Classroom Resources: Solutions
1 – 25 of 32 Classroom Resources
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Mixtures | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: Making Sense of Milk
In this lesson, students will compare and contrast the chemical compositions of different types of plant milk and animal milk by analyzing data and developing models.
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Concentration, Solute & Solvent | Middle School, High School
Lesson Plan: Diffusion and Osmosis
In this lesson, students will build upon their understanding of solutions and concentration. They will observe the diffusion of food coloring dye in water and then perform an experiment focused on how solutions of different concentrations will affect the movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane.
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Solubility, Solute & Solvent, Intermolecular Forces | Middle School, High School
Activity: Advanced Modeling of the Dissolving Phenomenon
In this activity students build a model of sodium chloride based on their own knowledge of ionic compounds. Then they construct a model of the interactions between water and their salt model to develop an understanding of what caused the salt to dissolve. After refining their models based upon class discussions and critiques, students then construct a model of the interaction between salt and a different solvent, alcohol. Using their models, students make predictions as to which solvent (water or alcohol) would be better at dissolving the salt. Finally students design an experiment to test their prediction. As an extension, students are asked to use their solubility models to explain why calcium carbonate will not dissolve in water, even though it is also an ionic compound.
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Solute & Solvent, Intermolecular Forces, Solubility | Middle School, High School
Activity: Basic Modeling of the Dissolving Phenomenon
In this activity, students explore the process of salt dissolving in water using cut-outs of ions and water molecules to model interactions between them. They then use their model to make a prediction about the relative solubility of salt in isopropyl alcohol compared to the solubility in water and design an experiment to test their prediction.
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Freezing Point Depression, Mixtures, Phase Changes, Freezing Point, Melting Point | High School, Middle School
Lab: How does Salt "Melt" Ice?
In this lab, students will consider why salt is used to aide in snow clearing and to help keep icy roads safe. They will investigate how salt ‘melts’ ice and determine the best type of salt to do so. Additionally, students will explore the advantages and disadvantages of the various different types of salt.
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Density, Mixtures, Solubility | Middle School
Lab: Investigating Density within Lava Lamps
In this lab students will make a simple yet spectacular lava lamp while focusing on the density of the components.
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Mixture, Physical Properties, Observations, Mixtures, Solute & Solvent | Middle School
Lesson Plan: How Fast Does it Flow?
In this lesson students explore the viscosity of different mixtures. They measure viscosity of different mixtures and then have the opportunity to design a mixture to attain a particular viscosity. Students will relate their lab experience to the application of viscosity in the real-world as they consider the differences in viscosity between different types of paints.
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Separating Mixtures, Physical Properties, Mixtures, Solute & Solvent | Elementary School, Middle School
Lab: What Does Ironman Eat for Breakfast?
In this lab students will compare and contrast mixtures and solutions. They will be tasked with extracting iron from various breakfast cereals. They will then conclude which cereal would be the healthiest for Iron Man to eat for breakfast.
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Mixtures, Solute & Solvent, Intermolecular Forces, Intermolecular Forces, Molecular Formula, Molecular Structure, Polymers, Electromagnetic Spectrum | Middle School, High School
Video: What is Paint? Video
This video investigates the composition of paint, while analyzing the fundamental chemistry principles of its main components. Students will learn about the differences between three common paint types, water colors, oil-based and acrylic paint as well as the chemistry of each.
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Electromagnetic Spectrum, Molecular Structure, Mixtures | Middle School, High School
Video: What are Pigments? Video
This video discusses the chemistry of pigment molecules and how they are used to give paints their specific color. Students will learn about the importance of a pigment’s molecular structure, how they are physically suspended to create a paint color, as well as how they interact with light.
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Concentration, Solute & Solvent, Chemical Change | Elementary School, Middle School
Demonstration: Soft Eggs
In this demonstration, students will first observe a reaction between vinegar (acetic acid) and an egg shell (calcium carbonate) to produce a naked egg. Using these eggs, student will analyze how certain substances can move through a membrane and also determine if the membrane is affected.
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Separating Mixtures, Observations, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Mixtures | Elementary School, Middle School
Lesson Plan: Clean-Up Pond Pollution
In this lesson, students will compare polluted and filtered water to observe how filtering can remove some kinds of pollutants. Students will also be asked to consider how people affect ecosystems and use the scientific method to conduct an experiment on polluted water.
