Kelvin meet the states of matter

1. Convert 0°F, 32°F, 70°F, and 212°F to Kelvin
0f= 255.372 Kelvin 32F= 273.15 Kevin 70F=294.261 212F= 373.15

2. Under the For Teachers area of the State of Matter webpage,  complete the  Teacher Submitted Activities: States of Matter Simulation Lab by Kelly Vaughan (may need to click on "browse more activities.") Complete the lab worksheet as if you were a student, and then post this on your blog. You can scan it or just take a picture of it. NOTE: As you work with PHET, you may need to create an account at this site.

3. In the States of Matter simulation, choose the Solid, Liquid, and Gas Tab at the top of the screen. Choose the water molecule and cool the water to 0 K. Describe how the water molecules are aligned and attracted to each other. Which atoms are attracted to which other atoms?

Looking at the image the hydrogen atoms connect to the oxygen atoms and are put into a fixed pattern.

4. Discuss why this statement is not true for water: As a liquid freezes, the molecules come closer together and have a greater attraction for each other.

It isn’t a matter of attraction it a covalent bond. Like with oxygen the bonds are created in a hexagonal pattern. They are not attracted to each other because there is a lack of heat there is less room for the molecules to move around.

5. Switch to the Phase Changes Tab on the States of Matter simulation. Notice how on the bottom right there is a small red dot that indicates where the system is at as far as temperature, pressure and state of matter. Play with the simulation to notice changes, notice that when you push down the pressure can go way up and explode the box. On your blog, report temperature and pressure required to make oxygen a liquid. This is sometimes how the oxygen exists in pressurized oxygen tanks, perhaps like ones you may use to go diving.

The temperature to make oxygen a liquid is at 77K. The pressure need is about 1.5 atm.

6. Switch to the Molecule Polarity simulation and go the Real Molecules tab.  Post an image of a molecule that is considered polar and an image of a molecule that is non-polar.    Java Script would not run on the computer and the sim could not be accessed.

7. In Activity 1, students explored the addition of salt to water to affect the freezing point. In terms of polarity, why are salt ions easily dissolved in water? At the molecular level, why does the addition of salt prevent the formation of ice at certain temperatures?

Water molecules are polar and attract both the positive sodium ions and the negative chloride ions. Salt is used to keep ice from forming because it has a lower freezing point. If you know that a snowstorm is coming then you can put ice down to keep the freezing point down when the snow falls.

8. Identify and describe at least two Wisconsin Standards for Science (WSS) that this activity addresses

 SCI.CC2.3-5 Students routinely identify and test causal relationships and use these relationships to explain the change. They understand events that occur together with regularity may or may not signify a cause and effect relationship.

Having students explore the states of matter using the simulation and various molecules offers a chance to test a hypothesis. Applying the heat and ice in the simulation also shows the relationship to the states of matter and how they change.

SCI.SEP3.A.3-5 Students plan and carry out investigations that control variables and provide evidence to support explanations or design solutions. This includes the following: Collaboratively plan and conduct an investigation to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, using fair tests in which variables are controlled and the number of trials considered. Evaluate appropriate methods and tools for collecting data. Make observations and measurements to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence for an explanation of a phenomenon or test a design solution. Make predictions about what would happen if a variable changes. Test two different models of the same proposed object, tool, or process to determine which better meets the criteria for success.

Using the simulations students could find out data points such the boiling and freezing points of some of the samples like argon. They were able to test out the hypothesis for the behaviors of molecules in the different states of matter. Tests could be replicated and screenshotted as proof of the experiments. The simulations offer multiple variables to use and explore as well. Students can also use the simulations for diagrams. Students can also design their own experiments from what the simulation offers.