Student work Examples

Heat, Energy and the States of Matter 

Name: 

Predictions: 

1. Describe how atoms of a solid differ from atoms of a liquid. 

We predict that the solid molecules are different from molecules as a liquid because a solid stays together and liquid stays on the bottom moving around.

1. Describe how atoms of a liquid appear compared to a gas. 

 Atoms of a liquid appear different compared to a gas because atoms of a liquid stick closer together and have less greater freedom of movement while the atoms in the gas have a greater freedom of movement and move all around the container spreading apart from each other.

1. What happens to atoms when you add heat to them? 

 When you add heat to the atoms they would all float away from the heat and the atoms start moving faster and they all flow up going crazy.

1. C for what picture is most likely oxygen gas       2.A  for what picture is most likely liquid water

Great questions from kids (still predictions for this assignment): 

1. Do you think air can freeze? 

We are not sure if air can freeze. Some of us think that it can but some of us think that it cannot.The part of us that didnt think it could thought that it couldnt then we would be frozen since there is air all around us but the ones who thought it could thought this because if water can turn into a solid then surely the water vapor can freeze too.

1. Can all substances change into solid, liquid and gas form? 

 Yes we think all substances can change into each form and one form can turn into the other.For example, say you have an ice and you leave it on the table the heat from the room would heat it and it would melt which would then be a liquid.

Investigation: Open the States of Matter PhET simulation: http://PhET.colorado.edu  Play around with the first tab for awhile, trying everything out. 

https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/states-of-matter

1. How does solid Neon or Argon look compared to liquid Neon or Argon? 

   Solid Neon or Argon is different from the liquid Neon or Argon because when the molecules are a solid they stay in one form or shape but when it is turned into a liquid the molecules move into a different shape and they kind of  individually move around.

1. How about liquid Neon or Argon versus gas Neon or Argon? 

      Liquid Neon or Argon is different from gas Neon or Argon because when the molecules are a liquid they have a greater freedom of movement but they still stay close to each other while the molecules in the gas have a greater freedom of movement then liquid and they flow around the whole entire container adn they dont stay close to each other.

1. How do the Oxygen and Water molecules compare to Neon and Argon? Draw each. Why do you think that could be? 

      Neon and Argon are different from the molecules of oxygen and water because the water and oxygen molecules are like two parts stuck together while the other two are just one whole of a molecule.

1. What is the white part of each water molecule and what are the red parts of the water molecules? Include an illustration (black and white is fine) 

 The white part of the water molecule represents hydrogen and the red part if the water molecule represents oxygen.

1. Have you heard that ice takes up more space than water?  If your pipes freeze, they split!! Can you see why that is the case? Include an illustration. 

Yes we have heard the phrase that ice takes up more space than water and when we tried in on the simulation it proved that this was true.This is the case because when the molecules are a solid they take up more space in the container and they stick together while the molecules in a liquid dont stick together as much and they take up less space, they flow to the bottom.

1. How about the other molecules, do they take up more space as a liquid or as a solid? Include an Illustration. 

  We  are not sure if this is the same but based off of the simulation we do think that all the molecules as a solid take up more space in the container than the molecules as a liquid.

Solid:

Liquid: 

Check your conclusions for questions 4-6 with your instructor 

1. Can you get the molecules to stop wiggling?  If so, how? 

 Yes we did get the molecules to stop wiggling. We adjusted the temperature to a cold one and eventually if you kept the cold mode on the molecules they would stop moving.Luckily in the simulation we were able to reach the temperature absolute zero and this is what caused the molecules to stop moving.

1. What happens to the molecules when heat is added? 

 When we add heat to the molecules the temperature starts to go up into a higher temperature and the molecules start to flow up into their own world.The molecules end up separating from each other and they start moving really fast.Eventually when the molecules get really hot the pressure is added to the molecules that the lid ends up floating off.

1. What is in the bubbles of boiling water? 

 The bubbles in boiling water is water vapor that is about to go in the air.The bubbles in boiling water are usually at the top of the container at where the boiling water is in.When I think of boiling water I think of the temperature of 212 which is our motto and the bubbles usually end up filling the room.

Check your conclusions with your instructor 

Open the PhET simulation Friction and play around.  https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/friction

1. Describe what you observe. 

 We observed that when we move the molecules to the sides the temperature rises up and when the molecules are ontop of eachother the temperature it low . On the bottom of the simulation there was also two books one for chemistry and the other for physics.We also noticed that you can only move the blue molecules and not the green molecules.

1. What happens to the energy you put into rubbing the books together? 

 When you rub the two books together the blue molecules start to lower down and there is only one layer of blue molecules left.The molecules start to move really fast and they start to go really crazy. They look like a kid after they just finished eating sugar.