Middle School Chemistry: Lesson Plans: Using Dissolving to Identify an Unknown

See how using the process of dissolving can be used to identify an unknown substance.

Lesson plan in which students design an experiment to determine if different types of liquids affect the amount of dissolution of an M&M candy shell.

Students observe reactions of liquids with different known powders in this instructional activity. Unknown powders are then identified using characteristic chemical changes.Site includes a procedure, teacher instructions, and video...

Lesson plan with mulitmedia links in which students identify and control variables to help design a solubility test for different liquids in water.

An activity through which students learn why gas is able to dissolve in water, and how heat affects the solubility of a gas in a liquid.

Learners use their own model of a salt crystal and water molecule to show how water dissolves salt. Then, they relate their observations to the structure of salt, water, and alcohol on the molecular level.

After observing a demonstration of a chemical reaction between a burning candle and the oxygen in the air, students use atom model cut-outs to model the reaction and see that all the atoms in the reactants show up in the products.

Young scholars observe and investigate why water has a strong surface tension.

Learners investigate the concept of a precipitate by combining two clear, colorless solutions that produce a solid.

This activity explores how students could use chemical changes to identify unknown substances. Lab activity includes student and teacher worksheets.