody believes him because he
looks and acts so much like the rest of his family, called Group _____.
Besides, Beryllium’s family is pretty well known in town; they like to get
together and help make fireworks. Boron’s family name is _________ 13.
Beryllium has _______ members in his family, and Boron also has _______
members in his.
They were so excited when they were picked to be on the same
baseball team. The day the coach gave out numbers, Beryllium got
_______ and Boron got _______. Beryllium wanted the larger number, but
Boron got it by one number. Then Beryllium remembered his nickname
was one letter longer, so maybe it was okay.
Beryllium and Boron both have brothers who live two streets down
from them on a street called the 4th ________. Their brothers also
have nicknames that are nearly the same. Their brothers’ full names are
______________________
and __________________
but everyone calls them by
their nicknames, _______
and _______. Their brothers
are famous baseball
players. Their numbers are
________ and ________. When
Beryllium thought about it,
his brother’s number was 11
smaller than Gallium’s. Maybe
one number smaller is not so
bad after all.

117
We Are Family Lab: PROVE IT! – instructions
Materials:
• ¼ cup Table salt (NaCl)
• ¼ cup Salt substitute (KCl - potassium chloride)
• 2 tablespoons Oil
• 2 tablespoons Vinegar
• One cooked potato cut in 2 halves (optional for tasting salt)
• 2 cups Water + 2 tablespoons
• 2 cups Crushed ice
• Two glasses
• Two small cups to hold both salts
• Tablespoon
• 1/8 teaspoon Measuring spoon
• Towel to dry glasses
• Thermometer (science-type or kitchen thermometer that will go down without being shaken)
• Internet access
Aloud: Do you ever wonder if something is a fact or an opinion? Could you ever be called a
doubter, wondering if someone really knows what he or she is talking about? If you answered
yes to either of these questions, then you have the makings of a good scientist! Scientists are
constantly asking questions such as: What if? How can they be sure of that? Have they ever
seen that happen or did they just read about it in a book?
I told you that elements in a group have similar traits. They belong in the same family.
How can you be sure that is true? Let’s experiment and prove it, that’s how. Look at a periodic
table. In the first group, there is sodium and potassium. Both are used to make salt. Sodium
is used to make table salt, and potassium is used as a salt substitute. They are in the same
chemical family, so if we experiment with them, the results should be about the same. You will
perform physical and chemical tests on both salts.
Procedure:
2. Measure each salt into a dish. Smell, look at, and touch the salts. They can be tasted as is or
sprinkled on a potato half. Record observations.
3. Begin chemical tests by measuring 1/8 t of each salt into separate glasses. Add 1 T of water to each
glass. Wait 5 minutes. Record observations. Clean the glasses out and dry them. Repeat this for
vinegar and then oil.
4. Fill each empty, clean glass with crushed ice. Pour water into glasses, just to the top of the ice level.
Put the thermometer in each glass for 3 minutes. They should both be the same temperature. Record
the temperatures.
5. Add 2 T of table salt to one of the glasses. Put the thermometer in and stir the mix gently with the
thermometer. Do this for 3 minutes. Record the temperature. Repeat this in the other glass with salt
substitute.
6. Visit this Web site to observe what happens when pure sodium and potassium metal are dropped into
water: www.science.tv/watch/abcb736ab9a754ffb617/Reactions-of-Sodium-and-Potassium-with-Water
or visit www.teachertube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=d16c49462fb3c951b3eb. (Revisit this
demonstration after students learn the terms “indicator,” “basic,” and “exothermic” while studying
chemical reactions in unit 7.)

119
• Sodium and potassium are both very reactive metals. They are so reactive that it is rare to find them
in their elemental form. They are much more commonly found as salts. The Web videos show what
happens when they are in their elemental form and come in contact with water.
• I found the taste of the potassium chloride to be salty but different from what I was used to. I would
suggest comparing how the two salts taste on a cooked potato. It is more palatable that way.
• Most vinegar is 95% water, so expect the salts to dissolve the same way they do in water. The reason
for doing the vinegar part of the experiment is to see how each salt reacts in an acid; vinegar is an
acid. Remember how different baking powder behaved in water and vinegar.
• Hold the thermometer at a middle depth in the glass when you are reading the exact measurement. I
found the bottom was slightly warmer than the middle.
Possible Answers:
Results/Observation
The two salts behave the same in every physical test except taste. They do taste different. Not a lot
different, but not the same, either.
Most table salt has additives. These may make the table salt solution a little cloudy when it dissolved in
water and vinegar. The potassium salt will not become cloudy.
The temperature will fall when either salt is mixed into the ice water.
The drawings should show an explosion for both sodium and potassium.
The results from the physical tests and the chemical tests show that sodium and potassium behave
about the same. They do have many traits in common. Therefore, they must be family.

120
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
We Are Family Lab: PROVE IT! - page 1
Group 1
H Hypothesis (circle your answer)
Li
Na Sodium, Na, and potassium, K, are both in Group
K 1, which is one chemical family. Do you think sodium
Rb and potassium are going to behave about the
same when you perform physical and chemical
Cs
tests on them?
Fr
Results/Observations
Physical Tests:
How well do these two compare?
Write S if they are about the same.
Write D if they are very different.
Write S/D if they are sort of different and sort of the same.
Feel Smell Appearance Taste

Sodium
Potassium
Chemical Tests:
How well do these two compare?
Write S if they are about the same.
Write D if they are very different.
Write S/D if they are sort of different and sort of the same.
Water Vinegar Oil

Sodium
Potassium

121
We Are Family Lab: PROVE IT! - page 2
Temperature:
No salt With sodium With potassium
Ice water 1
Ice water 2
Draw pictures of what you saw happen on the Internet when elemental
sodium and potassium were dropped into water.
Sodium Potassium

How did sodium and potassium compare to each other? Did your results
show that they are family or not?

122
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
It’s ELEMENTary
The number of elements found on the
periodic table changes from time to time
because there are man-made elements. At
this time there are 118 different elements.
The elements from number 93 to number 118
are man-made. In a laboratory, scientists
can sometimes change one of the
naturally occurring elements to make a
new one, a man-made one. When scientists
make a new element, the number of
elements increases on the periodic table.
Maybe you will become a chemist and create a new element one day.
What will you name it if you do?
1 18
1st H 2 13 14 15 16 17 He
2nd Li Be B C N O F Ne
3rd Na Mg 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Al Si P S Cl Ar
4th
Table of 18 commonly found elements
Most things, though, are made from the 18 naturally
occurring elements on the table above. Some of these elements you
have probably never heard of, like magnesium (Mg). One of the naturally
occurring elements shown above is also sometimes man-made. Can you
guess what it is? Hint: It can be expensive to buy. Did you know that one
of the elemental forms of carbon (C) is diamond?
Did you notice the numbers above each column or group?
Remember, these are the group or chemical family numbers. You are
going to be learning about the 18 commonly found elements, and these
elements are in Groups 1 and 2 and Groups 13 through 18.
The table above might look like a random collection of letters to
you. That is because you do not know much about these elements yet.
But soon you might become somewhat of an “element expert.”
123
It’s ELEMENTary: Twenty Questions - instructions
Materials:
• Periodic table (found on the inside cover of this book)
Procedure:
Use a periodic table to answer to the questions.
Answers:
What is the first element in Group 14? Carbon
What is the one-letter abbreviation for element number 8? O
What is the full name of element 8? Oxygen
What is the atomic number of the last element in the 5th period? 54
Which comes first on the periodic table: nitrogen, N or chlorine, Cl? Nitrogen
Group these elements by family. F Ti Br Zr Hf I
Family Group 4 - Ti, Zr, Hf
Family Group 17 - F, Br, I
How many periods are on the periodic table? 7
What is the name of the bottom element in Group 1? Francium
Li is the abbreviation for what element? Lithium
What element comes after neon, Ne? Sodium, Na, 11
Eight of the elements have abbreviations that spell short one- or two-letter words. What are they?
He - #2, Be - #4, I - #53, In - #49, At - #85, As - #33
Nickels are made from the element nickel. Give its atomic number and abbreviation. Ni, 28
Calcium is found in milk and is important for bones and teeth. Give its atomic number and abbreviation.
Ca, 20
Which period has the fewest elements in it? The 1st period, with only 2 - helium and hydrogen
If carbon has six neutrons and six protons, what is its atomic weight? 6 + 6 = 12
How many electrons does carbon have? 6
What element has the abbreviation Co? Cobalt, 27
What element is the same number as your age? Answers will vary
What element is the same number as your mom or teacher’s age? True answers will vary, or just say
copper (29)
Find Sulfur, S, on the chart. What element is next to it on the left? Phosphorus, P, 15
Scoring:
20 – 18 correct - You are a master of the periodic table.
17 - 15 correct - You have the makings of a good chemist.
14 – 12 correct - Better going next time.
11 or less correct - Next time use the periodic table right side up.

125
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
It’s ELEMENTary: Twenty Questions
Use a Periodic Table to answer these 20 questions.
1. What is the first element in Group 14? _______________________________
2. What is the one-letter abbreviation for element number 8? ____________
3. What is the full name of element 8?_________________________________
4. What is the atomic number of the last element in the 5th period?_______
5. Which comes first on the periodic table: nitrogen, N or chlorine, Cl? _____
6. Group these elements by family. F Ti Br Zr Hf I
Family Group 4 _____________________________________
Family Group 17 _____________________________________
7. How many periods are on the periodic table? _______
8. What is the name of the bottom element in Group 1? ________________
9. Li is the abbreviation for what element? ___________________________
10. What element comes after neon, Ne? _____________________________
11. Eight of the elements have abbreviations that spell short one- or two-
letter words. What are they? _______________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
12. Nickels are made from the element nickel. Give its atomic number and
abbreviation. ___________________
13. Calcium is found in milk and is important for bones and teeth. Give its
atomic number and abbreviation. _______________________________
14. Which period has the fewest elements in it? _________________
15. If carbon has six neutrons and six protons, what is its atomic weight?
________
16. How many electrons does carbon have? ______________
17. What element has the abbreviation Co? (Hint: It’s in the 4th period.)
_____________________________
18. What element is the same number as your age? ___________________
19. What element is the same number as your mom or teacher’s age?
_____________________________
20. Find Sulfur, S, on the chart. What element is next to it on the left?
_____________________________

127
It’s ELEMENTary Lab: EATING HOCKEY PUCKS - instructions
CAUTION: THIS LAB REQUIRES USE OF AN OVEN. ONLY THE PARENT/INSTRUCTOR SHOULD USE THE OVEN.
Materials:
• 2 cups All-purpose flour or whole-wheat flour
• ½ t Salt
• ½ to 1 t Cinnamon
• Two large eggs
• 2/3 cup Granulated sugar
• 1 cup Milk
• ¼ cup Vegetable oil
• 1 T Baking powder
• Cinnamon sugar (optional)
• Muffin pan
• Twelve muffin cup liners
• Two mixing bowls
• Whisk
• Measuring cup
• ¼-cup Measuring cup, gravy ladle, or muffin scoop
• Measuring spoon
• Oven with a timer
• Hot pads
Aloud: You would not eat a hockey puck, would you? What would a muffin taste like if it was not
fluffy inside? It would probably taste better than a hockey puck, but would it still taste good?
Baking powder is added to baked goods to make them become fluffy. This makes baking
powder a leavening agent. A leavening agent is something you add when you are baking to make
the finished product, in this case the muffin, fluffy. Baking powder has sodium, hydrogen, carbon,
aluminum, sulfur, and oxygen atoms in it. These six different elements are six of the eighteen
most commonly occurring elements.
The baking powder changes in the muffin batter into other molecules. One of the
molecules it makes is a gas molecule with carbon and oxygen in it, called carbon dioxide (KAR-ben
dye-ox-ide). You might remember carbon dioxide if you studied the respiratory system before;
plants take it in and people breathe it out. This gas molecule makes baked goods fluffy as they
float up. It is the same molecule that makes soda fizz.
What if we made muffins and left out the baking powder? Would the muffins still rise?
Could we tell the difference between muffins made with baking powder and muffins made without
baking powder? Let’s experiment and find out.
Procedure:
2. Preheat the oven to 375˚.
3. Prepare the muffin pan by putting in muffin cup liners.
4. In the first bowl, add 2 cups of flour, ½ t of salt, and up to 1 t of cinnamon to the flour, depending on
how much you like cinnamon. Whisk the dry ingredients together. (DO NOT ADD THE BAKING POWDER
YET.)
5. In the other bowl, add 2 eggs + 1 cup milk + 2/3 cup sugar + 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Whisk the wet
ingredients together.
6. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
129
7. Use the ¼ cup measuring cup, gravy ladle, or muffin scoop and measure about half of this batter into 6
muffin cup liners.
8. Add 1T of baking powder to the remaining batter in the bowl. Stir the batter with the whisk. Do not over
mix. Spoon about ¼ cup of batter into each of the remaining 6 muffin liners.
9. Sprinkle the tops of all the muffins with cinnamon sugar, if desired.
10. Put the muffins in the oven for 20 to 25 minutes.
11. Let the muffins cool and cut them in half to observe the inside.
13. Serve each student a leavened muffin and an unleavened muffin (or pieces of each).
14. Record your observations before eating the muffins.
Possible Answers:
Results and Observations
The muffins looked and tasted different.
Labeled drawings should show that the inside of the leavened muffin looks a bit as if soda was bubbled
through it. The unleavened muffin should look smaller and more dense, without bubble holes.
When the muffins with baking powder were cooked, a gas (carbon dioxide) bubbled through them. This gas
made these muffins fluffier than the muffins made without carbon dioxide.
• Cut the leavened muffin in half so you can see the difference between the two types of muffins from
the inside.
• The gas molecule that makes baked goods rise is carbon dioxide. Not all baking powder is made from
the exact same ingredients. All baking powder does release carbon dioxide, though. Here is one common
composition and reaction of baking powder. (The 2 types of molecules on the left side of the equation
are the baking powder. The results on the right side are aluminum hydroxide, sodium sulfate, and the
important carbon dioxide molecules.): NaAl(SO4)2 + 3 NaHCO3 Al(OH)3 + 2 Na2SO4 + 3 CO2
• This recipe makes about 14 total muffins (7 leavened and 7 unleavened). The recipe can be doubled if
you need more muffins.

130
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
It’s ELEMENTary Lab: EATING HOCKEY PUCKS
Hypothesis: Do you think there is going to be a
noticeable difference between the muffin with baking
powder and the muffin without baking powder?
Results and Observations: How were the muffins

different?
Taste: ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________
______________________________________________.
Smell: ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________
______________________________________________.
Did it look different? Draw labeled pictures of the two different muffins.
Discussion and Conclusion: Describe what happened to the two different

muffins. Why did baking soda make a difference? Which muffin did you
prefer? Do you think people should keep using baking powder when they
make muffins?_______________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________.

131
The Chemist’s Alphabet Defined - Crossword Vocabulary Review
2 3
Across
4. The rows of the periodic table.
5. The columns of the periodic table, also called chemical families.
6. The number of protons in the nucleus of an atom.
7. The abbreviation of an element’s name.
8. He invented the periodic table.
Down
1. The word scientists use for weight.
2. The number of protons plus the number of neutrons in an atom. (Two words)
3. Chart of the elements. (Two words)

133
Unit 4
The Chemist’s Alphabet Applied
© 2009 Pandia Press Unit 4 - The Chemist’s Alphabet Applied

135
Eighteen Elements Hiding in a Poem
The first eighteen elements want to play a game.

They are hiding in this poem,
Each using his nickname.
He
Likes
Nachos
And she does, too!
Be
“Mgnificent”
In everything you do.
Bumblebees
Alight
And pollinate the flowers.
Let’s be
Constantly
Silly
And dance in April showers.
Nice
Penguins
Give thanks.
Obnoxious
Seagulls
Play pranks.
Kids Are
Frequently
Clever,
Just like you.
He
Never
Argues,
He has better things to do.

Unit 4 - The Chemist’s Alphabet Applied © 2009 Pandia Press
136
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Element Book
by
________________
137
Element Book - instructions
As an ongoing project for this unit, your student will be assembling a book with a cover to house his
periodic table and information about several chemical families. This book will be assembled in this lab, and
then one new page will be decorated each time your student studies a new group or family on the Periodic
Table of the Elements. Your student’s periodic table, started in the last unit, will be pasted to the first
two-page spread.
Materials:
• Copy of “Element Book” cover page
• “My Periodic Table” (two pages) started in the last unit
• Ten sheets of 12” x 12” card stock (different colors)
• Colored pencils
• Scissors
• Glue gel or glue stick
• Stapler
Aloud: As we study different chemical families on the Periodic Table of the Elements, you will
be putting together a book to show what you have learned. Today you will decorate the cover,
assemble the book, and paste your periodic table in the front of the book.
Procedure:
1. Decide in which order you want to assemble the card stock pages. The front and back covers will remain
uncut.
2. You will be cutting off rectangles from the top right of 8 pages to make tabs in the book. Hint: Mark
your cuts before cutting—not all 12” x 12” paper is exactly that.
Page 1 - no cutting; this is the front cover
Page 2 - measure down 1” from the top and over 10“ from the right. Cut this 10” x 1” rectangle off.
This will form the first tab, on the left side which should measure 2” wide. This will be the largest tab; all
the other tabs will measure 1 ¼” wide.
Page 3 - measure down 1” from the top and over 8 ¾” from the right. Cut this rectangle off to form
the second tab, which will be 1 ¼” wide when page 3 is placed under page 2.
page 2 page 3 page 4 page 5 page 6 page 7 page 8 page 9 page 10
Page 4 - measure down 1” from the top and over 7 ½” from the right. Cut this rectangle off to form
the third tab, which will be 1 ¼” wide when page 4 is placed under page 3.
Page 5 - measure down 1” from the top and over 6 ¼” from the right. Cut this rectangle off to form
the fourth tab, which will be 1 ¼” wide when page 5 is placed under page 4.
Page 6 - measure down 1” from the top and over 5” from the right. Cut this rectangle off to form
the fifth tab, which will be 1 ¼” wide when page 6 is placed under page 5.
Page 7 - measure down 1” from the top and over 3 ¾” from the right. Cut this rectangle off to form
the sixth tab, which will be 1 ¼” wide when page 7 is placed under page 6.
Page 8 - measure down 1” from the top and over 2 ½” from the
right. Cut this rectangle off to form the seventh tab, which will be 1 ¼” wide when
page 8 is placed under page 7.
stacked pages
139
Page 9 - measure down 1” from the top and over 1 ¼” from the right. Cut this rectangle off to form
the eighth tab, which will be 1 ¼” wide when page 9 is placed under page 8.
Page 10 - no cutting. When page 10 is placed under page 9, you will see a ninth tab.
3. Assemble the book by stacking the sheets in order so all the tabs line up, the front cover is on the top,
and the back cover is on the bottom. Staple in four places about ½” apart along the left side.
4. Color, decorate, and cut around the “Element Book” cover page. Add your name and glue to the outside
front cover. Add trim, drawings, or whatever you have to make your cover irresistible.
5. If you haven’t already, remove the two pages of “My Periodic Table” from this book. Trim the pages along
the edges as indicated on each page. Glue the pages inside the “Element Book” on the first two page-
spread, lining up the two pages along the inside spine (leave a little gap so the book will close easily).
6. On the first tab in your Element Book, cut out and glue the label “My Periodic Table of the Elements”
found on page 149.
For More Lab Fun:

Take pictures along the way, doing a lab from each section. Add the pictures to the appropriate
page in your “Element Book.”

140
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
He Likes Nachos - Group 1
The first chemical family you are going to meet is called Group 1, and
it has seven elements in it. You are going to meet the three top elements
in this group—Hydrogen (H), Lithium (Li), and Sodium (Na), or you could
call them He Likes Nachos! Let me introduce you.
The first element from Group 1 is Hydrogen (HI-dreh-jen):
Nickname: H
Best Known For: Well, H is #1 on the periodic table. You know what they say:
“There can only be one #1.”
H is the smallest atom on the periodic table, too. Some of you might be
the smallest in your family, but are you the smallest of everybody you
know?! H likes it. He is sort of famous, after all. You see, he hangs out
with his best friend oxygen, (whose nickname is O) H + H + O = H2O, which
makes the molecule water. How is that for a winning combination?
H is the most common element in the universe.
H is the 10th most common element in the earth’s crust.
WOW! It sounds like H is pretty cool. If you are the smallest, just
remember, as little H likes to say, “Size is not everything. Or maybe it is,
and smallest is best.”

141
The next element from Group 1 is Lithium (LITH-i-em):
Nickname: Li
Best Known For: Li is named after the Greek word for stone: “lithos.” Do you
remember the lithosphere when you studied space?
Unlike H, Li is not very common, with only very small amounts found on
earth.
Li is used to make medicines, ceramics, and even batteries.
The next element from Group 1 is Sodium (SO-di-em):

Nickname: Na
Best Known For: Na spends a lot of

time hanging out with his best friend
Chlorine (whose nickname is Cl), Na
+ Cl = NaCl (sodium chloride), which
is table salt. Without NaCl, potato
chips wouldn’t taste good and the
ocean would not be salty.
Na is the sixth most common element

in the earth’s crust.
Na is found in baking soda and it

helps make your biscuits rise.

142
He Likes Nachos - Group 1 Lab:
THE INCREDIBLE FLOATING EGG - instructions
Materials:
• Two raw eggs (with no cracks)
• Two identical tall clear glasses
• Bottle of distilled water (about 2 cups)
• Table salt (about half a cup)
• Teaspoon
• Stirrer (a chopstick works well)
Aloud: When you salt your french fries, you are putting NaCl, sodium chloride, on them. Yum!
Let’s see what else sodium is good for. Do you think you can make an egg float by adding salt to
water? Have you ever heard someone talk about floating better in the ocean than in a swimming
pool? Let’s find out if things float better in salt water than in water without salt.
Procedure:
1. Complete the Hypothesis portion of the lab sheet.
2. Pour one cup of distilled water into each glass.
3. Put an egg in one of the glasses as a reference control to show how an egg behaves in fresh water.
Explain to students that a control model is often used in lab experiments for comparison purposes.
4. In the other glass of water, add salt in 1-teaspoon increments. Stir the salt-water mix to dissolve the
salt after each increment, and test the egg to see if it will float. Continue to add salt in 1-teaspoon
increments until it will float. Keep track of how many teaspoons of salt it took to float the egg, and
record this number on the lab sheet.
5. Draw a picture of each glass with the egg in it. Don’t forget to label your pictures.
For More Lab Fun:

When the egg floats, you can add a little water and watch it sink again. When it sinks, you can a
little more salt and watch it float. If you are careful about the amount of water you added, you can lightly
sprinkle salt on the egg after it has sunk and watch it “dance” as you make it float again.
• When salt is added to water, it increases the density of the solution. The more salt that is added, the
more dense the solution. This increase in density makes things float more easily.
• If the egg has any cracks, it will not float.
• How much salt it takes to float an egg will vary due to the type egg you are using, whether fresh
or store-bought (farm-fresh eggs have less airspace inside the egg, tending to be more dense and
therefore require more salt), the size of the egg, and the temperature of the water used.
Answers:
1. Sink
2. More
3. Float

143
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
He Likes Nachos - Group 1 Lab: THE INCREDIBLE FLOATING EGG
Hypothesis
I think an egg will float better in (circle one)
Salted water Fresh water
It took ______ teaspoons of salt dissolved
in water to float my egg.
Drawings and Labels of the Floating Egg and the Control Egg

Use the results from this experiment to help answer the following questions
(circle the word that makes the sentence correct):
1. If a rock will sink in the ocean, it would (float) (sink) in a fresh-water
swimming pool.
2. The more buoyant something is, the better it floats. Therefore, eggs in
salt water are (more) (less) buoyant than in fresh water.
3. As salt dissolves in water, it helps things in the water to (float) (sink).

145
Element Book: He Likes Nachos - Group 1 - instructions
Materials:
• “Element Book” (assembled) with “My Periodic Table”
• Scissors
• Glue
• Art supplies - markers, colored pencils, crayons, etc.
• Flipbook from Unit 3, for reference
Procedure:
1. Cut out the three element symbol squares on the lab sheets. Read the following as you add the three
elements to your periodic table.
Aloud: Now, open up your “Element Book” to your periodic table. Find the number 1 that you
wrote above the top square of the first column. The three elements you just learned about are
in Group 1 on the periodic table. Remember that all the members of a chemical family (or group)
have the same number of electrons in their outer energy levels.
First, color the symbols on the lab sheets for all three elements you met in Group 1.
Next, paste the squares on your periodic table. They are very picky about where they go.
The order they go in from top to bottom is H  Li  Na.
Now write their atomic numbers on the squares. Remember, the atomic number tells you
the number of protons an atom has. The atomic number of an element goes right above the
symbol in its square. H is number 1, as you already know. Write the number 1 above H.
What about the other two Group 1 elements? Do you remember how you count across
the periodic table? It’s like reading a book. So what number would Li be? Well, if H, hydrogen, is
1, then all the way across the table on the right side would be 2, then Li would be 3. Write the
number 3 above Li in its square. Can you figure out what Na would be? (11)
The next step is to draw the electrons in the outer energy level around the elemental
symbol. All Group 1 elements have one electron in their outer energy level. That is why they are
grouped together. On your periodic table, draw one electron next to each symbol. Hydrogen
should look like this: . Do this for all the three elements. Remember, that this dot does not
tell you the total number of electrons each element has, just that each element in Group 1 has
one electron in its outer energy level.
Finally, write the elements’ atomic masses. On your periodic table, the atomic mass of an
element goes right below the symbol and its name in its square. Remember, the atomic mass of
an element is the number of protons (atomic number) an atom has + the number of neutrons.
I said that I would always tell you the number of neutrons, but see if you can figure out the
atomic mass for each of the three elements in Group 1. Hydrogen has 0 neutrons
Lithium has 4 neutrons
Sodium has 12 neutrons
• Create an atomic mass table (like the one found on the back of this page) if it will assist your
student in calculating the atomic masses.
• Encourage students to use lots of color on their periodic tables. I chose a different color for each
part—green to color the symbol, blue for the atomic number, black for the electrons, and red for the
atomic mass. It is best to choose a dark color that really stands out for the electrons.
147
Procedure continued: Decorate Group 1 page in Element Book:
2. Cut out the rest of the items on the lab pages.
3. Use the information you learned this week about the elements to fill in the trivia boxes for each element,
listing characteristics, examples, and interesting facts. Color the items as you wish.
4. Create an atom for each element by drawing in the electrons, protons, and neutrons. Draw each part of
the atom a different color. Remember that only two electrons go in the first energy level and up to eight
electrons in the second and third energy levels. All three elements should only have one electron in their
outer energy level. (Refer to your flipbook for help drawing the atoms.)
5. On page 3 of your “Element Book” (the next page after “My Periodic Table”), glue the Group 1 label on the
tab. Decorate the page as you like, spreading out the element labels on the page and gluing the other items
under their appropriate label.
Answers:
1 3 11
H
Hydrogen
Li
Lithium
NaSodium
1 7 23
hydrogen atom lithium atom sodium atom
1 Proton & 1 Electron 3 Protons & 3 Electrons 11 Protons & 11 Electrons

0 Neutrons 4 Neutrons 12 Neutrons
= proton
= neutron
= electron Reminder:
1st energy level can have up to 2 electrons
2nd energy level can have up to 8 electrons
Atomic mass table

Atomic Number
Element’s = Number of
+ = Atomic Mass
Symbol Number of Neutrons
Protons
H 1 + 0 = 1
Li 3 + 4 = 7
Na 11 + 12 = 23
Facts on hydrogen: smallest, most common element, winning combination with oxygen to make water.
Lithium lowdown: comes from the Greek word for “stone”; very little found on earth; used to make medicines,
ceramics, and batteries
The truth about sodium: used to make salt, sixth most common in the earth’s crust, found in baking soda

148
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Element Book: He Likes Nachos - Group 1 - page 1
Hydrogen My Periodic Table

of the Elements
Group 1
hydrogen atom
H
Hydrogen
The Facts on Hydrogen

_______________________
______________________
______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
________________________

149
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Element Book: He Likes Nachos - Group 1 - page 2
lithium Li
Lithium
Lithium Lowdown
_______________________
______________________
______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
________________________
lithium atom
sodium
The Truth About Sodium
_______________________
Na Sodium
______________________
______________________
_______________________
_______________________
_______________________
________________________
sodium atom

151
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Be Mgnificent - Group 2
You got along so well with the first chemical family, Group 1, that the
second chemical family, Group 2, heard about it and wants to meet you too.
There are six elements in Group 2. You are going to learn about two of them:
Beryllium (Be) and Magnesium (Mg) or Be “Mgnificent”
The first element in Group 2 is Beryllium: (beh-RIL-ee-em)
Symbol: Be
Best Known For: Be tastes sweet, but Be is a deadly poison if eaten.
Be is also one of the elements always found in the green gemstone emerald.
So let me get this straight: If I grind up an emerald and eat it, it will taste
sweet, but it can kill me? That’s not a good idea!
The next element in Group 2 is Magnesium: (mag-NEE-zee-em)

Symbol: Mg
Best Known For: Each cubic mile of seawater has 12 billion pounds of Mg in it.
Even if a mile seems like a long way, 12 billion is mega-big!!!
Mg is the eighth most common element in the universe, even if you have
never heard of it.
Mg is the seventh most common element in the earth’s crust. This makes
sense if you think about how much sea water there is.
Mg was discovered in Epsom,
England in 1618 by a farmer, when
his cows refused to drink water
from a well. The farmer tasted the
water and found it to be very bitter.
He understood why the cows wouldn’t drink it. The farmer also found that
the water from this well helped cuts and rashes heal. He must have said,
“This stuff tastes yucky. I wonder what will happen if I rub it on my cuts?” I
don’t think his mom was around when he did that, do you? It turns out the
water had Epsom salt in it. Epsom salt has Mg in it.

153
Be Mgnificent - Group 2 Lab: CRYSTAL CREATION - instructions
This is a two-day experiment.
Materials:
• 4 tablespoons Epsom salt
• Black construction paper (1 sheet)
• ¼ Warm water
• Magnifying glass or microscope (if you have one)
• Measuring cup
• Tablespoon
• Small cake pan
• Scissors
Aloud: Epsom salt has magnesium in it. Look at the Epsom salt before it is put in water. Do you
think the cows can drink it? The Epsom salt needs to dissolve in water first, doesn’t it?
When you dissolve Epsom salt in water, you are making a solution. A solution has two
parts to it, the solvent and the solute. The Epsom salt is the solute, and water is the solvent
because it dissolves the solute. Water is called the universal solvent because it is what most
things are dissolved in. In fact, you have a solution running through your body. It is your blood.
Water is the solvent in that too. There are lots of different things, solutes, dissolved in the
water in your blood. That is why it is a solution.
When you dissolve Epsom salt in water, let it dry in a sunny place and you will have a
crystal creation. When you make crystals by pouring them in a pan and letting them dry, as in
this experiment, they are called sheet crystals. This experiment takes two days. The first day
you will make the crystal solution. It will not be dry until the next day. Look at the Epsom salt.
Do you think if we dissolve it and let it dry in the sun, it will look different? Let’s experiment and
find out.
Procedure:
Day one:
1. Cut black construction paper to fit the bottom of the cake pan.
2. Sprinkle a 1 tablespoon sample of Epsom salt into a container and set it aside for reference later.
3. Put 3 tablespoons of Epsom salt into ¼ cup of warm water. Stir this until all the Epsom salt
dissolves.
4. When all or most of the Epsom salt has dissolved, pour the liquid into the pan. Do not pour any
undissolved Epsom salt into the pan.
5. Put this in a sunny place and wait for it to dry.
Day two:
6. When it is dry, compare the Epsom salt crystals you made with the undissolved Epsom salt you set
aside. Do they look different?
7. Look at both samples with the magnifying glass. Do they look different?
8. Record your observations on the lab sheet.
Possible Answers:
Yes, the Epsom salt looks different after it is dissolved.
Instead of looking like a salt, it looks like etched glass. Answers in this part will vary.

155
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Be Mgnificent - Group 2 Lab: CRYSTAL CREATION
Yes or No The Epsom salt looked different after I dissolved it.
If you answered yes, how did it look different?

Draw and Label a picture of how the crystals looked through the
magnifying glass. (If you have a microscope, you could look at the
crystals under the microscope, too.)

