How to be Brilliant at Materials [1 ed.] 9780857473868, 9781897675120

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Contents Title Page Publisher Information Introduction Links to the National Curriculum Materials Check it out Aluminium fact file Building a house Materials record sheet Paper test How dense is it? Keep the heat in Good conduct? Rock investigation Soil Solids, liquids and gases Materials Investigation Temperature Changes - reversible or not? The Water cycle More materials Dissolving and filtering Evaporating liquids The great salt problem Resource and worksheets Investigation planner Also Available

How to be Brilliant at

Materials

Winnie Wade Colin Hughes

Published by Brilliant Publications Unit 10, Sparrow Hall Farm Edlesborough, Dunstable Bedfordshire, LU6 2ES, UK Digital Edition converted and published by Andrews UK Limited 2010 www.andrewsuk.com Website: www.brilliantpublications.co.uk The name Brilliant Publications and the logo are registered trademarks. Written by Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes Illustrated by Kate Ford Cover photograph by Martyn Chillmaid © Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes 1997 First published 1997, Reprinted 1999, 2000. 2005. The right of Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes to be identifi ed as the authors of this work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Pages 7-48 may be photocopied by the purchasing institution or individual teachers for classroom use only, without consent from the publisher and without declaration to the Publishers Licensing Society. No other part of this book may be reproduced in any other form or for any other purpose, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Introduction How to be Brilliant at Materials contains over 40 photocopiable sheets for use with children working at levels 2-5 of the National Curriculum (Scottish levels C-E). The activities are designed to help children develop scientific knowledge and understanding of materials. They can be used whenever the need arises for particular activities to support and supplement your existing scheme of work for science. The activities provide learning experiences which can be tailored to meet individual children’s needs. The activities are addressed directly to the children. They are self-contained and many children will be able to work with little additional support from you. You may have some children, however, who have the necessary scientific skills and concepts, but require your help in reading the sheets. The children should be encouraged to use the sheets for all aspects of communicating their work. Most of the activities require basic classroom science resources and these are listed in the What you need box on each sheet. Some of the sheets require the use of an additional resource sheet. Where this is the case, it has been indicated by a small box, with the page number in it, in the top right corner, eg 48 .

How to be Brilliant at Materials relates directly to themes 1, 2 and 3 of the programmes of study for Materials and their Properties. Pages 5 and 6 give details of those elements of the programme of study that are covered. The following bread recipe may be used for the activity on page 29. This recipe makes two 450 g loaves. 12.5 g fresh yeast 1/2 teaspoon caster sugar 450 ml warm water 750 g wholemeal flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 12.5 g butter Mix the flour and the salt together. Rub in the butter. Mix the yeast and sugar with a little of the water. Leave for 10 minutes. Add the rest of the water to the flour with the yeast mixture. Mix to form a dough. Knead for 8-10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Place in a clean bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm place for 2 hours (until the dough has doubled in size). Knead for a few minutes, then divide into two and place in greased 450 g loaf tins. Cover and leave in a warm place for 30 minutes (until the dough has risen to the top of the tins). Bake for 30-40 minutes at 220ºC (425ºF, gas 7). Cool on a wire rack.

4

Links to the National Curriculum How to be Brilliant at Materials supports the following elements of the programmes of study. Pupils should be taught: Sc3 Materials and their Properties 1 a

Grouping and classifying materials to compare everyday materials and objects on the basis of their material properties, including hardness, strength, flexibility and magnetic behaviour, and to relate these properties to everyday uses of the materials;

b

that some materials are better thermal insulators than others;

c

that some materials are better electrical conductors than others;

d

to describe and group rocks and soils on the basis of characteristics, including appearance, texture and permeability;

e

to recognize differences between solids, liquids and gases, in terms of ease of flow and maintenance of shape and volume.

2 a

Changing materials to describe changes that occur when materials are mixed, eg adding salt to water ;

b

to describe changes that occur when materials, eg water, clay, dough, are heated or cooled;

c

that temperature is a measure of how hot or cold things are;

d

about reversible changes, including dissolving, melting, boiling, condensing, freezing and evaporating;

e

the part played by evaporation and condensation in the water cycle;

g

that burning materials, eg wood, wax, natural gas, results in the formation of new materials and that this change is not usually reversible.

