All pink and blue!

In class today we saw this crazy liquid mixture turn from pink to purple when we added some clear hydrochloric acid to it. We then added some distilled Poland Spring water (H2O) to the purple stuff and it turned pink again. Finally we poured it all into a test tube and placed it into hot water and it turned blue...? Wait a minute! What's going on here? My head is spinning just thinking about all of those color changes! Anyway, let's get to the important stuff. Tonight's homework is pretty straight forward.

Assignment #1: Copy the vocab list into your binder (handwritten! no photocopies!)

Assignment #2: Study for the MiniUnit Test!

Assignment #3: Organize your binder (binder check during the test!)

Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes!

Godzilla is an avid fan of science experiments. He creates chemical changes all day and night.

List 3 chemical changes you will make/see this evening. Explain why they are chemical changes and not physical changes. Give details. Use vocab. (long paragraph-1/2 page)

Rotten bananas!

SOFers, you guys had a great time making fun of my decomposing banana today, but I'm happy it helped us discuss physical verses chemical change. Now that you've acquired this new information regarding physical and chemical changes, are there any changes you listed on your weekend homework that you listed as physical that you might classify as chemical instead? Explain why or why not. Provide evidence to support your ideas.

Also, make sure to bring in the thinksheet from class.

Game Changer!

This is Young Bill's collection of old screws and bolts. He used to play with them all of the time as a young child building things in his father's workshop. These screws and bolts used to be shiny and smooth way back when, but now they are all reddish with a rough texture. What do you think has happened here? Is this a physical change?

By now all of you have a very good understanding of what a physical property is. What other properties can substances have besides physical properties? How else can we classify them? If there are other properties besides physical properties, would there also be other changes besdies physical changes? What might those be?

Response should be about 1/2 page long.

Weekends are for fun!

Another week brings another weekend, and we have a cool assignment for you this time around. Your task is to describe in detail 3 physical changes you will make happen this weekend. Examples would be freezing ice cubes, slicing pieces of fruit, breaking eggs, etc. Be sure to identify how the substance has changed. Was energy was added or removed? Is the process reversible? Has the state of matter changed? The color? Shape? Volume?

Be as detailed as possible. (1/2 page)

Extra Credit: Identify a physical change in your Partner book or your Independent Reading book. Explain the physical change and be sure to list the page number where you found it.

RE: define with clarity!

Is sharpening a pencil a different physical change than freezing water to make ice cubes? Explain your reasoning. Defend your ideas with evidence. Use vocab words.

What an inference a day makes!

Hey SOFers! Today is another 2 for 1 deal! Yay!

Assignment #1: After seeing the list we made together as a class, would you revise the lists you made yesterday? Are there things that you would add? Anything you would remove? Make those adjustments to both the physical properties list and the physical changes list and have those ready for tomorrow.

Assignment #2: In this unit we have come to understand just how useful boiling points and melting points of substances are. Why is it then that substances do not have an evaporation point? Explain your reasoning. Provide evidence and examples. (paragraph -1/2 page)

The Lists: Physical Change Can Be Tough!

Tonight's homework is to make 2 lists:

List # 1 - list as many physical properties as you can think of. At least 10. These can be things like shiny, soft, brittle, solid, clear, etc...

List # 2 - list as many physical changes as you can think of. The list can include words like melt, cut, break, freeze, condense, etc...

Who wants s'more lessons on states of matter?

Hey 7th graders! I checked out the screening of your animation film on Friday and I must say it was AWESOMENESS!!! Great job guys!

This weekend's homework is to describe how a marshmallow goes through phase changes as you make s'mores. What's a s'more you ask? Well, a s'more is a traditional campfire treat popular in the United States, consisting of a roasted marshmallow and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker. The name "s'more" means "some more" as in "give me some more!"

