Name: ______________________________ Date:

Student Exploration: Physical and Chemical Changes of Matter

Prior Knowledge Questions:

1. A student mixes baking soda and vinegar in a glass. The results are shown on the right. Do you think
any new substances are being created in this mixture? If so, how do you know?
Yes, because bubbles are being formed.

2. Suppose this was done on top of a balance. Do you think the mass would change as the reaction
proceeded? Explain.

no

3. What do you think would happen to the mass if the reaction took place inside a sealed plastic bag? Why?

It would get bigger then stop because its expanding the bag but it can only get so big before bursting.

Gizmo Introduction:
A chemical change, (or chemical reaction) occurs when one or more substances, called reactants, are transformed into different substances, or
products. In the Chemical Changes Gizmo, you will look for evidence of chemical changes by looking at changes you can see, touch, or smell.

It is important to distinguish chemical changes, in which new substances are formed, from physical changes, which do not create new substances.
In this activity, you will look at many kinds of evidence that chemists use to see if a chemical change has taken place.
Gizmo Instructions
 To begin, be sure the sound on your device is on, then check that Reactant 1 and Reactant 2 match the information in the table
that follows. Please note that all options may not be available for each combination of reactants and other options may be
available.
 Turn on the Label reactants checkbox. Then, follow the steps below for each test.

To observe if gas is emitted or produced:

1. Click Reset (if needed). Select the Gas collection setup (if this option is available). Chemists use this apparatus to collect any gases
produced in the reaction. From the reaction flask, gases travel through a long tube and into a cylinder of water. As gases bubble into the
cylinder, the substance is displaced (removed) until the cylinder is filled with gas.
2. Click Play and observe the cylinder.
3. Complete/fill in the table with your observations.
To observe color change:
Two families of chemicals are acids and bases. Acids and bases can be detected by an indicator, which is a substance that changes color in
the presence of an acid or a base. Phenol red is an indicator that is yellow in an acid, orange in a neutral solution, and pink in a base.
1. Click Reset. Drag the Phenol red next to the flask.
2. Click Play and wait for the reaction to end.
3. Complete/fill in the table with your observations.
To observe if there is a change in temperature:
1. Click Reset. Drag the Thermometer into the experimental setup and record the temperature before and after you press play.
Some chemical reactions release heat, and others absorb heat. In an exothermic reaction, heat is released and the temperature of the
system rises. In an endothermic reaction, heat is absorbed and the temperature of the system decreases.
2. Click Play and wait for the reaction to end.
3. Complete/fill in the table with your observations.

 Determine the type of change, if any, that occurred and provide evidence from your tests to support your reasoning. Then, click
Reset then repeat each test for the remaining reactants.
 Evidence of Changes in Matter
Physical or Chemical Reaction
Color Temp Change
Gas How do you know? Provide
Reactant 1 Reactant 2 (Y or N)
Change (Endo- or Other Observations
(Y or N) Exothermic) evidence to support your reasoning.

none Chemical change because the

1. Starting: 21
color changed, and bubbles
Sodium Water y y
Current: 59 happened

Starting:21
2. Sodium Chlorine y n Current: >100 Fire Chemical change because gas

3. Starting: 21 Smelled like Physical because nothing really

Sodium Kerosene n n Current: 21 kerosene changed besides the sodium
being there

4. Weight changed,
Starting: 21 bubbles, acid
Chemical change because of the
Hydrogen peroxide Potassium Iodide y n Current: 83 levels changed,
bubbles and gas
splint lit on fire,
showed gas

Starting: 21
5. Potassium Iodide Big foam, bubbles Chemical change because of
Hydrogen peroxide y n Current: 71
and dish soap gas and bubbles and foam

Starting: 21
6. Hydrogen peroxide Raw liver y n Current: >100 none Chemical change because gas

Starting: 21
7. Acidic after Chemical change because the
Silver nitrate Hydrochloric acid n y Current: 22
mixture ph level changed

Starting: 21
8. Silver nitrate Copper n n Current: 23 Frost on copper Physical, nothing is changed
 Starting: 21
9. Silver nitrate Gold n n Current: 21 none Nothing happened so physical

Physical or Chemical Reaction

Color
Reactant 1 Reactant 2 Gas
Change
Temp Change Other Observations How do you know? Provide
evidence to support your reasoning.

10. Start: 21 Its just mixed Physical, there nothing

Calcium chloride Water n n
Current: 37 indicating a chemical change

11. Ph level changed Chemical change, bubbles

Start: 21
Calcium chloride Sodium bicarbonate y n to acidic and happened and the ph level
Current: 24
bubbles changed

12. none Physical change because it only

Start: 21
Calcium chloride Sodium hydroxide n n mixed together and nothing
Current: 65
happened

13. Start: 21 Ph level changed Chemical because of the ph

Ammonium nitrate Water n n
Current: 13 level change

14. Start: 21 Ph level changed, Chemical change because ph

Ammonium nitrate Potassium hydroxide y n
Currently: 31 bubbles, gas change and bubbles

15. Start: 21 Big green fire and

Zinc, sodium Chemical change because of the
Ammonium nitrate y y Currently: smoke
chloride gas and fire
>100

Discussion:
1. What kinds of evidence can indicate that a chemical change has taken place?
bubbles, ph level changing, most likely fire, and loss of weight/mass
2. In the “normal setup,” why do some chemical reactions seem to lose mass, while others gain mass?
Because gas is sometimes let loose into the air that was once the liquid
3. For any reaction, does the total mass change if the reaction is done in a closed system? Why or why not?
No, because its kept in the same place and space