We use basic units of measurement to break down things and communicate clearly. The first lesson in an 11-part series teaches the proper way to measure various items. It starts simply with measuring the dimensions and areas of geometric...

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...

Chemistry explorers prepare a crystalline derivative and find its melting point. Once they discover the melting point, they can identify whether the substance is pure or an aldehyde or ketone. This outstanding laboratory activity helps...

High schoolers investigate melting and freezing behavior in substances. In this melting and freezing points lesson plan, students perform experiments to test the impact of various salts on the freezing point of water, they test the...

Examine the behavior of energy as water freezes and melts. An engaging activity provides a hands-on experience to learners. Collaborative groups collect data and analyze the graphs of the temperature of water as it freezes and then...

Winter weather offers a great opportunity to teach young scientists about the states of matter. This activity-based lesson includes a range of learning experiences, from experimenting with the rate at which ice melts...

Students make a " science surprise" or ice cream in the lab. In this melting point depression lesson plan, students use various substances with ice to determine the effects on the melting point of ice and the ability to make ice cream....

This organic chemistry lab activity is appropriate for teaching polymerization, percent yield, melting point, or the types and uses of polymer materials. Chemistry pupils imagine that they are working for a company to develop a special...

Do charged and neutral particles behave differently as they undergo phase changes? Science sleuths examine two types of attractive forces using an informative interactive. Pupils can vary the amount of Van der Waals attraction present...

This biochemistry practice exam queries takers on the organic molecules. Pupils write IUPAC names, identify boiling and melting points of different compounds, and more. This is definitely designed for a college-level biochemistry course,...

What do aspirin and the willow tree have in common? Scholars of chemical synthesis engage in a fascinating reaction to make their own aspirin samples. The lab uses thin layer chromatography analysis, includes stoichiometric calculations,...

College-level or AP chemists use phthalic anhydride to synthesize two different polyesters, one linear and one cross-linked in structure. A detailed materials list and well-written procedures are provided on a lab sheet. Learners write...

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...

A study of the periodic table of elements doesn't have to be elementary! Deepen understanding of the building blocks of chemistry with an interactive periodic table. At first sight, the table looks like a standard reference page, but a...

Five fabulous procedures introduce physics or chemistry classes to special properties of matter. They discover adhesion and cohesion, solubility, melting and boiling points, and viscosity through hands-on experiences. Tests are...

The National Chemistry Olympiad exams are comprehensive tests covering an entire  year of chemistry concepts. You can use them as practice for competing in the challenge, or simply as a review, or as an actual final exam for your...

Here is a copy of a past national challenge exam that you can use in your general chemistry course as a unit or semester review. Sixty multiple-choice questions query learners on properties of matter, stoichiometry, reactions, and...

The 2009 version of the first part of a national chemistry competition is posted for your use with olympiad hopefuls. Test takers deal with 60 multiple choice questions covering an entire year of chemistry curriculum. Use this to...

Third and fourth graders engage with a worksheet designed to help them differentiate between melting and dissolving. After reading an informative paragraph about the two actions, they consider four scenarios, and choose whether they...

Earth science explorers design an experiment to demonstrate that the albedo of a surface affects its temperature. They test to find out if moisture on the surface affects temperature. They discover whether or not concrete or asphalt heat...

This PowerPoint is a gem! Seventy-eight slides present an entire introduction to matter in bullet-point fashion. Viewers learn about everything from mass and inertia to phase changes and gas laws! The only glitch is that the links to...

Students create ice cream in a zipped bag and measure the temperature of a salt/ice mixture. They discover how salt lowers the temperature necessary to freeze ice to a solid (below 0'C).

Let the data tell the story. A lab activity has pupils collect temperature data on solutes as they melt and freeze. They use their data to create a cooling curve and then calculate the molar mass using the freezing point depression.

For this preparation of triiodomethane learning exercise, students use propanone to prepare triiodomethane. Students use filtration and recrystallization to produce the product. They determine the melting point using a melting point...