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Solubility, Solute & Solvent | Middle School, High School
Lab: What's the Solution?
In this lab students will choose one factor that can affect the rate at which a solute will dissolve into solution –amount of stirring, temperature, or particle size, and will design a procedure that can be used to determine how it will affect rate of solution. Students will identify one of the factors above as the independent variable and will determine how it affects the solubility rate as supported by time required to dissolve the solute.
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Concentration, Mixtures, Interdisciplinary, Scientific Method, Measurements | Middle School, High School
Lab: Effect of Salt Concentration on Plants
In this lab, students will observe how salt concentration can affect the structure of a potato tuber.
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Freezing Point, Phase Changes, Freezing Point Depression | Middle School, High School
Lab: Freezing Ice Cream
In this lab, students will investigate changing states of matter, chemical reactions, and the properties of ice and salt while creating their own ice cream.
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Solubility, Solute & Solvent, Mixtures, Intermolecular Forces, Intermolecular Forces, Polarity, Molecular Geometry | Elementary School, Middle School, High School
Animation: Solubility Animation
In an animation, students will have an opportunity to visualize on the particulate level how solubility works. Examples of ionic compounds and a polar covalent compound show how when water is attracted to charged parts, they dissolve, and when they're not attracted to charged parts they stay solid. **This video has no audio**
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Solubility, Solute & Solvent, Precipitate | High School, Elementary School, Middle School
Lab: Winter Crystals
In this lab, students will create a supersaturated solution by dissolving borax in boiling water. They will create a snowflake using pipe cleaner to suspend in the solution, which will serve as a nucleation site for crystallization as the solution cools and remains undistributed overnight. This lab gives students an opportunity to experience the exciting crystallization process and become more familiar with an engaging chemistry spectacle!
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Polarity, Polymers, Molecular Structure, Monomer, Intermolecular Forces, Scientific Method, Chemical Change, Intermolecular Forces | Middle School
Lesson Plan: Watch the Baby! Superabsorbent Polymer
In this lesson, students will learn about how polymers, specifically superabsorbent polymers, work. Through lab activities, students will investigate polymer properties.
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History, Interdisciplinary, Physical Properties, Chemical Properties, Observations, Mixtures | Middle School, High School
Lab: Top Secret
In this lab, students will learn about the history of invisible ink and will have the opportunity to compare two types of homemade invisible ink recipes.
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Concentration, Solute & Solvent, Mixtures, Solubility, Percent Composition | Middle School
Lab: The Perfect Kool-Aid Concentration
In this lab, the students will investigate how the concentration of a solution affects its properties such as color and taste.
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Solute & Solvent, Chemical Change, Solubility, Chemical Bond | Middle School
Lab: A Sticky Situation
In this lab, students will try to separate plastic spoons that have been attached together with different adhesive materials using a variety of solvents.
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Mixtures, Separating Mixtures, Solubility, Physical Change, Phase Changes | Middle School
Lab: A Solution to Your Mix-up
In this lab, students will perform a step by step process of mixing and separating substances based on their states and solubility in order to solve a problem.
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Polarity, Physical Change, Intermolecular Forces, Intermolecular Forces, Physical Change, Matter | Middle School
Lesson Plan: Sandy Beaches—A Foray into ‘Magic’ Sand
In this lesson, students will investigate the properties of magic sand and learn about the concept of hydrophobic and hydrophilic molecules. It also introduced students to the field of nanotechnology.
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Polarity, Mixtures, Intermolecular Forces, Intermolecular Forces, Mixture, Physical Properties, Observations | Middle School, Elementary School, High School
Lab: Salad Dressing Science: Emulsions
In this lab, students mix polar and nonpolar substances and then add various emulsifiers to encourage the mixing of the two substances. They use ingredients in salad dressing to relate science to real life scenarios.
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Precipitate, Chemistry Basics, Reactions & Stoichiometry, Solubility Rules, Balancing Equations, Chemical Change, Chemical Change | High School, Middle School
Lab: Predicting Precipitates
In this lab, students use solubility rules to predict which chemical reactions will produce precipitates.