So the questions posed to you are: Which phases will the marshmallow go through as you roast it over the fire? Will it ever become a gas? Was it ever a solid? Describe in detail what you believe is happening to the particles inside the marshmallow as heat is being added to it. (should be about 1/2 page).

Thursday's Homework

Thursday's homework was a crossword puzzle to help you guys study for Friday's quiz. I have not been able to upload a pdf for some reason because I have had problems with the class laptop lately. I will upload it as soon as possible. In the meantime you can pick up a copy in class if you missed it.

Seeing is believing!

Tonight's homework is another 2 for 1 deal.

Part #1: Would you consider a human being a solid? Why or why not? What criteria will you use to make that determination?

Part #2: When Dorothy threw the bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West, did she melt (go from a solid to a liquid), sublimate (go from a solid to a gas), boil (go from a liquid to a gas), or maybe something else? Explain your ideas. Use vocabulary terms.

Both prompts must be answered thoroughly. Your responses for Part 1 and Part 2 should combine to make at least 1/2 a page.

Scale House Rock!

Hey guys, it's that time again! What time you ask? Homework time! Here's tonight's awesome assignment!

Assignment # 1:  Tonight we have to make THREE new bar graphs similar to the one  we worked on Monday in class. The first graph must show the melting points and boiling points of  three metals (one of them must be mercury). The second graph needs to show the melting points and boiling points of two liquids (bromine and mercury) as well as gallium. The last graph should display the melting points and boiling points of three gases. The graph to the left shows how Naje did his homework. You can use it as a reference. If you need to find the melting points and boiling points of the different elements you want to use, go to this website.

My brain hurts...

Today's Assignment: Imagine you have a flask filled with water vapor. What would happen if you placed the flask in freezing water? Defend your ideas with evidence. Use vocab words. (1 paragraph response - think of the coke can from class)

Weekend Homework...Yay!

Okay people here's the homework for the weekend:

Step 1: go to the 7th Grade Science website! Oh, you're already here! Awesomeness...

Step 2: go to this website to find the melting point (MP) and boiling point (BP) of your element. write this information down

Step 3: on the same website identify 1 element with a similar melting point and 1 element with a similar boiling point (you can click on the tab above MP or BP to reorganize the elements according to boiling point or melting point).

Step 4: list as many similarities and differences as possible between all three elements (use this website periodictable.com to help you)

Graph it up!

What's up SOFers! Today's homework assignment is to make a graph using the data collected from Wednesday's Boiling Point Lab.

The temperature scale should be one square for every 5 degrees Celsius.

The time scale should be 1 square for every 30 seconds.

Click on the image to the left to see the graph Naje made using Scarecrow's data.

Bubble til you boil!

Last week Steve Jobs took Bill Gates’ action figures and melted them as a way of explaining melting point to Bill. Steve then added more energy until the toys reached their boiling points! Bill recorded the data and was able to graph the different phase changes but unfortunately his toys are now a solid ball of plastic.

In class we used tables to record our data for the three different substances that we boiled. The backside of the worksheet had follow up questions. You can download a pdf version here.

Totally Phased Out!

Frosty the Snowman only likes one phase change...the one that goes from a liquid to a solid also known as freezing. Melting on the other hand...not so much!

Assignment #1: Why do certain elements/substances change phases easier than others? Use examples in your answer (response must be at least a paragraph long).

Don't let X-Mas break, break our concentration!

Happy New Year everyone! Sorry for such a late post but I wasn't able to get the computers at school to work so I had to wait until I got home...and I only now arrived in casa. Anyway, tonight's homework was a 2 for 1 deal.

Assignment # 1: copy the new vocab list into your binders (no not a xerox copy!)

Assignment # 2: show your parents this website and have them sign off that they have seen it. This way all SOF 7th graders can make sure they are up to date with their science assignments whether they have been absent or lost their planners or whatever the case may be. We have to stay on top of things so our desks don't end up looking like Young Bill's (see photo above).

If you did not get the handout you can download the pdf here.