Pingry School
The Alchemist's Dream – Copper into "Gold"
Many scientists attempted alchemy for hundreds of years before a full understanding of metals became clear. Scholars take a penny and, through two different chemical reactions, make it appear to turn into silver and later gold. They...
Pingry School
Gas Pressure and Temperature Relationship
Humans tend to huddle together when cold and move around more when warm, but do gas particles follow the same pattern? Scholars use a temperature probe, a pressure sensor, and air to study the relationship between temperature and gas...
Pingry School
Mole Relationship in a Chemical Reaction
What do budding scientists know about moles and reactions? Using an attention-grabbing lab experiment, young scholars collect data to apply the law of conservation of mass to predict the mass of gaseous products. They examine several...
Pingry School
An Introduction to Qualitative Analysis
Compounds take on different properties than their elemental components. How can scientists determine those elements? A lab-based activity has learners explore several double replacement reactions to analyze compounds qualitatively. They...
Pingry School
Precipitation Reactions and General Solubility Rules
The more you know, the better your predictions! Using a hands-on lab experiment, collaborative groups collect information about ionic interactions. They record data describing the precipitate of reactions and use their information to...
Pingry School
Liquid Chromatography
A hands-on experiment applies chromatography to separate both the colors and components of grape-flavored Kool-Aid. Performing two separate activities, learners first use chromatography to divide the colors. The second activity results...
Pingry School
Lewis Structures, VSEPR and Molecular Modeling
A model is worth a thousand words. Young scholars use what they know about the structure of hydrocarbons to build Lewis dot structures and molecular models. Their tasks include multiple bonds, geometric hybrids, and various isomers.
Pingry School
Qualitative Analysis of Eleven Household Chemicals
Chemical and physical properties give compounds an identity. Learners use the identity of a compound to predict what it is. By performing different tests like solubility, flame, heat, and reactions, individuals attempt to identify an...
Pingry School
Kinetics of the Acid Decomposition of Thiosulfate
Several factors affect the rate of a chemical reaction including temperature, surface area, and concentration. Using an experimental approach, learners explore the effect concentration has on this rate while maintaining consistency with...
Pingry School
Synthesis of an Insoluble Ionic Salt: A Stoichiometry Experiment
Challenge young scientists to design their own experimental procedures. They write the procedure for properly preparing two grams of a water-insoluble ionic salt. To finish, they perform the experiment and collect data to prove their...
Pingry School
Chemical Equilibrium
We know about the light spectrum, the age spectrum, and sound spectrum, but do chemical reactions also occur on a spectrum? Young scientists experiment with partial reactions on a spectrum and observe the color changes. Then, they...
Pingry School
Solubility Product of an Ionic Compound
How do scientists determine when a solution is fully saturated? Scholars address the topic as they observe patterns of precipitation in various concentrations of ions. Using a well plate, pipette, and common chemicals, they collect data...
Pingry School
Comparing Activities of Selected Metals
Don't overreact! A simple experiment demonstrates chemical reactions as scholars mix chemical solutions and metals in a large well plate. They note all changes to the metals, solutions, precipitate, colors, and more. A full data table...
Pingry School
The Gelation of Guar Gum with Borax
Some of kids' favorite toys are the products of science experiments. Scholars follow precise measurements to mix and create their own slime and Play-Doh. They observe the changing textures and the chemical reactions throughout the...
Pingry School
Determination of the Percent Hydration and the Simplest Formula of a Hydrate
Does the crystal structure of a hydrated solid determine the proportion of water absorbed, or does the application of heat change the absorption? Scholars experiment with both variables to determine the answer. They add their collected...
Pingry School
Determination of the Correct Stoichiometry of a Single Replacement Reaction
Many young scientists don't realize iron exists in two different forms in nature. During an enlightening experiment, they react iron with copper sulfate to cause a single replacement reaction. Then, they determine the correct...
Pingry School
The Water Lab – Spreadsheet Simulation
More than 70 percent of people and 90 percent of businesses use spreadsheets regularly. While many courses overlook the important skill, the simple water lab focuses on entering spreadsheet data, formatting it, and printing plots based...
Pingry School
Determination of the Specific Heat of an Element
Many periodic tables mention specific heat, but how do scientists determine those numbers? Scholars attempt to find the specific heat of a metallic element by using a calorimeter. Three experimental trials ensure accuracy, and analysis...
Pingry School
Heat of Reaction and Hess's Law
Melting and burning might seem like opposites, but both exist as common examples of exothermic reactions. Scholars work with three different exothermic chemical reactions to determine the enthalpy changes. They measure and mix chemicals,...
Pingry School
Gas Pressure and Volume Relationship
Do your high school scientists know the four methods scientists use to communicate information? A simple experiment discovering the relationship between gas pressure and volume allows pupils to practice all four. After completing the...
Pingry School
Replacement of Hydrogen by a Metal
As the most abundant element on the earth, hydrogen requires no replacement. Yet scholars learn to replace hydrogen with a metal to liberate the hydrogen gas. A simple procedure and data table include the necessary information and...
Pingry School
The Periodic Law
Time to put the knowledge to the test! Young scholars take what they know about the periodic table and build their own from scratch. Using clues from 26 different elements, they place elements in a blank periodic table. The clues include...
Pingry School
Isotopes and Atomic Mass – Determination of the Average Atomic Mass of Pastium
Sometimes modeling is the best approach to working with microscopic particles. A lab investigation models a fictional element using pasta. The setup uses three different pasta types to represent three different isotopes. Learners...
Pingry School
Effect of Solutes on Boiling Point
Anyone that lives around snow knows that adding salts to water increases its melting point. Are there solutes that affect the boiling point as well? A scientific experiment has learners add different solutes to water and then monitor the...