Thermal Energy Experiment

In this project each student will design and carry out her or his own experiment with following goal in mind:

Plan an investigation to learn about the relationships between energy moving from one place to another, the type of matter, the mass, and the change in average kinetic energy of the particles. Average kinetic energy should be measured by temperature in Celsius. (NGSS MS-PS3-4)

Project guides and resources (all shared on Classroom for students):

Lab Report Template
Lab Report Example - Mixing Colors Experiment
Experiment Assessment Rubric - Five Areas of Feedback Graded on a 1-7 Scale (Marked in Veracross)

SIMULATION: Sold, Liquid, Gas

Click to Run

After clicking above, you may need to Open your Mac's "Security & Privacy" settings and "Open anyway." (See screenshots below)  You also might need to download Java.

Unit 3: Messin' More With Matter - Physical Changes

Unit Information:
Unit 3 Goals & Resources
Unit 3 Vocabulary Help (Quizlet Set)

Shape shifting into multiple forms, growing in size in the cold, dissolving many things on the planet just by touching it, and defying the pull of gravity.

It has been the source of transportation for centuries, and wars have started over it; yet, you can find it in your house and it even makes up most of you.

The substance is known by some as H₂O, but most people just call it---water.

Water is pretty amazing stuff!  Did you know it's one of the only substances that is less dense in its solid state than it is in its liquid state?   This video explains this in depth:

Our next unit is about the changes that happen to matter when thermal energy is added or taken away.  Often we will use water as an example because it is the only substance on Earth that naturally occurs in a solid, liquid, and gas state.

Who would have thought that something so ordinary was so unique!?!