157
Element Book: Be Mgnificent - Group 2 - instructions
Materials:
• “Element Book” (assembled) with student’s periodic table
• Scissors
• Glue
• Art supplies - markers, colored pencils, crayons
Aloud: Just like all the chemical families, the elements in Group 2 have properties in common.
As with the other families, this is because Group 2 elements have the same number of electrons
in their outer energy levels. You can figure out the number of electrons in an element’s outer
energy level by using the periodic table. Remember from Group 1 that Lithium (Li) has one
electron in its outer energy level. Now, put your finger on Beryllium (Be). The atomic number of
Lithium is 3 and Beryllium is 4, so you know one proton was added. Since the number of protons
match the number of electrons, one electron was also added. 1 electron in the outer energy level
+ 1 = 2. All the elements in Group 2 have two electrons in their outer energy levels.
Procedure:
1. On the lab sheet, draw the electrons in the outer energy level around the elemental symbols. Remember
all Group 2 elements have two electrons in their outer energy levels. That is why they are grouped
together.
2. Write the atomic number above each symbol.
3. Write the elements’ atomic masses. Create an atomic mass table (like the one found on the back of
this page) if it will assist your student in calculating the atomic masses. The atomic mass of an element
goes right below the symbol and its name in its square. Remember, the atomic mass of an element is the
number of protons (atomic number) an atom has + the number of neutrons. Beryllium has 5 neutrons
Magnesium has 12 neutrons
4. Glue the symbol squares on their appropriate places on the student’s periodic table.
• Your student may have figured out by this point that the number of neutrons of an element on the
periodic table can be calculated by subtracting the atomic number from the atomic mass. If he has,
then congratulate your keen observer. If not, do not worry about teaching this now as it will be taught
in RSO Chemistry (level two).
5. Cut out the rest of the items on the lab page.
6. Use information you learned this week about the elements to fill in the trivia boxes for each element,
electrons in the second and third energy levels. Both elements should have two electrons in their outer
energy levels. (Refer to your flipbook for help drawing the atoms.)
8. On page 4 of your “Element Book,” glue the Group 2 label on the tab. Spread out the element labels on
the page and glue the other items under their appropriate label.
Answers:
4 12

Be
Beryllium
Mg
Magnesium
9 24
159
beryllium atom magnesium atom
4 Protons & 4 Electrons 12 Protons & 12 Electrons
5 Neutrons 12 Neutrons
= protons
= neutrons
= electrons
Atomic mass table

Atomic Number
+ = Atomic Mass
Protons
Be 4 + 5 = 9
Mg 12 + 12 = 24
Beryllium blow by blow: tastes sweet, deadly poison, found in emeralds
Magnificent magnesium: each cubic mile of seawater has 12 billion pounds of Mg in it, eighth most common
element in the universe, seventh most common element in the earth’s crust, discovered in 1618 by a farmer,
has healing properties.

160
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Element Book: Be Mgnificent - Group 2
Beryllium
Beryllium Blow by Blow
_______________________
Be
Beryllium
______________________
______________________
_______________________
________________________
beryllium atom
Group 2
Magnesium
magnesium atom
Magnificent Magnesium
_______________________
Mg
Magnesium
______________________
______________________
_______________________
________________________

161
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Bumblebees Alight - Group 13
Boron and Aluminum from Group 13, or Bumblebees Alight, want to
meet you next, but they can be a little hard to find. You can find Group 13
if you run your finger from beryllium across a space on the periodic table
to the next empty square. You can also count all the columns to the 13th
column.
The first element in Group 13 is Boron: (BO-ron)
Symbol: B
Best Known For: B has a famous line in a Shakespeare
play: “To B or not to B: That is the question.”
Marco Polo (1254-1324) brought borax (a compound
with B in it) to Europe from the Far East along with
gunpowder and spaghetti (which don’t have B in
them).
There is a Big space between boron and beryllium, but
they are still neighbors none the less.
B is used in fireworks to make a green color.
The second element in Group 13 is Aluminum: (ah-LOO-min-um)

Symbol: Al
Best Known For: Al is the most common metal in the surface of the earth!
That must be why they chose Al to make all those soda cans.
Al is the third most common element in the earth’s crust.
Al is strong, light, and corrosion-resistant. That means it
doesn’t rust and change like some metals do. Because of
these properties, rockets and large airplanes are made from
it.

163
Bumblebees Alight - Group 13 Lab:
THE SLIME THAT ATE SLOVENIA - instructions
Materials:
• 2 teaspoons 20 Mule Team Borax (found next to laundry detergent in stores)
• ¾ cup Water
• ¼ cup White school glue (Elmer’s glue works best)
• 1 cup grated Styrofoam or Polystyrene beads*
• Food color (optional to make colorful putty; if you use food color, it can stain surfaces)
• One gallon-size sealable baggie
• Small mixing bowl
• Measuring cup
• Teaspoon
• Tablespoon
• Fork for stirring the glue + water mixture
There is no lab sheet for this lab.
Aloud: 20 Mule Team Borax has boron in it. The borax reacts with the glue to form slime. Pretend
you can feel the boron atoms in the slime. Do you think Marco Polo knew about slime?
Procedure:
1. Pour ½ cup of water into the mixing bowl.
2. Put 2 teaspoons of the 20 Mule Team Borax into the water. Stir to help dissolve the borax. Let this sit
for 5 to 10 minutes to make sure it is completely dissolved.
3. Measure ¼ cup water into the measuring cup.
4. Add ¼ cup glue into the water so that the water + glue mixture is about ½ cup.
5. Stir the water + glue mixture gently so that you don’t spill it. If you are using food color, put it in to
this mix now.
6. Pour the glue/water solution into the baggie and add 2 tablespoons of the borax/water mixture; don’t
mix it yet.
7. Add the polystyrene beads to the baggie. Squeeze out the air, tightly seal the baggie, and then knead
the mixture gently with your hands. The periodic putty will start to change in consistency very quickly.
8. When the polymer has set up (this should happen within 15 minutes), take it out of the bag.
9. Students can mold the slime and make sculptures. They will feel the beads, “boron atoms,” in the
putty.
10. If left out, your sculpture(s) will dry nicely and can be painted, or the polymer can be stored in the
baggie in the refrigerator to be played with later.
• *Polystyrene beads can be hard to find. They are used as stuffing for sewing projects and can
sometimes be found in the sewing section of craft stores. You can make them easily enough (and
cheaper) by taking a piece of Styrofoam and grating it with a cheese grater. If you make your beads
this way, there is some clean-up. When you grate the Styrofoam, it builds up an electrostatic charge
and sticks to everything, including you.
• This is a recipe that makes a substance similar to Floam. It can be formed into any shape, sculpted
around items, allowed to dry, and then painted.
• Use Elmer’s Glue for the slime. Some other types of white glue do not work in this experiment. The glue
needs to have polyvinyl acetate in it, which Elmer’s does.
• The polyvinyl acetate in the glue reacts with the borax to form a flexible polymer.
• There is no lab sheet for today—instead students should play with the slime and have fun.
• There is a bonus question in Unit 6 that asks about slime. It would be a good idea to save some slime
for this unit by keeping a baggie of it in the fridge.

165
Element Book: Bumblebees Alight - Group 13 - instructions
Materials:
• Scissors
• Glue
Aloud: Just like other families, the elements in Group 13 have properties in common. As with all
the chemical families, this is because Group 13 elements have the same number of electrons in
their outer energy levels. All the elements in Group 13 have three electrons in their outer energy
levels. Can you find boron at the top of Group 13? What is its atomic number? (5) What period
is it in? (2nd) Can you find the atomic number and period for aluminum? (13, 3rd period)
Procedure:
1. On the lab sheet, draw the electrons in the outer energy level around the elemental symbol. (See example
below.) Remember, all Group 13 elements have three electrons in their outer energy levels. That is why they
are grouped together.
number of protons (atomic number) an atom has + the number of neutrons. Boron has 6 neutrons
Aluminum has 14 neutrons
Procedure: Decorate Group 13 page in “Element Book”:
the atom a different color. Remember, that only two electrons go in the first energy level and up to eight
electrons in the second and third energy levels. Both elements should have three electrons in their outer
energy levels. (Refer to your flip book for help drawing the atoms.)
Answers:
5 13
B
Boron
Al
Aluminum
11 27

167
boron atom aluminum atom
= protons
= neutrons
= electrons
Atomic mass table

Atomic Number
+ = Atomic Mass
Protons
B 5 + 6 = 11
Al 13 + 14 = 27
Boron basics: Marco Polo brought it to Europe, used to make green fireworks
Aluminum particulars: most common metal in the surface of the earth; 3rd most common element in the
earth’s crust; strong, light, and corrosion-resistant (doesn’t rust); rockets and large airplanes are made
from it.

168
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Element Book: Bumblebees Alight - Group 13
Boron
Boron Basics
_______________________
______________________
B
Boron
______________________
_______________________
boron atom ________________________
Aluminum
Al
Aluminum
Group 13
Aluminum Particulars
_______________________
______________________
______________________
_______________________
aluminum atom ________________________

169
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Constantly Silly - Group 14
Group 14 has two very important elements in it: carbon and
silicon. I like to call them Constantly Silly. A scientific way to talk about
living things on Earth is to say, “On Earth we have carbon-based life forms.”
That means living things on earth use carbon for energy and to grow. Silicon
is important because sand is made of silicon + oxygen, and there is a LOT of
sand on the earth.
The first element in Group 14 is Carbon: (KAR-ben)

Symbol: C
C comes in two elemental forms. Remember that an element has only one
type of atom. Pick up a pencil. You are looking at one of the elemental forms
of C. The pencil lead (the part of the pencil that writes) is pure C. This form
of C has a special name, called graphite. Does your mother or teacher have
a diamond ring? If they do, look at the diamond in it. The diamond in the
ring is the other elemental form of C. I am not Cidding you. Pencils leads
break easily, but diamonds are the hardest natural substance known. Living
things, graphite, and diamonds—C is Cind of Cool, don’t you think?
Best Known For: Living things on earth all have C in them, from bees to trees
to knees. C is the sixth most common element in the universe.
The second element in Group 14 is Silicon: (SIL-i-kon)

Symbol: Si
Best Known For: Been to the beach lately? Si is a Significant part of any
beach. There Si likes to hang out with oxygen (O). O is popular isn’t she?
You will meet O later. Si + O + O = SiO2, which is sand. Do you know what
happens when sand is heated at a high temperature? It melts, and melted
sand is used to make glass. Over 3,500 years ago, people were heating sand
to make glass-like objects. In addition to sand, quartz, amethysts, flint,
opals, and bricks are made from silicon.
Si is the seventh most common element in the
universe.
Si is the second most common element in
the earth’s crust.

171
Constantly Silly - Group 14 Lab: S’more Carbon - instructions
Caution: This LAB involves THE use OF AN oven and requires close parental supervision.
Materials:
• Four large marshmallows
• Two graham crackers
• Baking sheet
• Oven
• Hot pad
• Brown colored pencil
Aloud: When you made marshmallow atoms, did you eat any of the marshmallows?
Marshmallows are sweet, aren’t they? Do you know what “sweet” means? “Sweet” means sugar,
and sugar means carbon! Sugar has 12 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms, and 11 oxygen atoms
in it. When carbon is heated, it starts to darken. At first, it turns a nice golden color. If you heat
it too long, though, it turns black.
Have you ever toasted marshmallows? Toasting marshmallows is a good way to see
what happens when you heat carbon. That toasty brown color is from the carbon in the
marshmallows. I like toasted marshmallows perfectly browned on the outside, and melted and
gooey on the inside. How do you like your toasted marshmallows? For this experiment, you are
going to brown some marshmallows, and maybe even burn them if that is how you like them.
In addition to sugar, marshmallows have air and water in them. When the air and water
in the marshmallows get hot, the marshmallows can grow in size. Have you ever heated water in
a pan and watched it steam? When you heat marshmallows, the water in them starts to steam
and tries to escape, making the marshmallow expand.
Procedure:
1. Fill in the hypothesis section of your lab sheet.
2. Preheat the oven to 500˚.
3. Put a graham cracker on the baking sheet. Put two marshmallows on top of the graham cracker. Make
another graham cracker-marshmallow combination, and set this on the counter as a reference.
4. When the oven is preheated, put the baking sheet into the oven on a rack positioned in the middle. Turn
the oven light on.
5. Set the timer for 10 minutes. Have your lab sheet ready, you will be making observations every one
minute for 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Every one minute, look at the change in color and size. You do not need to take the cookie sheet out of
the oven. Just quickly see if you notice any change from the last time you looked.
7. When the marshmallows are browned (or burned if you are going to go that long), put a hot pad on
and take the cookie sheet out of the oven.
8. Use your reference graham cracker-marshmallow combination to compare how the marshmallow has
changed in size and color.
• If you have a lower oven with a light, use that for this experiment. Students can sit on the floor while
they monitor the color and size changes of the marshmallows.
• The marshmallows are very chewy and hot when they come out of the oven. They do not have the same
consistency (and some say they’re not as good) as when they are toasted over a fire.
• The marshmallows expand because the air and water in them expand when heated.
(Continued on the back)

173
Possible Answers:
The marshmallows are going to increase in size, and the color will become increasingly brown.
The marshmallows brown because they have carbon in them, and carbon browns as it cooks. The
marshmallows get larger because the water and air in them expand as they get hot.
Challenge Questions
The graham cracker has sugar and flour in it—both of which have carbon in them. This carbon is turning
brown.
Graphite is a type of carbon. Carbon darkens when exposed to heat. (Graphite deposits are found
in metamorphic rock. Metamorphic rock has been exposed to temperatures greater than 150° to 200°
C—that’s 302° to 392° F.)

174
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Constantly Silly - Group 14 Lab: S’more Carbon Lab - page 1
Hypothesis
My marshmallow at the start How my marshmallow will look
of the lab: at the end of the lab:
Results
Data Table
Time Color Size Change
1 minute
2 minutes
3 minutes
4 minutes
5 minutes
6 minutes
7 minutes
8 minutes
9 minutes
10 minutes
Key: NC no change
 increasing in size or color
 decreasing in size or color

175
Constantly Silly - Group 14 Lab: S’more Carbon Lab - page 2
How did your marshmallow actually look at the end of this experiment?
Reference marshmallow Cooked marshmallow
Was this different from your prediction? Yes or No
Challenge Questions
The graham cracker starts to brown too. Why?
Graphite (pencil lead) is very dark gray in color. What do you think happened
to it to turn it that color?

176 Unit 4 - The Chemist’s Alphabet Applied © 2009 Pandia Press
Element Book: Constantly Silly - Group 14 - instructions
Materials:
• Scissors
• Glue
Aloud: Just like other families, the elements in Group 14 have properties in common. As with
all the chemical families, this is because Group 14 elements have the same number of electrons
in their outer energy levels. All the elements in Group 14 have one more electron in their outer
energy levels than those in Group 13 had. Do you remember how many electrons boron and
aluminum had in their outer energy levels? (three) So that must mean that Group 14 elements
have four electrons in their outer energy levels. Can you find carbon next to boron on the periodic
table? It’s at the top of Group 14. What is its atomic number? (6) What period is it in? (2nd) Can
you find the atomic number and period for silicon? (14, 3rd period)
Procedure:
below.) Remember, all Group 14 elements have four electrons in their outer energy levels. That is why they
3. Write the elements’ atomic masses. Create an atomic mass table (like the one found on the back of this
page) if it will assist your student in calculating the atomic masses. The atomic mass of an element goes
right below the symbol and its name in its square. Remember, the atomic mass of an element is the number
of protons (atomic number) an atom has + the number of neutrons. Carbon has 6 neutrons
Silicon has 14 neutrons

Procedure continued: Decorate Group 14 page in “Element Book”:
electrons in the second and third energy levels. Both elements should have four electrons in their outer
Answers:
6 14
C
Carbon
Si
Silicon
12 28

177
carbon atom silicon atom
= protons
= neutrons
= electrons
Atomic mass table

Atomic Number
+ = Atomic Mass
Protons
C 6 + 6 = 12
Si 14 + 14 = 28
Cold hard carbon facts: All life forms have carbon, carbon browns as it is heated up, graphite and diamonds
are elemental forms of carbon
Super silicon trivia: Found in sand, quartz, amethysts, flint, opals and bricks; the seventh most common
element in the universe; the second most common element in the earth’s crust.

178
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Element Book: Constantly Silly - Group 14
Carbon
Cold Hard Carbon Facts
_______________________
carbon atom
______________________
______________________
_______________________
C
Carbon
________________________
Group 14
Silicon
silicon atom
Super Silicon Trivia
_______________________
______________________
______________________
Si
Silicon
_______________________
________________________

179
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Nice Penguins - Group 15

Today you are going to meet two elements from
Group 15: nitrogen and phosphorus. Or you could call
them Nice Penguins—aww!
Nitrogen: (NYE-truh-jen)
Symbol: N
Best Known For: Breathe in. Are your lungs full? The
air that is in your lungs right now is 78 percent N.
Did you notice the N? Can you feel those little N
molecules bouncing around inside of you? Well, that
is just what they are doing.
N + H + H + H makes NH3 which makes ammonia. NH3 is used for fertilizers
and explosives. NH3 is also used in cleaning products around your house.
Plants need N, and who hasn’t heard of TNT? Guess what the N stands
for?
N is the fifth most common element in the universe.
N is the most common element in the earth’s atmosphere.
Phosphorus: (FOS-fer-iss)
Symbol: P
Best Known For: P is an essential element for all living cells. More
important to many of you, though, P is in the explosive part of cap-gun
caps.
P has been known since ancient times because rocks with P in them are
phosphorescent. That means they glow in
the dark! The name phosphorus comes from
the Greek word for light-bearing.
P is used in fireworks. When P gets hot, it
burns really brightly.

181
Nice Penguins - Group 15 Lab: Eating Air - instructions
CAUTION: THIS LAB INVOLVES USE OF AN OVEN. ONLY THE PARENT/INSTRUCTOR SHOULD OPERATE THE OVEN.
Materials:
• Three egg whites
• ¾ cup Confectionery sugar
• Parchment paper or aluminum foil
• Shortening or nonstick spray
• 1 tablespoon Flour
• Cookie sheet
• Mixing bowl
• Fork
• Spoon
• Electric mixer
• Oven, hot pads
• Magnifying glass
Aloud: Let’s eat some nitrogen in the air. Today, you are going to experiment with egg whites
and air. First, you are going to examine the white part of a raw egg to see if any air is visible.
Then you will whip the egg white. When you do this at a high speed, air is mixed in with the egg
whites. With the egg white + air mix, you can make something called meringue. You just have to
add a little sugar and you will have a yummy treat to eat.
Procedure:
2. Crack the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. You will not need the yolks for this experiment.
Put the whites into the mixing bowl. Have students examine the egg whites for the presence of air. They
can use a magnifying glass for this. Take a fork and run it slowly through the egg whites. In this part
of the experiment, the purpose is to examine the whites for the presence of incorporated air. There
should not be any visible pockets of air.
3. Preheat the oven to 225˚F. Cover the cookie sheet with parchment paper or aluminum foil. Grease the
paper or foil and lightly dust it with flour.
4. Beat the egg whites at the highest speed your mixer will go until they form soft peaks. The amount of
time this takes varies depending on the type of mixer you have. Have students examine the egg whites
now and record observations on the lab sheet. They can use a magnifying glass.
5. Sprinkle the confectionery sugar over the egg whites and start the mixer at a slow speed until the
sugar is mixed in, then increase the speed to maximum. Mix until the egg whites form stiff peaks.
Examine the whites again and record observations on the lab sheet.
6. Spoon about 12 spoonfuls of the meringue, as you would cookie dough, onto the prepared cookie sheet.
Put the cookie sheet into the oven for 60 minutes or longer, until they feel hard on the outside. When
done, turn off the oven and open the oven door, leaving the cookies in the oven, cooling gradually for 5
to 10 minutes.
7. When the meringues are done and have cooled, cut one in half and examine it. Look at all the air
trapped inside the egg whites. Record observations on the lab sheet. Meringues can be eaten.
• Do not taste the egg whites until they have come out of the oven. Until then, they are raw eggs.
• The bowl and the beaters used to mix the egg whites must not have any grease or oil on them.

183
• Meringues can be sensitive to the amount of the humidity in the air. If you live somewhere humid, they
can take longer to cook and they will not stay crispy and hard as long as somewhere that has a dry
climate.
• The purpose of adding the sugar is to create something edible. The sugar is not essential to the
experiment and does not change the outcome.
• As always, have students fill in the results section of this experiment as you perform each step, not at
the end of the experiment.
Possible Answers:
C1: There will be no visible air in the egg whites when they come out of the shell.
C2: There is air in the egg whites. Whipping the air into them has changed the amount of space the egg
whites take up, their texture, and their color. The egg whites are whiter in color and they feel creamy.
C3: The stiffness will be different. However, the egg whites should look about the same as they did at C2.
C4: The egg whites will be hard after cooking. The outsides might have browned (due to the carbon in the
sugar). Inside they should look about the same as at C2.
Help students understand that as the egg whites are mixed in air, the air is mixed into the egg whites. The
more air that gets mixed in with the egg whites, the more fluffy they become, i.e. the larger the increase in
the volume of the eggs. There comes a point when you reach the maximum amount of air that can be mixed
in.
Challenge
In the vacuum of space, there is no air to mix into the egg whites. They would not become fluffy.

184
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Nice Penguins - Group 15 Lab: Eating Air
Hypothesis: Do you think the egg whites will
look different with air mixed into them?
Use words and draw pictures to describe the egg whites:
Egg whites before Egg whites half-way Egg whites at the end Cooked egg whites
mixing through mixing of mixing

Describe in your own words what happened to the egg whites when you
whipped them.

Challenge
What would happen if you mixed the egg whites in the vacuum of space?

185
Element Book: Nice Penguins - Group 15 - instructions
Materials:
• Scissors
• Glue
Aloud: Using a periodic table, see if you can figure out the atomic number for nitrogen. (7) What
is the atomic number for phosphorus? (15) Just like other families, the elements in Group 15
have properties in common because Group 15 elements have the same number of electrons in
their outer energy levels. Let’s see if you know how many there are. To figure this out, how many
electrons are in the outer energy levels of the Group 13 elements? (3) And how many electrons
are in the outer energy levels of the Group 14 elements? (4) What is the pattern? Do you know
the answer? All the elements in Group 15 have one more electron in their outer energy levels than
those in Group 14 had. So that must mean that Group 15 elements have five electrons in their
outer energy levels.
Procedure:
below.) Remember, all Group 15 elements have five electrons in their outer energy levels. That is why they
right below the symbol and its name in its square. Remember, the atomic mass of an element is the num-
ber of protons (atomic number) an atom has + the number of neutrons. Nitrogen has 7 neutrons
Phosphorus has 16 neutrons
electrons in the second and third energy levels. Both elements should have five electrons in their outer
energy levels. (Refer to your flip book for help drawing the atoms.)
Answers:
7 15
N
Nitrogen
P
Phosphorus
14 31

187
nitrogen atom phosphorus atom
= protons
= neutrons
= electrons
Atomic mass table

Atomic Number
+ = Atomic Mass
Protons
N 7 + 7 = 14
P 15 + 16 = 31
The nitty-gritty on nitrogen: 78% of air is N; needed by plants; used to make ammonia, fertilizers, explosives;
fifth most common element in the universe; the most common element in the earth’s atmosphere
Phosphorus phenomenon: Essential element for all living cells, in the explosive part of cap-gun caps, makes
rocks phosphorescent, comes from the Greek word for “light-bearing,” used in fireworks.

188
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Element Book: Nice Penguins - Group 15
Nitrogen
The Nitty-gritty on Nitrogen
_______________________
______________________
______________________
N
Nitrogen
nitrogen atom _______________________
________________________
Phosphorus
Phosphorus Phenomenon
_______________________
______________________
______________________
_______________________
________________________
phosphorus atom
P
Phosphorus
Group 15

189
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Obnoxious Seagulls - Group 16

Think back to all the molecules you have learned about so far. They all
had one element in common. What was it? Did you say oxygen?
The first element in Group 16 is Oxygen: (OK-sih-jen)
Symbol: O
Best Known For: There is a lot to tell you, so I better get started.
O is in water and O is in sand.
Plants let O out through their leaves, and
we breathe O in.
Without O, fires don’t burn.
O protects the earth from the sun’s
radiation.
Liquid O, when combined with liquid H,
makes rocket fuel.
O is essential to life as we know it.
O is the third most common element in the universe.
O is the most common element in the earth’s crust and in the ocean.
O is the second most common element in the air we breathe.
We take O for granted on Earth, but if people ever live on the moon, it could
be a problem. O is one thing you cannot live without.
The next element in Group 16 is Sulfur: (SUL-fer)
Symbol: S
Best Known For: When S combines with oxygen or with
hydrogen, it’s so stinky.
S is an important part of gunpowder.
The Greek poet Homer wrote about S nearly 2,800 years
ago. He said it was important for keeping pests away.
When they speak about fire and brimstone in the Bible, S
is brimstone.
Good places to find S are eggs, volcanoes, fireworks, and
matches.

191
Obnoxious Seagulls - Group 16 Lab #1:
That’s not My Egg Your Cooking, Is It? - instructions
CAUTION: THIS LAB INVOLVES USE OF A HEAT SOURCE AND BOILING WATER. ONLY PARENT/INSTRUCTOR
SHOULD OPERATE THE HEAT SOURCE AND HANDLE THE BOILING WATER.
Materials:
• One egg for each student + one extra egg
• Clear glass
• Heat source and pan to hard-boil the eggs
• Water
• Timer
• Salt, if you plan on eating the eggs
• Knife, for cutting the peeled eggs in half
There is not a lab sheet for this lab.
Aloud: Have you ever eaten a hard-boiled egg with a green ring around the yolk? In a raw egg,
the yolk is yellow and the egg white is clear or whitish, so where does a green ring come from
when an egg is cooked? There is sulfur in the white of the egg along with iron, another element,
in the yolk. The green ring is caused when the iron of the yolk combines with the sulfur of the
white. It occurs if the egg is overcooked.
Procedure:
1. Crack a raw egg into a glass. Have everyone look at the egg to check for green around the yolk. There
will not be any.
2. Put the rest of the eggs into a pan and cover them with water. Cook the eggs. When the water begins
to boil, let them cook for 30 minutes. The goal is to overcook them. When the time is up, drain the
water from the pan and let the eggs cool.
3. When they have cooled, peel them and cut them in half. Peel the white off the yolk and look at
the outside of the yolk that was nested inside the white. The green that you see is a sulfur-iron
compound that formed during the cooking process. The green compound is harmless, and the eggs
are safe to eat.
• Sulfur, by itself, has no noticeable smell. The gas that smells like “rotten eggs” is hydrogen sulfide
(H2S). It is what you smell when eggs truly are rotten and is sometimes the result of a rebellious
digestive system  . The sulfurous smell you may notice after a match is struck is sulfur dioxide
(SO2), the burning combination of sulfur on the match and oxygen in the air.

193
Obnoxious Seagulls - Group 16 Lab #2:
BUBBLE TROUBLE - instructions
Materials:
• Hydrogen peroxide - small bottle
• One raw potato
• Sink or work bucket
Aloud: Have you ever had hydrogen peroxide poured on a cut? It probably hurt, didn’t it? Do
you remember how it bubbled? Those bubbles are pure oxygen gas coming from the hydrogen
peroxide. A hydrogen peroxide molecule has two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms in it.
When it bubbles, it is turning into water and oxygen. Cool, isn’t it? Let’s experiment and see if we
can make some bubbles.
Before we do that, though, can you tell me why we use hydrogen peroxide to wash cuts?
Is it to kill the germs? Is it the germs that make the hydrogen peroxide bubble?
Procedure:
2. Pour hydrogen peroxide over your hand on an area of skin with no cuts or scrapes on it. (It should not
bubble.)
Aloud: If hydrogen peroxide bubbles when it meets germs, it should have bubbled when you
poured it on your skin. Whether you know it or not, even if you just washed that part of your
skin, you have germs on it.
If it is not the germs that cause hydrogen peroxide to bubble, what does? The chemical
that makes the hydrogen peroxide bubble is called catalase (CAT-uh-layss). Catalase is in
your blood. When you pour hydrogen peroxide on a cut, the catalase in your blood makes the
hydrogen peroxide bubble. Catalase is also in potatoes. When you pour hydrogen peroxide on a
piece of potato, will you see bubbles?
Procedure continued:
3. Cut the potato in half. Over the sink, pour hydrogen peroxide on the cut side of the potato. You might
have to wait a minute or two before it really starts to bubble.
• You need to make sure the hydrogen peroxide is fresh. Over time, hydrogen peroxide turns into water
and oxygen.
Possible Answers:
Hydrogen peroxide does not bubble when poured on your hand unless you have cuts on your hand.
Hydrogen peroxide bubbles when you pour it on a cut potato.
The chemical catalase in the potato makes the hydrogen peroxide bubble.

195
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Obnoxious Seagulls - Group 16 Lab #2: BUBBLE TROUBLE
Hypothesis
What do you think will happen when you pour
hydrogen peroxide on your hand?
1.) It will bubble.

2.) Nothing—I don’t have any cuts on my hand.
Do you think hydrogen peroxide will bubble when it comes in contact with
germs?
yes no maybe
What do you think will happen when you pour hydrogen peroxide on the
potato?
1.) Nothing—it’s a potato.

2.) It will bubble.
Results:
What really happened when you poured hydrogen peroxide on your hand?
What really happened when you poured hydrogen peroxide on the potato?
Discussion and conclusion:

Why did the hydrogen peroxide make bubbles on the potato?

197
Element Book: Obnoxious Seagulls - Group 16 - instructions
Materials:
• Scissors
• Glue
Aloud: What is the atomic number of oxygen? (8) O has the same number of protons as
neutrons. How many are there? (8 of each) What is the atomic mass of O? (8 + 8 = 16) What
is the atomic number of sulfur? (16) S also has the same number of protons as neutrons. So,
what is the atomic mass of S? (16 + 16 = 32) Just like other families, the elements in Group 16
have properties in common because Group 16 elements have the same number of electrons in
their outer energy levels.
How many electrons are in the outer energy level for both oxygen and sulfur? Will the
answer be the same for both? (yes) All the elements in Group 16 have six electrons in their outer
energy levels.
Procedure:
below.) Remember, all Group 16 elements have six electrons in their outer energy levels. That is why they are
grouped together.
ber of protons (atomic number) an atom has + the number of neutrons. Oxygen has 8 neutrons
Sulfur has 16 neutrons

electrons in the second and third energy levels. Both elements should have six electrons in their outer
Answers:
8 16
O
Oxygen
S
Sulfur
16 32

199
oxygen atom sulfur atom
= protons
= neutrons
= electrons
Atomic mass table

Atomic Number
+ = Atomic Mass
Protons
O 8 + 8 = 16
S 16 + 16 = 32
Outrageous oxygen wisdom: O is in water and sand, plants give off O, animals breathe it, fires won’t burn
without it, protects the earth from the sun’s radiation, liquid O (when combined with liquid H) makes rocket
fuel, is essential to life, third most common element in the universe, most common element in the earth’s
crust and in the ocean, second most common element in the air.
The stinky on sulfur: when combines with oxygen or with nitrogen, it smells like rotten eggs; an important
part of gunpowder; Homer wrote about S keeping pests away; it’s referred to as “brimstone” in the Bible;
found in eggs, volcanoes, fireworks, and matches.

200
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Element Book: Obnoxious Seagulls - Group 16
Oxygen
Group 16
O
Oxygen
oxygen atom
Outrageous Oxygen Wisdom

_______________________
______________________
______________________
_______________________
________________________
_________________________
_________________________
Sulfur
The Stinky on Sulfur

sulfur atom _______________________
______________________
______________________
SSulfur
_______________________
________________________
_________________________

201
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Frequently Clever - Group 17

The two elements you will meet today from Group 17 are very reactive.
That means that when one of their atoms is around a different kind of
atom, they like to link together and form a molecule.
The first element in Group 17 is Fluorine: (FLOOR-een)

Symbol: F
Best Known For: If you feel like you have met F before, think
“tough teeth.” Is it coming back to you? That’s right—
fluoride treatments, fluoride in your toothpaste, fluoride
rinse.
F is also in Teflon pans. That is the black stuff frying
pans are coated with so foods won’t stick.
Elemental F is so reactive, almost anything
placed in the path of a stream of fluorine gas will
spontaneously burst into flames! That includes things like glass and steel.
The second element in Group 17 is Chlorine: (CLOR-een)

Symbol: Cl
Best Known For: Clean swimming pools. If you have ever smelled bleach, then
you have smelled Cl. Cl is good at whitening clothes and getting rid of yucky
stuff in your pool. When Cl is put in pool water, you can smell it. It doesn’t
smell like something you would want to eat, does it? But sodium (Na) + Cl
= salt, and think of how good NaCl makes food taste. Cleverly interesting,
isn’t it?
Cl is used to make paper, like the nice white paper
this book is printed on.
Most gases are colorless. Cl is one of the few
colored gases. Cl is a pale yellow gas. In bleach,
Cl whitens things. But when Cl is a gas floating around
all by itself, it’s yellow!?!