3 a

Separating mixtures of materials how to separate solid particles of different sizes by sieving, eg those in soil ;

b

that some solids, eg salt, sugar, dissolve in water to give solutions but some, eg sand,

chalk, do not; c

how to separate insoluble solids from liquids by filtering;

d

how to recover dissolved solids by evaporating the liquid from the solution;

e

to use knowledge of solids, liquids and gases to decide how mixtures might be separated. 5

In addition, the requirements in the following Breadth of Study section of the programme of study (National Curriculum, 1999) apply. 1

During the key stage, pupils should be taught the Knowledge, skills and understanding through:

a

a range of domestic and environmental contexts that are familiar and of interest to them;

b

looking at the part science has played in the development of many useful things;

c

using a range of sources of information and data, including ICT-based sources;

d

using first hand and secondary data to carry out a range of scientific investigations, including complete investigations.

2

During the key stage, pupils should be taught to:

a

b

6

Communication use appropriate scientific language and terms, including SI units of measurement, eg metre, newton, to communicate ideas and explain the behaviour of living things, materials, phenomena and processes; Health and safety recognize that there are hazards in living things, materials and physical processes, and assess risks and take action to reduce these risks to themselves and others.

Check it out What you need: Magnet, bowl of water, everyday objects made from a variety of materials, eg pieces of

paper and paper, a polythene bag, metal and wooden spoons, a mug, an eraser, a kitchen towel, an empty margarine container. Compare some everyday objects to find out more about the properties of materials. Test each object to find out whether it is: absorbent or waterproof

hard or soft magnetic or non-magnetic

flexible or stiff

Fill in the table to show the properties you have identified for each of the objects. Object Hard

Soft

Property Absorbent Waterproof

Magnetic

Flexible

Stiff

Polythene bag Kitchen towel

Choose two of the objects. Write here why you think they are made of that particular material.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

EXTRA! Choose another everyday object. What material is it made from? What properties does that material have that make it suitable for that object?

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Aluminium fact file What you need: A magnet, a collection of used drinks cans. Here are some useful facts about aluminium: 1 It is a light-weight material.

5 It reflects light.

2 It is soft and can be squeezed.

6 It is a good conductor of heat.

3 It is a good conductor of electricity. 4 It does not go rusty.

7 It is an expensive metal to produce.

8 It is often mixed with other metals to make it very strong.

Look at this list of products made from aluminium. For each one match up the aluminium facts to show what makes aluminium suitable for the job it does. Write down the correct fact numbers beside each product. You may have more than one number beside each product.

il

Aluminium fo

Toothpaste tub

es

s

Bicycle frame

Pipes

Saucepans

Mirrors

s

Milk bottle top Aircraft

Electrical cable

s

Window frame

s

It is a good idea to recycle things made of aluminium because it is expensive to produce. You can use a magnet to sort out the drinks cans made from aluminium, because aluminium is not magnetic. The magnet will only attract cans that contain iron.

EXTRA! Make a fact file for another metal such as copper or iron.

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© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Building a house What you need: Reference books, photographs of houses from magazies.

The properties of a material tell us what it is like and how it can be used.

Look at the house picture on this sheet and photographs of other houses. Mark on them the different types of materials which have been used to build them. Look in reference books to find out some of the properties of these building materials. Complete the table to show: • the different building materials used; • where they have been used; • the properties of that material that make it particularly suited to that purpose.

Material

Where it has been used

Properties that can make it suitable

glass

window

you can see through it/ it lets in light

EXTRA! Find out if there are any disadvantages of using any of these materials. Hint: think about weather damage!

