Sherry M. Burgess
Background:
A chemical reaction is a way in which a material changes into a new substance. The original substance (s) is termed reactant (s). The resulting new substance (s) is termed product (s). Once the reaction takes place, you no longer have the original substance. Many times a chemical reaction will involve the combination of two substances. Evidences of chemical reactions can include a temperature change (resulting from either the release or intake of energy), bubbling (indicating the formation of a gas) or the combination of both. In this activity you will observe what happens when vinegar an (acid) reacts with baking soda.
Materials:
baking soda 1 zip lock bag
vinegar 1 foil cupcake baking cup
small birthday candle teaspoon or measuring equipment
match (teacher only) graduated cylinder
Procedure:
1. Place 3 teaspoons baking soda into bag
2. Pour 25ml vinegar into foil baking cup
3. Carefully place the foil cup into the bag without spilling it. Seal bag while it is flat on the counter.
4. With bag sealed, spill the vinegar into the baking soda. Observe what happens. Touch the bag as the reaction is going on. Record your observations here:
5. Notify your teacher when the reaction is finished.
6. Answer the questions.
Simulated Article on Lavoisier’ s Water Experiment
Teacher’s Lesson Plan
Objective:
Students will explain how data from an experiment was used to disprove a scientific belief.
Materials:
Copy of simulated newspaper article, 1 per student
Questionnaire, 1 per student
Teacher’s note:
Explain the term distill, if students are not familiar with it.
Procedure:
1. Before handing out the article and questionnaire, give a brief introduction to
Lavoisier. Use the information under the section entitled “Experiments of
Antoine Lavoisier for a reference.
2. Hand out the article and questionnaire. Instruct students to read the simulated
article and answer the questions. Point out that although the idea of the article is
fictitious, the experiment actually took place.
3. Go over the questions in a discussion.
Questions for the article:
1. What was purpose of the experiment?
2. List in order the steps of this experiment. Draw a picture of what you think the set up looked like.
3. What were the results of the experiment
4. Why did Lavoisier weigh the empty container twice?
5. Why did Lavoisier state that the glass container was the source of the residue?
(Simulated Newspaper Article)
LOCAL SCIENTIST DESTROYS LONG STANDING THEORY
Paris, France 1770
Yesterday, Monsieur Antoine Lavoisier confidently made the claim that solid materials such as wood could not come from water. this was a great shake up to the scientific world. Scientist have believed for a long time that water can be a source for solid materials. This is because they believed that water is one of the four elements from which matter came from. As we all know an element can be defined as a basic material from which all the physical world is mad of. the other three elements are air, fire, and earth. this belief has been around since the early 300’s BC, when the early Greeks lived. Furthermore the scientific community has had evidence that reinforces this theory. It is an old fact that whenever one distills a liquid, a residue (left over solids) always forms in the bottom of the container used for distilling. The residue formed even when plain water was distilled. Up until yesterday, this had been the long standing theory about where some solid matter came from.
All has changed since M. Lavoisier has disclosed the results of an experiment he performed. This experiment was designed to challenge the theory which he had long time suspected to be untrue. Lavoisier says that he began by using a specially designed glass container to boil water in. The container was constructed so that as steam rose to the top of the container, it would condense and return to the bottom of the container. This would prevent the water from boiling out. Next, Lavoisier cleaned and weighed the empty container. After that he filled it with water. Before he began to boil the water, he first weighed the container with the water inside of it. He was able to get the weight of the water by subtracting the weight of the empty container from the weight of the container with water. Once this was done, Lavoisier proceeded to boil the water until he got enough residue that he could weigh. this took a little over three months! After allowing the container to cool, Lavoisier removed both the water and the residue from the container. He weighed the water and the residue separately. He dried and cleaned the empty container; then weighed it again. he found that the second weight of the empty container was a little less than the first time it was weighed at the beginning of the experiment. The weight of the water was the same as it was before. However the weight of the residue was almost equal to the weight loss of the special container.
Lavoisier concludes that the source of the residue is the glass container; not the water. His proof is the fact that the weight of the residue was almost equal to the amount of weight the glass container lost. The water had not lost any weight. So part of the container had dissolved into the water.
This truly is an amazing discovery! Why didn’t anyone else think of testing this element theory? What other dazzling discoveries will this fascinating man make?
Materials List
Investigating Physical Properties of Matter Activities
5oz or 8oz plastic cup metric ruler rubbing alcohol
water weighing scale kayro syrup
paper towel cooking oil vinegar
balloons, helium and air
salt liquid dish detergent
hydrogen peroxide baking soda
white detergent powder
magnifying glasses petri dishes
Examining a Chemical Reaction
baking soda 1 zip lock bag
vinegar 1 foil cupcake baking cup
small birthday candle teaspoon or measuring equipment
match (teacher only) graduated cylinder
Indirect Evidence Activities
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magnets iron nails small empty boxes packing peanuts
screws ping-pong balls small wood blocks golf ball
plastic beads small magnets paper balloons
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Endnotes
1Isaac Asimov, How Did We Find Out About Atoms? (New York: Walker and Company,1976), 13.