203
Frequently Clever - Group 17 Lab #1: Dancing Drops - instructions
Caution: This lab uses bleach. Bleach is poisonous and the fumes are toxic. The bleach should
only be handled by THE PARENT/INSTRUCTOR.
Materials:
• ½ cup Bleach
• Dark food color
• ½ cup Water
• Glass
• Eyedropper
Aloud: Bleach has a chemical in it that contains the element chlorine. The name of this chemical
is sodium hypochlorite (SO-dee-uhm hye-po-CLOR-ite). Chemicals containing chlorine are used
to clean swimming pools, clothes, and sometimes they are used to clean water as a part of
making it safe to drink. What do you think will happen if Cl is added to colored water?
Procedure:
2. Drip three drops of dark food color into the glass.
3. Pour ½ cup of water into the glass.
4. Draw a labeled picture of the colored water in the glass on the lab sheet.
5. With the eyedropper, carefully drip bleach into the glass until the color disappears. How many drops
of bleach did you need? Record the number on the lab sheet.
6. Draw a labeled picture of what the water in the glass looked like as bleach was added.
7. Drip drops of food color into the water bleach mix. What happens? (The drops of color “dance” and
disappear in the bleach/water mix).
8. Draw a labeled picture of what the water in the glass looked like as food color was re-added.
• Encourage your student to take his time and draw and color detailed pictures of each step in this lab.
Drawing and labeling steps of an experiment reinforces good observation skills, organization skills,
and the scientific method. It doesn’t matter if your student can draw well, but his drawings should be
as detailed as possible.

205
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Frequently Clever - Group 17 Lab #1: Dancing Drops
Hypothesis
What do you think will happen to the color of the
solution when bleach is added?
1.) The color will disappear.
2.) Nothing will happen.
3.) The color will get darker.
Results
How many drops of bleach did you use? ____________
Draw a series of labeled pictures below, showing what happened in this
experiment. Start with a drawing of the colored water. Next, draw a picture
of the water after the bleach was added. Last, draw a picture of what the
water looked like when you re-added the food color.

207
Frequently Clever - Group 17 Lab #2:
The Tooth, the Whole Tooth, and Nothing but the Tooth -
instructions
This lab takes about six days to complete, but it is a great demonstration of the importance of brushing
teeth.
Materials:
• One 4.6 oz tube of fluoridated toothpaste
• One white raw egg
• Vinegar
• A glass
• Water
• Toothbrush
• Spoon
• Colored nail polish
• Plastic wrap
Aloud: How many times has a grown-up told you to brush your teeth? They want you to use
toothpaste when you do it, too, don’t they? Okay, so, it is pretty gross when someone has
stuff in his teeth. But why don’t your parents save the money they use to buy toothpaste and
buy toys instead? What does toothpaste do and why does it need to have fluoride in it? Let’s
experiment and find out if fluoridated toothpaste helps make your teeth stronger.
Chicken eggs are made of calcium. Your teeth are too. You are going to put ½ of a
chicken egg in fluoridated toothpaste for 5 days. Then you are going to soak the entire egg
in vinegar for 10 to 12 hours. Vinegar will soften an untreated eggshell in 10 to 12 hours and will
dissolve it in 24 hours. Will the fluoride bond with the calcium to make a stronger shell (or in
your case, stronger teeth)? If it does, the vinegar will not soften the eggshell.
Procedure:
1. Check the egg for cracks. Do not use a cracked or damaged egg.
2. Gently clean the egg with soap and water. Let the egg dry.
3. Paint an X on one end of the egg with colored nail polish. Let the nail polish dry.
4. Complete the hypothesis portion of the lab sheet and record the first observation of the egg.
5. Squeeze the entire tube of toothpaste into the glass.
6. Put the egg, marked side down, in the glass. Do not let the egg touch the bottom of the glass. The
toothpaste should cover half of the egg.
7. Cover the glass with plastic wrap.
8. Let the egg sit for 5 full days. Do not refrigerate the egg.
9. Take out the egg and wash the toothpaste off the egg and out of the glass.
10. Record the second observation of the egg.
11. Let the egg dry overnight.
12. The next day, put the egg back in the clean glass.
13. Pour vinegar into the glass so that it covers the egg.
14. Take the egg out 10 to 12 hours later. Be careful, the egg should be quite soft on half of its shell.
15. Record the final observation of the egg and complete the lab sheet.

209
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Frequently Clever - Group 17 Lab #2:
The Tooth, the Whole Tooth, and Nothing but the Tooth
Hypothesis
What do you think is going to happen to the side of the egg that sits in
fluoridated toothpaste for 5 days? Will the fluoride bond with the calcium
to make a stronger shell?
Results and Observations
Describe the egg before you treated it with fluoride.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
How long did you leave the egg in the toothpaste? _____________
Describe the egg after you treated it with fluoride. Does it look different?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
How long did you leave the egg in the vinegar? _____________
Describe the egg after it had soaked in the vinegar.
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
What happened to the egg and why is it important for you to brush
regularly with fluoridated toothpaste? ________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
Draw a picture showing what your tooth would look like if you did this
experiment on it.

211
Element Book: Frequently Clever - Group 17 - instructions
Materials:
• Scissors
• Glue
Aloud: What is the atomic number of fluorine? (9) How many protons does F have? (9) F has 10
neutrons, so what is the atomic mass of F? (9 + 10 = 19) What is the atomic number of chlorine?
(17) How many protons does Cl have? (17) Cl has one more neutron than proton. So, what is
the atomic mass of Cl? (17 + 18 = 35) Just like other families, the elements in Group 17 have
properties in common because Group 17 elements have the same number of electrons in their
How many electrons are in the outer energy level for fluorine and chlorine? Well, oxygen
and sulfur have 6, so the number is 6 + 1 = 7. The elements in Group 17 have 7 electrons in their
Procedure:
below.) Remember, all Group 17 elements have seven electrons in their outer energy levels. That is why they
ber of protons (atomic number) an atom has + the number of neutrons. Fluorine has 10 neutrons
Chlorine has 18 neutrons

6. Use information learned about the elements this week to fill in the trivia boxes for each element, listing
characteristics, examples, and interesting facts. Color the items as you wish.
electrons in the second and third energy levels. Both elements should have seven electrons in their outer
Answers:
9 17
F
Fluorine
Cl
Chlorine
19 35

213
fluorine atom chlorine atom
= protons
= neutrons
= electrons
Atomic mass table

Atomic Number
+ = Atomic Mass
Protons
F 9 + 10 = 19
Cl 17 + 18 = 35
Fantastic fluorine facts: Found in fluoride treatments, toothpaste, fluoride rinses, and Teflon pans. Very
reactive, almost anything placed in the path of a stream of fluorine gas will spontaneously burst into
flames.
Clever chlorine data: Used for cleaning swimming pools, found in bleach, noxious (harmful) odor, combines
with Na to make salt, used to make paper, pale yellow gas.

214
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Element Book: Frequently Clever - Group 17
Fluorine
Fantastic Fluorine Facts
F
_______________________
______________________
fluorine atom ______________________
Fluorine
_______________________
________________________
Group 17
Chlorine Clever Chlorine Data

_______________________
______________________
______________________
Cl
_______________________
________________________
Chlorine
chlorine atom

215
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
He Never Argues - Group 18

It is time to meet the three most common elements
from the last column of the periodic table. Many of their
friends have already met you, and they feel a little left out.
The first element in Group 18 is Helium: (HEE-lee-um)
Symbol: He
Best Known For: He is the gas used to fill up balloons when you
want them to float. Have you ever heard someone talk after
they have breathed in some He? It makes them sound like
Donald Duck. Hee Hee Hee.
When you are looking at stars, you are looking at He.
One in every 10 atoms in the universe is He.
On Earth, He is made deep within the ground. It is brought up
with natural gas and seeps up from the ground. He is so light
though, that most of it escapes into space.
He is the second most common element in the universe.
He is the sixth most common gas in the earth’s atmosphere.
The second element in Group 18 is Neon: (NEE-on)
Symbol: Ne
Best Known For: Ne is best known for neon lights. Neon lights are the lights
in the tubes that glow. Neon gas is in neon tubes, making them glow.
Ne is the fourth most common element in the universe.
Ne is the fifth most common gas in the earth’s atmosphere.
The third element in Group 18 is Argon: (AR-gon)
Symbol: Ar
Best Known For: Ar is the third most common gas in the
earth’s atmosphere. Move your hands through the air.
Your hands are hitting Ar. Are you impressed? Have your
ever even heard of Ar before today?
Ordinary, everyday light bulbs are filled with Ar.
Ar is a gas used by museums to preserve old manuscripts and by wine
makers to keep wine from turning bad.

217
He Never Argues - Group 18 Lab:
THE INCREDIBLE Shrinking Balloon - instructions
Materials:
• Two helium-filled balloons (Many grocery stores sell helium balloons. You only need one for the lab; the
extra one is in case it pops.)
• Flexible cloth tape measure (or use a string and a ruler)
• Freezer
• Timer
Aloud: What do you think will happen if you put a helium-filled balloon in the freezer? Will it be
the same size after it gets really cold? Do you think the temperature affects the amount of
space helium gas takes up? Maybe helium atoms are like people—when they get cold they like to
snuggle up with each other.
Procedure:
2. Measure the width around a helium-filled balloon with the string or tape measure.
3. Record the length.
4. Put the balloon in the freezer.
5. Set the timer for 30 minutes.
6. Do you think the balloon will be the same size when it comes out of the freezer? Record your
prediction.
7. After 30 minutes, take the balloon out of the freezer.
8. Measure the balloon with the tape measure.
10. Let the balloon warm back up for 30 minutes.
11. Measure the size of the balloon.
Possible Answers:
Yes, cold helium gas takes up less space than room-temperature helium. The balloon shrinks in size.
When helium is warmed up, the molecules spread out and take up more space. The balloon grows in size.

219
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
He Never Argues - Group 18 Lab: THE INCREDIBLE Shrinking Balloon
Hypothesis
Check the one you think is correct.
I think the balloon will be a different size for all three measurements
—before it gets cold, when it is cold, and after it warms back up.
I think the balloon will be the same size for all three measurements.
I think the balloon will be the same size when it is warm, but different
when it is cold.
If you think the balloon will be a different size when it is

cold, do you think it will be

SMALLER or BIGGER.
Results
Measurements:
Before being put in the freezer, the balloon was _____________ around.
Right after the balloon came out of the freezer, the balloon was __________
around.
After the balloon warmed back up for 30 minutes, the balloon was _________
around.
Discussion and Conclusions

Does cold helium gas take up less space than room-temperature helium
gas?
Yes or No
What happens when the helium warms back up?

221
Element Book: He Never Argues - Group 18 - instructions
Materials:
• Scissors
• Glue
Aloud: What is the atomic number of helium? (2) How many protons does He have? (2) He has
the same number of protons as neutrons, so what is the atomic mass of He? (2+2=4) What
is the atomic number of neon? (10) How many protons does Ne have? (10) Just like He, Ne has
the same number of protons as neutrons, so what is the atomic mass of Ne? (10+10=20) What
is the atomic number of argon? (18) Ar has 22 neutrons, so what is the atomic mass of Ar?
(18+22=40)
Now I am going to tell you something strange about Group 18—not all the elements have
the same number of electrons in their outer energy levels! That’s inconvenient, you might say.
And just when we were getting used to the rules! Well, in science there are sometimes exceptions
to the rules. But the outer energy levels of helium, neon, and argon do have something in
common even if it is not the NUMBER of electrons. Can you guess what that might be? They all
have outer energy levels that are ALL FILLED UP.
Procedure:
1. For group 18, it will be easier to have students start with making their atoms so they can see the number
of electrons in the outer energy level for each atom. Create an atom for each element by drawing in the
electrons, protons, and neutrons. Draw each part of the atom a different color. Remember that only two
electrons go in the first energy level and up to eight electrons in both the second and third energy levels.
Helium has two electrons in its outer (and only) energy level, neon has eight electrons in its outer (second)
energy level, and argon also has eight electrons in its outer (third) energy level. Help students to realize
that the outer energy levels are filled for all three elements (one more electron and another energy level
would be needed).
2. On the lab sheet, draw the electrons that are in the outer energy level around the elemental symbol.
(See example on the back.)
number of protons (atomic number) an atom has + the number of neutrons. Helium has 2 neutrons
Neon has 10 neutrons
Argon has 22 neutrons
Procedure: Decorate Group 18 page in Element Book:
7. Use information you learned about the elements this week to fill in the trivia boxes for each element,
223
Answers:
helium atom neon atom argon atom

2 Protons & 2 Electrons 10 Protons & 10 Electrons 18 Protons & 18 Electrons
2 Neutrons 10 Neutrons 22 Neutrons
= protons
= neutrons
= electrons
2 10 18
He
Helium
Ne Ar
Neon Argon
4 20 40
Atomic mass table

Atomic Number
+ = Atomic Mass
Protons
He 2 + 2 = 4
Ne 10 + 10 = 20
Ar 18 + 22 = 40
Hilarious helium hype: Gas used in helium balloons, found in stars, found in one in every 10 atoms in the
universe, found deep in the ground on Earth, seeps up and escapes, very light, second most common
element in the universe, sixth most common gas in the earth’s atmosphere.
Nifty neon: Neon lights and tubes, fourth most common element in the universe, fifth most common gas in
the earth’s atmosphere.
Argon particulars: Third most common gas in the earth’s atmosphere, found in light bulbs, used by
museums to preserve old manuscripts, used by wine makers to keep wine from turning bad.

224
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Element Book: He Never Argues - Group 18
Helium He Helium
Hilarious Helium Hype

_______________________
______________________
______________________
_______________________
________________________
helium atom
Ne Neon
Neon
Nifty Neon
_______________________
______________________
______________________
_______________________
________________________
neon atom
Argon Ar
Argon
Group 18
Argon Particulars
_______________________
______________________
______________________
_______________________
________________________
argon atom

225
The Chemist’s Alphabet Applied - Crossword Vocabulary Review
Write the element name for each symbol. Bonus: One element you added to Your Periodic
Table is not on the puzzle. Which one is it? 1
2 3
4 5
8 9
10
11 12
13
14
15
16
17
Across Down
2. Na 1. S
4. B 3. Ar
7. H 5. N
9. Si 6. P
14. Be 8. Li
15. Mg 10. C
16. Ne 11. He
17. Cl 12. F
13. O
227
Unit 5
Molecules Rule
© 2009 Pandia Press Unit 5 - Molecules Rule

229
Making Molecules
First you have

Protons
Electrons
Neutrons
Yeah!
They make atoms

Come what may.
Then those atoms
You know what
They do?
They play together

With electrons
And make
A molecule.

Unit 5 - Molecules Rule © 2009 Pandia Press
230
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Putting It All Together
Do you like to play with friends? Atoms love to play with their
friends. As you know, atoms are made from protons, electrons,
neutrons, Yeah!! When atoms play together, they NEVER share their
protons or neutrons. Instead, atoms share, swap, and play with each
other’s electrons.
When atoms get together and play with each other’s electrons,
they link together. The places where they link together are called
bonds. A molecule is a group of two or more atoms bonded together.
When atoms bond with each other to make molecules, they use the
electrons from their outer energy levels. You can look at Your Periodic
Table to see how many electrons each atom uses when they play with
their friends. The electron dots you made around each element symbol
tells you how many electrons an element plays with when they make
molecules. These electrons like to pair up when they play. That’s why
when atoms play with other atoms, they link together on the sides
where they have single electrons. Two single electrons make a pair.
Atoms love to make pairs. So you can think of electrons as the glue
that holds things together. You could even say electrons are the glue
that holds all the things in the universe together.

231
Putting It All Together Activity: Make a Molecule Puzzle - instructions
Materials:
• Make a Molecule puzzle sheet
• One piece of 8 ½ x 11 card stock
• Glue
• Scissors
Aloud: Molecules are two or more atoms bonded together. Today you will be putting together
four Make a Molecule puzzles. You will combine atoms of sodium, chlorine, hydrogen, and oxygen
to make the molecules. The electrons in the outer energy levels of the atoms are on each puzzle
piece because these are the electrons that like to play the Make a Molecule game. When you
make the molecules, don’t forget that electrons like to pair up when they play.
Procedure:
1. Glue the worksheet onto card stock. (Alternatively, you could use a copy machine to copy the puzzle
page onto a piece of card stock.)
2. When this has dried, cut out the puzzle pieces.
3. Use the puzzle pieces to make the molecules indicated on the lab sheet. Glue or tape the completed
puzzles to the lab sheet.
For More Lab Fun: Students can play around with the pieces, bonding different atoms together to make new
molecules before gluing or taping them on the page.
• Help students to notice that where the atoms bond, the electrons make a pair.
• The puzzle pieces for this activity and the elements drawn on “My Periodic Table” have a special name.
This type of drawn representation is called an Electron Dot Structure. Electron Dot Structures can be
drawn for a single element or for a molecule. This topic will be covered in a later section of this book.

Answers:
Bonus question: Yes, the Na atom could take the place of one of the H atoms in the three molecules with
hydrogen.
H O H
Na Cl
H N H
H H
233
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Putting It All Together Activity: Make a Molecule Puzzle - Puzzle sheet
H Cl
N
Na H
H
H
H
O
H H

235
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Putting It All Together Activity: Make a Molecule Puzzle
1. Make the molecule HOH, water.
2. Make the molecule NaCl, salt.
3. Make the molecule ammonia, which has one nitrogen, N, atom and three
hydrogen, H, atoms.
4. Make the molecule HH.
Bonus: Sodium, Na, wants to play with nitrogen, N, and oxygen, O, too. Do
you think the Na atom could take the place of one of the hydrogen atoms
in the three molecules with hydrogen?

237
Putting It All Together Lab #1: FRIENDLY GUMDROPS - instructions
Materials:
• Lab sheet
• One bag of gumdrops (assorted colors)
• Toothpicks
• Colored pencils
• Large work surface
Aloud: First, you learned about atoms. Then you learned that a group of atoms with the same
atomic number and the same number of protons in the nucleus, is called an element. Next, you
learned that atoms can link together, called bonding, to form molecules. Often molecules are
formed from different types of atoms, but sometimes the same type of atoms get together
and form a molecule. Now I want you to learn that molecules also like to group together.
“The more the merrier” is the motto most molecules have. Most of the time different types
of molecules get together. But sometimes all the molecules are the same kind. A group of
molecules that are all the same is called a compound. If the group has different kinds of
molecules, the group is called a mixture. Now you can show all you have learned using friendly
gumdrops that like to get together as much as molecules do.
Procedure:
1. At the top of a large work surface, place one gumdrop to represent one atom.
2. Under the “atom” and to the left, place a handful of the same color gumdrops to represent an
element.
3. Take two to four of the same color gumdrops and use a toothpick(s) to join them. Place these to the
right of the “element” to represent a molecule.
4. Take two to four gumdrops with at least one of a different color (they can all be different colors) and
use a toothpick(s) to join them. Place your second “molecule” next to your first “molecule.” Leave a
little space between them; don’t group them together. Here you are demonstrating that both of these
represent molecules because they have atoms that are bonded together even though one has all the
same type of atoms and one has different atoms.
5. Now make several (two to four) more “molecules” that are all the same (the same color and number
of gumdrops bonded together with toothpicks). The molecules may consist of different atoms or the
same type of atom, just make sure that they are all the same molecule. Group these molecules and
place them below the first two molecules you made to represent a compound.
6. Now make several more “molecules” (two to four), but this time make them all different (different
colors and different numbers of atoms). Group these to the right of the “compound” to represent a
mixture.
7. Complete the lab sheet by drawing pictures of your atom-gumdrop creations.
• Refer to the chart on the back of this page for possible answers.
• Allow students to practice making their own gumdrop elements, molecules, mixtures, and compounds.
• The difference between an element and a molecule is that the atoms in an element are just grouped,
whereas in a molecule, they are bonded together (as represent by the toothpicks).
• After making the individual molecules in steps 5 and 6, do not bind the molecules to each other
with toothpicks when making a mixture and a compound. Just group the molecules. If you bind the
molecules together, you will have a really big molecule and not a mixture or a compound.

239
Possible Answers:
One atom of one type = basic unit = initial building block
Group of all the Group of atoms

same type of atoms (same or different) bonded together
= Element = Two Molecules
Group of all the same kind of Group of different kinds of

molecules molecules
= Compound = Mixture

240
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Putting It All Together Lab #1: FRIENDLY GUMDROPS
One atom of one type = basic unit = initial building block
Group of all the Group of atoms

same type of atoms (same or different) bonded together
= Element = Two Molecules
Group of all the same kind of Group of different kinds of

molecules molecules
= Compound = Mixture

241
Putting It All Together Lab #2: Mixture or Compound? - instructions
Materials:
• 4 tablespoons of Sugar
• 1 tablespoon of Salt
• 1 tablespoon of Flour
• ½ teaspoon of Pepper
• 1 tablespoon of Peanut butter
• ¼ cup Oil
• Clear glass of water
• Lettuce
• Sliced tomato
• Chopped or sliced carrot
• Salad bowl
Procedure:
1. Today’s lab starts with a demonstration for you to do while you are reading the Aloud part. Fill a clear
glass half full of water.
Aloud: When atoms bond with each other, they form molecules. A group of all the same type of
molecules is called a compound. Water is an example of a compound. A glass of water would be
a glass filled with all the same type of molecules—water molecules or H2O. Therefore, this glass
is filled with a compound. What if oil is mixed into this glass of water?
2. Stir ¼ cup of oil into the water.
Aloud: As you can see, the oil and water do not form a compound. When groups of different
kinds of molecules are stirred together, it is called a mixture. Now the glass is filled with a
mixture of oil and water molecules. Today you are going to look at different things and decide: Is
it a compound or is it a mixture?
3. Make a salad. Put lettuce, sliced or chopped carrots, and sliced tomatoes in it.
4. Put each of the following in its own separate small bowl/dish – 1 T sugar, ½ t pepper, 1 T flour, 1 T salt.
5. Fill in the first part of lab sheet, through question number 5. Help students see that salad is a mixture
of clearly defined different things. Sugar, pepper, flour, and salt are each compounds.
6. Set out the peanut butter.
7. Stir 1 T of sugar into the pepper, 1 T sugar into the flour, and 1 T sugar into the salt.
8. Complete the rest of the lab sheet (6 - 9). All of these are mixtures. Sugar + salt and the peanut
butter are mixtures that look like compounds because 1.) sugar and salt look alike and 2.) the different
types of molecules in peanut butter are very well mixed.
• Pepper can look like a mixture because sometimes you can see different colors (especially if you
use course cracked pepper). But it is a compound made of different-colored peppercorns (pepper
molecules).

243
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Putting It All Together Lab #2: Mixture or Compound?
(Circle the correct answer.)
1. Salad is a mixture compound.
2. Sugar is a mixture compound.
3. Pepper is a mixture compound.
4. Flour is a mixture compound.
5. Salt is a mixture compound.
6. Peanut butter is a mixture compound.
7. Sugar + pepper is a mixture compound.
8. Sugar + salt is a mixture compound.
9. Sugar + flour is a mixture compound.

245
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Molecular Formulas Are Useful
A molecule is a group of atoms bonded together.
How can you tell how many and what kinds of atoms are
in a molecule? For that, you need a molecular formula.
That may sound like a complicated term, but molecular
formulas are really quite simple to understand.
You have seen water written H2O. H2O is one way
of writing the molecular formula for water. Two other ways
to write the formula are HOH and HHO. This means that there are two
hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom in every molecule of water. As you
can see, molecular formulas do not tell you how the atoms are bonded
together within the molecule. Molecular formulas just tell you the amount
and type of atoms present. H2O, HOH, and HHO are all correct ways to write
the molecular formula for water. H2O is the most common way to write the
molecular formula for a good reason, though. What would the molecular
formula look like for a larger molecule, such as sugar? One molecule of
sugar has 45 atoms in it. There are 12 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms,
and 11 oxygen atoms. Using the atomic symbols for these atoms, the
formula would look like this:
CCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOO
Did you count the atoms to make sure I put the correct number in?
It would be easy to make a mistake. Think about how many different ways
these atoms could be arranged when writing this molecule. When you look at
a molecule that is as big as sugar, you know why chemists write it C12H22O11.
The process for writing molecular formulas is simple. Write the symbol
for each element. After you write the symbol, count how many atoms
of that element are present. Write that number next to the symbol in
subscript, like the 2 in H2O. Then go on to the next element. If there is only
one atom of an element in a molecule, you do not need to write the 1 after
the symbol. That is why there is no 1 written after the O in H2O.
By looking at the molecular formula, you can tell how many atoms of
an element are in a molecule. H2SO4 is the molecular formula for sulfuric
acid. It has two hydrogen atoms, one sulfur atom, and four oxygen atoms.
Molecular formulas are useful and quite easy, don’t you think?

247
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Molecular Formulas Are Useful: Worksheet
1. C2H6O is a molecular formula.

How many carbon atoms does it have? ________
How many hydrogen atoms does it have? ______
How many oxygen atoms does it have? ________
2. True or False There are two atoms of magnesium in Mg3N2.
3. True or False There are two sodium atoms in Mg3N2.
4. True or False The molecule NNHHHHOO, has four hydrogen atoms in it.
5. Write the molecular formula for NNHHHHOO using subscript.
6. Write the molecular formula for caffeine, the molecule below, using
subscript.
CCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHNNNNOO
Challenge: The molecule that makes plants green is called chlorophyll. It is

really big. Can you write its molecular formula using subscript?
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHOOOOONNNNMg

249
Molecular Formulas Are Useful: Worksheet - answers
1. 2,6,1
2. False—there are three
3. False—there are no sodium (Na) atoms
4. True
5. N2H4O2
6. C8H10N4O2
7. C35H28O5N4Mg
(There are several types of chlorophyll molecules. This is chlorophyll c2.)

250
Molecular Formulas Are Useful Lab: THE CELERY BLUES - instructions
This lab takes about a day to observe the final results.
Materials:
• A stalk of celery (with leaves)
• A glass
• Water
Aloud: Do you ever help water the plants? Did you know that the water you put at the bottom
goes all the way up to the leaves at the top of the plant? How do plants do that? That’s like
you drinking from your feet! When plants do this, it is called capillary action. Capillary action
happens because water molecules are sticky. They stick to each other and they stick to other
types of molecules.
Plants have long, thin, straw-like tubes going from their roots to their tops. These
straw-like parts are called xylem. A plant’s xylem is made from a special type of molecule called
cellulose. The water molecules like sticking to cellulose molecules. Cellulose must be fun to play
with. Water molecules travel up plants using capillary action. The water molecules travel up
and up and up, sticking to the cellulose and to each other, and dragging more and more water
molecules along with them.
Let’s prove that plants do this. Put some celery in blue water and see what happens.
Will the water travel up the celery stalk? If the blue water goes all the way up the stalk to the
leaves, we will know that plants can drink water from their “feet.”
Procedure:
1. Draw a picture of the celery on the lab sheet.
2. Put 2 inches of water into the glass.
3. Put enough food coloring in the water to make it a very dark blue color.
4. Cut the bottom end off the celery.
5. Put the celery into the water.
6. After the celery has been in the water for 1 hour, draw a picture and label it.
7. After the celery has been in the water overnight or at the end of the day, draw a picture and label it.
8. When you are done letting the celery sit in the water, take it out and cut the stem halfway up.
9. Draw a picture of the cross-section of the celery and label it.
Possible Answers:
The blue color at the top of the celery and in the middle of the stalk (above where the celery was sitting in
the water) shows that water put at the bottom of the celery goes to the top.
The xylem are clearly visible in the celery’s cross-section. Those are the straw-like circles you can see.
Bonus: The capillaries in your body are tiny blood vessels. The capillary action that happens in them helps
your heart move the blood through your body. Your blood is mostly water.

251
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Molecular Formulas Are Useful Lab: THE CELERY BLUES

Observations
Drawings and Labels of the Celery Stalk

Before After 1 hour At the end
Drawing of the xylem in the cross-section of the celery stalk:
What happened to the blue water? Did the celery drink it

up with its “feet”?

Bonus: You have capillaries in your body. What do you think
happens in them?

253
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Drawing Lessons
Molecules are really small. If you tried

to draw a life-sized molecule, it would be
impossible, because like atoms, a molecule
is too small for a person to draw. One
molecule is so small it would be impossible
for the mite that is on a flea that is on a
hair that is on a cat to draw. Even a really
big molecule is only a little larger than an atom.
Chemists do have a method for drawing molecules, though. This
method is called the Electron Dot Method. The molecule puzzles you
made use this method. These kinds of drawings are called Electron Dot
Structures. You already know how to draw Electron Dot Structures.
Look at Your Periodic Table—the atomic symbols with the electrons you
drew around them are Electron Dot Structures for those elements.
When you put those atoms together, they make molecules. To
draw a simple molecule using the Electron Dot Method, there are some
easy rules to follow: 1.) Draw one atom and its electrons as it appears
on Your Periodic Table. 2.) Do not start with hydrogen (he is so polite
that he always lets everyone else go first) 3.) Draw the rest of the
atoms, one at a time, showing their electrons sharing with the atom
you drew first. 4.) Atoms share electrons on the sides where they have
a single electron.
Let’s make water and see how this works.

255
Drawing Lessons: Worksheet - instructions
Materials:
• “My Periodic Table”
• Blank paper for student to practice drawings
• Chalkboard, dry erase board, or paper for drawing demonstration
This is a scripted lesson. Read the instructions below aloud to students as you draw the sample on a chalkboard.
Aloud: Instructions for drawing the Electron Dot Structure of water, H2O:
1. Look at Your Periodic Table and find oxygen.
2. On your paper, write down the symbol, O, including the electrons from its outer energy level, as drawn on Your
Periodic Table. This is the Electron Dot Structure for the element oxygen.
Your drawing should look like this:
O
3. Next, look at Your Periodic Table for hydrogen.
4. Write down the symbol for one of the hydrogen atoms with its electron, as drawn on Your Periodic Table.
Draw this next to oxygen with its electron. Remember, when atoms play together, they like to pair up and
link together on the side where they have a single electron. When hydrogen and oxygen atoms form bonds,
they share one electron from each atom. It doesn’t matter which single electron of oxygen you choose.
HO
5. There is another hydrogen to draw. Do the same thing on the opposite side for the second hydrogen atom.
6. There will be only two electrons on each of the four sides of oxygen. When drawing Electron Dot Structures
for molecules, there are always only two electrons on each of the four sides of a molecule.
7. When I drew the molecule, I did not take any electrons away from either atom. That is why when I drew the
molecule, oxygen still has its six electrons around it and each hydrogen atom still has its one electron.
The finished water molecule looks like this:
HOH
Lab sheet
8. Complete the lab sheet, having students create their own Electron Dot Structures.

257
Answers:
1. Methane, CH4
H H H
C HC HC HCH HCH
H
2. Ammonia, NH3
N HN HNH HNH
H
2. Fluoride, HF
F HF
• The answers above show all the steps of the drawings for your reference. Students should not be
expected to show all these steps if they can arrive at the correct answer more directly.
• The placement of the electrons around each symbol can vary. Just be sure the electrons bond in pairs.

258
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Drawing Lessons: Worksheet
1. Now it is your turn. Draw the Electron Dot Structure
for the molecule methane, CH4. Start with carbon.
2. Draw the Electron Dot Structure for an ammonia molecule, NH3. Start
with nitrogen.
3. Draw the Electron Dot Structure for hydrogen fluoride, HF. Start with
fluorine.

259
Drawing Lessons Lab: CAPILLARY ACTION IN ACTION –
instructions
Materials:
• One square of WHITE paper towel with NO designs on it
• Water (about a cup)
• Three shallow dishes (the saucers that go with teacups work well)
• Tablespoon
• Food coloring
• 1 tablespoon Vegetable oil or olive oil
• Q-tip
• Scissors
• Ruler
• Tape
• A surface to work on that does not stain. If you do not have this, put plastic wrap, aluminum foil, a
tray, or wax paper under the saucers and the paper towel strips.
Aloud: When a paper towel touches water, it absorbs the water. If you dip just the edge of a
paper towel in water, the water will climb up the paper towel. This is another example of capillary
action. Trees are made of cellulose, and paper towels are made from trees. Guess what type of
molecule paper towels have in them? Water molecules love to play with the cellulose molecules in
paper towels just like they did in celery.
Have you ever seen anyone put fertilizer on a plant? Fertilizer is like a multi-vitamin for
plants. The fertilizer dissolves in the water and the water carries the fertilizer up the plant.
Fertilizer must find water sticky. When you put the food coloring on a paper towel, the water
will carry it up the paper towel just as a plant does with fertilizer. Water must like to play with
those molecules too.
Water molecules are like the kids of the molecular world. They just want to play, play,
play, play, play, play all the time. Guess what, though, they don’t like to play with everybody.
Water loves to play with some molecules, like cellulose and those in food coloring. But there are
types of molecules that water does not like to play with at all. Water does its best not to play
with molecules it doesn’t like.
Do you remember when you stirred oil into water? The oil and water did not really mix
together, and after a short while the oil sat on top of the water. What if there is a line of oil on
the paper towel? Will that affect how the water moves? The answer to that depends how well
water likes to play with oil and how well it sticks to the oil. You will look at two strips of paper
towel—one with food coloring on it, and another with food coloring and a line of oil on it. Will the
oil on the paper towel make a difference as to how fast the water moves up the paper towel?
Procedure:
1. Cut two strips of paper towel into 2-inch (5 cm) wide strips. Turn the strips vertically and measure 2
inches (5 cm) from the bottom of each strip and make a light pencil mark.
2. On both strips, put a drop (JUST a drop) of food coloring at the spot you measured. Let these strips
dry for 10 minutes. Complete the hypothesis portion of the lab sheet while you are waiting.
3. Pour a little bit of oil into a dish. Take a Q-tip and dip it into the oil. On one of the strips of
paper towel about 1 inch (2.5 cm) above the food coloring, take the Q-tip with the oil on it
and run it all the way across the short length of the paper. You might have to dip the Q-tip
in the oil and run it across the paper towel more than once. Make sure the oil saturates the
paper towel but does not start to run down into the food coloring or up the paper towel.
261
4. Measure 2T of water into each of the two shallow dishes that do not have oil on them.
5. Put the ends of the two strips of paper towel into the water at the end that is nearest to the food
coloring drop. Make sure the food coloring drops are not in the water but that the ends of the paper
are.
6. As the water is absorbed up the paper towel strips, the water level will drop. Make sure the end stays
in the water.
7. When the water has finished traveling to the other end of the paper towel, record your observations.
8. Let the strips dry, then tape them to the back of the lab sheet.
Possible Answers:
The water will climb up the paper towel strips and take the food coloring with it. The oil does affect the
movement briefly. There is enough water in the dish that it overwhelms the oil strip, like a dam being
breached.
You do observe capillary action in this experiment. Water does not find oil as “sticky” as it does food
coloring, water itself, or the paper towel.
• Capillary action results from two forces: cohesion and adhesion. It occurs when the adhesive
molecular forces between a liquid and a substance are stronger than the cohesive intermolecular
forces inside the liquid.
• The two capillary action labs are included in this unit because they are good labs for demonstrating
molecular interaction. They do not segue naturally from molecular formulas or from drawing electron
dot structures. These two experiments, do however, fit perfectly in the unit that introduces molecules.

