The Three States Of Matter: 4 Different Labs - 2.7.12

The four states of matter, including plasma, and their molecular structure.

      Over the course of 1-2 weeks, the green class has done about 4 different labs based on the three states of matter. We experimented with solids, liquids, and gases. From burning to putting out flames, all the labs taught us something new. These labs also focused on telling the difference between physical and chemical changes. There is another state of matter: plasma, but we couldn't experiment with that since it's highly dangerous and very rare on Earth. All four labs ended up surprising me in different ways, and I enjoyed doing all of them.

A candle burning

      The first lab we did was a candle lab. The process was to light a candle and observe the physical and chemical changes before and while it was burning. Personally, I found it easy to tell the difference between physical and chemical. The physical properties of the birthday candle (before we burned it) was that it was green, it had a spiral design, and it was fairly small. After we lit the candle, my group and I started to notice physical changes, such as the wax melting and dripping, the flames getting larger, and the wax hardening when it reached a cooler area. On the other hand, we also noticed some chemical changes, such as the burning of the yarn on the candle, and the smoke that it created. I enjoyed observing the different changes and guessing what kind they were. 

Pouring a gas onto a flame.

      The second lab we did was similar to the first: it was also a candle lab. Except in this lab, we were observing how a gas can put out a flame. The process was to mix vinegar and baking soda together in a beaker and let it bubble. Then, you were supposed to pour the gas, NOT the liquid, on the flame of a lit candle. My lab table had a hard time with this. Every time we did it, we didn't get any reaction at all. So we decided to try putting more vinegar and baking soda together, and it worked! When we poured the gas onto the flame, it immediately extinguished the flame! We tried again, thinking we might have done it wrong, but the same thing happened again. That's when we all came up with a theory. Our theory was that the CO2 took all the oxygen out of the area, and for something to burn, it needs oxygen. So since there was no oxygen in that area, the flame had nothing to feed on, and it couldn't survive.  

Burning marshmallow. . .  :)

      The third lab was burning marshmallows. Fun right? The process for this one was to first eat a small marshmallow without doing anything to it. Then, we were supposed to burn a large marshmallow and eat that as well. We then had to tell if burning the marshmallow was a physical or chemical change. In this case, it was a chemical change. We also identified the marshmallow as a solid, since it has a definite shape and volume. The small marshmallow tasted sweet, sugary, and soft. On the other hand, the large marshmallow tasted burnt, bitter, and disgusting. In addition to that, we tore the small marshmallow before eating it. The class classified that as a physical change. All in all, this was one of my favorite labs.

Sugar cubes, like the ones we burned.

     The fourth and final lab was burning sugar, which was similar to the marshmallows. In the beginning, we had to crush the sugar cubes into a powder and then taste it. Later, we had to put some sugar cubes in a disposable test tube and hold it over the bunsen burner for a while. The fine sugar tasted sweet and tasty, like the marshmallows. After we held the test tube over the bunsen burner for about two minutes, the sugar had turned into a jet black liquid, and there was yellow smoke coming out! I was astonished to see the smoke such an unusual color. We ended up breaking the test tube with a hammer to get to the sugar. One of our group members tasted the burnt sugar, and he said that it tasted burnt, warm, and gross. I have to say, this lab was my favorite! 

      In the end, I loved all the labs we did, and they helped me understand the different states of matter, changes, and the differences between them.