Discover the properties and purpose of chemical solvents. Continuing with the theme of shampoo ingredients, the 10th lesson of this 24-part series investigates the choice of solvents in shampoos. Through their exploration, they learn how...

Students determine the best solvent system for separating a methylene blue/sodium fluorescein mixture by thin layer chromatography. They conduct an initial TLC separation using ethanol and a different solvent mixture and analyze the data...

Students are introduced to the analysis of health risks in the laboratory, particularly from vapors from organic solvents. They consider quantitative measure of risk such as threshold limit values (TLVs), the amount of the compound that...

Students prepare a nonaqueous surface coating by first making a polymeric resin and then adding an organic solvent. There product is a basic varnish that hardens by loss of organic solvent to the air. Students make a simple paint by...

This lab activity is geared toward experienced chemistry learners, in particular, those who are familiar with organic chemistry. They will create a synthetic elastomer  and then make observations and measurements of its different...

Students investigate factors affecting the rate of solubility. In this rate of solubility lesson plan, students experiment by crushing, heating and cooling solutes and solvents to see how the solubility is affected. For each situation,...

Fifth graders design an experiment in which they separate mixtures. In this mixtures instructional activity, 5th graders define mixtures, solutions, solutes, and solvents. They watch a video, complete worksheets, and perform an...

Students investigate the pigments in Magic Markers using chromatography. In this paper chromatography lesson plan, students use absorbent paper and mark the strip with a Magic Marker. They place the strip in a solvent and observe the...

Students identify various kinds of paints by using the scientific method.  In this solvents instructional activity students collect data and identify paint samples while working in teams.

Explore particle motion between solute and solvents. An interactive simulation allows learners to observe the motion of solute particles as they interact with the solvent particles. It provides an option for including...

Here's a sweet instructional activity to explore solutes and solvents. Using candies and water, learners observe properties of parts of the solution as the candies dissolve. They then modify the setup and note variations in the...

Beginning biologists place a drop of food coloring into water of differing temperatures to observe the effect on the diffusion rate. They remove the shells from raw eggs and then experiment with osmosis over the remaining membranes....

Students use this design the illustrate how ink can be separated into its component chemicals using paper chromatography. They use five unknown samples of ink on pre-labeled chromatography strips are provided to students. Students use...

There are three separate lessons within this resource that can be used together, or that can each stand alone. In the first, five simple activities allow junior scientists to examine the amazing properties of water. In the second, they...

Students design experiments examining the effects of various solutes on water. They record results on graphs explaining any unexpected consequences of their experiments and determine if their hypotheses were correct.

Students experiment with solutions.  In this mixtures and solutions science lesson, students work in groups of three to perform an experiment. Students place a sugar cube in three glasses, and observe and record the different rates...

Students study flavinoids and how they exist in the plant kingdom.  In this pigment lesson students complete a lab activity to see how flavinoids move in substances then record their observations.

Students experiment to determine which bottle of soda has more dissolved carbon dioxide. In this solutions lesson, students use the scientific method to test the amount of carbon dioxide in bottles of soda. They identify and explain the...

One of water's claims to fame is as the universal solvent. Young physical scientists experiment to discover which materials dissolve in this special compound. You could never be more prepared for teaching this lesson than by using this...

Students are challenged to come up with a good estimate of the amount of air in foamed polystyrene products. They use this gas evolution experiment and as such have students measure the gas generated when foamed polystyrene is degassed...

Fourth graders explore how colors react in water (chromatography) and other solvents. They observe, investigate, measure, record data and communicate their results in the form of graphs/charts and narration presented to the class....

Exactly how environmentally friendly is your school? From the air fresheners in the bathrooms to the cleaning solvents used in the classrooms, young conservationists search the school grounds for sources of air pollution in...

Students examine physical change with different temperature and solvents. In this elements and compounds lesson, students conduct experiments to discover what happens to the mass of a substance when is undergoes a physical change.

Students determine the molar mass of a gas. For this molar mass of a gas lesson plan, students use the vapor density of an organic solvent to determine its molar mass. They vaporize the solvent and collect the vapor. Once it is cooled...