262
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Drawing Lessons Lab: CAPILLARY ACTION IN ACTION - page 1
Hypothesis (circle your answer)
Will the water and food coloring move up the paper towel?
Will the oil have any effect?
I think the oil will _______________________ the water and coloring.
slow down speed up do nothing to
Results / Observations
What happened when you put the paper towel strips with food coloring
into the water? Did the oil have any effect on the movement of the water?


Did you observe capillary action? Do you think water
likes to play with oil?

263
Drawing Lessons Lab: CAPILLARY ACTION IN ACTION - page 2
Paper Towel Strip #1 - No oil
Paper Towel Strip #2 - With oil line

264
Molecules Rule - Crossword Vocabulary Review
1 2
7 8
Across
1. Atoms make molecules by linking these.

4. A group of atoms bonded together.
7. An abbreviated way to write the atoms in a molecule. (Two words)
9. One way to draw molecules. (Three words)
Down
2. This happens when water travels up a plant. (Two words)
3. The straw-like parts of plants.
5. A group of different kinds of molecules.
6. How atoms link together in a molecule.
8. A group of all the same kind of molecule.
265
Unit 6
What’s the Matter?
© 2009 Pandia Press Unit 6 - What’s the Matter?

267
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
What’s the Matter? Poem
Mountains
Aardvarks
Twinkling Stars
Trees
Everything
Really Milk
Air
Teapots
Trains
Everything
Really
Mooing Cows
Angelfish
Tables
Toys
Everything
Really
the ears of a Mouse
Art in a house
Toenails of a louse
spuTtering flames to douse
Everything
Really
M
A
T
T
E
R

Unit 6 - What’s the Matter? © 2009 Pandia Press
268
Matter: An Introduction - Activities - instructions
The introduction to matter begins with three activities—a worksheet, a puzzle, and a poem.
Materials:
• Build a Drop of Water Matter worksheet (page 271)
• Atoms Are the Matter worksheet (page 273)
• What’s the Matter? Poem (page 268)
• “My Periodic Table” (assembled in the Element Book)
• Pencil
• Colored pencils
• Blank paper
• Assorted Lego pieces (about 10 to 15 pieces, including one large blue piece and two identical small white
pieces)
Activity #1 - Build a Drop of Water Matter

Aloud: A drop of water is a drop of matter. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up
space. Look around you; everything you can see and touch is matter. Even the air around you is
matter, though you cannot see it or feel it. First, you learned how protons, electrons, neutrons
(Yeah!) form atoms. Then you learned about the different types of atoms. Next, you learned
that these different types of atoms can link together and form molecules. Now, you are going
to learn that when molecules group together, they make matter. On the worksheet, you are going
to start at the beginning with protons, electrons, neutrons (Yeah!) and build an important life-
giving type of matter: a drop of water. You might need to refer to Your Periodic Table to find
some of the answers. As you complete the worksheet, remember that all matter consists of
protons, electrons, neutrons, atoms, and molecules.
Procedure: Complete Build a Drop of Water Matter worksheet using “My Periodic Table” for reference.
Part 1 – Write down the total number of protons, electrons, and neutrons in the spaces labeled Part 1.
Part 2 – Draw Electron Dot Structures for each atom of H, hydrogen. O, oxygen has been done for you.
Part 3 – Draw the Electron Dot Structure for each molecule of water. The first one has been done for you.
Part 4 – Draw a drop of water, a drop of matter.
Answers:
Part 1 - Oxygen = 8 protons, 8 electrons, 8 neutrons. Hydrogen = 1 proton, 1 electron, 0 neutrons
Part 2 - H + O + H
Part 3 - H O H + H O H + H O H = a drop of water
Part 4 - Draw a drop of water with H2O molecules
H2O
H2O H O
2
Activity #2 - Atoms Are the Matter

Aloud: Do you remember who Democritus was? He was the Greek guy who first said that all
things were made from atoms. It was not until over 2,000 years after Democritus lived that
people started to wonder about atoms again. John Dalton was born in England in 1766. His
family was very poor and could only afford to send him to school until he was 11 years old.
He was so smart, though, that he began to teach school when he was 12 years old! Can you
imagine being a schoolteacher at 12 years old? Later, he became a famous scientist. He believed
Democritus was right. In 1803, when he was 37 years old, John Dalton wrote the Atomic Theory
of Matter. That is a fancy way to say he figured out some important things about how atoms
combine to make matter. Today you are going to pretend that Legos are atoms and parts
of atoms that you can put together to make matter. The atoms make bigger parts that are
molecules. When you put the larger molecule or Lego clumps together, they make matter.
269
Procedure:
1. First let students play around with the Legos, making “matter.” Lay out the Lego pieces you plan on
using. Look at the pieces. Think of each piece as a proton, neutron, or electron. Build the “atoms.” Put
these together to make “molecules.” Put the “molecules” together. When the Lego structure has been
built, look at the “matter” you have made.
2. On the Atom’s Are the Matter worksheet, you will find each part of John Dalton’s Atomic Theory of
Matter (the highlighted parts). Read the following scripted lesson to students (each statement of the
theory is underlined in the script) and have them follow the instructions using Legos and filling in their
worksheets. In this demonstration, each single Lego represents one atom.
Aloud: All things are made of atoms. Pretend each Lego piece is an atom. Pick out two Legos.
Draw pictures of the two Legos on the worksheet under number 1. You have just drawn two Lego
atoms.
Atoms that are the same size and shape as each other are the same type of atom.
Choose two Legos that are the same size, shape, and color. These Legos are one type of atom.
Draw these two Lego atoms in the column labeled “same” on your worksheet in box 2a.
Atoms that are different from each other are different types of atoms. The Legos that
are different shapes, sizes, and colors are not the same type of atoms. Choose two Legos that
are different from each other. Draw them in the column labeled “different” in box 2b.
Atoms combine with each other to make molecules. Put some Legos together. (You are
going to draw the molecule you make, so you might want to keep your molecule small.) You have
made a Lego molecule. Draw your molecule under number 3a.
You have heard a lot about the molecule H2O. H2O is water. It has two hydrogen atoms
and one oxygen atom. Find one large blue Lego. It will be Lego oxygen. Now, find two white Legos
that are smaller than the blue Lego. We will call these white pieces Lego hydrogen. The Lego
hydrogen atoms need to be the same as each other. Attach the two white Legos to the blue
Lego, not to each other. You have just made Lego water matter. Draw your Lego water under
number 3b.
Sometimes when two different types of molecules get together, they switch atoms
around and make different molecules. When this happens, it is called a chemical reaction.
Now make two different types of molecules from Legos. Draw these on your worksheet
in box 4a. Take some Legos off each molecule and switch the pieces around. Draw these new
molecules you made in box 4b, demonstrating a Lego chemical reaction.
When chemical reactions happen, atoms cannot be created or destroyed. They switch
around to make new molecules. All the same atoms are still there, though. If my dog chewed one
of my Lego atoms to pieces, would that be a chemical reaction? No, because atoms are not
destroyed or created in chemical reactions. That would just mean I needed to pick up my Legos.
• The use of Legos in this experiment should help those students who are kinesthetic/tactile learners to
understand these principles. Chemical reactions are studied in depth in unit 7.
Activity #3 - What’s the Matter? Poem
Aloud: Look at the What’s the Matter? poem. This type of poem is called an acrostic. In an
acrostic, a letter in each word in the poem spells out another message. The message in our poem
is Matter! Add a stanza to this poem by creating an acrostic verse of your own.
Procedure:
1. Complete the last stanza of the poem, creating your own acrostic for MATTER. Any words are correct
since everything is matter (except pure energy such as light and heat). The last two lines should read
“Everything Really,” but creative minds may differ.
2. Use colored pencils to illustrate your stanza.

270
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Build a Drop of Water Matter
Part 1: Write the total number of protons, electrons, and neutrons
(Yeah!) for each element.
protons 1
+
electrons 1 8
+
neutrons 0
(Yeah!)
atom + atom + atom

hydrogen oxygen hydrogen
Part 2: Draw the Electron Dot Structure for each atom.
H O H
Part 3: Make a Molecule of Water
molecule HOH
+
molecule
+
molecule
Part 4: Put the molecules together =

and draw a drop of water,
a drop of matter.

271
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Atoms Are the Matter
1. All things are made of atoms.
2. Atoms that are the same size and shape as each other are the same type
of atom. Atoms that are different from each other are different types of
atom.
(a) Same (b) Different
3.(a) Atoms combine with each other to make molecules. Molecules make up
matter.
3.(b) A picture of Lego water matter.
4. Sometimes when two different types of molecules get together, they switch
atoms around and make different molecules. This is called a chemical reaction.
(a) I made these molecules (b) into these molecules
When chemical reactions happen, atoms cannot be created or destroyed.

273
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
The States of Matter

Everything made of atoms and molecules is called matter. Matter
comes in three forms called the states of matter. The three states of
matter are solid, liquid, and gas. Atoms are the beginning building blocks
for all matter. Therefore, all atoms exist as solids, liquids, or gases.
Matter, in all three states, takes up space and has mass.
Each state of matter has physical properties that make it special.
Think about shape. Solids keep their shape. It would be strange to put
a rock in a glass and have it change to the shape of the glass! Liquids
and gases do change their shape, though, to match their containers. If
you pour tea from a teapot into a teacup, the tea does not stay in the
shape of the teapot; it spreads out to take the shape of the cup.
Another physical property that is different from one state of
matter to the next is volume. The volume of something is the amount of
space it takes up. The bigger something is, the bigger its volume is. For
example, your house has a much bigger volume than a mouse. Your house
has a bigger mass than a mouse, too.
Solids and liquids have a definite
volume. Gases do not. That means
that solids and liquids take up the
same amount of space even if the size
of their containers change. Liquids will
change their shape to match the shape
of their containers, but they stay the
same size. Gases move around to fill
their containers. If you poke a hole in a
helium-filled balloon, the gas molecules
from the balloon will spread throughout
the room. The volume of the gas will
increase from the size of the balloon to
the size of the room because gas is a
form of matter that does not have a
definite volume.

275
The States of Matter Lab: Presto-ChangE-o water - instructions
CAUTION: THIS LAB USES A HEAT SOURCE AND BOILING WATER. ONLY THE PARENT/INSTRUCTOR SHOULD
OPERATE THE HEAT SOURCE AND HANDLE THE BOILING WATER.
Materials:
• Ice (about 2 cups)
• Water (about 4 cups)
• Pot for boiling water
• Heat source to boil water
• Three glass containers
• Three sealable baggies
• Rock
• Kitchen scale that measures grams
• Drinking straw (optional)
Part 1
1. Set up the experiment before class. There should be three containers: one with ice cubes, one with
water, and one with water to be boiled.
2. At the start of the experiment, boil the water. Make sure it is hot enough to see the steam escape.
You might need to heat the water up periodically through the course of the experiment. Have students
draw pictures of water in its three states. Then read the following Aloud portion. After you have read
this, have students complete Part 1 of the lab sheet before going to Part 2.
Aloud: Matter comes in three forms: solid, liquid, and gas. Water can be in all three states of
matter at normal temperatures. Ice is what we call water when it is a solid. The ice melts. Then
we have liquid water. If the water is heated, it turns into steam. Steam is what water is called
when it is a gas.
Part 2
3. For Part 2 use three baggies: one with a rock in it, one with water in it, and one you have blown air into
(a straw can be helpful for blowing air into it). Seal all the baggies (remove as much air as possible from
the baggies with a rock and water before sealing). Give these to the students and have them examine how
the three types of matter feel and fit in the baggies. Weigh the baggies. The air will probably not show any
mass on the scale. Assure students that it is so light that though it is not measurable on a kitchen scale,
it does have mass.
Aloud: The three different states of matter have different physical properties. All matter takes
up space and has mass. I know that gas doesn’t weigh very much, but it does have mass.
4. Have students fill in the first two columns of the Data Table for Part 2.
Aloud: Next put the three baggies in front of you and look at the different properties of the
three states of matter. The next two columns on the Table ask about shape. When thinking
about shape, ask yourself this: If I pour what is in this baggie into a container with a different
shape, such as a teacup, will the shape change? If the shape will not change, then the matter
has its own shape. Solids have their own shape. But the liquid will take the shape of the part of
the container that it fills, so it takes the shape of the container. Gas takes the shape of the
container, too, even if the container is the room you are in.

277
5. Have students fill in the next two columns of the Data Table.
Aloud: The last column asks about volume. The volume of something is the amount of space it
takes up. If something has a definite volume, then the amount of space it takes up does not
change, even if you move it to a different container. Will the rock take up more space if you put
it in a bigger baggie? If not, then the rock has a definite volume. What about the liquid water?
The shape of water changes if you move it from one container to another, but does the size of
it change? Now look at the baggie with air in it. If you open the baggie what will happen to the
air? Actually, it will mix with the air in the room. It will not stay the same size, will it? The size of
gases change as the size of the container they are in changes.
6. To demonstrate that liquids have a definite volume, fit the sealed baggie with the water in it in a
measuring cup. Then open the baggie and pour the water into the same measuring cup. Notice that the
size does not change (even if the shape did) and the water does not try to become as big as the room
(like a gas would).
7. Have students fill in the last column on their lab sheets.
Part 3
Aloud: The next part of the lab is a scavenger hunt. Look around inside and/or outside for
solids, liquids, and a gas to finish the lab.
8. Give students the scavenger hunt list and a pencil and have them complete the lab. If you have more
than one student, you could make it a race.
Answers:
Has mass Takes shape of Has definite
Takes up space Keeps its shape
(weight) container volume
Solid Yes Yes Yes No Yes
Liquid Yes Yes No Yes Yes
Gas Yes Yes No Yes No
Possible answers for scavenger hunt:

Find three solids Find three liquids Find one gas
chair water air
house chocolate milk
pack of cards
Bonus: helium
Instructor’s notes:
There is a fourth state of matter called plasma which includes fire and lightening.

278
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
The States of Matter Lab: Presto-ChangE-o water
Part 1: Draw pictures of the water as it looks in the three
states of matter.
Ice Liquid Gas
Part 2: Let’s compare the states of matter.

Takes Has
Takes up Has mass Keeps its
shape of definite
space (weight) shape
container volume
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Part 3: Scavenger Hunt

Search around your house or school and find matter in its three states.
Find three solids Find three liquids Find one gas
Bonus: Can you think of another gas? Hint: you have performed an
experiment with it.

279
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Let’s Get to the Point
Have you ever watched a pot of water until
it boiled? Maybe you were waiting so you could make
macaroni and cheese. There are special names for
the points where matter changes from one state into
another. The exact point where water goes from very, very,
very hot to just starting to boil is called its boiling point.
The boiling point of water is the point where water
goes from a liquid to a gas. If you go in the other
direction from a gas to a liquid, that point has a
name too—it is called the condensation point.
The point where a liquid, like water, goes
from a liquid to a solid has a name too. It is called the freezing point. If you
put a tray of ice into the freezer, the exact point where the water goes from
as cold as it can be without any ice, to ice beginning to form is the freezing
point.
Then there is the melting point. This
is the point where a solid turns into a
liquid. Some things need a lot more heat
than ice does to melt. Have you ever seen
a picture of lava? Lava is melted rock.
Think about how high the melting point of
rock must be!

The points where matter changes from one state into another are
measured as temperatures. The temperature these points occur at depends
on what’s present. For example, the freezing point of water changes if
you mix salt into the water. A more dramatic example can be seen when
comparing the element nitrogen to that of the element carbon. Remember,
these two elements are next door to each other on the periodic table.
Nitrogen - Melting point: -346 °F Carbon - Melting Point: 6332 °F
Boiling Point: -320 °F Boiling Point: 8721 °F


281
Let’s Get to the Point Lab #1: WHAT IS THE POINT? - instructions
CAUTION: THIS LAB USES A HEAT SOURCE AND BOILING WATER. ONLY THE PARENT/INSTRUCTOR SHOULD
OPERATE THE HEAT SOURCE AND HANDLE THE BOILING WATER.
Materials:
• 1 cup Crushed ice cubes
• Clear glass
• 4 cups Water (distilled water is best)
• Heat source for boiling water
• Small pot for boiling water
• One or two science thermometers
• Pot holder
• Science encyclopedia or Internet access (optional)
Aloud: Water freezes, melts, boils, and condenses at specific temperatures. Let’s find out what
these temperatures are.
Procedure:
1. Put the ice in the glass and set it out to melt. Fill a small pot halfway with water and start it to boil.
2. Just when the ice starts to melt and there is some liquid beginning to form, put the thermometer
in the center of the ice water and wait three minutes. Notice that there is ice and melted ice (liquid
water) in the cup when the freezing point is measured. Have students write the temperature down on
the lab sheet above the words freezing point and melting point.*
LET THE THERMOMETER GET TO ROOM TEMPERATURE BEFORE PUTTING IT INTO THE BOILING WATER. A
COLD THERMOMETER PUT INTO HOT WATER CAN SHATTER.
3. Put the thermometer in the boiling water. Hold it in the middle of the water, not touching the sides
or bottom of the pot. Wait until the temperature has stopped rising on the thermometer. Notice
that as the water starts to boil (boiling point), it also starts to steam and drops of water form
(condensation point) on the sides of the pot, or on the lid if you use one. Have students write this
temperature above the words boiling point and condensation point.
Aloud: Did you find that the freezing point and the melting point occur at the same
temperature? Because they do. Likewise, the boiling point and the condensation point happen at
the same temperature.
Possible Answers:
Freezing point = melting point = 32˚F = 0˚C
Boiling point = condensation point = 212˚F = 100˚C
The point at which a liquid starts to become a solid is called the freezing point.
The point at which a solid starts to turn into a liquid is called the melting point.
The point at which a liquid starts to turn into a gas is called the boiling point.
The point which a gas starts to turn back into a liquid is called the condensation point.
• If your tap water has any solids in it (as most tap water does), the temperatures of the points will
vary. To get absolute freezing and boiling points, use distilled water and make sure your pot and
glass do not have any calcium deposits (chalky white stuff). Temperatures will also vary at extreme
elevations.
• *The freezing point is the same as the melting point because it is the exact temperature point where
the water in the glass that is ice will remain ice, and the water in the glass that is liquid will remain
liquid.
283
For more lab fun:
Look at www.volcanovideo.com/p8vidclp.htm and www.learner.org/interactives/volcanoes/meltrock.html
or use an encyclopedia to learn more about rock when it changes from a solid to a liquid.

284
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Let’s Get to the Point Lab #1: WHAT IS THE POINT?
Results/Observations: Write the temperatures for each point in the box.
Freezing Point Melting Point
Boiling Point Condensation Point
The point at which a liquid starts to become a solid is called the

______________________ point.
The point at which a solid starts to turn into a liquid is called the
______________________ point.
The point at which a liquid starts to turn into a gas is called the
______________________ point.
The point which a gas starts to turn back into a liquid is called the
______________________ point.

285
Let’s Get to the Point Lab #2: STATE OF CONFUSION - instructions
CAUTION: THIS LAB USES BOILING WATER. ONLY THE PARENT/INSTRUCTOR SHOULD HANDLE THE BOILING
WATER.
Materials:
• Completed lab sheet from The States of Matter Lab: Presto-ChangE-o water (p. 279)
• Box of Jell-O
• Cold water and boiling water to make Jell-O
• 1 tablespoon Peanut Butter
• 1 tablespoon Mayonnaise
• Two cups or small containers
• Two spoons
• Bowl
• Refrigerator
• Plate
Aloud: It is easy to tell when water is a solid, liquid, or gas. Some things are easy to categorize,
but some things are not. What about peanut butter, mayonnaise, and Jell-O? Are they solids,
liquids, or gases? Do they have a definite shape? Are they more like a rock or like water? Do they
have a definite volume? Do they behave like a gas? Or more like a solid or liquid? Can something
be more than one state of matter at a time? Let’s be chemistry detectives and figure this out.
Procedure:
Part 1
2. Take a spoonful of mayonnaise and peanut butter out of each jar. Examine the spoonfuls and complete
the first column on the table by writing yes, no, or maybe.
3. Drop each spoonful into a separate cup. Examine and write yes, no, or maybe in the second and third
columns on the table.
4. Compare the table to the completed data chart found on the The States of Matter Lab: Presto-
ChangE-o water lab sheet.
5. Complete the Results portion.
Possible Answers:
Keeps it Shape - No for both
Takes Shape of Container - No or sort-of for both, depending on how thick the mayo and peanut butter
are.
Definite Volume- Yes for both
Notice that mayonnaise and peanut butter have properties of both a solid and a liquid. Neither is a gas.
• Peanut butter and mayonnaise are mixtures. They are both in a state of matter somewhere between a
liquid and a solid. Their shape is not completely definite or completely indefinite.
Part 2
Aloud: Jell-O is fun to make and fun to eat. We are going to make Jell-O today. As we do, pay
attention to the state of matter Jell-O is in at each step.
6. Make Jell-O according to the directions on the box. While you are making Jell-O, discuss the different
states of matter you are observing. Peek at the Jell-O every hour for three hours while it is setting in the
refrigerator to observe it as it changes from a liquid.
7. Record observations on the lab sheet.
287
8. When the Jell-O has “jelled,” take it out of the refrigerator and scoop some onto a plate.
9. Complete the lab sheet.
Possible Answers:
Jell-O comes out of the package as a solid.
It is mixed with a boiling liquid, water. The water is boiling, so there is also gas (vapor) present.
The Jell-O dissolves in the water. At this temperature, you have a liquid.
With every hour that passes with the Jell-O in the refrigerator, the Jell-O will progressively become more
like a solid and less like a liquid. Answers can vary between liquid, solid, or both.
When it is ready to eat, Jell-O has sort of a definite shape and a definite volume, so it is a solid—a very
jiggly one, though. Some students may answer solid and liquid, which would be correct too.
• Jell-O is a colloid. A colloid is a solid suspended in a liquid. It has properties somewhere between a
solid and a liquid. So Jell-O, when it has cooled, is a solid (collagen) suspended in a liquid.

288
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Let’s Get to the Point Lab #2: STATE OF CONFUSION
Part 1 Hypothesis:
(Circle your choice. You may circle more than one state.)
I think mayonnaise is a
solid liquid gas
I think peanut butter is a

solid liquid gas
Test: Keeps Its Shape Takes Shape of Definite Volume

(Write yes, no, Did it keep the Container Did it stay the same
or maybe.) same shape when Did it spread out to size when you placed
you scooped it take the shape of the it in the cup?
out of the original cup you placed it in?
container?
Mayonnaise
Peanut butter
Results: (Circle your choice. You may circle more than one state.)
Now I think mayonnaise is a solid liquid gas
Now I think peanut butter is a solid liquid gas
Part 2 - Write the correct state of matter: solid, liquid, or gas.

When I poured the Jell-O out of the box, it was a ______________________.
The water I mixed into the Jell-O was a _______________________________.
After I stirred the Jell-O and water together, the mix was a ______________.
After sitting in the refrigerator for 1 hour, the Jell-O mix was a ___________.
After sitting in the refrigerator for 2 hours, the Jell-O mix was a _________.
After sitting in the refrigerator for 3 hours, the Jell-O mix was a _________.
When the Jell-O was ready to eat, the state(s) of matter was/were
______________________________________________________.

289
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Solids Are Dense
When you think of something that is a solid, you think of something
with a definite shape. That is unless you took a hammer to the solid.
Hammering most solids changes their shape but it takes some force.
You would feel it in your arm. That is because in a solid, the molecules
are close together, and they do not like to move around much. When you
hammer a solid, you are forcing the molecules in the solid to move. These
molecules don’t like to change position relative to each other, they are
not fluid.
If you did hammer a solid, you would be changing the shape of it
and sometimes the volume too. Remember, the volume of something
is the amount of space it takes up. Some solids break apart when
hammered, like ice cubes. All the pieces of ice would take up the same
amount of space, though, if you put them back together. It would be an
ice cube puzzle.
What about when you hammer wood? Have you ever noticed that
you can dent a piece of wood? When you do this, the wood takes up less
space, so you have changed (decreased) its volume. There are still the
same amount of molecules and atoms in the wood; they just take up less
space. When the hammer forced the same amount of molecules into a
smaller space (decreased its volume), the density of the wood increased.
Density is a physical property. It measures the amount of
stuff in a given space. The density can be
changed by changing either the amount of
stuff or the size of the space.
Let’s take a closer look at the
wood. When the wood is pounded with a
hammer, it changes the amount of space
the wood takes up. Remember, though,
the number of molecules in the wood did
not change. That means there is the same
number of molecules (stuff) in a smaller
space. If the same amount of molecules are
in a smaller space, that means the wood is
more dense.

291
The density can also be changed by changing the amount of stuff in
a space. Let’s do a thought experiment and see how this works. You are
having a birthday party. You have invited eleven friends to it. All twelve
of you decide to see how many people can fit in your closet. Each of you
goes into the closet one at a time. Let’s measure the density of people
in the closet. Now remember, the closet stays the same size. Each time
one more person goes into the closet, the density of people in the closet
increases by one. When all twelve of you have managed to get into the
closet, you have reached maximum density—no more can fit. Then your
mom comes looking for you. She tells you guys to get out of the closet,
NOW! As you and your friends exit the closet one by one, the density of
people in the closet decreases.
So now that you understand density, let’s summarize what makes a

solid a solid. In a solid 1) the molecules are close together and 2) the
molecules do not move about much, they vibrate slightly, and they have
fixed positions relative to one another. They are not fluid as they are in a
liquid or a gas. These characteristics lead to solids having a 3) definite
shape for the most part, and a 4) definite volume for the most part.
Solids are 5) more dense than liquids with the important exception of
water and 6) more dense than gases.

292
Solids Are Dense Lab #1:
SOME ARE DENSER THAN OTHERS - instructions
Materials:
• Lab sheet
• Colored pencils
• Medium-size box or container*
• Several (10 or more) stuffed animals or something else you have 10 of—like oranges, for example
*Choose a size of a container that will allow you to fit all 10 things in it; but when you do, it will be filled to
the top.
Procedure:
1. Put one stuffed animal in the box and show that the box’s density is not very great because there is a
lot of extra room. Explain to students that they are going to increase the density in the box.
2. Slowly increase the density of stuffed animals in the box. Try to envision the amount of stuff, i.e. the
number of stuffed animals, in a space increasing without the size of the space changing.
3. Cram the last stuffed animal into the box and explain that the density of stuffed animals in the box is
now very great because the box has a lot of matter (stuff) in it and there is not a lot of extra room.
4. Have students demonstrate they understand the concept of density by completing the lab sheet.
Answers:
There should be many circles in the box that is the most dense, fewer circles in the dense box, and the
fewest circles in the box that is the least dense.
For More Lab Fun:

If you have a large group, this lab can be done with real kids in a real closet.

293
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Solids Are Dense Lab #1: SOME ARE DENSER THAN OTHERS
Fill each box on this page with colored circles. Each circle stands for a
molecule. Look at the labels to decide which box gets more molecules and
which gets less. Each box should have a different amount.
Least Dense
Dense
Most Dense

295
Solids Are Dense Lab #2: The Sinking Tub Boat– instructions
Materials:
• Wash tub, bathtub, or sink filled with water
• One orange
• Small (1- to 2-cup size) plastic container (the “tub boat”)
• Marbles (10 to 20, depending on the size of your “tub boat”)
• An assortment of eight other solids to drop in the water—plastic and metal toys, stones, sticks,
piece of Styrofoam, flower, bar of soap, golf ball, rubber ball, pencil, water proof shoe, etc. Do not use
ice (it is the one solid that is less dense than its liquid state—this will be discussed later).
Aloud: Not all solids have the same density. From one type of solid to the next, the density can
be different. This happens because from one type of solid to the next, the amount and type of
molecules present can be different.
Most solids are more dense than liquids. Liquids are more dense than gases. Because
of this, when you mix a gas with a solid, the combination creates a solid whose density might
be less than a liquid. Styrofoam is just such a mixture. It is one example of a solid that is less
dense than water because of the air trapped in it.
The density of an object affects whether it floats or sinks. If something is more dense
than water, it will sink in water and if it is less dense than water, it will float in water. For
instance, if you drop a rock into water, it will sink right away. However, if you drop an inflated
balloon onto water, it will float. That is because the rock is more dense than water, and the
inflated balloon is less dense than water. Today you are going to look at how the density of
objects affect whether they sink or float.
Procedure:
1. Record the assorted solids you choose on the lab sheet and write predictions about which things will
float and which will sink. Students can hold the solids in their hands to feel the mass first, if that
helps with predictions. Have students complete the data table as they go through the experiment, so
they do not have to remember at the end which floated and which sank.
2. Make a prediction on how many marbles it will take to sink the “tub boat.”
3. Fill a sink or tub with enough water to test if items sink or float.
4. Drop the orange in the water. Now peel the orange, drop it in after it is peeled. Record the results.
5. Have students drop the things they collected into the water. Record the results.
6. Put the plastic container (the “tub boat”) on the water and watch it float. Now put the marbles into
the tub boat one at a time. You might need to stabilize the container so that it doesn’t turn on its
side and dump all the marbles into the water. Record the results.
• When students are putting marbles into the tub boat, discuss that they are putting more “stuff” into
the container with each marble. They are increasing the density of matter in the container.
Possible Answers:
An orange with a peel will float.
An orange without a peel will sink.
1. Peeling the orange changed it from a floater to a sinker because the peel traps air, a gas, between
the skin and the flesh, making it less dense. This works in the same way that a life jacket keeps a person
afloat.
2. The marbles (a solid) displaced air (a gas) in the container. This made the tub boat more dense.
Therefore it sank.
297
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Solids Are Dense Lab #2: The Sinking Tub Boat
Prediction: Observation/Results:
Items Sinker or Floater Sinker or Floater
1. Orange with peel
2. Peeled orange
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
How many marbles

will it take to sink
the tub boat?

1. Did peeling the orange change whether it sank or floated? Why?
2. Why did adding marbles to the tub boat make it sink?
3. Were you surprised by anything that sank or did not sink?

