Instructions
Welcome, Junior Chemist, to your first lab briefing! Follow these steps to complete your mission:
- Read each section carefully before answering.
- Use a pencil to fill in your answers so you can easily make corrections.
- For the Investigator's Log table, analyze the everyday events and decide if they are physical or chemical changes.
- If you get stuck, look for the Chemist's Hint boxes for guidance.
- Try the bonus Alchemist Challenge at the end if you want to test your advanced chemistry skills!
Mission 1: The Safety Briefing
Every great scientist knows that safety comes first. Read the safety rules below, then circle the CORRECT safety behavior in each real-life scenario.
- Rule A: Always work with an adult supervising you.
- Rule B: Keep substances away from your eyes, nose, and mouth.
- Rule C: Label all containers clearly and store them safely.
Scenario 1: You are mixing baking soda and vinegar in a plastic cup.
- A) Taste a tiny drop of the mixture to see if it tastes like pickles.
- B) Wear safety goggles and keep your face back away from the bubbles.
Scenario 2: You find a clear liquid in an unlabeled jar on the kitchen counter.
- A) Ask an adult what it is, and help them write a clear label on the jar.
- B) Take a deep sniff of the jar to find out if it is water or vinegar.
Mission 2: Building Blocks of the Universe
Match the chemistry term on the left with its correct definition on the right by drawing a line connecting them.
| Term | Definition | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Atom | A. Two or more atoms chemically bonded together. | |
| 2. Element | B. A substance made of two or more different types of atoms (like water, $H_2O$). | |
| 3. Compound | C. The smallest, basic unit of matter. | |
| 4. Molecule | D. A pure substance made of only one specific kind of atom. |
Mission 3: Physical vs. Chemical Changes
- Physical Change: A change where the substance looks or feels different, but no new substance is made. (Example: Ice melting into water).
- Chemical Change: A change that creates an entirely new substance, often with bubbles, color changes, or heat. (Example: Baking bread).
Complete the Investigator's Log below. The first row has been completed as an example.
| Scenario | Physical or Chemical Change? | Evidence (Why?) |
|---|---|---|
| Example: Melting an ice cube | Physical | It is still water, just in a different state (liquid instead of solid). It can easily freeze back to ice. |
| 1. Mixing baking soda and vinegar | ||
| 2. Dissolving sugar into warm water | ||
| 3. Burning a piece of paper | ||
| 4. Chopping a wooden log in half | ||
| 5. An iron nail rusting in the rain |
Mission 4: The Kitchen Lab & Scientific Method
Imagine you want to run an experiment at home: Does sugar dissolve faster in hot water or cold water?
Let's use the Scientific Method to plan your experiment!
1. Ask a Question: How does water temperature affect the speed at which sugar dissolves?
2. Form a Hypothesis (My Guess): Write your hypothesis below. (Hint: "I think sugar will dissolve faster in... because...")
Your Hypothesis:
3. Design the Experiment: To make this a fair test, we must keep everything the same except for one variable (water temperature). Circle the things you must keep the SAME in both tests:
- The amount of water used
- The temperature of the water
- The amount of sugar added
- The speed of stirring
4. Observe and Record: If you were to perform this experiment, what tool would you use to measure how long it takes the sugar to dissolve?
Your Answer:
Mission 5: Periodic Table Detective
The Periodic Table is a map of all elements. Each element has a unique chemical symbol (one or two letters).
Use the detective clues below to identify these common elements!
-
Clue 1: I am Element #1 on the periodic table. I am the lightest gas in the universe, and there are two of me in every molecule of water ($H_2O$).
- What element am I? H _
-
Clue 2: I am Element #8. Humans and animals need to breathe me in to survive! My chemical symbol is O.
- What element am I? O _
-
Clue 3: I am Element #6. I am found in all living things, as well as diamonds and coal. My chemical symbol is C.
- What element am I? C _
Mission 6: Advanced Alchemist Challenge (Optional Extension)
Imagine you weigh a glass of vinegar and a spoonful of baking soda on a scale. Together, they weigh exactly 200 grams.
You mix them together in the glass. The mixture bubbles and fizzes furiously. After the bubbling stops, you weigh the glass again. The scale now reads 198 grams!
Where did the missing 2 grams go? Explain your theory like a true scientist!
Answer Key
Mission 1: The Safety Briefing
- Scenario 1: B (Wear safety goggles and keep your face back away from the bubbles.)
- Scenario 2: A (Ask an adult what it is, and help them write a clear label on the jar.)
Mission 2: Building Blocks of the Universe
- 1. Atom -> C. The smallest, basic unit of matter.
- 2. Element -> D. A pure substance made of only one specific kind of atom.
- 3. Compound -> B. A substance made of two or more different types of atoms.
- 4. Molecule -> A. Two or more atoms chemically bonded together.
Mission 3: Physical vs. Chemical Changes
- 1. Mixing baking soda and vinegar: Chemical | Evidence: It produces gas bubbles (carbon dioxide) and creates a new substance; it cannot be easily reversed.
- 2. Dissolving sugar into warm water: Physical | Evidence: The sugar is still sugar, it is just spread out in the water. If you evaporate the water, the solid sugar remains.
- 3. Burning a piece of paper: Chemical | Evidence: It produces ash, smoke, and heat. A new substance is formed and you cannot turn ash back into paper.
- 4. Chopping a wooden log in half: Physical | Evidence: The wood is still wood, it has only changed its size and shape.
- 5. An iron nail rusting in the rain: Chemical | Evidence: Oxygen and iron have reacted to create a new orange substance (rust/iron oxide) that cannot easily be turned back into shiny iron.
Mission 4: The Kitchen Lab & Scientific Method
- 2. Hypothesis: Student answers will vary. (e.g., "I think sugar will dissolve faster in hot water because heat makes the molecules move faster.")
- 3. Design the Experiment: Elements to keep the SAME: The amount of water used, The amount of sugar added, The speed of stirring (Water temperature must be changed, as it is the variable being tested).
- 4. Observe and Record: A stopwatch / timer / clock.
Mission 5: Periodic Table Detective
- Clue 1: Hydrogen
- Clue 2: Oxygen
- Clue 3: Carbon
Mission 6: Advanced Alchemist Challenge (Optional Extension)
- Answer: The missing 2 grams escaped into the air as a gas (Carbon Dioxide) in the bubbles during the chemical reaction. Matter was not destroyed; it just changed state from solid/liquid ingredients to a gas that drifted away!