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
Particle Model of Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Display the arrangement of molecules in solids, liquids, and gases. Demonstrate how the addition of heat energy results in greater molecular motion and therefore a change of phase. Give examples of heat conductors and insulators, and...
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...
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
Middle School Chemistry: Temperature and Density
Observe how heating and cooling affect the density of water. Combine the concepts of temperature, molecular motion, and density to learn that hot water is less dense than room temperature water and that cold water is more dense.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Moving Molecules in a Solid
Learners observe and describe, on the molecular level, how heating and cooling affect the motion of molecules in a solid.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: The Ups and Downs of Thermometers
Based on experimental observations, students describe, on the molecular level, why the liquid in a thermometer goes up when it is heated and down when it is cooled.
TED Talks
Ted: Ted Ed: The Invisible Motion of Still Objects
Ran Tivony describes how and why molecular movement occurs and investigates if it might ever stop. [4:44]
The Franklin Institute
Franklin Institute: The Science of Sound
This Franklin Institute webpage provides an introduction to understanding sound waves based on 5th grade science lessons.
Concord Consortium
The Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench: Pressure Conveyance in Fluids
Adjust amounts of pressure in these two simulations to observe that liquids do convey pressure on objects in contact with them.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Density of Water
Discover how the molecular make-up of water affects its density.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Density Sink and Float for Liquids
See how different liquids can have different densities depending on their molecular make-up.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Temperature and Density
Learn how the molecular movement in different temperature water affects the density of the liquid.
American Chemical Society
Middle School Chemistry: Temperature and Rate of a Chemical Reaction
Watch molecules collide with enough energy that bonds break and form new bonds in a chemical reaction.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Micelles
Select an oil or water environment for molecules and observe how they are affected by interactions with their environment and each other.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Polar and Nonpolar Interface
Observe how molecules with hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions move in a mixture of oil and water, and pay attention to changes in potential energy over time. Move and rotate the molecules to see how they interact with their surrounding...
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Mixing Liquids
Experiment with mixing liquids and observing the volume they take up.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Oil and Water
Mix polar and nonpolar molecules together and observe changes in potential energy.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Diffusion of a Drop
Explore the effect of temperature on diffusion.
Khan Academy
Khan Academy: What Is the Maxwell Boltzmann Distribution?
In a gas, there are lots of molecules traveling at lots of different speeds. Here's a framework for thinking about that.
Concord Consortium
The Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench: Pouring Water
View water on a molecular level as it is poured out of a container.
Concord Consortium
Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench: Simulated Waves After Dam Destruction
View a simulation of the movement of water after a dam is destroyed.
Concord Consortium
The Concord Consortium: Molecular Workbench: Rotating Drum Mixer
Adjust the rotation in this simulation to see how particles of fluids move.