299
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Molecules Stick Together
Look around you. Think about all the different types
of solid matter you can see. All these solids are groups
of molecules made of atoms that stick together. Do you
remember how small atoms and molecules are, though?
They are so small that you could not see just one of
them. That means the solid matter you are looking at
is made up of millions and billions (and a lot more than
that, actually) of molecules stuck together.
You already know that atoms make molecules by sharing electrons.
Just like atoms, molecules want to play with other molecules. When
molecules want to play, they have to share electrons sort of like atoms do.
Their favorite electrons are the ones in their own molecule, but molecules
will share back and forth playing together. When this happens and they are
all playing together, a solid or a liquid forms. They play together in large
groups too—large enough for you to see and feel them, or large enough,
even, to make a house.
The closer that molecules are together, the more they play with each
other. The more they play with each other, the less they move around.
Molecules that stay close together and do not move around much, are
solids. Molecules that still like to play together, but just a little more
independently, are liquids. Molecules that do not need other molecules to
play form gases.
Think of it this way—let’s say you have a neighbor who is a good
friend. Now pretend you and your friend are molecules. If you and your
friend were at your home playing Monopoly together, you would be sitting
close, not moving around much, while you played back and forth. You two
would form a solid. The next day you two decide to play catch. When you
play catch, you are not sitting close to each other and you are moving
around. You still need each other to play, though. On that day, you two
would form a liquid. On the following day, you both stay at your own homes
and watch the same show on television. In the evening, you meet on the
street as you are out walking. You two are walking in different directions.
You briefly mention the television show as you pass each other and then
you keep walking in separate directions. Today you two are gas molecules.
All this talk about play makes me want to play!
301
Molecules Stick Together Lab:
A BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN! - instructions
This lab takes about a week to complete, with students recording observations every couple of days.
CAUTION: THIS LAB REQUIRES THE USE OF A STOVE AND A VERY HOT SUGAR SOLUTION THAT WILL BURN IF
TOUCHED. STUDENTS SHOULD ONLY OBSERVE AND NOT HANDLE THE HOT SOLUTION.
Materials:
• 3 cups Sugar
• 1 cup Water
• Saucepan
• Stove top
• Glass jar
• One 6-inch long piece of rough string or yarn
• Wooden spoon
• A clean metal washer or a Lifesaver candy
• Funnel (optional)
Aloud: Sugar is a big molecule, with 12 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms, and 11 oxygen atoms in
it. Sugar molecules like to play with other sugar molecules and make large solid sugar crystals.
Today you will take sugar, a solid, and mix it with water, the universal solvent. The sugar is the
solute, and it will dissolve in the water, making a sugar-water solution that is a liquid. You will
mix so much sugar into the water that the sugar will come back out of the solution, reforming
into a solid.
Procedure:
1. Instructor: Pour 3 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water into a saucepan. Heat on medium high, while
stirring occasionally, until all the sugar has dissolved.
2. Complete the Before portion of the lab sheet.
3. Instructor: Carefully pour the hot solution into the glass jar. A funnel helps a lot with this.
4. Tie the string to the middle of the pencil. Tie the washer or Lifesaver to the other end of the string.
Lay the pencil across the top of the jar so the string end with the washer hangs into the solution but
does not touch the bottom of the jar. You can cover this lightly with a sheet of paper to keep dust
out.
5. Have students check the jar, as indicated on the lab sheet, for one week and record their results on
their lab sheets.
6. On day 7, take out the crystal and dry it on a piece of wax paper or cling wrap.
• Be VERY CAREFUL—this solution can burn you!
• Rock candy crystals will start forming the first day. The trick is to wait longer than that. The crystals
will keep growing for about a week. Try to observe the crystals over the course of a week, without
disturbing them. You will have better crystals that way.
• This type of solution is called a super-saturated solution. Crystal formation is a result of the
solution being super-saturated and the evaporation of the water.
• When putting the string in the solution, make sure it does not touch the bottom of the jar. If it does,
crystals can form on the bottom of the jar and not as well on the string.
• When the rock candy is eaten, remember there is a metal washer (if used) tied to the bottom of the
string.
303
• Food coloring and/or flavor extract (e.g. vanilla, cherry, lemon, peppermint) can be added to the hot
sugar-water solution.
Possible Answers:
Sugar is a solid.
Water is a liquid.
The sugar-water solution is a liquid.
There should be a progression of drawings over the course of a week showing the rock candy growing.
Rock candy is solid.
Bonus: The candy changed from a liquid to a solid as water evaporated. When moving from a liquid to a
solid, the molecules stick together by sharing more electrons, moving closer together, becoming more
dense, and not moving around as much.
For More Lab Fun:

Look at the rock candy with a hand lens to get a closer view of the sugar crystals.
Group Activity - With two or more students, pretend you are molecules in a solid, liquid, and gas. To pretend
to be a solid, huddle together and play a card game, Dominoes, or read a book aloud. To be a liquid, go
outside and throw a ball or Frisbee to each person. Talk about how you cannot get too far away and still
play together and that you move a lot more than you did when you were a solid. To be a gas, have everyone
walk in all different directions. Walk past each other, then turn around and walk toward each other again.
Every time you pass a person, stop and say the name of an element, then keep walking.

304
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Molecules Stick Together Lab: A BIG ROCK CANDY MOUNTAIN!
Before I make my rock candy:
The sugar is a solid liquid gas.
The water is a solid liquid gas.
The melted sugar-water solution is a solid liquid gas.
Drawings of My Rock Candy

One hour after starting One day after starting Two days after starting
Four days after Six days after starting When I took it out and
starting ate it!
The completed rock candy is a solid liquid gas.

Bonus: Describe how the rock candy changed from one state of matter to
another and what happened to the molecules as this change was happening.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.

305
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
What Makes a Liquid a Liquid?
What would happen if you picked up a hammer and pounded it into a
liquid? Would you feel the force of it in your arm or would you just get wet?
You would feel some resistance when your arm hit the liquid as the liquid
slowed your arm down. It does not make sense to hammer a liquid, but if
you did, you would change its shape for a short time as it rippled. Also
you would change the volume,
the amount of space it took up,
but only for as long as it took
you to remove your arm and the
hammer from it. That is because
in a liquid, the molecules can
move around. If you try to
hammer a liquid, the molecules
move to make space for your
arm and the hammer. When you
take your arm out again, the
liquid moves back to the original
shape, which is the same shape
as the container holding the
liquid. The molecules in a liquid
like to play with each other, but they like to move around too.
So now you probably know enough about liquids to know that the
characteristics of a liquid are 1) the molecules are close together but
not as close as in a solid, 2) the molecules in a liquid move around but
not as much as in a gas, and 3) the molecules in a liquid are fluid. These
characteristics lead to liquids having 4) a definite volume but 5) not a
definite shape. So liquids are 6) less dense than solids, with the important
exception of water, and 7) more dense than gases. But you already knew
that!

307
What Makes a Liquid a Liquid? Lab:
Liquids are dense too - instructions
Materials:
• ¼ cup Corn syrup
• ¼ cup Liquid cooking oil - olive oil, vegetable oil, or any kind you have on hand
• ¼ cup Water
• Clear container that holds 2 or more cups of water
• Measuring cup
• Food coloring
Aloud: Just like solids, some liquids are more dense than others. If put two liquids of different
densities in the same container, the more dense liquid will sink to the bottom and the less
dense liquid will float on top.
Procedure:
1. Have students fill in the hypothesis section of the lab sheet.
2. Mix food coloring with the water. This will help to distinguish between the different liquids.
3. Tilt the empty glass on its side and carefully pour in the corn syrup, then add the liquid oil, and finally
add the colored water into the glass.
4. Gently set the glass back down and wait for the layers to stabilize. How fast this happens depends
on how much the liquids were shaken while pouring and setting the glass down.
5. Have students color and label the glass on the lab sheet and complete the rest of the questions.
Possible Answers:
The liquid that is the least dense = oil
The liquid with the density in the middle = water
The liquid that is the most dense = corn syrup
Bonus: The molecules in a more dense liquid are packed closer together in a smaller space than liquids
that are less dense.

309
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
What Makes a Liquid a Liquid? Lab: Liquids are dense too
Hypothesis: Which liquid do you think is more dense?
Label your predictions below: water, oil, and corn syrup
The liquid that is least dense =
The liquid with the density in the middle =
The liquid that is the most dense =
Results/Observations: Color and label the layers in the glass
Conclusion: How did the liquids layer?

The liquid that is least dense =
The liquid with the density in the middle =
The liquid that is the most dense =
Bonus: Remembering what you have learned about density, what makes
one liquid more dense than another?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________.

311
Drawing the States of Matter - instructions
Materials:
• Board or sheet of paper for you, the instructor, to write on
• Slime, if you still have it from The Slime That Ate Slovenia lab (optional)
Procedure:
1. Have students draw a table, milk, and air in the first column on the lab sheet. Students should fill in
their lab sheets before anything is read to them. Some students will be creative when they are asked
to draw milk and air, and some will be stumped. Let students puzzle through this. If they ask for it,
help them with whichever path this mental exercise takes them. The goal is to reinforce the concepts
of definite shape and definite volume. Remember that only solids have a definite shape, and solids and
liquids have a definite volume (the amount of space something takes up). If they draw a container in
which to hold the milk and the air, that is okay, but ask them to explain why. Some very resourceful
students might draw the molecules in milk and air.
2. You might want to write down the phrases “definite shape” and “definite volume” and review their
meanings.
Aloud: The table should have been easy to draw. Did you find it as easy to draw milk or air?
Because they do not have a definite shape, they are not as easy to draw unless a solid, like
a glass or a balloon, is surrounding them. It would be a lot easier if you were asked to draw a
glass of milk and a balloon filled with air.
3. Now is a good time to discuss the specifics of what students drew. Ask questions about their
thought process. Make sure they really understand the concept of definite shape.
Aloud: Next to your other drawings, draw half a table, a glass half filled with milk, and a balloon
that is half filled with air and tied.
4. Wait for students to complete this part of the exercise in the second column on the worksheet.
5. In the next Aloud section, wait for students to answer each question before going on to the next
question.
Aloud: Does the milk go to the top of the glass? Or does the milk only go halfway up the
glass? Are there air molecules everywhere in the balloon? Or did you draw the balloon with
only half of it with air molecules in it? Is the table half the size as it was before? Because
solids and liquids have a definite volume, there is now only half a table and half a glass of
milk. The balloon, on the other hand, would be smaller if you decrease the amount of air, the
air molecules will still fill the entire balloon. This is because solids and liquids have a definite
volume, but gases do not.
6. Now is a good time to discuss the specifics of what students drew. Ask questions about their
thought process. Make sure they really understand the concept of definite volume.
Possible Answers:
Bonus: What is slime? Slime takes the shape of its container like a liquid. Slime can be picked up in your
hand without falling apart, which is not a property of a liquid. Slime is a polymer, as is Jell-O. Polymers
are long chain molecules that stretch and bend.

313
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Drawing the States of Matter
Table 1 Table 2
Milk 1 Milk 2
Air 1 Air 2
Bonus: What is slime—a solid, liquid, or gas?

315
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
The Friendship of Oxygen and Hydrogen
Water is so common and such a part of
everyday life that most of us take it for granted.
Water is actually a very special molecule. Water is
the most common molecule on Earth. Water is the
only substance found in all three states of matter—
solid, liquid, and gas, at normal temperatures.
About 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water in either its liquid
or solid forms. There is also water in the air. All living things have water in
them. The human body is about 65% water. In fact, a human can live only
eight to ten days without water.
For almost all substances, the solid form is MORE dense than the
liquid form. One unusual property of water is that it is LESS dense as a
solid than it is as a liquid. That is why ice cubes float on water. This also
means that ice takes up more space than the same amount of liquid water.
Maybe water takes up less space as a liquid than as a solid because it is
more fun to play together when you are not freezing cold.
This property of water is very important to life in watery places. When
the temperature drops and ice starts to form in lakes
and seas, ice forms on the top because it is less dense
than liquid water. This is important because the ice acts
as an insulator and keeps the water underneath from
freezing. It insulates the lakes and seas the way your
home insulates you and your family. If ice were more
dense than liquid water, lakes and seas would freeze
from their bottoms all the way up. This would be a
problem for animals, like fish, that have to have liquid water to live.
Do you remember that water is a molecule made of hydrogen and
oxygen? Hydrogen and oxygen are such good friends that they always
want to play together even if they belong to other molecules. The oxygen
and hydrogen of water molecules are always playing with the oxygen and
hydrogen of other water molecules. When they are playing, they do not like
to get too far apart from each other. This playing has a special name; it is
called hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonds are what hold water molecules
together. It is lucky for us that hydrogen and oxygen like each other so
much.
317
The Friendship of Oxygen and Hydrogen Lab #1:
Smart Ice - instructions
This lab takes about eight hours or overnight to observe the final results.
Materials:
• Freezer
• Water
• Two empty small plastic soda or water bottles that are the same size, one with its cap
• Pan or cup that is large enough to loosely fit under one of the bottles
• Blue-colored pencil or crayon
Aloud: Ice is less dense than liquid water. Remember that density measures the amount of
“stuff,” in this case water molecules, in a certain amount of space. So if frozen water (ice) is
less dense than liquid water, then in the same amount of space there are less molecules of ice
than liquid water. That means that one measured cup of liquid water has more water molecules
in it than one measured cup of ice. If you were to let the cup of ice melt, the result would be less
than 1 cup of liquid water.
As you have already learned, though, if you start out with 2 equal cups of water and
freeze one of them, they have the same mass, or weight. That is because the number of
molecules does not change—what has changed is the amount of space taken up by these
molecules. In other words, the size changes, but the mass does not. Let’s experiment and find
out what happens to the same amount of water molecules when they go from a liquid to a solid,
and become less dense.
Procedure:
1. Put a couple drops of blue food coloring into each bottle. (The food coloring is added only so students
can better observe and draw the water.)
2. Fill both bottles halfway with water and shake gently to mix the food coloring. Then fill the bottles
the rest of the way with water as full as they can get. These are the same-size bottles, so the same
amount of water should fill both of them. Try to make sure you do not leave an air space at the top.
Screw the cap onto one of the bottles. The reason for screwing the cap on is so no water evaporates
from the bottle.
3. Complete the hypothesis portion on the lab sheet.
4. Carefully put the bottle, that does not have a cap on it, in a pan or cup and place it in the freezer. The
pan is to catch the water as it expands. It will spill on the floor of your freezer if you do not do this.
5. Let the bottles sit overnight.
6. The next day, record your observations.
Possible Answers:
Hypothesis
Initial drawings will vary.
The square representing a view of the water should have more circles in it than the square representing a
view of the ice.
Observations
The water in the bottle that was frozen expanded out of the bottle when it froze.
The water in the bottle that sat at room temperature remained the same volume.

319
When water molecules go from a liquid state to a solid state, they take up more space. Ice water, in the
solid state, is less dense than water in the liquid state. In order to have a decrease in the density, the
water molecules must take up more space. Therefore, the water expands out of its container—the plastic
bottle.

320
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
The Friendship of Oxygen and Hydrogen Lab #1: Smart Ice
Hypothesis: For each of the bottles, draw what you think will happen to the
water overnight.
The two squares below are meant to represent microscopic pictures of a

small amount of liquid water and ice. Using circles to represent the water
molecules, draw a picture showing the change in density, you expect, when
going from liquid water to ice.

liquid water ice
Observations: For each of the bottles, draw what did happen to the water
overnight.
Discussion and Conclusion: Based on the results of this experiment, what

do you think happens to water molecules when they go from the liquid
state to the solid state?

321
The Friendship of Oxygen and Hydrogen Lab #2:
The Breakup - instructions
Materials:
• Water
• Clear glass tumbler
• Two pieces of insulated copper wire, about 6 inches each
• 9-volt battery
• ½ teaspoon Salt
• Spoon for stirring
• Scissors or knife
Aloud: Have you ever broken up a friendship? If not, today is the day. The experiment today is
the electrolysis of water. Water molecules are made from two gases—hydrogen and oxygen. In
the electrolysis of water, liquid water molecules are split into the gases hydrogen and oxygen.
That means you will be turning a liquid into a gas. Salt is added to speed the process up. You
will see lots of hydrogen bubbling to the surface. Oxygen is much slower to leave all its friends.
Procedure:
1. Fill the tumbler with water to about 1 inch from the top of the glass. Add the salt and stir.
2. Instructor only: Use scissors or a knife to carefully strip about 1 inch of the insulation off both
ends of both pieces of wire.
3. Wrap one piece of wire around each of the batteries’ terminals.
4. Have students draw the set up before putting the wires in the water. Assist them in labeling the parts
of the set up.
5. Put the loose ends of the wire into the water. Do not let the ends of the wire touch each other where
the insulation has been stripped away.
6. Have students finish their drawings by showing what is happening in the water. Assist them in labeling
what is happening in the water (hydrogen and oxygen bubbling on the wires and out of the water).
• Salt is added to the water to speed up the electrolysis. When salt is used like this, it is called an
electrolyte.
• Bubbles will form on the ends of the wire that are in the water. On one piece of the wire, the bubbles
will bubble up to the surface. This is hydrogen gas coming off the cathode. The cathode is the
negatively charged electrode. The other wire will have bubbles form slowly on it. This is the anode, the
positively charged electrode, and this is the wire where the oxygen is forming. The oxygen is not as
likely to bubble up to the surface.
• The gas coming from the anode may be chlorine gas (if you have a lot of chlorine in your water) and
not oxygen gas. But you will not notice a difference.

323
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
The Friendship of Oxygen and Hydrogen Lab #2: The Breakup
Observations: Draw and label a picture of what the lab

looks like before the wires are put in the water.
Discussion and Conclusion: Draw and label a picture of what the lab looks
like after the wires are put in the water.

325
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
What Makes a Gas a Gas?
Hammering a gas, such as air, would be
downright dangerous! If you were not careful,
you might hit yourself. Gas molecules move
apart easily to let you through. A gas can
exert a strong force, though. Have you ever
been out in a strong wind? Wind is moving air,
and wind can be very powerful.
When you hammer a piece of wood,
you do not feel the air as your arm moves
through it, do you? You are not forcing the
molecules apart from one another when you move through a gas, as you
would have to with a solid or a liquid. The molecules in a gas have more
space between them than those in a solid or a liquid. They are very fluid.
When you move through them, they easily move out of your way without
you feeling it. As you walk around and even when you are holding still,
gas molecules from the air are bouncing off you all the time. They are
so small you don’t feel them. It would be really strange if the molecules
that make the walls of your house or those from a glass of milk started
floating around and bouncing off you, wouldn’t it?
So now you know that in a gas 1) the molecules have a lot of

space between them and 2) the molecules move very fast and mix freely
because they are very fluid. Because of these characteristics, gases 3)
do not have a definite volume and 4) do not have a definite shape. Gases
are 5) less dense than solids and 6) less dense than liquids. You sure
do know a lot about gases!

327
What Makes a Gas a Gas? Lab #1: Bubbles – instructions
Materials:
• Lab Sheet, pencil
• Unopened can of soda (any kind, including club soda or natural soda)
• Clear glass
Aloud: Soda is a mix of liquid and gas. To give soda its fizz, carbon dioxide, a gas, is dissolved
into a liquid. If the bubbles float to the top, what does that tell you about the density of gases
compared to that of liquids?
Procedure:
2. Open the can of soda and pour it into the glass. Observe what happens to the carbon dioxide gas
dissolved in the liquid.
3. Record your observations. Complete your lab sheet.
Instructor’s notes:
• This is a very simple lab. Its sole purpose is to demonstrate that gases are less dense than liquids.
• This lab is so short that it could be paired with the next lab, Popping Corn.
Possible Answers:
Hypothesis
The correct answers are C and A. Answers may vary because this is the hypothesis, which is a best guess.
Results/Observation
The bubbles float to the top and escape into the air.

The bubbles float to the top and escape into the air because the gas, carbon dioxide, is less dense than
the liquid part of the soda.

329
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
What Makes a Gas a Gas? Lab #1: Bubbles
Hypothesis: When the soda is poured into the glass, I think the carbon
dioxide gas in the soda will (circle the correct answer)
A. sink to the bottom of the glass.
B. spell my name in bubbles.
C. float to the top of the soda and escape into the air.
It will do this because carbon dioxide gas (circle the correct answer)
A. is less dense than the liquid.
B. is more dense than the liquid.
C. likes my name.
Results
Observation: What did happen to the bubbles?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.

Discussion and Conclusion: Can you explain why this happened?
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________.

331
What Makes a Gas a Gas? Lab #2: Popping Corn – instructions
CAUTION: THIS LAB REQUIRES THE USE OF A STOVE AND HOT OIL THAT WILL BURN. THIS LAB ALSO INVOLVES
CUTTING WITH A KNIFE. STUDENTS SHOULD ONLY OBSERVE AND NOT HANDLE THE HOT OIL OR USE THE KNIFE.
Materials:
• Popping corn (you examine a kernel of the corn before popping it; for this reason microwave popcorn
does not work, unless you can get a kernel from another source)
• Pan to pop popcorn
• Knife to cut a kernel of popcorn lengthwise
• Oil for popping corn
• Heat source for popping corn—either a stove top or a popcorn popper
Aloud: Liquids are more dense than gases. That means that if you take liquid molecules and
heat them until they turn into gas molecules, the gas molecules will take up more space. There
will still be the same number of molecules, but they will take up more space. Liquid molecules like
to play a lot closer together than gas molecules. Gas molecules need their space.
Today you are going to pop popcorn. Did you know that an unpopped kernel of popcorn
has liquid water in it? What do you think happens to the liquid water in popcorn when it is
heated? Let’s pop some and find out.
Procedure:
2. Instructor: Take a kernel of popcorn and cut it lengthwise. It is tricky to cut, so students should not
do this themselves. Talk about what you see. Take the time now to have students draw a diagram in
the observation section. Even if there is no visible water, it is there. The expansion of the water when it
goes from a liquid to a gas is what makes popcorn pop.
3. Pop the popcorn, following the directions on the popcorn container. Discuss what is happening in the
kernels to make them pop.
Possible Answers:
Hypothesis
The correct answer is B. Answers may vary because this is the hypothesis, which is a best guess.
Results/Observation
Drawings go here.

The corn popped because when heated, the water inside of the kernels turned from a liquid to a gas. The
gas had to escape, because gases need more room than liquids. The water gas escaped by popping the
kernel open.

333
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
What Makes a Gas a Gas? Lab #2: Popping Corn
Hypothesis: What do you think
happens to the water in a kernel
of popcorn to make it pop?
(Circle the correct answer)
A. It turns into a solid.
B. It gets hot enough to turn into gas and pops the kernel as it
escapes.
C. Nothing happens—the kernel just pops.
Results/Observation
Draw a picture of the popcorn kernel when you cut it open.
Draw a picture of a piece of the popped corn.
Discussion and Conclusion: In your own words, what do you think happened
to the popcorn to make it pop?
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________.

335
What Makes a Gas a Gas? Activity: LET’S Go Fly a Kite! - instructions
Materials:
• Kite
• A good windy day for flying a kite
Aloud: A kite is a solid. It is also heavier than air. How can a gas, such as air, hold up a solid, like
a kite? Airplanes and rockets have engines to help push them through the air, but what about a
kite? When you are trying to get a kite up in the air, you run with the kite. When you do this, the
kite pushes down on the air. The air pushes back up on the kite. The air pushing up on the kite
lifts it into the sky and allows the kite to fly. That is how a gas can hold up a solid.
Procedure:
• Go outside and fly a kite.
• If you do not have a kite and there is wind or a breeze, stand there and discuss the fact that the wind
is made from air. Feel the air molecules (gases) pushing against you. If there is no wind, twirl around.
The resistance you feel when twirling is also caused from air.

337
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
The Air You Breathe
You can only live eight to ten days without water, which is not a very
long time. Right now, hold your breath as long as you can. Holding your
breath makes the eight- to ten-day wait for water seem like a long time,
doesn’t it? You have just proven that you can go longer without water
than you can without air. What is air and why is it so important to our
bodies that a minute without a breath seems like a really long time? The
oxygen from the air you breathe and the food you eat gives you energy.
In fact, people, animals, and plants cycle oxygen back and forth to each
other.
As you might have learned in earth science, the air, which is made
from gas molecules, forms the atmosphere. The atmosphere is important
to all life. Without air, the earth would not have an atmosphere and
without an atmosphere, we would not have the earth as we know it. The
gases in the earth’s atmosphere act as a protective blanket around the
earth. During the day, the atmosphere keeps us from being burned by the
intense heat of the sun. During the night, the atmosphere keeps us from
being frozen by extremely low temperatures.
We spend our entire life surrounded by a gas, but most people would
find it easier to describe liquids and solids. That is because the gases
that surround us are invisible to us. Air molecules are small even for
molecules. Each nitrogen molecule in the air only has two nitrogen atoms
in it and each oxygen molecule only has two oxygen atoms in it. Air is 78%
nitrogen, N2, and 21% oxygen, O2. That means if you had 100 air molecules in
your hand, 78 of them would be nitrogen and 21 of them would be oxygen.
That would account for 99 of the 100 molecules. The other “molecule” would
most likely be an argon atom, Ar. When you look across air, you don’t see
these molecules, though. Remember how small
molecules are? Gas molecules don’t like to hang
out together, either. Gases have much more
space between their molecules than liquids and
solids do. The air around you is full of them but
you don’t see them. Air might be invisible, but
we sure are lucky to have it.

339
The Air You Breathe Lab #1: Air Takes up Space – instructions
Materials:
• Balloon
• Empty 2-liter soda bottle
Aloud: Air does take up space. But it is hard to show that air takes up space, because when
you move through air, it is easy for the air molecules to move out of your way. Today you will see
what happens to air when the molecules do not have anywhere to go.
Procedure:
2. Have your student blow up the balloon and then let the air out.
3. Put the balloon into the soda bottle and wrap the end of it around the lip of the bottle. Make sure the
balloon is wrapped completely over the lip of the bottle so no air from inside the bottle can escape.
Holding the mouth of the bottle to his lips, have your student try to blow up the balloon. Let him work
at it until he is convinced that it cannot be done.
• Air is 99% nitrogen and oxygen. The other 1% is made up of a mixture of carbon dioxide, water vapor,
argon, and ozone, primarily. These molecules might be at a low concentration but they have an
important influence on the earth’s climate. There are other molecules in the atmosphere as well. What
these are depends on where you live.
Possible Answers:
Results
Outside the bottle: The balloon will blow up normally.
Inside the bottle: The balloon will not blow up, even to fill the inside of the bottle.
Discussion
When the balloon was blown up outside the bottle, it inflated normally, because the air in the room has
plenty of space to move out of the way of the balloon.
When you tried to blow the balloon up inside the bottle, it could not be inflated. This is because the air
inside of the bottle could not move out of the way of the expanding balloon.

341
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
The Air You Breathe Lab #1: Air Takes up Space
Hypothesis: Draw two pictures showing how you think your balloon will look
when you try to blow it up.
Balloon outside the bottle Balloon inside the bottle

Results/Observations:
When I blew the balloon up outside the bottle, it looked like this:
When I blew the balloon up inside the bottle, it looked like this:
Discussion/Conclusion:
When you blew the balloon up outside the bottle, what happened and why?

When you blew the balloon up inside the bottle,
what happened and why?

343
The Air You Breathe Lab #2: Why Do Boats Float?– instructions
Materials:
• Empty glass jar with a lid
• Tub or sink full of water
• Optional: Movie or documentary about the Titanic
Aloud: Why do steel boats float? A big steel boat is heavy. Boats are made of solids, which are
usually more dense than liquids. Boats are not just solids, though. They are solids filled with air,
which is a gas. This solid-plus-air combination affects the density of a big ship. The air makes
the boat less dense, so it can float. The ability of things to float is called buoyancy.
Submarines float and sink. They can control their buoyancy. They do this by changing
their density. When a submarine wants to go under water, it takes on water. When the submarine
takes on water, it lets out air. The water is more dense than air. This makes the submarine more
dense and allows it to sink. Submarines can control how far they sink by controlling how much
water they exchange for air. When a submarine wants to come back up to the surface, the water
is pumped back out.
If a boat fills with water, it will sink. Do you know the story of the Titanic? On April 14,
1912, a big ship called the Titanic collided with an iceberg. The iceberg ripped through part of the
ship that was underwater. The air in the ship bubbled out, and water took its place. When this
happened, the Titanic became too dense to float and it sank.
Glass is more dense than water. If you put a glass jar filled with air into water, how will
the air affect the density of the glass jar? Will the glass jar sink or float? What if the glass jar
is filled up with water? Will it sink or float then?
Procedure:
2. Fill a tub or sink up with water. Put the jar with the lid on tightly into the water on its side. Observe the
jar floating. Gently push the jar down with your hand and let it spring back up. Be careful not to push it
too far down or it could come shooting out of the water and break.
3. When you are done observing this, remove the jar from the water and take the lid off the jar.
4. Put the jar back on its side into the water.
5. The jar should start to take on water. If it does not, you might need to get it started by pushing it
down until water starts to go into the mouth of the jar.
6. Let the jar fill up with water until it sinks.
7. Record observations and complete the lab sheet.
• If you want to have more fun with this, name your “ship.” Then pretend that you are an iceberg and
when you remove the lid, you have punctured your ship.

345
Possible Answers:
Hypothesis
Answers will vary.
Observations
The jar will float when the lid is on.
With the lid off, the jar will float initially, until it takes on enough water, then it will sink.
With the lid on, the gas that is in the jar makes the jar buoyant enough to float. This is despite the fact
that the glass is more dense than the water.
With the lid off, the jar takes on water. Once the jar fills up with water, the fact that the glass jar is more
dense than the water makes the jar sink.
For More Lab Fun:

Watch a documentary movie about the Titanic.

346
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
The Air You Breathe Lab #2: Why Do Boats Float?

Hypothesis
Do you think your jar will float? Give your reason, why or why not.

Observations
Draw pictures of what happened to the jar.
Lid on Lid off
In your own words, explain what happened in this experiment.

347
What’s the Matter? - Crossword Vocabulary Review
1 2
4 5
8 9
10
11
Across
1. The amount of space something takes up.

4. How many different states of matter are there?
7. The point where a solid becomes a liquid. (Two words)
8. Has a definite volume but not a definite shape.
9. Does not have definite shape or volume.
11. The point where a gas becomes a liquid. (Two words)
Down
2. Anything that has weight and takes up space.
3. The point where a liquid becomes a solid. (Two words)
5. The point where a liquid becomes a gas. (Two words)
6. The amount of stuff in a given space.
10. Has a definite shape and a definite volume.
349
Unit 7
Reactions in Action
© 2009 Pandia Press Unit 7 - Reactions in Action

351
Chemical Reactions Make the World Go Around
(Sung to the tune of “Money Makes the World Go Around”)
Chemical reactions make the world go around

The world go around
The world go around
Chemical reactions make the world go around, just like this . . .
First, you have a hydrogen over here and oxygen over there and a hydrogen over here
Next, you bring them all really close and then you have water
Water, Water
Water, Water
Water, Water
Water

The world go around
The world go around
First, you take a log from the pile, a log from the pile, a log from the pile
Next, you bring a match really close and light the logs on fire
Fire, Fire
Fire, Fire
Fire, Fire
Fire

The world go around
The world go around
First you mix the butter and the sugar with the eggs and the flour.
Next you bake the batch in the oven and then you have cookies
Cookies, Cookies
Cookies, Cookies
Cookies, Cookies
Cookies

The world go around
The world go around
The world go around.

Unit 7 - Reactions in Action © 2009 Pandia Press
352
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Changes
Are you the type of person who likes to watch
things explode? Or maybe you are more the type
who takes real pleasure out of mixing flour, eggs,
butter, and sugar to make delicious cookies. Then
there is the nice, warm feel of a cozy fire on a cold
day. All of these are examples of chemical reactions.
A chemical reaction is the combination, separation,
or rearrangement of atoms. What this means is, the molecules at the
end of the reaction are not the same as the molecules at the start of
the reaction. But during a chemical reaction, atoms are not created or
destroyed. They just change whom they are playing with.
To understand chemical reactions, first you have to know the
difference between physical change and chemical change. A physical
change doesn’t change what something is. It might look very different,
but it is the same thing. For example, ice, water, and steam are all a form
of water. When you freeze water, or boil it and turn it into steam, the
molecules are still water molecules, H2O. That’s because the change from
one state of matter to another is an example of a physical change. If
you rip a piece of paper into many pieces or squash a can, these are also
examples of a physical change. The shape of the paper and the can have
been changed, but they are still made up of the same types of molecules.
Another example of a physical change would be a solution of sugar and
water. This is a physical change because the sugar can be separated from
the water. All you need to do is let all the water evaporate away or insert a
rough string.
In a chemical change, new and different molecules are made. You do
not have the same molecules at the end that you had at the beginning.
If instead of ripping the piece of paper, you burned it, that would be a
chemical change. Once burned, you no longer have paper. Instead, there is
ash, smoke, and heat. If you used sugar to make a cake, this is an example
of a chemical change. Can you imagine getting all the sugar molecules
back from the cake again? Neither can I, nor would I want to! If a chemical
reaction happens then there has been a chemical change.

