Curated OER
Molecular Movement in Water Part 1- Diffusion
Students obseve and compare molecular movement within water at various temperatures and of varying salinity. They discuss the movement of water on a larger scale which can affect the movement and concentrations of microbial populations...
American Chemical Society
Matter on the Move
Start this mini unit on matter out by demonstrating how food coloring behaves when placed in cold and in hot water. Then have the class experiment with warm water and soap film. Pupils will learn that an increase in thermal energy also...
Curated OER
Matter and Molecular Motion
Fourth graders define the states of matter and their properties. They demonstrate the air is matter and observe the effect of molecular motion through these activities.
Baylor College
Moving Air
In lab groups, young scientists place aluminum cans with a bubble-solution cap into different temperatures of water to see what size of bubble dome forms. As part of an atmosphere unit in preparation for learning about convection...
Curated OER
Temperature Changes Everything
Middle school chemists visit interactive websites in order to discover what happens to molecular motion when heat is added to matter. They conduct an experiment that demonstrates the expansion of matter with the addition of heat. A lab...
Curated OER
Iceberg Ahead: How Does Temperature Affect the Density of Water?
Demonstrate how ice floats on water and get the class thinking about why icebergs are so deceiving. Investigators then experiment with mixing water of the same temperature and water of different temperatures. Make sure to explain the...
American Chemical Society
Molecules in Motion
I heard that oxygen and magnesium were going out and I was like "O Mg." Pupils experiment with adding food coloring to water of various temperatures in order to determine how temperature impacts molecular movement. This is the...
Curated OER
Diffusion of Molecules
Students conduct a series of experiments to observe factors that impact molecular movement. In this molecular chemistry lesson, students drop food coloring in water with different properties (hot, with ice, with alcohol) and observe how...
Concord Consortium
Molecular Sorting
Can scientists sort molecules based on their interaction with oil and water? The simulation demonstrates how this is possible. Pupils decide when to insert a molecule and observe how they sort themselves based on polarity.
American Chemical Society
Changing State: Melting
Dry ice is extremely cold — it is -109.3°F or -78.5°C. Scholars observe and explain the molecular motion associated with melting. Then they design their own experiments to speed up the melting process. Finally, a teacher presents a...
Curated OER
Putting the Ice in Hockey
Eighth grade physical science classes examine why the ice on which hockey is played is slippery. They do so by discussing phases of matter and the molecular motion in each. They read an article on a website and write out answers to 10...
Curated OER
Demonstrating the Kinds of Energy
Students experiment with inner tubes, weights, flasks, and pistons to demonstrate the gas laws. In this molecular motion lesson, students demonstrate pressure as a force per area. They conduct an experiment to show the relationship...
Concord Consortium
Diffusion of a Drop
Trying to learn through diffusion rather than simply studying the material rarely works for scholars. This simulation helps make learning diffusion fun. Pupils add a drop of dye to water and observe the diffusion as the molecules bounce...
American Chemical Society
Temperature Affects Density
Different substances can have different densities, but can the same substance have different densities? Lesson explores the effect of temperature on the density of water. Extension idea connects the concept of how melting ice in lakes...
Curated OER
Survival Still
Lead your class to construct a solar still on campus to demonstrate how water can be extracted from the soil. The power of solar energy is emphasized, as is the concept of how capillary water can be recovered and purified by using a...
Curated OER
States of Matter
This presentation gives information about the kinetic theory behind particle motion at different energy levels and states. The effect of temperature on energy content and the resulting changes in state are covered at a molecular level.
Curated OER
Sea Water Freeze
Middle schoolers observe how salinity affects the time it takes water to freeze. They participate in an experiment to determine that ice is essentially salt-free whether formed from fresh or salt water
Curated OER
Phase Change
Students compare the freezing temperature of two substances by conducting an experiment to freeze liquid ice cream. They vary the amount of salt used in the ice cubes during the freezing procedure to determine the change in the...
Curated OER
Selling The Molecular Kinetic Theory
Students investigate molecule movement according to the kinetic molecular theory. In this kinetic molecular theory lesson plan, students observe demonstrations showing that molecules speed up with increasing temperature and slow down...
Concord Consortium
Diffusion Across a Semipermeable Membrane
Semipermeable membranes allow water to go through—but not larger molecules. The simulation encourages pupils to adjust the membrane pore size to understand how this works. It also provides a way to trace the movement of a single molecule.
CK-12 Foundation
What's the Matter?
What makes ice, water, and steam different? Their molecular arrangements are the same, but their movements are different. Individuals make this conclusion by completing the simulation activity.
CK-12 Foundation
It's Just a Phase
Explore the phases of water as temperature rises. Pupils consider the idea that temperature remains constant during each phase change. An interactive exercise allows your young scientists to observe the temperature and molecular motion...
American Chemical Society
Heat, Temperature, and Conduction
How does heat move from one item to another, even when the items are in different states of matter? Pupils experiment with adding washers to hot water and adding hot washers to room temperature water to observe the heat transfer.
