In this lab students will make qualitative observations of flame color, a property of metals, to identify unknown metals in salt compounds.
In this interactive periodic table from the NOVA Web site, find out the role of various elements in making fireworks.
This is an guided inquiry lab activity in which the student will design and carry out a qualitative analysis scheme for the separation and identification of metal cations from an unknown sample.
This is an outline for how one could incorporate quantum mechanics into atomic structure. Students really seem to get hooked on it and it makes atomic structure way more interesting to teach.
Explore the properties of quantum "particles" bound in potential wells. See how the wave functions and probability densities that describe them evolve (or don't evolve) over time.
Watch quantum "particles" tunnel through barriers. Explore the properties of the wave functions that describe these particles.
When do photons, electrons, and atoms behave like particles and when do they behave like waves? Watch waves spread out and interfere as they pass through a double slit, then get detected on a screen as tiny dots. Use quantum detectors to explore how measurements change the waves and the patterns they produce on the screen.
This interactive Java application helps students understand the partial quotients algorithm of division in the context of dividing food equally. Students select a character and a type of food as well as the quantities of characters (divisor, 1-50) and food (dividend, 1-500) – or have the applet make selections randomly. The applet creates a story problem and leads users through the algorithm one step at a time, using questions related to the meaning of each step, and displays graphics illustrating the steps. Remainders can be expressed as whole numbers or fractions. An online calculator is available to help with calculations.
Broadcast radio waves from KPhET. Wiggle the transmitter electron manually or have it oscillate automatically. Display the field as a curve or vectors. The strip chart shows the electron positions at the transmitter and at the receiver.
Broadcast radio waves from KPhET. Wiggle the transmitter electron manually or have it oscillate automatically. Display the field as a curve or vectors. The strip chart shows the electron positions at the transmitter and at the receiver.
Learn about different types of radiometric dating, such as carbon dating. Understand how decay and half life work to enable radiometric dating to work. Play a game that tests your ability to match the percentage of the dating element that remains to the age of the object.
Learn about different types of radiometric dating, such as carbon dating. Understand how decay and half life work to enable radiometric dating to work. Play a game that tests your ability to match the percentage of the dating element that remains to the age of the object.
This is an activity that students will use M&Ms to gain a better understanding of radioactive dating and half-lives.
Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum module. Students build spreadsheets to forward model an example of exponential decay and interpret the meaning of the decay constant.
In this inquiry lab activity, the students will attempt to layer 6 different kinds of soda pops in a large test tube. The students will have to use prior knowledge of the physical properties of liquids, in particular density, to accomplish this task.
Discrete and continuum modeling of diffusion processes in physics, chemistry, and economics. Topics include central limit theorems, continuous-time random walks, Levy flights, correlations, extreme events, mixing, renormalization, and percolation.
Create your own sandwich and then see how many sandwiches you can make with different amounts of ingredients. Do the same with chemical reactions. See how many products you can make with different amounts of reactants. Play a game to test your understanding of reactants, products and leftovers. Can you get a perfect score on each level?
Explore what makes a reaction happen by colliding atoms and molecules. Design experiments with different reactions, concentrations, and temperatures. When are reactions reversible? What affects the rate of a reaction?
Explore what makes a reaction happen by colliding atoms and molecules. Design experiments with different reactions, concentrations, and temperatures. When are reactions reversible? What affects the rate of a reaction?
Through this lab, students are introduced to energy sciences as they explore redox reactions and how hydrogen fuel cells turn the energy released when hydrogen and oxygen are combined into electrical energy that can be read on a standard multimeter. They learn about the energy stored in bonds and how, by controlling the reaction, this energy can be turned into more or less useful forms.