353
Changes Worksheet: Physical or Chemical? - instructions
Materials:
• The text—to look up the labs you performed to help answer some of the questions.
Procedure:
The worksheet has a list of events that involve making changes to matter. All the events are
examples of either physical or chemical change. Several of the examples have been taken from labs
performed this year. If students need help deciding whether a change is physical or chemical, you can refer
back to the lab. The lab names and page numbers are listed in parentheses below.
Aloud: To determine if there has been a physical or chemical change, ask yourself if the matter
looks the same after the change. The shape may have changed, but does it look like you have
the same material? If the answer is yes, there has been a physical change. If the answer is no,
then ask yourself if you can change it back. If you can change it back, such as ice to water,
that is usually a physical change as well. If you cannot change it back and/or it doesn’t look
the same, then there has been a chemical change. Bubbles forming is also usually a sign of
a chemical change. You have performed lots of experiments so far this year. Some of those
experiments have been examples of chemical changes and some of the experiments have been
examples of physical changes. Let’s see if you can figure out which ones are which.
Answers and explanations:

1. Physical - The piece of wood has been covered with paint, but it is still the same piece of wood. The
wood can be changed back to its original appearance by sanding it with sandpaper.
2. Chemical -Through a chemical reaction, lactic acid is produced. This process cannot be reversed.
3. Chemical - This is an example of a type of chemical reaction called a combustion reaction. After the
match has been lit, you no longer have what you started with.
4. Physical (Periodic Play Dough, p. 111) - You started with play dough, and after making the sculpture
you still have play dough. FYI, making the play dough is also a physical change. Even though they
would be nearly impossible to separate, the ingredients (peanut butter, milk, and honey molecules)
are unchanged when mixed together.
5. Physical (Dancing Drops, p. 205) - If you evaporate all the water from the container, food coloring
residue will be left.
6. Physical (Telling Things Apart, p. 27) - There is no chemical reaction, they can be separated from
each other.
7. Chemical (Telling Things Apart, p. 27) - One of the products from this reaction is carbon dioxide
bubbles forming.
8. Chemical (Eating Hockey Pucks, p. 129) - During baking, chemical changes occur. One such change is
the creation of carbon dioxide from baking powder.
9. Chemical (My Favorite Element. p. 77) - The citric acid in the lemon juice breaks down the cellulose
in the paper and turns the cellulose into sugars. The carbon in the sugars darken when exposed to
heat.
10. Physical (A Big Rock Candy Mountain!, p. 303) - You can reheat the rock candy in the solution. The
rock candy will go back into solution and you will have what you started with.
11. Chemical (The Breakup, p. 323) - This is an example of a type of chemical reaction called a
decomposition reaction. You started with 2 H20, applied an electrical current to it, and the water
decomposed into 2 H2 and O2.
12. Physical - Melt the grape juice and you will have what you started with.

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13. Chemical (The Slime That Ate Slovenia, p. 165) - The borax and the polyvinyl acetate in the glue
react to form a polymer.
14. Chemical (S’more Carbon, p. 173) - The sugars in the marshmallow + heat produce CO2 + H20; at
this temperature these products are gases and escape into the atmosphere. Left behind are some
carbon and sugars.
15. Physical (Liquids Are Dense Too, p. 309) - These two do not really even mix and they can be
separated from one another.
16. Physical - It doesn’t look the same, but the same molecules are present. A good body shop can
make it look the same again.
17. Chemical - An endothermic chemical reaction. With the addition of heat, the liquid part of the egg
turns into a solid. This is not a change of state; it is not reversible.
18. Physical - It doesn’t look the same and would be really hard to put back together, but you still have
glass molecules.
19. Physical (Air Takes Up Space, p. 341) - If you let the air out you have what you started with.
20. Physical and Chemical (Popping Corn, p. 333) - This is both a chemical change and a physical
change. Corn pops because of a physical change. Water inside the corn is heated enough that
it changes from a liquid state of matter to a gas state. The pressure caused by the expansion
needed to go from one state to another results in the corn popping. The outside of the popped
corn is still the same thing—it just looks a little different. So this part of the popped corn
experienced a physical change. But the popped kernel of corn also experiences a chemical change.
The inner part undergoes an endothermic chemical reaction. The proteins inside the corn are
irrevocably changed in the presence of the heat source.

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NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Changes Worksheet: Physical or Chemical?
1. Painting a piece of wood physical change chemical change
2. Milk goes sour physical change chemical change
3. A match is lit physical change chemical change
4. A sculpture is made from play dough physical change chemical change
5. Food coloring mixed with water physical change chemical change
6. Baby powder is mixed into vinegar physical change chemical change
7. Baking powder is mixed with vinegar physical change chemical change
8. Baking muffins physical change chemical change
9. Painting paper with lemon juice physical change chemical change
10. Making rock candy physical change chemical change
11. The electrolysis of water physical change chemical change
12. Freezing grape juice physical change chemical change
13. Making slime with borax physical change chemical change
14. Cooking a marshmallow at 500˚ physical change chemical change
15. Mixing oil and water physical change chemical change
16. Running a car into a fence physical change chemical change
17. Frying an egg physical change chemical change
18. Breaking glass physical change chemical change
19. Inflating a balloon physical change chemical change
20. Challenge: Popping corn physical change chemical change

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Changes Lab #1: DETECTING CHANGES – instructions
CAUTION: THIS LAB REQUIRES THE USE OF FIRE. STUDENTS Should ONLY OBSERVE THIS PORTION OF THE LAB
from a safe distance.
This lab requires some preparation the day before.
Materials:
• Piece of paper
• Alka-Seltzer tablet
• Water
• Match or lighter
• Two packages of the same flavor of Kool-Aid + ingredients to make Kool-Aid (or any powdered drink
mix can be used)
• One glass
• Container to freeze Kool-Aid in
• Pitcher
• Bubble-blowing solution and wand
• Something to burn pieces of paper in (e.g. a cast iron skillet)
• Scissors
Aloud: Chemical changes are chemical reactions. During a chemical change, the molecules change
into different types of molecules. Some signs that there has been a chemical change are gas
bubbles forming where there were none before, a solid forming where there was none before, and
a change in temperature when you mix the things together.
Physical changes do not change the molecules present. When matter changes the state
it is in, that is a physical change. A change of a physical property, such as shape, is a physical
change.
Procedure:
1. The day before, make about half a packet of Kool-Aid according to the directions and freeze it (ice-cube
trays or paper cups work well). You don’t need to use all of this packet; just a few ice cubes or one
paper-cup full is needed for the lab. Save the other half of the dry powder from this packet and the
unopened packet of Kool-Aid for the lab day.
2. The day of the lab, take the frozen Kool-Aid out and let it begin to melt. You will come back to it at the
end of the experiment.
3. Have students complete the hypothesis portion of the lab sheet. The hypothesis is a column on the
table. Have students keep up with the observation portion of the lab sheet throughout the rest of the
lab as you demonstrate each of the following activities.
4. Cut the paper into pieces.
5. Instructor: Put the paper into a non-flammable container and light the pieces.
6. Crush the Alka-Seltzer tablet. Put it in a glass and pour ½ cup of water into the glass.
7. Blow bubbles. The bubbles generated in this experiment DO NOT indicate a chemical change because
you still have the same molecules. You have just taken advantage of one of the physical properties of
soap solutions.
8. Have students look at the dry Kool-Aid powder. Ask what state of matter the Kool-Aid is in, right now.
Make the unopened packet of Kool-Aid according to the directions on the package. Put the dry Kool-
Aid, melting Kool-Aid, and Kool-Aid in solution next to each other and have them examine all three. If
possible, let kids taste all three. There has been a physical change to the Kool-Aid but not a chemical
change. Tasting the three samples of Kool-Aid helps kids understand this because they all will taste
about the same. The dry Kool-Aid will taste more concentrated.

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When answering the hypothesis portion, have students ask themselves:
1.) Do I think there will be the same type of molecules at the end as there were at the start? 2.) Or do I
think a new type of molecule was made?
Answers:
Observations Results
Different size and shape

Cutting paper but still paper Physical change
Not paper anymore, now

Burning paper ash and smoke Chemical change
Made bubbles where there

Alka-Seltzer weren’t any before Chemical change
+ water
Still have soap; when they

Blowing bubbles pop the liquid, left behind is Physical change
still soap
Same color, same taste.

Adding water to Now a liquid = change of Physical change
Kool-Aid state
Same color
Kool-Aid melting Same taste Physical change
Now a solid + a liquid
Conclusion
A physical change creates no new molecules.
A chemical change creates new molecules.

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NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Changes Lab #1: DETECTING CHANGES
In the hypothesis column, write if you think the event will
show a physical or chemical change.
In the observations column, note any evidence of new
molecules being formed.
In the results column, write if the change was chemical or
physical.
Hypothesis Observations Results
Cutting paper
Burning paper
Alka-Seltzer
+ water
Blowing
bubbles
Adding water
to Kool-Aid
Kool-Aid
melting
Conclusion (Circle the answer to complete each sentence.)

A physical change creates new molecules no new molecules.
A chemical change creates new molecules no new molecules.

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Changes Demonstration: Chemical Reactions
This activity is a demonstration. As you read the lesson to your students, you will be demonstrating the
concepts using Legos. The portion to be read aloud is written in bold and demonstration instructions are
written in brackets.
Materials:
• Six Legos—Four of the same size and color (these represent hydrogen atoms) and two more that are
the same as each other but that are different from the first four (these represent oxygen atoms).
• Paper, chalkboard, or dry erase board
[Before class, make three Lego “molecules.” Each Lego molecule has two of the same Legos put together.
So there are two H2 molecules, and one O2 molecule.]
Chemical reactions are important. They are like little engines making the world change and grow.
When you blink, a chemical reaction inside of you made that happen. The warmth from the sun
is a result of chemical reactions. Cars turn on because of a chemical reaction. If a car is sitting
and rusting, that is also a chemical reaction. When leaves change color, fall off trees, and then
grow back again, these are all because of chemical reactions.
During a chemical reaction, bonds between atoms and molecules break and new bonds form. The
molecules at the end of the reaction are different from the starting molecules. Not all molecules
react with each other. For example, oil and water do not. But some molecules, when they are
together, like to make new things. Sometimes they like to play with someone new.
[Show students there are three Lego molecules of two different types while you define the term reactants
for them.]
In this chemical reaction, H2 and O2 are called reactants. The reactants in a chemical reaction
are the starting molecules that make new molecules. They are called reactants because H2 and
O2 like to react with each other to make molecules of water, H2O. To make water, the bonds
between the hydrogen atoms and the bonds between the oxygen atoms break.
[Pull apart the three Lego molecules so that you have six Lego atoms.]
New bonds form between the hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atoms linking them together.
[Now make Lego water. You need two Lego hydrogen atoms stuck on one Lego oxygen atom. This makes
two Lego water molecules. Show students the two Lego water molecules while you define products for
them.]
The two H2O molecules made in this reaction are called the products. The product in a chemical
reaction is what we call the new molecules that are made.
[Write “reactants  products” on the board.]

[Write the chemical equation, 2H2 + O2 = 2H2O, on the board.]

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Just like equations in math, there are equations in chemistry. The chemical equation for making
water molecules is 2H2 + O2 = 2H2O.
[Take the Legos apart and put them back together again demonstrating how this equation works—start
with two molecules of H2 and one molecule of O2. Then take the three molecules apart and rearrange them
into two water molecules, H2O.]
The chemical reaction between the gases of hydrogen and oxygen is an explosive reaction.
Oxygen and hydrogen really like to make water. When they are put together, they make water
with a bang. In fact, this reaction is used to power space rockets because of the amount of
energy it provides.
• The purposes of this demonstration are to demonstrate the importance of chemical reactions in
our lives, to visually show how chemical reactions create new molecules, and to define reactants and
products. A simple example of writing and balancing a chemical equation is also given for the benefit
of those students who can grasp this concept now. Chemical equations will be taught formally in RSO
Chemistry (level two).

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Changes Lab #2: LET’S Heat Things Up - instructions
Materials:
• Thermometer, science thermometer or kitchen instant-read thermometer
• 1 teaspoon Yeast
• ¼ cup Hydrogen peroxide
• Container you can see through
Aloud: Sometimes when a chemical reaction occurs, heat is released. In fact, any time that you
mix things together and heat is released, this is evidence that a chemical reaction has occurred.
When this happens, the chemical reaction is called an exothermic reaction. In an exothermic
reaction, the temperature at the end of the reaction is higher than the temperature at the
beginning. Wood burning is a good example of an exothermic reaction. You can touch the wood
before it is lit on fire. Once it is lit, though, you do not want to touch it. The explosive reaction
between hydrogen and oxygen is another example of an exothermic reaction. The chemical
reaction that happens in today’s experiment is an exothermic reaction. It will not get so hot
that it burns you or explodes, but you will be able to feel that it has gotten hotter.
Procedure:
2. Measure the hydrogen peroxide into the clear container. Put the thermometer into the hydrogen
peroxide for about three minutes. Have students record the temperature on the lab sheet. Leave the
thermometer in the container.
3. Feel the outside of the container. Students can safely put their fingers inside the container to feel the
temperature.
4. Sprinkle the yeast into the container and stir it into the hydrogen peroxide. There will be a lot of
bubbling. Start monitoring the temperature change right away. It will happen immediately. Wait until
the temperature has stopped rising and quickly write down what it is. When the temperature begins to
drop, stir the mix a little. The temperature for this experiment never stabilizes at its maximum. Record
the temperature.
5. Feel the outside of the cup. Students can safely put their fingers inside the cup to feel the
temperature; it will feel warmer. Complete the lab sheet.
Possible Answers:
Hypothesis
exothermic, greater than
Observations
These are samples—your answers may vary because starting temperatures will vary.
Starting temperature = 62.6° F = 17° C
Ending temperature = 86.5° F = 30.3° C
Temperature difference = 86.5 – 62.6 = 23.9° F or 30.3 – 17 = 13.3° C
rose, your student’s calculation goes here: (23.9) or (13.3); exothermic
• When hydrogen peroxide molecules are mixed with yeast, the hydrogen peroxide changes into water
plus O2, oxygen gas. This change produces heat. The bubbles you see are oxygen gas escaping into the
air. Yeast in this reaction is a catalyst. A catalyst is something that speeds up a chemical reaction.
• To find the temperature difference, always start with the larger of the two numbers, so that the
difference is a positive number.
• Make sure the hydrogen peroxide is fresh. Overtime, it turns into water and oxygen.

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NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Changes Lab #2: LET’S Heat Things Up
Hypothesis
I think the chemical reaction of yeast plus hydrogen peroxide is an
________________________ reaction. Because of this, the temperature of
the products at the end of the experiment will be (less than/greater than)
the temperature of the hydrogen peroxide at the start of the experiment.
Observations
Starting temperature:
Ending temperature:
Use the equation below to find the temperature difference:

Ending Temperature – Starting Temperature = Temperature Difference
Discussion and conclusion

The temperature (rose/fell) by _________ degrees in this experiment.
Therefore, this experiment is a good example of an _____________________
reaction.

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Changes Lab #3: LET’S cool things down - instructions
Materials:
• Thermometer, science thermometer or kitchen instant-read thermometer
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• ¼ cup Lemon juice
• Spoon for stirring
• Container you can see through
Aloud: Some chemical reactions are exothermic reactions, because they release heat, and
some chemical reactions are endothermic reactions. Endothermic reactions do not create heat,
instead they absorb heat from their surroundings. In an endothermic reaction, heat is needed
to make the reaction happen. In endothermic reactions, the heat needed is often taken from
the surrounding air. Baking bread is an endothermic reaction because the bread dough absorbs
the heat needed to bake the bread. If the bread dough was not heated, it would not change
from dough to bread. For endothermic reactions, the temperature at the end of the reaction
will be lower than the temperature at the start of it. This drop in temperature tells you that
a chemical change has taken place. When baking bread, the dough gets very hot and absorbs
the heat while it is baking. The bread rapidly cools after it is baked. The chemical reaction that
happens in today’s experiment is an endothermic reaction.
Procedure:
2. Measure about ¼ cup of lemon juice into the clear container. Put the thermometer into the lemon
juice for about three minutes. Record the temperature on the lab sheet. Leave the thermometer in the
container. Students can safely put their fingers inside the container to feel the temperature.
3. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of baking soda into the lemon juice and stir it to help it dissolve.
4. There will be a lot of bubbling. Start monitoring the temperature change right away. It will happen
immediately. Wait until the temperature has stopped lowering and quickly write down what it is.
When the temperature begins to rise, stir the mix a little. The temperature for this experiment never
stabilizes at its minimum. Record the temperature on the lab sheet.
5. Feel the outside of the container. Students can safely put their fingers inside the cup to feel the
temperature; it will feel cooler. Complete the lab sheet.
Possible answers:
Hypothesis
endothermic, less than
Observations
These are samples—your answers may vary because starting temperatures will vary.
Starting temperature = 72.7° F = 22.6° C
Ending temperature = 63.7° F = 17.6° C
Temperature difference = 72.7 – 63.7 = 9° F = 22.6 – 17.6 = 5° C
fell; your student’s calculation goes here: (9) or (5); endothermic
• When baking soda is stirred into lemon juice, energy is needed to break the bonds holding the baking
soda together; when this happens, the baking soda dissolves. The energy to break the bonds comes
from the surrounding air. When energy is absorbed like that, the temperature of the solution will go
down.
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• You have done several experiments this year involving endothermic reactions. Most of them involved
dissolving salt.
• For an endothermic reaction, the ending temperature is subtracted from the starting temperature—
just the opposite of an exothermic reaction. Just remember: To find the temperature difference,
always start with the larger of the two numbers, so that the difference is a positive number.

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NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Changes Lab #3: LET’S cool things down
Hypothesis
I think the chemical reaction of baking soda plus lemon juice is an
________________________ reaction. Because of this, the temperature of
the products at the end of the experiment will be (less than/greater than)
the temperature of the lemon juice at the start of the experiment.
Observations
Starting temperature:
Ending temperature:
Use the equation below to find the temperature difference:

Starting Temperature – Ending Temperature = Temperature Difference
Discussion and conclusion

The temperature (rose/fell) by _________ degrees in this experiment.
Therefore, this experiment is a good example of an ________________
reaction.

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NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Some Like It Sour, Some Don’t
Have you ever tasted a lemon or vinegar? They taste sour. They are
both acids, and acids taste sour. The word acid comes from the Latin
word acere, which means sour.
Acid molecules are a special type of molecule. There are many
different types of acid molecules, but most have one thing in common.
Most acid molecules have hydrogen atoms in the molecule. Not all
molecules with hydrogen atoms are acids, though.
When an acid is poured into water, the hydrogen atom comes off
of the molecule and floats away. When the hydrogen atom floats away,
it leaves its one and only one electron with the rest of the molecule.
Hydrogen is such a good sharer. It leaves its electron for its friends
to play with. What a nice guy! This type of chemical reaction has a
special name. It is called a dissociation reaction. A dissociation reaction
happens when a molecule comes apart and leaves or takes electrons with
it.
Base molecules are another special type of molecule. You use a

base every day. Soap is a base. The detergents your mom uses to wash
clothes and clean the house are also bases. Bases feel slippery and do
not taste sour; instead, they taste bitter.
Like acids, there are many different types of base molecules. Most
bases have one thing in common. Most bases have an oxygen atom and a
hydrogen atom. When the base is put in water, the oxygen and hydrogen
atoms float away from the rest of the molecule. The oxygen and

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hydrogen atoms stay linked to each other, though. When they float away,
they separate and TAKE an electron with them. This reaction in action is
also an example of a dissociation reaction.
Some people like sour things and some don’t. Do you like sour
candy? Have you noticed that it’s usually the outer coating on sour
candy that makes the candy sour? What do you think the people who
make sour candy coat it with—an acid or a base? (acid)

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Some Like It Sour, Some Don’t Lab #1:
Step 1 (or the day you stink everyone out of the house) – instructions
This lab can be completed over two days, or you can wait several hours between parts.
Caution: This lab involves boiling water. Only the parent/instructor should handle the boiling
water.
Materials:
• One head of red cabbage
• Knife for chopping cabbage, optional
• 4 cups Distilled water—if you use tap water, it may affect the acidity or basicity (pH) of the indicator
• Small strainer
• One glass quart jar with a lid (or another container that holds 1 quart)
• Large container with a cover that will hold 4 cups of cabbage plus 4 cups of water
• Four large white cone-style coffee filters (at least three coffee filters per person if teaching a group)
• Cookie sheet with a lip around it
• Bowl
• Rubber gloves (if you do not want your fingers dyed purple)
• Gallon-size sealable baggie
There is no lab sheet for Step 1.
Aloud: Today you will make a liquid that changes color if you add an acid or a base to it. It turns
red or pink if an acid is mixed into it, and green or blue if a base is mixed into it. Chemicals that
change color depending on whether they are mixed with an acid or a base are called indicators.
The word indicate means “to show.” Indicators show if something is an acid, a base, or neither.
I should tell you something else about the cabbage indicator you are going to make. It stinks.
You will also be making special indicator paper that indicates if a chemical is an acid, base, or
neither.
Procedure:
Day 1
1. Instructor: Boil the 4 cups of distilled water.
2. Chop or tear the leaves of the cabbage into small pieces (no larger than 2 inch squares). Chop until
you have 4 cups of cabbage. Put the cabbage into the large container. Pour all 4 cups of boiling water
over the cabbage. Cover the container. Let the cabbage-water mix cool several hours or overnight.
Day 2, or when the water has cooled
3. Strain the water from the container into the glass jar so that you no longer have any cabbage leaves
in the mix. Discard the cabbage leaves. Be careful—the cabbage solution will stain.
4. Pour one cup of cabbage indicator into a bowl. One at a time, begin putting coffee filters into the bowl.
When they are completely wet, take the coffee filters out and put them on the cookie sheet to dry. Do
not overlap the filters in case they stick to each other. Remember, the cabbage indicator stains. When
they are dry, store them in a baggie for future labs.
5. Save the remaining cabbage indicator in a well-sealed container and refrigerate for future labs.
• This lab will produce several sheets of indicator paper and a few extra cups of cabbage indicator
solution that will be used in labs over the next several weeks. Refrigerate the solution and keep the paper
covered and dry.
• You may want to follow this lab immediately with Step 2 (the next lab) so students can use the
cabbage indicator solution right away.

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Some Like It Sour, Some Don’t Lab #2:
Step 2 (or the fun begins) - instructions
Materials:
• Lab Sheet, pencil
• 2 cups Cabbage indicator made during Step 1
• 2 teaspoons Vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Ammonia
• 1 teaspoon Lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Water
• 1 teaspoon Baking soda
• 1 teaspoon Dish soap
• 1 teaspoon 7-Up or any clear soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• Nine small containers or glasses through which students can observe the color changes (if you use
plastic containers they could become stained; clear plastic disposable cups work well)
• Newspapers or other material to cover your work surface (to prevent staining)
Aloud: Today we are going to use the cabbage indicator you made in the last lab to assist us in
determining if different substances are bases, acids, or neither. The indicator will turn colors,
and the colors will tell us if something is a strong or weak acid or base. Acids turn the indicator
from purple to pink. The shade of pink depends on the strength of the acid. Bases turn the
indicator from purple to green or blue, depending on their strength. Green means it is a strong
base, and blue means it is a weaker base. Today you are going to experiment with nine different
compounds to see if they are an acid, a base, or neutral. Something is neutral if it is not an acid
or a base. Neutral compounds are in the middle of both. If you add a neutral compound to the
indicator, the color of the indicator will stay purple.
Procedure:
2. Pour two cups of cabbage indicator evenly between the nine cups (just eyeball it).
3. Do not put anything except indicator in the first cup. This cup is used as a reference. Starting with the
second cup, add the compounds to be tested in the order indicated below (this is the order they are
on the lab sheet). Students should record the color of the indicator after each addition on their lab
sheets.
Cup 1 - only cabbage indicator
Cup 2 - vinegar
Cup 3 - ammonia
Cup 4 - lemon juice
Cup 5 - water
Cup 6 - baking soda
Cup 7 - dish soap
Cup 8 - 7-Up
Cup 9 - salt
• Cover the surface where you are conducting this experiment to prevent staining. The cabbage indicator
will stain clothes as well.

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Answers:
Cup Add Color Acid, Base, Neutral
1 nothing purple neutral
2 vinegar pink/red acid
3 ammonia green base
4 lemon juice pink/red acid
5 water purple neutral
6 baking soda green base
7 dish soap blue base
8 7-Up pink acid
9 salt purple neutral

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NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Some Like It Sour, Some Don’t Lab #2: Step 2 (or the fun begins)
Hypothesis: (circle your answer)
I think baking soda will turn the indicator
pink red blue green
I think lemon juice will turn the indicator

pink red blue green
Results/Observations:
Cup Add Color Acid, Base, Neutral
1 nothing
2 vinegar
3 ammonia
4 lemon juice
5 water
6 baking soda
7 dish soap
8 7-Up
9 salt

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NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Acids and bases like to play together and make reactions in action
happen. When an acid and a base are mixed together, they react with each other,
so they are called reactants. The name of this reaction is an acid-base reaction.
One of the products of this type of reaction is water; another product is salt.
Remember, a product is a molecule made in a chemical reaction. If we write this
out as an equation (like you do in math), the equation for an acid-base reaction
is
Acid + Base = Water + Salt
Reactants = Products
Acids and bases call this the Let’s Make Water Game, and they really like to
play it. Acids and bases have the hydrogen and oxygen molecules needed to play
this game. Do you remember that water, H2O, is made from two hydrogen atoms
and one oxygen atom? Acid molecules usually have a hydrogen atom. Base
molecules usually have an oxygen atom and a hydrogen atom linked together.
As you already know, oxygen and hydrogen love to play together. They are best
friends, after all!
When acid and base molecules are mixed together, the acid molecules let
go of hydrogen atoms, each MISSING ONE electron, and the base molecules let
go of oxygen and hydrogen pairs linked together with ONE EXTRA electron. Is
it any surprise that acids and bases like to play the Let’s Make Water Game?
They have everything they need to make water, and you know how much everyone
likes water. When they play the Let’s Make Water Game, they have a chemical
reaction. The name of this type of reaction in action is an acid-base reaction.

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Hydrogen and Oxygen and Hydrogen Make Water Lab #1:
Let’s Make Water – instructions
Perform this experiment over a sink or a plastic tub. You should be prepared for the solution to bubble
over and out of the container.
Materials:
• 2 cups White vinegar
• 5 teaspoons of Baking soda
• ¼ cup Cabbage indicator solution
• Tall container that will hold 5 or more cups
• Water
• Indicator paper made in “Some Like It Sour, Some Don’t” lab
• Scissors
• Three small cups
Procedure:
1. Cut one of the indicator papers into strips about ½ inch wide. Pour a small amount of water into the
first small cup. Mix a small amount of baking soda with a small amount of water in the second small
cup. Pour a small amount of vinegar into the third small cup. Quickly dip an indicator paper strip into
each of the three cups. Compare the strips for color change and answer questions 1 - 3 on the lab
sheet.
2. Pour ¼ cup of indicator solution into the tall container.
(Have students record observations on the chart after each of the following steps.)
3. Stir 1 T of vinegar into the tall container with the indicator in it. Use an indicator strip to determine
if the solution is acidic or basic. Record observations. Record any evidence of a chemical change
(bubbling, changing colors).
4. Into the same tall container, stir 1 t of baking soda into the indicator + vinegar solution. Use an
indicator strip to determine if the solution is acidic or basic. Record observations. Record any evidence
of a chemical change (bubbling, changing colors).
5. If the solution is basic, stir in 1 t of vinegar. If the solution is acidic, stir in ¼ t of baking soda. After
you have added the acid or base, use an indicator strip to determine if the solution is acidic or basic.
On your lab sheet, circle if you added vinegar, an acid, or baking soda, a base and record how much you
added. Also, record the color the indicator strip turned and any evidence of chemical change. Repeat
this two-step process until the indictor paper does not change color from purple. Do not forget to
record your results as you go along. Add up the number or teaspoons or tablespoons of vinegar and
baking soda it took to reach neutral. Record the number on the lab sheet.
6. Remember, the purpose of each addition is to neutralize the solution. If the solution is acidic (red or
pink) add baking soda, which is the base. If the solution is basic (blue or green) add the acid, which
is vinegar. Stir and observe the color change before deciding what to add next. As you get close to a
neutralized solution, be careful or you can over-shoot the neutral point. Your student may want to
adjust the amount of vinegar and baking soda added each time, judging for themselves how much is
needed to achieve neutral. You might not use all of the rows on the table before you achieve neutral.
Aloud: Water is not an acid and it is not a base. Water is neutral. If you mix an acid with a base,
the acid and base molecules will react with each other and make water molecules. If the acid
molecules react with the base molecules so that they all turn into water molecules, you will have
neutralized the solution. In other words, the solution will not be acidic and it will not be basic;
it will be neutral. In fact, this type of acid-base reaction is called a neutralization reaction. You
can use your indicator solution and indictor paper to monitor the changes of a solution when
going from acidic or basic to neutral. Remember, a change to pink or red indicates the solution
is acidic, and a change to blue indicates the solution is basic. If the solution is purple, it is a
neutral solution. That means you have made water, water, water!
383
7. Optional Activity: The following activity is not very scientific because there is not any measuring
involved. It is a lot of fun, though. Pour more vinegar into the solution until it turns pink. Then pour in
baking soda (and stir) until the color of the solution turns blue again. Remember, the baking soda has
to dissolve, so be careful with it. You can do this back and forth until you are tired of watching the
color change from pink to blue. Be prepared for a lot of bubbling.
• When you mix an acid and a base together to make a solution neutral, water and salt are created. The
solution is neutral because the water is neutral.
• Even though water is produced, making the solution neutral, it’s not pure water, so DON’T DRINK IT! It’s
not poisonous but it won’t taste very good.
Possible Answers:
1. basic, blue
2. acidic, red
3. neutral, did not change color
Answers on the table will vary.

Results will vary.

384
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Hydrogen and Oxygen and Hydrogen Make Water Lab #1: Let’s Make Water
Observations
1. Baking soda is acidic / basic / neutral.
The indicator paper changed to blue / red /
it did not change color.
2. Vinegar is acidic / basic / neutral.
The indicator paper changed to blue / red /
it did not change color.
3. Water is acidic / basic / neutral.
The indicator paper changed to blue / red / it did not change color.
Color Color of ABN Evidence of

Type of Chemical of Indicator (acid, base, Chemical
Added Amount Solution Paper or neutral) Change
Vinegar 1T
Baking soda 1t
Vinegar or Baking soda
Results
It took ________ teaspoons / tablespoons of vinegar and ________
teaspoons / tablespoons of baking soda to neutralize my solution and
make water.

385
Lab #2: Painting Magic – instructions
Materials:
• Paint brush
• 1 tablespoon White vinegar in a cup
• 1 tablespoon Water with ½ teaspoon of baking soda mixed into it, in a cup
• Cup of water for rinsing the brush
• Piece of indicator paper
• Protected surface
There is no lab sheet for this activity.
Aloud: If I paint something with a clear liquid, will the color of it change? The answer is yes, of
course, if I use the special indicator paper and an acid and a base for paint. Today you are
going to write a message or paint a picture by painting on the indicator paper you made. What
colors will your picture be?
Procedure:
1. Cover the surface where the students will be painting. Remember the indicator will stain surfaces.
2. Give each student a piece of the indicator paper and a paint brush.
3. First, have them paint with the vinegar. When they are through, have them paint with the baking soda
solution. Make sure they rinse their brush off when going from the acid to the base. When they are
through painting with the base, they can go back and forth between the solutions.
• Students need to be careful they don’t saturate the paper. The less “paint” used, the more vivid the
colors will be. If they paint over the acid with the base and vice versa, they can change the color back
and forth.
• The indicator will begin to fade from the paper with too much painting.

