Chemistry is the study of matter and the ways in which different forms of matter combine with each other
Students will learn about the the hazards chemicals pose to the people who use them while learning about states of matter and kinetic molecular theory. First, students examine physical properties and hazards of substances and mixtures. Next, students examine how different gases respond to temperature changes and how different concentrations of salt water respond to temperature changes. Students engage in collaboration, analysis of data through board discussions, and writing an analysis using claim-evidence-reasoning. Using a phet simulation, students then model what happens to particles during increase and decrease in energy. Students then investigate thermal transfer through a water mixing lab. Finally, students engage in an ice cream engineering activity to examine how different substances in similar conditions can have different properties which may be harmful or beneficial.
Chemistry is the study of matter. Our understanding of chemical processes thus depends on our ability to acquire accurate information about matter. Often, this information is quantitative, in the form of measurements. In this lab, you will be introduced to some common measuring devices, and learn how to use them to obtain correct measurements, each with correct precision. A metric ruler will be used to measure length in centimeters (cm).
Students will learn about elements, atoms, and the Periodic table through the phenomena - How do you know if your water is safe to drink? What kind of substances in water might be hazardous? First, student will learn atoms are made up of subatomic particles, which give rise to predictable properties through a phet simulation. Next, students will try to build their own table looking for patterns in element cards. Students will then look at properties of elements which are divided into metals and nonmetals. Student will then look at electron configuration through a POGIl activity. Students will also complete a flame test activity. Finally, students when end the unit with a engineering project examining water quality to determine if it is safe to drink.
In the Nuclear Change unit, students will learn about nuclear change through examining the phenomena of radon. Three questions that students will answer at the end of the unit are: is air we breathe in buildings radioactive and what is Radon and how does it affect health? First, student will investigate what is radon. Next, students will build a atom to learn how atoms can exist in stable and unstable isotopes. Students learn about types of radiation and then complete an inquiry about half-life of atoms. Half lifes can be used to map geology and assess danger timelines. Next, students learn how nuclear change occurs through fusion or fission. Additionally, students learn that the high energy released has military/commercial uses, and the legacy of cosmic, geologic and human events and activities has impacted where radioactivity exists on the earth. Students end the unit with a cumulative Socratic seminar about Hanford while assessing risk and benefits of using nuclear reactions and recovering sites contaminated by radioactive materials is complex. At the end of the unit students discuss the following question: should parts of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation be opened as a recreation area or returned to Native Americans?
This animated essay from the American Experience Web site explains the difference between alternating and direct electric current and offers in-depth explanations about the role played by a battery, light bulb, wire, and generator. Grades 6-12. ***Access to Teacher's Domain content now requires free login to PBS Learning Media.
Paul Anderson's video playlist of videos that can be used in a AP Chemistry Video Essentials class
HIV's reverse transcriptase mistakes AZT for thymidine. Once incorporated, AZT stops reverse transcription.
This video segment adapted from First Light explains why the highest peak in the Pacific, Mauna Kea, is an ideal site for astronomical observations. Featured are new telescope technologies that allow astronomers to explore the universe in more depth. ***Access to Teacher's Domain content now requires free login to PBS Learning Media.
This segment from Swift: Eyes through Time traces the history military officers and engineers discovering a strange phenomenon in the sky that astronomers now know are gamma-ray bursts. ***Access to Teacher's Domain content now requires free login to PBS Learning Media.
This case was developed for use in the first semester of a sophomore organic chemistry laboratory to illustrate how a combination of techniques is usually required in the identification of chemical compounds. It involves a murder mystery with a forensic twist. Students are told that two bodies have recently been recovered from two different lakes. Due to a mix-up at the morgue, the coroner's office is unable to determine which body came from which lake. The students' task is to develop a methodology to solve this mystery as well as determine whether the deaths were the result of murder or mishap. The case could also be used in instrumental analysis courses or adapted for a non-majors course in the general education curriculum.
In this lab exercise, students practice correctly using measurement tools, recording data, calculating density, using significant figures, and exploring the concepts of accuracy and precision.
This unit of investigation is introduced using the anchoring phenomenon of a rocket launch. Students investigate the concepts of what is fuel, why some materials react and others do not, the role energy plays in the rearrangement of atoms, and where does the energy to do this come from and finally what makes the rocket lift off if fire itself is not causing this.
In this activity, students explore the effect of chemical erosion on statues and monuments. They use chalk to see what happens when limestone is placed in liquids with different pH values. They also learn several things that engineers are doing to reduce the effects of acid rain.
How do strong and weak acids differ? Use lab tools on your computer to find out! Dip the paper or the probe into solution to measure the pH, or put in the electrodes to measure the conductivity. Then see how concentration and strength affect pH. Can a weak acid solution have the same pH as a strong acid solution?
This activity is acid-base titration lab where students determine the percent of calcium carbonate in an eggshell.
This Science NetLinks lesson is intended for a high-school, introductory chemistry class or health class. The lesson begins with an article on the history of the development of aspirin. Students will then complete a lab that compares the reaction of regular aspirin, buffered aspirin, and enteric aspirin in neutral, acidic, and basic solutions. They will then analyze the results of the experiment to gain insight into how this information was used by researchers to solve some of the problems associated with aspirin. To complete the lesson, students must understand acids and bases.
This groundbreaking NRDC documentary explores the startling phenomenon of ocean acidification, which may challenge marine life on a scale not seen for tens of millions of years. The film, featuring Sigourney Weaver, originally aired on Discovery Planet Green. A related curriculum kit is available at: http://www.nrdc.org/oceans/acidification/files/labkit.pdf
This module provides an intrioduction to acid and base chemistry. The Arrhenius and Bronsted-Lowry concepts of acids and bases are discussed as well as the pH scale and neutralization reactions.
In this video segment, the ZOOM cast demonstrates how to use cabbage juice to find out if a solution is an acid or a base. ***Access to Teacher's Domain content now requires free login to PBS Learning Media.