2Henry Dorin, Peter E. Demmin, and Dorothy L. Gabel, Prentice Hall Chemistry: The Study of Matter, 4th ed. (Needham, Mass.: Prentice Hall, Inc.,1992), 800.
3Henry A. Boorse, Lloyd Motz, and Jefferson Hane Weaver, The Atomic Scientists: A Biographical History (New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1979), 119,120.
4Boorse, 120.
5Boorse, 180.
6Isaac Asimov, Atom: Journey Across the Subatomic Cosmos (New York: Dutton, 1991), 95.
7Prentice Hall Science: Activity Book, Matter: Building Block of the Universe. (Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1994), 77-79, 93-94.
8James Bryant Conant et al, Harvard Case Histories in Experimental Science, ed. James Bryant Conant, vol 1 (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1957), 5.
9Conant, 37.
10Tom McGowen, Chemistry: The Birth of a Science, (New York: Franklin Watts, 1989), 57-59.
11McGowen, 58.
12Isaac Asimov, A Short History of Chemistry, reprint. ed. (Westport, CT.: Greenwood Press, 1979), 59.
13Great Books of the Western World: vol. 45, Lavoisier, Fourier, Faraday, ed. Robert Maynard Hutchins, Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., (Chicago: William Benton,1952), 17.
14ed. Hutchins, 17.
15ed. Hutchins, 17.
16ed Hutchins, 18.
@SH: Bibliography
Teacher’s resources
Asimov, Isaac. A Short History of Chemistry. reprinted. Westport, CT.: Greenwood
Press, 1979.
The history of chemistry from the stone age to nuclear bombs; given in narrative
style and chronological order.. Easy to understand the terminology. A few
sketches of instrumentation used are included.
Atom: Journey Across the Subatomic Cosmos. Truman Talley Books. New York:
Dutton, 1991.
Covers the history of the atom; not in chronological order but grouped under major
topics such as matter, light, electrons, nuclei, isotopes, neutrons, and breakdowns.
Boorse, Henry A., Lloyd Motz, and Jefferson Hane Weaver. The Atomic Scientists: A
Biographical History. Wiley Science Editions. New York: John Wiley & Sons,
Inc.,
1989.
A history of the atom and the scientists who made contributions to the theory of
the atom. Given in biographical form. Starts with Lucretius ((99-59BC) ends with
scientists born in 1915 and 1920; discoveries go up to 1950’s.
Cobb, Cathy and Harold Goldwhite. Creations of Fire: Chemistry’s Lively History
from Alchemy to the Atomic Age. New York: Plenum Press, 1995.
Covers exactly what the title states. Each section contains biographical back-
ground and contribution descriptions for various scientists. Prose format used.
Chapters are divided up by dates.
Conant, James Bryant, Leonard k. Nash, Duane Roller, and Duane H. D. Roller.
Harvard Case Histories in Experimental Science. ed. James Bryant Conant. vol. 1.
Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1957.
Case histories of certain key scientific concepts. One of two volumes. In this
volume the following are covered: Robert Boyle’s pneumatic experiments, how
the phlogiston theory was disproved, the early development of the concepts of
temperature and heat, and the development of the Atomic-Molecular theory.
excerpts from actual writings with commentary are included.
Dorin, Henry, Peter E. Demmin, Dorothy L. Gabel. Prentice Hall, Chemistry: The
Study of Matter. 4th ed. Needham, Mass.: Prentice Hall, Inc.,1992.
High school chemistry text book formerly used in the New Haven Public School
System.
Great Books of the Western World: vol. 45, Lavoisier: Fouler: Faraday. Robert
Maynard Hutchins, ed. in chief. Encyclopedia Britannic, Inc.Chicago: William
Benton, 1952.
Contains the original writings of the a fore mentioned scientists. The works of
Lavoisier and Fourier have been translated into English. The names of each
document are as follows: Lavoisier: “Elements of Chemistry”; Fourier:
“Analytical Theory of Heat”; Faraday: “ Experimental Research In Electricity”.
McGowen, Tom. Chemistry: The Birth of a Science. A Venture Book. New York:
Franklin Watts, 1989.
Found in the juvenile section, but very informative and reliable information. Can
be used for grades 9-11. Covers contributions of Greek scholars, alchemists, and Lavoisier. Contains a glossary. Excellent in details about some experiments.
Prentice Hall Science Activity Book, Matter: Building Block of the Universe.
Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice Hall, Inc.,1994.
Activity book on matter; compliments the text, Prentice Hall Science, Matter:
Building Block of the Universe.
Students’ Reading List
Amiss, Isaac. How Did We Find Out About Atoms?. New York: Walker and
Company,1976.
Found in juvenile section. Easy to read, covers history of the atom from early
Greeks to arrangement of atoms.
McGowen, Tom. Chemistry: The Birth of a Science. A Venture Book. New York:
Franklin Watts, 1989.
Found in the juvenile section, but very informative and reliable information. Can
be used for grades 9-11. Covers contributions of Greek scholars, alchemists, and Lavoisier. Contains a glossary. Excellent in details about some experiments.