387
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
pHunny pHriends pH Scale
14
When you look at a thermometer, you are looking at a
13
scale that measures temperature. Scientists have a special
12
scale that measures acids and bases too. It is called the pH
scale. The pH scale is used to tell if something is an acid, a 11
base, or neutral. It also measures the strength of an acid or 10

a base. Can you guess what the H in pH stands for? H stands 9
for hydrogen on the periodic table, and H stands for hydrogen
8
in pH. That’s why it is capitalized.
7
The pH scale goes from 0 to 14. Things that have a pH of
0 are very strong acids. Can you guess what a pH of 14 would 6
indicate? Things with a pH of 14 are very strong bases. Do you 5
know what number is in the middle between 0 and 14? That’s 4

right—7 is the number between 0 and 14. A pH of 7 is at the 3
middle of the pH scale. Water has a pH of 7. Water is said to
2
be neutral. Things that have a pH of 7 are not acids or bases.
1
The acid side of the pH scale is pH 0 to just before pH 7.
The acid side has things like vinegar, the coating that is put on 0
candy to make it sour, and lemon juice. Weak acids have a pH close to pH 7,
because they are close to neutral. Strong acids have a pH close to 0.
One important use for the pH scale is to measure the acidity of rain.
Normal rain has a pH of 5.6. If rain has a pH of less than 5, it is acid rain.
Acid rain is a pollutant. It can kill fish, frogs, and other aquatic animals. It
can weaken trees and dissolve stone. If a lake becomes polluted with acid
rain, scientists will sometimes add lime, which is a base, to make the lake
less acidic.
The base side of the pH scale is from just after pH 7 to pH 14. The
base side has things like soap, baking soda, and ammonia. Weak bases
have a pH close to pH 7. They are also close to neutral. Strong bases have
a pH close to 14. Bases can be useful medicine. Have you ever eaten a lot
of beans and experienced painful stomach gas? When you eat foods high
in fiber, like vegetables and beans, they can cause your stomach to create
too much acid, causing pain, burping, and other interesting reactions.
To alleviate this situation, your mom or dad might give you a base called
antacid that decreases (or neutralizes) the acid in your stomach and
saves the day!
389
pHunny pHriends Lab #1: Make a pH Scale - instructions
Materials:
• Red, blue, and white watercolor or acrylic paint
• Paintbrush
• Paint pallet or paper plate for blending colors.
• Water for rinsing paintbrush
Aloud: Scientists have a pHunny looking scale to help them figure out if something is an acid or a
base. It is called the pH scale. This scale also measures the strength of an acid or a base.
Procedure - Learn your way around the pH scale:
1. Read the text below aloud as students follow along on the Make a pH Scale lab sheet.
Aloud: Put your finger on the number 7. Water is a 7. If something has a pH of 7, it is not acidic
or basic. It is neutral. The number 7 is the mid point on the scale. If something has a pH below 7,
it is acidic. Trace your finger down the pH scale from 7 to 0. As you go down from 7 to 0, things
are getting MORE acidic. That means that the strongest acids are closer to 0 than to 7. This
part is a little confusing, but that’s how it is. Find HCl (hydrochloric acid) at the bottom of the
pH scale. HCl is a very strong acid found in your stomach to help digest food.
Trace your finger from 7 to 14 on your worksheet. As you go from 7 to 14, things are
getting MORE basic. That means the strongest bases are closer to 14 than to 7. Find NaOH
(sodium hydroxide) at the top of the pH scale. NaOH is a very strong base commonly called lye.
Procedure - Paint your pH scale:
Aloud: The indicator paper you made in this unit is also called pH paper. This paper can be used
to determine if something is an acid, a base, or neutral. It can also be used to determine the
strength of an acid or a base. Just like your indicator paper, on the pH scale, acids are shades
of red, and bases are shades of blue. Things that are neutral are very light in color or white.
Today you will paint your own pH scale.
2. Paint the pH scale on the worksheet using the watercolor or acrylic paint. Start by placing a small drop
of red paint on your pallet. (You will only need a very small amount of red paint.)
3. Load your paintbrush with the red paint, and paint the bottom box on the pH scale (between 0 and 1).
3. Add a small amount of white paint to the red paint on your pallet. Blend to make a slightly lighter shade
of red and paint the next box (between 1 and 2). Rinse your brush.
4. Continue this procedure, each time adding a little more white paint to the red on the pallet and painting
each consecutive box a lighter and lighter shade of red. STOP AFTER PAINTING the box between 5 and 6
(this box should be painted a light shade of pink).
5. Rinse your brush well and paint the box between 6 and 7 white.
6. Rinse your brush and place a small drop of blue paint on your pallet. (You will only need a very small
amount of blue paint.)
7. Load your paintbrush with the blue paint and paint the top box on the pH scale (between 14 and 13).
8. Add a small amount of white paint to the blue paint on your pallet. Blend to make a slightly lighter shade
of blue and paint the next box (between 13 and 12). Rinse your brush.
9. Continue this procedure, each time adding a little more white paint to the blue and painting each
consecutive box a lighter and lighter shade of blue. Finish with the box between 8 and 7 (this box should be
painted a very light shade of blue).
391
10. Let your pH scale dry before going on with the next part.
Procedure - Using your pH scale:
11. On the back of the worksheet is a list of substances—some basic and some acidic. Back on the front,
write the name of each substance on the correct line on the pH scale.
12. On the back of the worksheet, indicate whether each substance is an acid or a base.
13. Answer the questions below the table.
• You might want to make an extra copy of the worksheet before your student starts painting in case
an error is made. It is also a good idea to practice making the shades on scrap paper before painting
the original. Shading takes some practice.
• The “H” in pH stands for hydrogen and the “p” stands for potential. A pH scale measures the potential
of things to attract hydrogen. pH is a logarithmic scale. The formal definition of pH is the negative
logarithm of the hydrogen ion concentration. Because it is a negative logarithm, a 0 value means a
high concentration of hydrogen ions and a 14 value means a low concentration of hydrogen ions.
Answers:
baking soda base
tomato juice acid 14 drain cleaner
banana acid
13
blood base bleach
soap base 12
milk acid 11
soda acid
10 soap
bleach base
9
seawater base
vinegar acid 8 baking soda seawater
blood
drain cleaner base 7
milk
lemon juice acid
6
battery acid acid
5 banana
Bleach is the most basic. 4 tomato juice

Battery acid is the most acidic.
3 vinegar
Blood is the weakest base. soda lemon juice
Milk is the weakest acid. 2
Soap is more basic than seawater. 1

A banana is less acidic than tomato juice. battery acid
0

392
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
pHunny pHriends Lab #1: Make a pH Scale - page 1
14 NaOH (lye)
13
12
11
10
Bases
Neutral 7
Acids
0 HCl (stomach acid)

393
pHunny pHriends Lab #1: Make a pH Scale - page 2
Item pH Acid or Base?

baking soda 8
tomato juice 4
banana 5
blood 7.5
soap 10
milk 6.5
soda 2.5
bleach 12.5
seawater 8
vinegar 3
drain cleaner 14
lemon juice 2.5
battery acid .5
Which substance above is the most basic? _____________________

Which substance above is the most acidic? ______________________
Which substance is the weakest base? _________________________
Which substance is the weakest acid?__________________________
Soap is ( more / less ) basic than seawater.
A banana is ( less / more ) acidic than tomato juice.

394
pHunny pHriends Lab #2:
pHun With Acids – instructions
Materials:
• Cabbage indicator paper
• pH Scale painted in the last lab
• Scissors
• Knife
• Lemon
• Grapefruit
• Lime
• Orange
• Cherry Tomato
• V-8 juice
• 1 tablespoon Distilled water
• Paintbrush
• One small cup
• Glue or tape
Aloud: The cabbage indicator paper and your pH scale can be used to compare the strength
of acids. A strong acid, with a low pH, will turn the indicator paper from purple to a vivid pink. A
neutral liquid will not change the color of the paper at all. You can tell how strong an acid is by
the color of the indicator paper when you put an acid on it. The stronger the acid is, the more
pink the paper will be.
Procedure:
2. Cut seven ½-inch by 2 ½-inch strips of indicator paper. Use one strip of indicator paper for each item.
3. Cut the fruit and cherry tomato in half. You are going to drip one drop of each onto a strip of
indicator paper.
4. Use the paintbrush and put a dot of distilled water on one indicator strip—this strip is for reference.
5. Squeeze a drop of juice from the cherry tomato onto a strip of paper. Use the paintbrush to put a dot
of V-8 juice onto another strip. Compare these two. The V-8 contains tomato juice and vitamin C—both
acids.
6. Squeeze a drop of each citrus fruit onto different strips of indicator paper. Compare the colors
resulting from the drips.
7. Glue or tape the strips onto the lab sheet in the order of most acidic to least acidic, placing the water
test strip last. Label the strips.
8. Compare your strips to the acid side of pH scale you painted (0 to 7). They should be somewhat
similar.
• The indicator papers will display more vivid colors as they dry.
• The acidity of citrus fruit can vary for each type of fruit. So your answers could be different than mine.
• The indicator you made is only one type of indicator. Different types of indicators turn different
colors. There are indicators that turn yellow, those that turn red, and those that become clear, in an
acidic solution. There are indicators that turn orange, those that turn blue, and also those that turn
yellow, in a basic solution. One type of indicator is litmus. Litmus turns red when the pH is less than 7,
and blue when the pH is greater than 7. The pH scale you painted uses a litmus type of color scheme;
the acid side of the pH scale is red, and the base side of the pH scale is blue.

395
Possible Answers:
The cherry tomatoes are more acidic than the V-8 juice.
Least acidic fruit = orange Most acidic fruit = lemon
The lime and the grapefruit will probably tie.

396
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
pHunny pHriends Lab #2: pHun With Acids
Hypothesis:
Which do you think will be more acidic? cherry tomato V-8 juice
List the citrus fruit (lime, lemon, orange, grapefruit) in the order you think
they will test, from most acidic to least acidic. (Remember, acidic things
are sour.)
1. ___________________ most acidic
2. ___________________
3. ___________________
4. ___________________ least acidic
Results: (Glue and label your indicator strips in the spaces below.)
Glue most acidic here
(darkest pink)
Glue least acidic here

(lightest pink)
Glue water strip here

Water
Discussion and Conclusion:
Which was more acidic: cherry tomatoes or V-8? _____________________
Which citrus fruit was the most acidic? _____________________________
Which citrus fruit was the least acidic? _____________________________
Did any seem to be tied for acidity? If yes, which ones?
_________________________________________________________________
397
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Building Teeth
Do you remember losing your first tooth? Did you
wonder what type of chemical reaction your body
used to make a new one? Probably not, because you
didn’t know about chemistry back then. How about
your bones? They are hard solids, and they grow with
the rest of your body. Calcium helps your bones and
teeth grow strong. You get calcium into
your body by eating foods like milk, yogurt,
salmon, and broccoli. The calcium dissolves
in your stomach and enters your blood as a liquid. What kind
of chemical reaction does your body use to take calcium out of
a liquid solution and turn it into teeth and bones, both solids?
These are the types of questions about chemical reactions that chemists
ask.
The reaction in action that makes teeth and bones grow is called a
precipitation reaction. Most liquids have molecules dissolved in them. In a
precipitation reaction, these liquids with dissolved molecules, mix together
to make new molecules that are solids. Your body uses precipitate
reactions to help turn the calcium in a liquid into solid bones and teeth.
Precipitation reactions are important in your body and in nature.

Your teeth and bones are made using precipitation reactions. Coral reefs
are formed through precipitation reactions; seashells and snail shells are
too.

399
Building Teeth Lab: Precipitates – instructions
This is a two-day lab.
Materials:
• Sealable baggie
• Six pieces of chalk
• 2/3 cup White vinegar
• Pitcher with a pour spout that will hold the vinegar and chalk solution
• Plastic wrap
• Clear glass container, that holds 2 cups
• Container for mixing water and baking soda
• 1/2 cup Warm water
• 3 teaspoons Baking soda
Day 1
Aloud: We cannot get into someone’s body to watch teeth and bones grow, but we can make
a precipitate that has calcium in it. A precipitate is what the solid is called that forms in
a precipitation reaction. Chalk has calcium in it. It is made up of molecules called calcium
carbonate. This is not the same type of calcium that makes up your teeth and bones. Calcium
carbonate is an important part of seashells and coral reefs, though. Today you will dissolve
calcium carbonate in vinegar. Tomorrow, you will precipitate the calcium carbonate back into its
solid form. What will the solid do if it is less dense than the liquid? What will it do if it is more
dense than the liquid?
Procedure:
1. Put the chalk pieces into a baggie, and crush them into very small pieces and chalk dust.
2. Pour the vinegar and chalk into a clear glass container. Stir the mixture a few times. Cover with plastic
wrap and leave the mixture to sit overnight.
3. Answer the first two questions on the lab sheet.
Day 2
Aloud: Today you are going to mix two liquids and make a solid form. When molecules in liquids
combine to make a solid, the solid is called a precipitate. The first liquid has the calcium
carbonate that was dissolved into the vinegar overnight. The second liquid has baking soda
dissolved in it. While we’re are at it, we will check out the density of the solid precipitate that
forms.
Procedure:
1. Use a spoon or a spatula and skim any foam from the top surface of the chalk + vinegar solution. Do
not stir up the liquid.
2. Pour the clear liquid from the chalk + vinegar solution into a clear glass container that holds 2 cups.
This liquid is the dissolved calcium carbonate. Be careful when you pour the liquid; do not pour any of
the solid that is sitting on the bottom of the container.
3. In another glass, mix ½ cup of warm water with 3 teaspoons of baking soda. Stir this until most of the
baking soda has dissolved.
4. Pour the baking soda solution into the glass container with the dissolved calcium carbonate. Be careful
not to pour any undissolved baking soda into the calcium carbonate solution.

401
5. Observe as calcium carbonate precipitates back out of solution. The solution will be very cloudy at
first. If you observe carefully, it looks like snow is falling in the glass. Wait about 20 minutes for the
precipitate to fall to the bottom.
6. Pour out the liquid from the precipitate mix. Check out the precipitate in the bottom of the glass. It is
safe to touch.
7. Complete the lab sheet.
• The calcium in people’s teeth and bones is calcium phosphate, Ca3(PO4)2, not calcium carbonate.
Calcium carbonate is a common calcium supplement. When someone takes calcium carbonate
supplements, his body dissolves the calcium carbonate. This dissolved calcium carbonate is eventually
precipitated out of solution in the form of Ca3(PO4)2 , making and strengthening teeth and bones.
• The molecular formula for baking soda is NaHCO3.
Possible Answers:
White, soft, chalky feeling, dry
When chalk and vinegar are mixed, bubbles form, indicating a chemical reaction.
The first picture should show a cloudy solution. The second picture should show a clear-like solution with
a white layer on the bottom of the glass.
The precipitate is more dense—you know this because it sinks to the bottom.
White, soft, chalky feeling, white, smells faintly of vinegar
The formation of a precipitate is evidence of a chemical change.

402
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Building Teeth Lab: Precipitates
Describe the chalk dust before it is mixed with vinegar.
A chemical change occurred when chalk and vinegar were

mixed together. What is the evidence supporting this
statement?
Observations
My solution immediately after
mixing them together. My solution 20 minutes later.
Which is more dense: the liquid or the precipitate? How do you know?

Write a description of the precipitate formed in the reaction.

A chemical change occurred when the solutions with calcium carbonate and
the baking soda were mixed together. What is the evidence supporting this
statement?

403
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
For my notebook
Combustion Action
A burning candle is evidence of a chemical reaction in action.
Fires burning, exploding fireworks, and cars turning on and going are all
examples of combustion reactions. Almost anytime anything burns, it is
a combustion reaction. Combustion reactions release heat, so they are
exothermic.
ALL combustions reactions have one thing in common. They all react
or respond to oxygen gas. Do you remember the little O2 molecule in the
air? In order for things to burn, there needs to be O2 molecules present.
The source of oxygen is usually the air around us. That is why people are
supposed to smother a campfire
with dirt when they leave a
campsite. Even if there are hot
coals in the ashes, if the oxygen
in the air cannot get to the
coals, the fire will die out. That
is because as long as the fire
burns, oxygen gas is being used
up. Eventually there is not enough
oxygen gas for the fire to keep
burning. When this happens, the
fire will go out.
In general, every combustion reaction starts with something that

burns and oxygen. These are called the reactants. The products or results
of a combustion reaction are some new molecules and heat.
Something that burns + O2 New molecules + Heat

Reactants Products
An Example of a Combustion Reaction:

Wood + O2 Ash + Smoke + Heat
Reactants Products

405
Combustion Action Lab #1: Playing with Fire - instructions
Caution: This lab involves the use of matches and fire. Only adults should light or handle the
candles.
Materials:
• Three different-size glass jars (The greater the difference, the better. But all the jars need to be able
to fit over the candles)
• Roasting pan, large enough to fit all three jars at the same time
• Sand (enough to fill the pan to a 1-inch depth)
• Three votive candles, all the same size
• Matches or a lighter
• Stopwatch or watch with a second hand
Aloud: Oxygen and fire are a team. Without oxygen, you cannot have fire. Fire needs oxygen to
keep burning. In this lab, three candles will be lit, and different-size jars will be placed over the
top of them. Do you think the size of each jar will affect how long each candle stays lit?
Procedure:
2. Fill the roasting pan with sand so that the depth is 1 inch. Put the candles in the sand in a row. Make
sure the jars will fit over each candle and into the sand. The sand is there to make sure no oxygen can
creep in the jars.
3. Instructor: Light the candles. Wait a short time to make sure they are well lit.
4. Instructor: Put the jars over the burning candles at the same time (you will need extra adult hands for
this). [Alternatively, you can place the jars one at a time over the candles, timing each one individually.]
5. Start the timer right away after you put the jars on the candles. Record the time it took for each
candle to go out. It might help to have one person operating the timer and one person recording the
time. Do not turn the timer off until the last candle goes out.
6. Record the results on the lab sheet.
• You can use water in place of sand in the roasting pan. If you use water, make sure the candles are
secured to something (like clay) so that they cannot fall over. If the candles get wet, they will not work
in this experiment.
• You might need to cut the candles off at the bottom end to make the jars fit over them. There has to
be some head space for the candles.
Possible Answers:
Hypothesis
I think the candle covered by the large jar will stay lit the longest.
I think the candle covered by the small jar will go out first.
Observations
The drawing of the jars should emphasize the different sizes.
Results
The timed results will vary.
• The candle burned for the longest amount of time when covered with the large jar. The candle burned
for the medium amount of time when covered by the medium jar. The candle burned for the smallest
amount of time when covered by the small jar.
• This experiment shows that if all the air around a fire is used up, the fire will go out. That is because in
a combustion reaction, you need oxygen from the air to keep the fire going; it is an essential reactant.
407
NAME ______________________________ DATE ___________________
Combustion Action Lab #1: Playing with Fire
Hypothesis
I think the candle covered by the large medium small
jar will stay lit the longest.
I think the candle covered by the large medium small

jar will go out first.
Observations
My jars looked like this over the candles:
Results
Small Jar Medium Jar Large Jar
Candle went out at

In which jar did the candle stay burning the longest?
In which jar did the candle burn the least amount of time?
This experiment shows that if all the air around a fire is used up, the fire
will _____________________________ . That is because in a combustion
reaction you need _________________ from the air to keep the fire going.

409
Combustion Action Lab #2: Burning Money– instructions
Caution: This lab involves the use of fire and burning objects. Students should only
observe this lab from a safe distance.
Materials:
• Dollar bill
• Tongs
• Lighter
• ¼ teaspoon Salt
• ½ cup 91% rubbing alcohol
• ½ cup Water
• Pan
• Measuring cup
• Sink or other nonflammable surface
There is no lab sheet for this lab.
Aloud: The lab for today is an exciting combustion reaction. You are going to watch as a dollar
bill is lit on fire. There will be a whole roomful of oxygen around, so today the oxygen will not be
used up in the experiment. Do you think this chemical reaction is endothermic or exothermic?
(exothermic)
Procedure:
1. Pour the rubbing alcohol, water, and salt into the pan, then stir this to dissolve and mix in the salt.
Put the dollar bill into the pan and let it become saturated. Be careful not to get any alcohol on you.
Do not light the dollar bill with alcohol on your hands.
2. Use the tongs to take out the bill. Hold the bill over the pan until the liquid has stopped draining from
it. Do not let the bill dry.
3. Move the still-damp bill far away from the pan and over a sink or other fire proof area. If you get any
alcohol on your hands, wash your hands now. Do not light the dollar bill with alcohol on your
hands.
4. Keep holding the bill with the tongs. Light the bill with the lighter. Let the bill keep burning until the
fire goes out. When the flame goes out, light the lighter again and run it along the bill. The bill will not
relight. Have everyone check the bill out so students can see that it did not burn.
Aloud: Before the bill was lit, it was soaked in rubbing alcohol and water. Rubbing alcohol burns
at a lower temperature than water. The fire that you saw came from the combustion of the
rubbing alcohol, not the dollar bill. As the fire burned, the rubbing alcohol on the bill burned
off the bill. The reaction in action turned the rubbing alcohol into carbon dioxide and water
molecules. When the rubbing alcohol burned off the dollar bill, the water still on the bill put the
fire out!
• Do not use fake money. Real bills are not paper; they are similar to cloth that is woven. That is one
reason they do not burn in this experiment.
• This experiment creates a similar situation to that created when food is flambéed.
• The specific chemical reaction for this experiment is:
C2H5OH + 4O2 2CO2 + 3H2O + heat

something to burn (rubbing alcohol) + oxygen new molecules (carbon dioxide & water) + heat
reactants products

411
Reactions in Action - Crossword Vocabulary Review
1 2
3 4
9 10
11
Across
1. The new molecules made in a chemical reaction.
6. Heat is absorbed in this type of chemical reaction.
8. In this type of change, the appearances changes, but the molecules do not.
9. A chemical with a pH of 12 is this.
10. A chemical that shows if something is an acid, a base, or neither.
11. The starting molecules in a chemical reaction.
Down
2. Combination, separation, or rearrangement of atoms into new and different molecules.
(Two words)
3. Heat is released in this type of chemical reaction.
4. Oxygen is a necessary reactant for this type of chemical reaction.
8. Measures the acidity and basicity of solutions, with values from 0 to 14. (Two words)
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Crossword Puzzle Answer Keys
1
C
H
E
M 1
2 E
C I 2 3
3
N A P
H C P 4 5
E L E M E N T N R
E A H
M L Y R O E O
6
G M U T D
4
I C T S
S H E I Y T O I
5 7
H Y P O T H E S I S C E L E C T R O N F
M T A E O F
8
I L V N U C L E U S
6
C H E M I S T R Y E S
9
A E M O L E C U L E I
L S O
S T N
Unit 1 - What Is Chemistry? EclipseCrossword.com Unit 2 - Starting Small
1
S
2 3
M S O D I U M A
2 3 4 5
A P A L B O R O N
T E S F G I
6
4
P U O T
O P E R I O D S 7
H Y D R O G E N R
M I
5 O O
I G R O U P S 8
L
9
S I L I C O N G
C D
10
I C P E
11 12
M I T A H H F N
6 13
A T O M I C N U M B E R H R
14
O E L O
S T I B E R Y L L I U M X
U O U I O Y
S A 15
7
M A G N E S I U M R G
S Y M B O L
M I E
L 16
N E O N
8
M E N D E L E E V
17
C H L O R I N E
Unit 4 - The Chemist’s Alphabet Applied
Bonus: Aluminum, Al

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1 2
E L E C T R O N S
A
3
X P
Y I
L L
4
M O L E C U L E
M A
5
R M
6
Y B I
7 8
M O L E C U L A R F O R M U L A X
O C N T
M T D U
P I R
9
E L E C T R O N D O T S T R U C T U R E
1 2
V O L U M E U N
N
A
3 D
T F Unit 5 - Molecules Rule
4 5
T H R E E B
E E O
6
D R E I
E Z L
7
M E L T I N G P O I N T I
S N N
8 9
L I Q U I D G A S G
T P P
Y O O
10
S I I
11
C O N D E N S A T I O N P O I N T 1 2
P R O D U C T S
L T T
H
I 3
E
4
C E
D
5
Unit 6 - What’s the Matter? N X O M
6
EclipseCrossword.com E N D O T H E R M I C I
U T B C
7
T H U A A
8
R E P H Y S I C A L
A R H T I R
L M S I D E
I C O A
C A N C
L T
9 10
B A S E I N D I C A T O R
O
11
R E A C T A N T S
Unit 7 - Reactions in Action


416
Vocabulary
Acid – From the Latin word acere, meaning “sour.” Acids are a special type of molecule. Most acids have
a hydrogen atom that dissociates from the molecule without its electron when it is put in water.
Acidic solutions have a pH below 7.
Acid Rain – Rain with a pH of less than 5. Acid rain is a pollutant that can kill aquatic animals and
amphibians, weaken trees, and dissolve stone.
Acid-Base Reaction – A type of chemical reaction with the following form: acid + base = water + salt
Acrostic – A type of poem. A letter in each word of the poem spells out another message.
Aluminum (Al) – Aluminum is in Group 13 in the 3rd period. Its atomic number is 13, and its atomic mass is
27. Aluminum is the most common metal in the earth’s surface. It is the third most common
element in the earth’s crust. It is a strong, light, and corrosion-resistant metal.
Ammonia – The chemical formula for ammonia is NH3. Ammonia is used to make fertilizers, explosives, and
cleaning products.
Anode – A positively charged electrode.
Antacid – A substance that neutralizes acid.
Argon (Ar) – Argon is in Group 18 in the 3rd period. Its atomic number is 18 and its atomic mass is 40.
Argon is the third most common gas in the earth’s atmosphere. It is used to fill light bulbs.
Atmosphere – All the gas surrounding a planet.
Atomic Mass Unit – The unit of measurement used to tell the mass of an atom—abbreviated as a.m.u.
Atomic Number – Equals the number of protons in the nucleus of an atom. Each element has its own
unique atomic number. This number can be used to identify an element and is found in the periodic
table.
Atomic Theory of Matter – John Dalton proposed this theory in 1803. The theory states that 1.) All things
are made of atoms. 2.) Atoms of the same element are the same, and atoms of different elements
are different from each other. 3.) Compounds are formed when different types of atoms combine
with each other.
Atom – The basic building blocks of all matter. Atoms are made from protons, electrons, and neutrons.
Base – A special type of molecule. Most bases have an oxygen-hydrogen pair that dissociates from the
molecule with an extra electron when put in water. Basic solutions have a pH above 7.
Beryllium (Be) - Beryllium is in Group 2 in the 2nd period. Its atomic number is 4, and its atomic mass is 9.
Beryllium is found in emeralds. It is a deadly poison if eaten.
Boiling Point – The point in temperature at which a compound goes from a liquid to a gas.
Bonds – The places where atoms link together to make molecules.
Boron (B) - Boron is in Group 13 in the 2nd period. Its atomic number is 5, and its atomic mass is 11. It is
used to make the green color in fireworks.
Buoyancy – The ability of things to float.
Calcium Carbonate – The chemical formula for calcium carbonate is CaCO3. Calcium carbonate is found in
rocks. It is an important molecule in the shells of marine animals, snails, and birds.
Capillary Action – The ability of a substance to draw another substance into it.
Carbon (C) - Carbon is in Group 14 in the 4th period. Its atomic number is 6, and its atomic mass is 12. It
has two elemental forms: graphite and diamond. All living things on earth have carbon in them. It is
the sixth most common element in the universe.

417
Carbon Dioxide - The chemical formula for carbon dioxide is CO2. Carbon dioxide is a gas found in the
earth’s atmosphere.
Catalase – A compound found in your blood and in many other living things as well.
Catalyst – Something that speeds up a chemical reaction.
Cathode – A negatively charged electrode.
Cells – The basic units of all living things.
Cellulose – A special type of molecule found in plants.
Chemical Change – Rearrangement of atoms such that new and different molecules are made. A chemical
change is necessary for a chemical reaction to occur.
Chemical Family or Group – This is a column of the periodic table. There are 18 groups.
Chemical Reaction – A combination, separation, or rearrangement of atoms into new and different
molecules.
Chemical Tests – These are tests performed on compounds to see how they behave chemically.
Chemicals – All matter is made of chemicals. Chemicals are made up of atoms and molecules.
Chemist – A person who studies chemicals and the matter they make.
Chemistry – The science studying chemicals and the matter they make.
Chlorine (Cl) - Chlorine is in Group 17 in the 3rd period. Its atomic number is 17, and its atomic mass is 35. It
is found in bleach and table salt.
Chlorophyll – The molecule that makes plants green.
Colloid – A solid suspended in a liquid. It has properties between a solid and a liquid.
Combustion Reactions – A type of chemical reaction with the following form, something that burns + O2 
new molecules + heat. Combustion reactions are exothermic.
Compound – A group of molecules that is all the same kind.
Condensation Point - The point in temperature at which a compound goes from a gas to a liquid.
Crystals – Solids that form in an orderly, repeating pattern, e.g. sugar and NaCl.
Dalton, John – The famous English chemist (1766-1844) who proposed the Atomic Theory of
Matter.
Democritus – The Greek who 2,400 years ago said that everything is made of particles called atoms.
Dense – Things that are dense have molecules very close together, as in a solid.
Density – The physical property that measures the amount of stuff in a given space.
Diffusion - A transport mechanism, where molecules move from an area of high concentration to an area
of low concentration.
Dissociation Reaction – Occurs when a molecule comes apart and leaves or takes electrons.
Electric Charge – An amount of electrical energy.
Electrolyte - A negatively or positively charged particle (ion) that conducts electricity.
Electrolysis – A method of separating bonded atoms using an electrical current.
Electron Dot Method – This is a method used for drawing atoms and molecules. Using this method, the
electrons in the outer energy level are drawn around the elemental symbol.
Electron Dot Structures – This is the name used for the atoms and molecules drawn using the Electron Dot
Method.
Electrons – Small particles that orbit around the nucleus of an atom. Electrons have a negative charge.
Element – Matter that contains a specified type of atom; all of which all have the same number of protons
in the nucleus. There are 118 different types of elements.

418
Endothermic Reactions – A type of reaction where the temperature at the end of the reaction is lower
than the temperature at the beginning. Heat is absorbed in this type of chemical reaction.
Energy Level – Where the electrons of an atom are found.
Exothermic Reaction – A reaction where the temperature at the end of the reaction is higher than the
temperature at the beginning. Heat is released in this type of chemical reaction.
Fertilizer – A chemical added to soil as a food for plants.
Fluid – The ability to flow.
Fluoride – Used in toothpaste to help strengthen teeth.
Fluorine (F) - Fluorine is in Group 17 in the 2nd period. Its atomic number is 9, and its atomic mass is 19. It is
a very reactive element. Fluorine is found in fluoride toothpaste to help strengthen teeth.
Freezing Point - The point in temperature at which a compound goes from a liquid to a solid.
Gas – A state of matter. In a gas the molecules have a lot of space between them. Gases do not have
definite volume or a definite shape
Gold (Au) - Gold is in Group 11 in the 6th period. Its atomic number is 79, and its atomic mass is 197. It is a
metal.
Helium (He) - Helium is in Group 18 in the 1st period. Its atomic number is 2, and its atomic mass is 4. The
second most common element in the universe and the sixth most common gas in the earth’s
atmosphere.
Hydrochloric Acid - The chemical formula for hydrochloric acid is HCl. Hydrochloric acid is a very strong,
corrosive acid with a low pH that has many industrial uses and is found in gastric juices.
Hydrogen (H) - Hydrogen is in Group 1 in the 1st period. Its atomic number is 1, and its atomic mas is 1. It is
the smallest atom, the most common element in the universe, and the tenth most common
element in the earth’s crust.
Hydrogen Bonding – This type of bond can occur between molecules, where one of the molecules has
hydrogen as a part of it. Hydrogen bonds hold water molecules together.
Hydrogen Peroxide – The chemical formula for hydrogen peroxide is H2O2. It is used as an oxidizing and
bleaching agent, and for antiseptic uses.
Hypothesis – A reasoned proposal predicting an outcome of an experiment.
Indicators - Chemicals that show if something is an acid, a base, or neither.
Iron (Fe) - Iron is in Group 8 in the 4th period. Its atomic number is 26, and its atomic mass is 56. It is a
metal.
Lead (Pb) - Lead is in Group 14 in the 6th period. Its atomic number is 82, and its atomic mass is 207. It is a
metal.
Liquid – A state of matter. Liquids have a definite volume but do not have a definite shape.
Lithium (Li) - Lithium is in Group 1 in the 2nd period. Its atomic number is 3, and its atomic mass is 7. The
name lithium comes from the Greek word for “stone.”
Magnesium (Mg) - Magnesium is in Group 2 in the 3rd period. Its atomic number is 12, and its atomic mass
is 24. It is the eighth most common element in the universe and the seventh most common element
in the earth’s crust. It is found in Epsom salt and seawater.
Mass – A measurement for how much matter is in an object. Unlike weight, mass is not affected by gravity.
Matter – All things that are made of atoms and molecules.
Melting Point - The point in temperature at which a compound goes from a solid to a liquid.
Mendeleev, Dmitri – A famous Russian scientist (1834 to 1907) who created the periodic table.
Mixture – A group of different kinds of molecules.

419
Molecular Formula – Formulas that indicate the amount and type of atoms present in a molecule, using
elemental symbols and numerical subscript.
Molecules – A group of two or more atoms bonded together.
Neon (Ne) - Neon is in Group 18 in the 2nd period its atomic number is 10, and its atomic mass is 20. It is
the fourth most common element in the universe and the fifth most common gas in the earth’s
atmosphere. It is used to make neon lights.
Neutral – Not an acid or a base.
Neutralization Reaction – Acid-base reactions perfectly calibrated to result in a neutral solution—pH = 7.
Neutrons - Particles in the nucleus of an atom. Neutrons have no charge.
Nitrogen (N) - Nitrogen is in Group 15 in the 2nd period. Its atomic number is 7, and its atomic mass is 14.
It is the fifth most common element in the universe. 78% of the earth’s atmosphere is nitrogen,
making it the most common element in the earth’s atmosphere.
Nucleus – The nucleus is the center of an atom, containing the protons and neutrons.
Oxygen (O) - Oxygen is in Group 16 in the 2nd period. Its atomic number is 8, and its atomic mass is 16. It is
the third most common element in the universe, the second most common gas in the earth’s
atmosphere, and the most common element in the earth’s crust and in the ocean.
Periodic Table of the Elements – The main reference document of chemistry. The periodic table tells the
properties of the elements.
Periods – The rows of the periodic table. There are seven periods. The period an element is in tells you the
number of energy levels that element has.
pH Scale – A scale that measures the acidity and basicity of solutions. The pH scale ranges from 0
(strong acid) to 7 (neutral) to 14 (strong base).
Phosphorescent – The emission of light—the property of glowing in the dark.
Phosphorus (P) - Phosphorus is in Group 15 in the 3rd period. Its atomic number is 15, and its atomic mass
is 31. It is used to make fireworks.
Physical Change – This is a change in appearance of something without there being a change in the
molecules present.
Physical Tests - These observations and tests are performed to determine the physical properties of
compounds.
Polymer – A long chain of molecules that stretch and bend.
Potassium (K) - Potassium is in Group 1 in the 4th period. Its atomic number is 19, and its atomic mass is
39. It is the seventh most common element in the earth’s crust.
Precipitate – The solid that forms in a precipitation reaction.
Precipitation Reaction – A special type of chemical reaction where liquids with dissolved molecules mix
together and make new molecules that are solids.
Products – The new molecules made in a chemical reaction.
Protons - Particles in the nucleus of an atom. Protons have a positive charge.
Reactants – The starting molecules in a chemical reaction.
Scanning-Tunneling Microscope – A special type of microscope used to see atoms.
Silicon (Si) - Silicon is in Group 14 in the 3rd period. Its atomic number is 14, and its atomic mass is 28.
It is the seventh most common element in the universe and the second most common gas in the
earth’s crust. It is found in sand.

