Chemistry Projects, Lessons, Activities (Page 11)

Splitting Water

STEM Activity

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14 reviews

You use it basically every day and cannot survive without it—no it is not your cell phone, but water! It is one of the most essential compounds of the world and has become an increasingly important issue everywhere. You probably have heard that in many places droughts or water pollution limits clean drinking water supplies, and those supplies keep shrinking. When considering this, have you ever wondered why we do not just make our own water, and what water is actually made of? In this… Read more

Underwater Color Bursts

STEM Activity

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131 reviews

Summertime often brings beautiful fireworks displays. Whereas you normally look up into the sky to see fireworks, in this activity we will take the bursts of color underwater—with chemistry. Although it is not exactly the same as real fireworks, you will be amazed by the color explosions you will see. Curious about what that looks like? See for yourself in this activity! Read more

Use Chemistry to Lift Ice Cubes

STEM Activity

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Have you ever wondered why salt is used to de-ice roads? Did you know that snow sticks more readily to pavement that has been treated with salt? Why would this be the case? In this activity, you will use the same principles to hoist ice cubes with a piece of string. Is it possible to do this without getting your hands cold? Try the activity and see what a pinch of salt can do! Read more

A Soluble Separation Solution

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

Have you ever mixed together salt and sand? It is fun to see how all of those tiny grains of salt and sand mix together! But what if you had to separate them out again? Do you have nightmares of tiny tweezers, a magnifying glass, and hours spent picking grains of salt and sand apart? Do not be afraid, there is another way! In this chemistry science project you will use the differences in solubility between salt and sand to find out the simple "solution" to this problem. Read more

Charge from Change: Make a Coin Battery

STEM Activity

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Have you ever wondered why your phone, computer, or a flashlight works without being plugged into a power outlet? Where does the electrical energy come from that makes all these portable devices function? You probably know the answer: they use batteries! But do you know how these batteries work? Batteries store electrical energy in the form of chemical energy, which means that electrochemical reactions inside the batteries create electricity. It may sound complicated, but it is simpler than you… Read more

Chemical Reactions: What is Plastic Made From?

Video Lesson Grade: 6th-8th

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Chemical reactions can result in interesting products! In this lesson, students learn how plastics are made by conducting a polymerization reaction in a simple milk-to-plastic transforming experiment. During their experiments, students will be able to compare the physical properties of their reactants (milk and vinegar) and their resulting organic casein polymer. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS1-2. Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred.
MS-PS1-3. Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.

Chromatography: Be a Color Detective

STEM Activity

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Do you love bright and vibrant colored art supplies? Do you ever wonder how these colors are made? The variety of colors comes from colored molecules that are mixed into the material used to make the product. Some colored molecules are synthetic (or manmade), like the famous Yellow #5 found in food dyes. Others are extracted from natural sources, such as carotenoid (pronounced kuh-RAH-tuh-noid) molecules, which make your carrot look orange, and can be extracted from saffron. Even… Read more

Cold Pack Chemistry: Exploring Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions

Lesson Plan Grade: 6th-8th

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How do "instant" cold packs get cold when they are stored at room temperature, unlike a regular ice pack which must be stored in the freezer? In this lesson plan, students will explore several endothermic and exothermic reactions, and use their observations to choose the chemical reaction that best fits the design constraints for their own chemical cold pack. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

MS-PS1-6. Undertake a design project to construct, test, and modify a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy by chemical processes.
MS-ETS1-1. Define the criteria and constraints of a design problem with sufficient precision to ensure a successful solution, taking into account relevant scientific principles and potential impacts on people and the natural environment that may limit possible solutions.

How are New Materials Invented?

Video Lesson Grade: 5th

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New materials often involve chemical reactions, and slime is no exception. In this lesson, students will use the engineering design process to design a slime product. They will need to decide on the desired properties for their slime and then experiment to find the best recipe. Read more

NGSS Performance Expectations:

3-5-ETS1-1. Define a simple design problem reflecting a need or a want that includes specified criteria for success and constraints on materials, time, or cost.
5-PS1-4. Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results in new substances.

How Do You Get Heat from a Supercooled Solution? Explore the Chemistry Within Hand Warmers

Science Fair Project Idea

Scientific Method

You're at the high school football game and it's getting pretty chilly as the sun goes down. You're determined to keep cheering for your team, but your hands are freezing—have you ever tried hand warmers? The chemistry within these little packets is pretty cool. Hand warmers provide a unique and fun way to study the chemistry of crystal formation and heat generation. By pressing a button in a pouch, which contains a supercooled solution, you start a rapid exothermic (heat-producing)… Read more

Chemistry Projects, Lessons, Activities (187 results)

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