Chestnut Class visit QMC
On the 27th January we visited QMC as part of our science topic, solids, liquids and gases and changing matter.
When we arrived we got into four groups and each group went to carry out one of the four experiments which had been arranged for us.
The first experiment was looking at how water is different in the three different states. We started by measuring the temperature of the liquid in the tin, using a thermometer. We then put the tins on to a hot plate to heat them. Whilst we were waiting for the water to boil we looked at a piece of ice and tried to pass it round the group, which we were able to do. We noticed that the ice started to melt when it was in our hands because our hands were warm.
We then tried to pass a handful of water round the group which was more difficult as the water poured through the gaps in our fingers. After this, the water was boiled and we could see the steam coming out of the tin. We then looked at what happened when we put a cold piece of metal over the steam and we could see the water droplets forming on the cold metal, we then wrote our initials in the condensation.
The second experiment looked at how particles in the different states are arranged and how they can move around. We used marbles to show that a solid’s particles are tightly packed into an area, a liquids particles were further apart and that particles in a gas were very spread out. We then looked at what happens when we push water and air from a syringe and we discussed what was happening when we did this.
The third experiment was looking at what temperature different materials melted at. We placed the materials into a foil container and put them on top of some warm water then used a thermometer to measure how warm chocolate, wax and butter needed to be to melt.
The final experiment was looking at how plastics can change state. Firstly, we looked at a glue gun which heats glue, turning it from a solid to a liquid, then, when it cools again it turns beak into a solid. After that, we looked at making our own piece of polymorph change from a solid to a material we could mould by placing it in hot water. We were then able to make it into different shapes and see if it would bounce!
We had a really good morning and learnt lots about our science topic, solids, liquids and gases.
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