420
Silver (Ag) - Silver is in Group 11 in the 5th period. Its atomic number is 47, and its atomic mass is 108. It is a
metal.
Sodium (Na) - Sodium is in Group 1 in the 3rd period. Its atomic number is 11, and its atomic mass is 23. It is
the sixth most common element in the earth’s crust. It is found in table salt.
Sodium Chloride – The chemical formula for sodium chloride is NaCl. It is common table salt.
Sodium Hydroxide – The chemical formula for sodium hydroxide is NaOH. It is a strong base with a pH of 14.
The common name is lye. It is used in making paper, drinking water, and detergents.
Sodium Hypochlorite - The chemical formula for sodium hydroxide is NaClO. Its common name is bleach.
Solid - A state of matter. Solids have a definite volume and a definite shape.
Solute – A substance dissolved in another substance, called the solvent.
Solution - A mixture with two parts to it, the solvent and the solute.
Solvent – A substance in which another substance, the solute, is dissolved.
States of Matter - The three forms of matter—solid, liquid, and gas.
Steam – The name for water when it is a gas.
Subscript – A word, number, or symbol that appears below the text—for example the 2 in H2O is in
subscript notation.
Sulfur (S) - Sulfur is in Group 16 in the 3rd period. Its atomic number is 16, and its atomic mass is 35. It is
found in eggs, volcanoes, fireworks, and matches.
Sulfuric Acid – The chemical formula for sulfuric acid is H2SO4. It is a strong acid.
Symbols – In chemistry, the abbreviations for the names of the elements.
Theory – A statement of what are held to be the general laws, principles, or causes of something known or
observed. In science, theories are ideas that interpret facts and explain how or why something
works.
Universal Solvent – Water. It is the universal solvent, because it is the main solvent into which solutes are
dissolved.
Volume – A physical property that measures the amount of space something takes up.
Xylem – Long, straw-like tubes in plants made of cellulose molecules. Xylem are used for water
transport.
Zinc (Zn) - Zinc is in Group 12 in the 4th period. Its atomic number is 30, and its atomic mass is 65. It is a
metal.

421
Index
Page locators that appear in bold text refer to the glossary entry, and page locators that are underlined refer to the
definition in the text.
A crossword puzzle regarding, 63
Acid rain, 389, 417 importance of including in this curriculum, 5
Acid-base reaction, 381, 417 labs regarding, 37–47, 49–51, 55–61
Acids, 373, 417 matter and, 9, 269–270
labs regarding, 375–379, 383–387 molecules and, 231, 255
For My Notebook pages, 373–374 movement of, 41–43
overview, 11, 373–374 For My Notebook pages, 35, 53, 255, 301
pH scale and, 389 overview, 35, 239, 255, 301
reading suggestions and, 19 parts of, 44, 45–51
Acrostic, 270, 417 Poem pages, 44
Air reading suggestions and, 17
as a chemical, 21 size of, 37–39
labs regarding, 341–347 states of matter and, 275
For My Notebook pages, 339 types of, 53–61
overview, 339 unit overview, 7
unit overview, 10–11 Auditory learning style, 5
Aluminum, 53, 163, 417
common uses of, 69 B
Element Book, 167–169 Bases, 373, 417
flipbook activity, 87–93 labs regarding, 375–379, 383–387
labs regarding, 55–61, 165 For My Notebook pages, 373–374
For My Notebook pages, 163 overview, 11, 373–374
overview, 163 pH scale and, 389
Ammonia, 181, 181, 417 reading suggestions and, 18
a.m.u.. see Atomic mass units (a.m.u.) Be Mgnificent group (Group 2). see also
Anode, 417 Beryllium; Magnesium
Antacid, 389, 417 Element Book, 159–161
Argon, 417 For My Notebook pages, 153
air, 339 overview, 153
Element Book, 223–225 Beryllium, 417
flipbook activity, 87–93 atoms and, 56–57
For My Notebook pages, 217 chemical family and, 115–117
overview, 217 Element Book, 159–161
unit overview, 9 flipbook activity, 87–93
Atmosphere, 339, 417 labs regarding, 55–61
For My Notebook pages, 339 For My Notebook pages, 153
overview, 339 overview, 153
Atomic mass. see also Mass unit overview, 8
Element Book, 147–151 worksheets regarding, 115–117
hydrogen, 113 Big Idea (BI), list of for all the units, 7–11
unit overview, 8 “Bill Nye - The Science Guy,” 19
Atomic mass units (a.m.u.), 95, 95–96, 417 Bleach, 205
Atomic numbers, 81, 417 Boiling point, 281, 417
Element Book, 147–151 labs regarding, 283–289
hydrogen, 113 For My Notebook pages, 281
mass and, 95–96 overview, 10, 281
unit overview, 8 Bonds, 231, 417
Atomic Theory of Matter (Dalton), 269, 417 labs regarding, 239–245
Atoms, 35, 417. see also Electrons; Neutrons; Make a Molecule Puzzle and, 233–237
Protons molecule formula and, 247
chemical reactions and, 353 molecules and, 233, 239, 243
423
unit overview, 9 Chemical reactions, 353, 418
Boron, 163, 417 crossword puzzle regarding, 413
atoms and, 57 demonstration regarding, 363–364
chemical family and, 115–117 dissociation reaction, 373–374
Element Book, 167–169 labs regarding, 359–361, 365–371, 375–379,
flipbook activity, 87–93 383–387, 395–397, 401–403, 407–411
labs regarding, 53–61, 165 For My Notebook pages, 353, 373–374, 381,
For My Notebook pages, 163 389, 399, 405
overview, 163 overview, 9, 353
worksheets regarding, 115–117 pH scale and, 389, 391–394
Bumblebees Alright group (Group 13). see also Poem pages, 352
Aluminum; Boron precipitation reaction, 399
Element Book, 167–169 reading suggestions and, 18
labs regarding, 165 unit overview, 11
For My Notebook pages, 163 water and, 381
overview, 163 worksheets regarding, 355–357, 391–394
Buoyancy, 345, 345–347, 417 Chemical tests, 27, 27–30, 418
Chemicals, 21, 418
C in everyday items, 23–25
Calcium, precipitation reaction and, 399 For My Notebook pages, 21–22
Calcium carbonate, 417 overview, 21–22
Capillary action, 417 study of, 21
labs regarding, 251–253, 261–264 Chemist, 21–22, 418
overview, 9, 251 Chemistry, 21, 418
Carbon, 53, 171, 417 crossword puzzle regarding, 31
atoms and, 57 differences and, 27–30
common uses of, 69 labs regarding, 23–30
Element Book, 177–179 reading suggestions and, 17
flipbook activity, 87–93 unit overview, 7
labs regarding, 55–61, 173–176 web site suggestions and, 18
For My Notebook pages, 53, 171 Chlorine, 418
overview, 123, 171 atomic numbers and, 81–82
unit overview, 8 common uses of, 69
Carbon dioxide, 329, 418 Element Book, 213–215
Carbonate, 401 flipbook activity, 87–93
Catalase, 195, 195–197, 418 labs regarding, 205–211
Catalyst, 365, 418 For My Notebook pages, 203
Cathode, 323, 418 overview, 203
Cells, 35, 418 unit overview, 9
For My Notebook pages, 35 Chlorophyll, 249, 418
phosphorus and, 181, 188 Colloid, 418
Cellulose molecules, 251, 418 Combustion reactions, 405, 418
capillary action and, 9 labs regarding, 407–411
labs regarding, 251–253 For My Notebook pages, 405
Charge, electric. see Electric charge overview, 405
Chemical change, 353, 418 unit overview, 11
labs regarding, 359–361 Compound, 239, 418
worksheets regarding, 355–357 labs regarding, 239–245
Chemical family, 113, 418. see also Group # overview, 9
labs regarding, 113–122 Condensation point, 281, 418
For My Notebook pages, 113 labs regarding, 283–289
worksheets regarding, 115–117 For My Notebook pages, 281
Chemical group. see Chemical family overview, 10, 281

424
Constantly Silly group (Group 14). see also Poem pages, 44, 136
Carbon; Silicon unit overview, 7
Element Book, 177–179 Element Book
labs regarding, 173–176 Be Mgnificent group and, 159–161
For My Notebook pages, 171 Bumblebees Alright group, 167–169
overview, 171 Constantly Silly group, 177–179
Crossword Puzzle pages Frequently Clever group, 213–215
answer keys, 415–416 He Likes Nachos group and, 147–151
atoms and, 63 He Never Argues group, 223–225
chemical reactions and, 413 Nice Penguins group, 187–189
chemistry, 31 Obnoxious Seagulls group, 199–201
elements, 227 overview, 137–140
matter, 349 periodic table, 133
molecules, 265 Elemental symbols. see Symbols
overview, 6 Elements, 53, 81, 418. see also Element Book;
Crystals, 155–157, 418 Group #; individual elements; Periodic table
Crossword Puzzle pages, 227
D Element Book, 137–140, 147–151, 159–161, 167–
Dalton, John, 9, 269, 418 169, 177–179, 187–189, 199–201, 213–215, 223–
Democritus, 35, 35, 418 225
Dense, 291, 293–299, 418 flipbook activity, 87–93
Density, 291, 418 groups of, 8, 141–226. see also Group #
labs regarding, 293–299, 309–311, 319–325 labs regarding, 55–61, 69–73, 77–78, 83–93,
For My Notebook pages, 291–292 97–103, 111, 119–122, 129–131, 143–145, 155–157,
water and, 317 173–176, 183–185, 193–197, 205–211, 219–221
Diamonds, 123. see also Carbon For My Notebook pages, 123, 137–142, 153,
Differences, lab regarding, 27–30 163, 171, 181, 191, 203, 217
Diffuse, 41, 41–43 matter and, 9, 269–270
Diffusion, 41, 41–43 molecules and, 231
Dissociation reaction, 373, 373–374, 418 overview, 9, 239
Periodic Table and, 8
E Poem page, 44, 136
Earth science, 21 web site suggestions and, 18
Electric charge, 49, 418 worksheets regarding, 115–116, 125–126
Electrolysis, 323, 323–325, 418 Endothermic reactions, 369, 419
Electrolyte, 323, 418 combustion reactions and, 411
Electron Dot Method, 418 labs regarding, 369–371
Electron Dot Structures, 233, 255, 418 overview, 11
Make a Molecule Puzzle and, 233–237 Energy level, 45, 419
For My Notebook pages, 255 atoms and, 58–59
unit overview, 9 labs regarding, 55–61
worksheets regarding, 257–259 worksheets regarding, 107–109
Electrons, 45, 418. see also Atoms Epsom salt
atomic numbers and, 81–82 labs regarding, 155–157
electric charge and, 49–51 overview, 153
Element Book, 159-161 Exothermic reactions, 365, 419
energy levels and, 58-59 combustion reactions and, 411
flipbook activity, 87-93 labs regarding, 365–367
labs regarding, 45-51, 55-61 overview, 11
matter and, 9, 269-270
molecules and, 231 F
overview, 44, 48, 59 Fertilizer, 261, 419

425
Fire, combustion reactions and, 407 Gravity, 95
Flipbook activity, periodic table, 87–93 Group 1 (He Likes Nachos group). see also
Fluid, 307, 327, 419 Hydrogen; Lithium; Sodium
Fluoride, 209, 209–211, 419 Element Book, 147–151
Fluorine, 419 For My Notebook pages, 141–142
atoms and, 57 overview, 141–142
Element Book, 213–215 Group 2 (Be Mgnificent group). see also
flipbook activity, 87–93 Beryllium; Magnesium
labs regarding, 55–61, 205–211 Element Book, 159–161
unit overview, 9 Group 13 (Bumblebees Alright group). see also
Food Aluminum; Boron
as a chemical, 21, 23–25 Element Book, 167–169
differences and, 27–30 labs regarding, 165
labs regarding, 23–25, 83–85, 129–131 For My Notebook pages, 163
For My Notebook pages overview, 163
atoms, 35, 53, 255, 301 Group 14 (Constantly Silly group). see also
chemical reactions, 353, 373–374, 381, 389, Carbon; Silicon
399, 405 Element Book, 177–179
chemicals, 21–22 labs regarding, 173–176
combustion reactions, 405 For My Notebook pages, 171
elements, 123, 137–142, 153, 163, 171, 181, 191, overview, 171
203, 217 Group 15 (Nice Penguins group). see also
mass, 95-96 Nitrogen; Phosphorus
matter, 275, 281, 291–292, 301, 307, 317, 327, Element Book, 187–189
339 labs regarding, 183–185
molecules, 231, 247, 255, 301 For My Notebook pages, 181
periodic table, 67, 81, 95–96, 105, 113, 123 Group 16 (Obnoxious Seagulls group). see also
Freezing point, 281, 419 Oxygen; Sulfur
labs regarding, 101–103, 283–289 Element Book, 199–201
mass and, 101–103 labs regarding, 193–197
overview, 10, 281 overview, 191
Frequently Clever group (Group 17). see also Group 17 (Frequently Clever group). see also
Chlorine; Fluorine Chlorine; Fluorine
Element Book, 213–215 Element Book, 213–215
labs regarding, 205–211 labs regarding, 205–211
Group 18 (He Never Argues group). see also
G Argon; Helium; Neon
Gas, 419 Element Book, 223–225
air, 339 labs regarding, 219–221
chlorine and, 203 For My Notebook pages, 217
density and, 291–292, 297 overview, 217
labs regarding, 277–279, 329–335
For My Notebook pages, 275, 327 H
overview, 9, 275, 327 He Likes Nachos group (Group 1). see also
unit overview, 9, 10 Hydrogen; Lithium; Sodium
water and, 317 Element Book, 147–151
Gold, 69, 419 labs regarding, 143–145
Graphite, 171 For My Notebook pages, 141–142

426
overview, 141–142 elements, 55–61, 69–73, 77–78, 83–93, 97–
He Never Argues group (Group 18). see also 103, 111, 119–122, 129–131, 143–145, 155–157,
Argon; Helium; Neon 165, 173–176, 183–185, 193–197, 205–211,
labs regarding, 219–221 219–221
For My Notebook pages, 217 hydrogen, 55–61, 319–325, 383–387
overview, 217 liquids, 309–311, 333–335
Helium, 45, 419 mass, 97–103
atoms and, 56 matter, 277–279, 283–289, 293–299, 303–
Element Book, 223–225 305, 309–311, 319–325, 329–335, 341–347
flipbook activity, 87–93 molecules, 239–245, 251–253, 261–264
labs regarding, 55–61, 219–221 oxygen, 55–61, 193–197, 319–325, 383–387
For My Notebook pages, 217 periodic table, 69–73, 77–79, 83–93, 97–103,
overview, 217 111, 119–122, 129–131
unit overview, 9 pH scale, 395–397
Hydrochloric acid, 391, 391–394, 419 precipitation reaction and, 401–403
Hydrogen, 35, 419 suggested curriculum schedule and, 14–16
acids and bases and, 11 supply lists for, 12–13
atomic numbers and, 81 Lead, 69, 419
atoms and, 37, 56 Learning styles, 5
bases and, 373–374 Life science, 21
chemical family and, 113 Liquids, 419
chemical reactions and, 364, 381 density and, 291–292, 297
Electron Dot Structures, 255–259 labs regarding, 309–311, 333–335
Element Book, 147–151 For My Notebook pages, 275, 307
flipbook activity, 87–93 overview, 9, 275, 307
labs regarding, 55–61, 319–325, 383–387 unit overview, 10
movement of atoms and, 41–43 water and, 317
For My Notebook pages, 141–142, 317, 381 Lithium, 419
periods and, 105 flipbook activity, 87–93
unit overview, 8, 10 labs regarding, 55–61
Hydrogen bonding, 317, 317, 419 For My Notebook pages, 141–142
Hydrogen peroxide, 195, 195–197, 419 unit overview, 8
Hypothesis, 27, 419
M
I Magnesium, 419
Indicators, 375, 375–379, 419 Element Book, 159–161
Instructor pages overview, 6 flipbook activity, 87–93
Iron, 69, 419 For My Notebook pages, 153
Isotopes, 59 overview, 123, 153
unit overview, 8
K Mass, 95, 419. see also Atomic mass
Krypton, periods and, 105 For My Notebook pages, 95-96
hydrogen, 113
L labs regarding, 97–103
Lab Sheets overview, 6 matter and, 9
Labs overview, 95–96
air, 341–347 reading suggestions and, 17
atoms, 37–47, 49–51, 55–61 volume and, 275
chemical reactions, 359–361, 365–371, 375– Matter, 269, 419. see also Gas; Liquids; Solids;
379, 383–387, 401–403, 407–411 States of matter
chemistry, 23–30 activities regarding, 269–270, 337
density, 293–299, 309–311, 319–325 air, 339
crossword puzzle regarding, 349
427
density and, 291–292 overview, 217
hydrogen and oxygen and, 317 unit overview, 9
labs regarding, 277–279, 283–289, 293–299, Neutralization reaction, 381, 420
303–305, 309–311, 319–325, 329–335, 341– Neutral, 377, 420
347 labs regarding, 375–379, 383–387
For My Notebook pages, 275, 281, 291–292, overview, 11
301, 307, 317, 327, 339 pH scale and, 389
overview, 269–270 Neutrons, 45, 420. see also Atoms
Poem pages, 268, 270 Element Book, 147–151
points where matter changes state, 281 labs regarding, 45–51, 55–61
reading suggestions and, 17–18 mass and, 95–96
states of, 275 matter and, 9, 269–270
unit overview, 9–10 molecules and, 231
web site suggestions and, 18 Poem pages, 44
Medical science, 21 unit overview, 7
Melting point, 281, 419 Nice Penguins group (Group 15). see also
labs regarding, 283–289 Nitrogen; Phosphorus
For My Notebook pages, 281 labs regarding, 183–185
overview, 10, 281 For My Notebook pages, 181
Mendeleev, Dmitri, 8, 67, 419 overview, 181
Metals, worksheets regarding, 107–109 Nitrogen, 35, 181, 420
Microscopes, scanning-tunneling microscope, 35 air, 339
Milk, 83–85 atoms and, 57
Mixture, 239, 419 common uses of, 69
labs regarding, 239–245 Element Book, 187–189
overview, 9 flipbook activity, 87–93
Molecular formulas, 9, 420 labs regarding, 53–61, 183–185
Molecule, 35, 231, 420 For My Notebook pages, 181
atoms and, 35 overview, 181
chemical reactions and, 11 unit overview, 9
crossword puzzle regarding, 63, 265 Notebook pages. see For My Notebook pages
Electron Dot Structures and, 233 Nucleus, 45, 420
labs regarding, 239–245, 251–253, 261–264, atomic numbers and, 81
303–305 energy levels and, 58–59
liquids and, 307 flipbook activity, 87–93
matter and, 9, 269–270 labs regarding, 55–61
For My Notebook pages, 231, 247, 255, 301 mass and, 95–96
overview, 231
Poem pages, 230 O
reading suggestions and, 17 Obnoxious Seagulls group. see also Oxygen;
unit overview, 9 Sulfur
usefulness of, 247 Obnoxious Seagulls group (Group 16)
worksheets regarding, 257–259 Element Book, 199–201
Molecule formula, 247 labs regarding, 193–197
labs regarding, 251–253 For My Notebook pages, 191
worksheets regarding, 249–250 overview, 191
Oxygen, 35, 420
N acids and bases and, 11
Neon, 420 air, 339
atoms and, 58 atoms and, 37, 57
Element Book, 223–225 bases and, 373–374
flipbook activity, 87–93 chemical reactions and, 364, 381
labs regarding, 55–61 combustion reactions and, 407
For My Notebook pages, 217 common uses of, 69

428
Element Book, 199–201 labs regarding, 283–289
flipbook activity, 87–93 For My Notebook pages, 281
labs regarding, 55–61, 193–197, 319–325, 383– overview, 281
387 Polymer, 420
movement of atoms and, 41–43 Potassium, 67, 420
For My Notebook pages, 191, 317, 381 common uses of, 69
overview, 191, 317, 381 labs regarding, 119–122
silicon and, 171 periods and, 105
unit overview, 9, 10 Precipitate, 401, 420
Precipitation reactions, 399, 420
P labs regarding, 401–403
Periodic Table of the Elements, 67, 420. see also For My Notebook pages, 399
Elements; individual elements unit overview, 11
atoms and, 55 Products, 363, 363–364, 420
importance of including in this curriculum, 5 Protons, 45, 420. see also Atoms
labs regarding, 69–73, 77–79, 83–93, 97–103, atomic numbers and, 81–82
111, 119–122, 129–131 electric charge and, 49–51
molecules and, 231 Element Book, 147–151, 159–161
For My Notebook pages, 67, 81, 95–96, 105, flipbook activity, 87–93
113, 123 labs regarding, 45–51, 55–61
Poem pages, 66 mass and, 95–96
reading suggestions and, 17 matter and, 9, 269–270
unit overview, 8 molecules and, 231
web site suggestions and, 18 overview, 59
worksheets regarding, 69–73, 75, 107–109, Poem pages, 44
125–126, 133 unit overview, 7
Periods, 105, 107–109, 420
pH scale, 389, 420 R
labs regarding, 395–397 Raindrops, 37. see also Water
For My Notebook pages, 389 Reactants, 363, 363–364, 420
unit overview, 11 Reading suggestions, 17–18
Phosphorescent, 181, 420
Phosphorus, 181, 420 S
Element Book, 187–189 Scanning-tunneling microscope, 35, 420
flipbook activity, 87–93 Scent, atoms and, 37–39
labs regarding, 183–185 Scheduling, suggested curriculum schedule,
For My Notebook pages, 181 14–16
overview, 181 Science, 21
unit overview, 9 Silicon, 171, 420
Physical change, 353, 420 Element Book, 177–179
labs regarding, 359–361 flipbook activity, 87–93
worksheets regarding, 355–357 labs regarding, 173–176
Physical tests, 27, 27–30, 420 For My Notebook pages, 171
Physics, chemistry and, 21 overview, 171
Poem pages unit overview, 8
atoms and, 34, 44, 46 Silver, 69, 421
chemical reactions and, 352 Small Stuff (SS), 7–11
chemistry and, 20 Smell, 37–39
elements, 136 Sodium, 421
matter, 268 atomic numbers and, 81
molecules, 230 chlorine and, 203
periodic table and, 66 flipbook activity, 87–93
Points where matter changes its state labs regarding, 119–122
429
For My Notebook pages, 141–142 matter and, 10
unit overview, 8 overview, 389
Sodium chloride, 421 points where matter changes state and, 283
Sodium hydroxide, 391, 391–394, 421 Theory, 35, 421
Sodium hypochlorite, 205, 421
Solids, 275, 421 U
activities regarding, 337 Universal solvent, 155, 421
density and, 291–292, 297
For My Notebook pages, 275, 291-292 V
overview, 9, 275 Visual learning style, 5
unit overview, 10 Volume, 275, 421
water and, 317 labs regarding, 277–279
Solute, 155, 421 overview, 275
Solution, 8, 155, 421
Solvent, 155, 421
States of matter, 275, 421. see also Gas;
W
Water
Liquids; Matter; Solids
activities regarding, 269–273
activities regarding, 313–315
atoms and, 35, 37
chemical reactions and, 353
building a drop of, 269–273
density and, 291–292
capillary action and, 9, 261–264
labs regarding, 277–279, 293–299
as a chemical, 21
For My Notebook pages, 275
overview, 275
compounds and, 243
points where matter changes state, 281
labs regarding, 277–279, 283–289, 319–325,
unit overview, 9–10
383–387
water and, 317
molecules and, 261–264
Static electricity, 49–51
movement of atoms and, 41–43
Steam, 277, 421
For My Notebook pages, 317, 381
labs regarding, 277–279
overview, 317
overview, 9
points where matter changes state and,
Subscript, 247, 421
283–289
Sugar
unit overview, 8
as the universal solvent, 155
unit overview, 8
Web site suggestions
Sulfur, 421
list of for all the units, 18
common uses of, 69
mass and, 97
Element Book, 199–201
sodium and potassium reaction, 119
flipbook activity, 87–93
Weight
compared to mass, 95
For My Notebook pages, 191
overview, 191
Worksheets
unit overview, 9
chemical family, 115–117
Sulfuric acid, 247, 421
chemical reactions and, 355–357
Supplies
Electron Dot Structures, 257–259
list of for all the units, 12–13
molecule formula and, 249–250
suggested curriculum schedule and, 14–16
molecules, 257–259
Symbols, 67, 81, 421
periodic table, 75, 107–109, 115–116, 125–126,
pH scale and, 391–394
T
Tactile/kinesthetic learning style, 5
Temperature
X
Xylem, 251, 251–253, 421
endothermic reaction and, 369–371
exothermic reaction and, 365–367 Z

Zinc, 69, 421
430
About the Author and Dedication:
This book has been a long time in the writing. The actual writing time was
eight months, but I have been thinking about how and when this subject should
be taught since 1993, when I was a teaching assistant in graduate school. After
that, I taught chemistry and biology at the college level and thought more about
how science should be taught to kids. I now homeschool my son, and when it was
time to teach him chemistry, I couldn’t find a course. Well, I just had to write down
everything I had been thinking of all those years, and here it is.
This book is dedicated to my son, Sean, and his good friend Beth, for whom
this book was originally written. I also want to thank my wonderful husband.
Without his help and support, writing this book would never have been possible.
- Blair H. Lee, M.S.
Blair graduated from the University of California at San Diego with degrees
in both chemistry and biology. After graduating, she worked as a community college
professor, teaching classes in both chemistry and biology. Blair now lives in the
Eastern Sierras with her husband, son, three dogs, three cats, two horses, two
llamas, and a tarantula. She spends her time homeschooling her son, writing, skiing,
and hiking.

431
1 18
1st
1 Periodic Table of the Elements 2
Period H He
1 4
Hydrogen 2 13 14 15 16 17 Helium
Atomic Number
3 4 Element’s Symbol 5 6 7 8 9 10
2nd
Period Li Be B C N O F Ne
7 9 Atomic Mass 11 12 14 16 19 20
Lithium Beryllium Boron Carbon Nitrogen Oxygen Fluorine Neon
11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
3rd
Period Na Mg Al Si P S Cl Ar
23 24 27 28 31 32 35 40
Sodium Magnesium 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Aluminum Silicon Phosphorus Sulfur Chlorine Argon
19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
4th
Period K Ca Sc Ti V Cr Mn Fe Co Ni Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se Br Kr
39 40 45 48 51 52 55 56 59 59 64 65 70 73 75 79 80 84
Potassium Calcium Scandium Titanium Vanadium Chromium Manganese Iron Cobalt Nickel Copper Zinc Gallium Germanium Arsenic Selenium Bromine Krypton
37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54
5th
Period
Rb Sr Y Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In Sn Sb Te I Xe
85 88 89 91 93 96 99 101 103 106 108 112 115 119 122 128 127 131
Rubidium Strontium Yttrium Zirconium Niobium Molybdenum Technetium Ruthenium Rhodium Palladium Silver Cadmium Indium Tin Antimony Tellurium Iodine Xenon
55 56 57 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86
6th
Period
Cs Ba La Hf Ta W Re Os Ir Pt Au Hg Tl Pb Bi Po At Rn
133 137 139 178 181 184 186 190 192 195 197 201 204 207 209 (209) (210) (222)
Cesium Barium Lanthanum Hafnium Tantalum Tungsten Rhenium Osmium Iridium Platinum Gold Mercury Thallium Lead Bismuth Polonium Astatine Radon
87 88 89 104 105 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118
7th
Period Fr Ra Ac Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt Ds Rg Uub Uut Uuq Uup Uuh Uus Uuo
(223) (226) (227) (261) (262) (263) (262) (265) (266) (281) (280) (285) (284) (289) (291) (292) (292) (293)
Francium Radium Actinium Rutherfordium Dubnium Seaborgium Bohrium Hassium Meitnerium Darmstadtium Roentgenium Ununbium Ununtrium Ununquadium Ununpentium Ununhexium Ununseptium Ununoctium
©2009 Pandia Press
R.E.A.L. Science Odyssey (RSO) is a
home-friendly, rigorous, and complete science
course. Each RSO book provides a curriculum for one
school year that is written for use indoors and out. It
covers the microscopic as well as the macroscopic
and is sequential, so that each chapter and each
grade-level build upon another. Each topic of RSO is presented in an
entertaining, story-like format and includes hands-on activities along
with background science information, parent instructions, labs,
reading lists, and Web site lists. With RSO, your child will be
introduced to more science than you ever thought possible in a way
that aims to cultivate a life-long love of science.
Each book in the RSO series systematically presents important scientific
skills at age-appropriate levels, including:
• Scientific method (speculation, hypothesis, experimentation, conclusion)
• Observation skills
• Analytical skills (comparisons, forming questions, interpretation)
• Mathematics
RSO Chemistry (level one) covers:

• Atoms • States of Matter
• Molecules • Acids and Bases
• Periodic Table • Chemical Reactions
and more!
“I find RSO both engaging and thorough. Thank you for a

great product. My daughter cheers and jumps up and down ISBN 978-0-9798496-3-3
when it’s science time!” – Brenna, California
9 780979 849633

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R.E.A.L.

R.E.A.L. SCIENCE ODYSSEY - Read • Explore • Absorb • Learn

Written by Blair Lee, M.S.

Illustrated by Margie Navarro (margie.navarro@yahoo.com)

© 2009 Pandia Press

© 2009 Pandia Press

Unit 2 - Starting Small

Unit 4 - The Chemist’s Alphabet Applied

Unit 5 - Molecules Rule

Unit 6 - What’s the Matter?

Unit 7 - Reactions In Action

© 2009 Pandia Press

Lesson / Lab Supplies Needed for the Week Dates / Notes

towel, Sink, Dish soap

Are Atoms Small? peppermint extract, Magnifying glass, Measuring spoon,

Do Atoms Move ? coloring, Clear glasses, Thermometer, Colored pencils

The First Ten scale, Scissors

My Periodic Table Lemon juice, Paintbrush or cotton swab, Sunlight or lamp,

Massive Matters (FMN) Internet access and/or chemistry books,

Which Weighs More?

Why Do They Call It the Periodic Table

Periodic Play Dough

Prove It! or kitchen thermometer

Twenty Questions Vegetable oil, Baking powder, Cinnamon sugar (optional),

Eating Hockey Pucks cup, Measuring spoon, Oven, Hot pads

Element Book Group 1 Stirrer

Crystal Creation Magnifying glass, Measuring cup, Tablespoon, Cake pan,

Element Book Group 2 (markers, colored pencils, crayons)

Element Book Group 13

S’more Carbon Large marshmallows, Graham crackers, Baking sheet, Oven,

Element Book Group 14

Element Book Group 15

Element Book Group 16 crayons)

Dancing Drops Toothpaste, Egg, Vinegar, Glass, Water, Toothbrush, Spoon,

Helium-filled balloons, Cloth tape measure, Freezer, Timer,

Element Book Group 18

Putting It All Together (FMN)

Scissors, Glue, Card stock, Gumdrops, Toothpicks, Colored

Mixture or Compound? Tomato, Carrot, Salad bowl

Molecular Formulas Are Useful (FMN)

Molecular Formulas Worksheet

The Celery Blues

Drawing Lessons (FMN) My Periodic Table, Blank paper, Chalkboard or dry

Capillary Action in Action Tape, Protected work surface

Matter: An Introduction (continued)

The States of Matter (FMN)

What Is the Point? thermometers, Pot Holder, Science encyclopedia or internet

State of Confusion Mayonnaise, Cups, Spoons, Bowl, Refrigerator, Plate

© 2009 Pandia Press

The Sinking Tub Boat

Sugar, Water, Saucepan, Stove top, Glass jar, Rough string

Molecules Stick Together (FMN)

A Big Rock Candy Mountain!

What Makes a Liquid a Liquid? (FMN)

Drawing the States of Matter

Let’s Go Fly a Kite!

Why Do Boats Float?

Changes (FMN) Piece of paper, Alka-Seltzer tablet, Water, Match or lighter,

Physical or Chemical? Kool-Aid, Sugar, Glass, Container to freeze Kool-Aid,

Detecting Changes or other fireproof container, Scissors

does not dissolve in oil

does not dissolve in oil

does not dissolve in oil __ _