Lab Week 11

This week we started with some introductions and creating name cards. Then, we were asked "what is matter", and shared our ideas with each other and then put them on the board. Then, we did stations to investigate different activities. 

Station one: Coke float. We thought that the regular cokes would float, but all floated except for the full sized regular Coke. We were not sure why this happened, and thought the weird result could be because the sodas were all expired. 

Station two: baking soda and vinegar. When we mixed the substances, it got very cold and fizzy and made bubbly noises. When the bag was closed, it filled with air. We think the chemical reaction released gas to fill the bag. 

Station three: M&M melting. We put M&Ms on a plate and poured some water over them, and after a few minutes the color from the M&Ms starting leaking off and going into the water. We think the color was mixing in and being distributed with the water. The color was slightly lighter because it is diluted in the water. The colors of each of the M&Ms did not mix, there was a solid line/boundary where they met but I'm not sure why. 

Station four: plunger. We tested how the plunger would suction to different surfaces. When we tried pulling it straight up, it was a lot harder to pull off the table. When we pulled to the side, it came off the table more easily. On the cardboard it just lifter the cardboard a little bit but then fell, we think because it is porous. Over the crack of the table, the air was not allowing it to stick. 

Station five: ice cube melting. The ice in the metal pot melted faster than on the wood piece, we think because metal conducts energy and heat better than wood. We knew this because there was more water underneath the ice in the metal pot. Meredith was wondering what would happen if we put a wood block under the pot instead of having it on the table. 

Station six: cold Coke. We took a Coke out of a cold cooler and wiped it dry and then set it on the table outside of the cooler in room temperature, after a few minutes we observed that had no changes. I thought the can would develop condensation because the warm air from the room would hit the cold can and the moisture in the air would condense from gas into liquid because it got colder, so the particles would move slower and change it into liquid on the can. 


One thing I already knew is that the baking soda and vinegar would produce gas, but I thought it would get warm and not cold. I knew this because I have done this experiment before in my classes but I think I just forgot about which temperature it changed to, because I didn't have the understanding of "why" along with it. 

One question I have still is if the expiration dates of the sodas affected whether they "should" float or not. If they still were within their date, would the same ones float and sink?










Comments

  1. BrookeApril 5, 2023 at 8:11 AM

    I had the same idea as you with the baking soda vinegar that it would get warm instead of cold which was pretty interesting. I thought this was such a great way to get introduced to matter to a class.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Methods to Science- Elle ChristouApril 5, 2023 at 10:22 AM

    Hi Brenna! I was wondering the same about the cokes because it was very odd that only one didn't float and the tiny coke can floated. I loved all the activities we did in class too because it was a good introduction to matter.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Taylor HospodarskyApril 5, 2023 at 8:43 PM

    Hi Brenna! I am also curious to if the expiration dates are a factor in the Coke float experiment. Could the level of CO2 that is in the drink dissipate as it expires and that makes a difference?

    ReplyDelete

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