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

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Materials record sheet What you need A collection of objects made from different materials, magnet, coin. We can group materials according to their properties. Collect objects made from different materials, identify the material they are made from and try sorting them into groups by filling in the record sheet. Property Plastic

Wood

Materials Metal Paper

Cork

Rubber

Hard/soft Shiny/dull Colour Rusts/does not rust Magnetic/ non-magnetic Conducts electricity Conducts heat Strong/ breaks easily Light/heavy Flexible/rigid Transparent/opaque Naturally occurring/ synthetic Uses

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© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Paper test

What you need: Two bulldog clips, a range of weights ranging from 50 g to 500 g, samples of different types of paper, eg writing paper, newspaper, wallpaper, wrapping paper, a hook on which to hang the weights, two blocks of wood. Design and carry out an investigation to see which is the strongest paper. Here are some ideas: ◆ Attach bulldog clips to each end of your paper sample and test the strength of each paper sample by hanging weights of increasing size on to the bottom bulldog clip. ◆

Investigate making bridges from the paper and standing weights on them. (Hint: if you fold the paper, it will be stronger.)

Remember to make sure your test is fair. (Hint: you will have to use paper samples of the same size.) Record your results here:

The strongest paper was: The weakest paper was:

EXTRA! Try your investigation again using recycled paper or wet paper.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

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Ultra soak up What you need Plastic see-through beakers, water, samples of paper kitchen towels, dropping pipette, elastic bands. Supermarkets sell many varieties of kitchen towels, all of which claim to be very absorbent. Design and carry out a fair test to see if their claims are true. The diagram below may help you. dropping pipette

elastic band

kitchen towel

beaker

I want to find out: I need to keep these things the same: 1

2

3

The one thing I will change is:

Here are my results:

Kichen towels Number of drops of water absorbed

A

B

C

D

E

EXTRA! Test the absorbency of kitchen cloths in the same way.

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© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

How dense is it? I'm glad my honey is so thick. It helps it stay on my toast!

What you need Water, drinking straws, Blu-tack, waterproof felt-tip pen, transparent beakers, table salt, washing-up liquid, cooking oil, runny honey, bubble bath oil, a tablespoon.

Some liquids do not flow as easily as water. Which of these substances do you think is the most runny? washing-up liquid

runny honey

cooking oil

bubble bath oil

salty water

tap water

Try dropping a tablespoon of each liquid on to a sloping surface to see which flows away the quickest. Record your results in the table at the bottom on the page. Carry out an investigation to see in which of these liquids a straw floats most easily. Write your prediction here:

Fasten a small piece of Blu-tack on to the end of a straw. Make a scale on the straw by making regular marks along the straw using a waterproof felt-tip pen. Number the marks starting with number 1 as the mark closest to the Blu-tack end. Now place the straw in turn in each of these liquids (the straw should be sticking upwards with the Blu-tack at the bottom). Which mark on the straw does the liquid reach? Record your results in the table. How easily does it flow away?

Which mark on the straw does the liquid reach?

Blu-tack

washing-up liquid runny honey cooking oil bubble bath oil salty water tap water Compare the results of the two investigations. What have you found out?

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

EXTRA! Try putting different amounts of salt in water to see what difference that makes to how high the straw floats.

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Keep the heat in

45

How can we keep the heat in and the cold out? Think about the hot water tank in your home. It is covered with materials to prevent heat from getting out. It keeps the water inside hot.

What you need: Copy of the Energy efficiency in the home resource sheet (page 45). There are simple things we can do in order to make sure our homes are warm in winter.

Your challenge is to design a house which is as 'energy efficient' as possible. Use the hints around the edge of the sheet and the Energy efficiency in the home resource sheet to help you with your design. What sorts of materials would provide insulation? What features will you have inside the house?

How can you stop heat from escaping from: – the roof? – the floors? – the doors? – the windows? – the walls?

What features will you have outside the house?

You might want to do two drawings – one showing the inside of the house, and one showing the outside.

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© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Stop heat from travelling Many materials are bad conductors of heat. These materials are called insulators. Work in a group. Decide which of the following materials you think are good conductors of heat and which are bad conductors of heat. Material

Good conductor

Hold the materials next to your cheek. Materials which are good conductors of heat will feel cold. They carry the heat away from your cheek.

Bad conductor

Wood Metals Wool Newspapers Polythene Pottery Glass When we are cooking it is important that we use materials which will stop us getting burnt and which will keep hot food hot and cold food cold. Look at this picture of a kitchen. Make a list of all the things you can see in the picture that are designed to stop heat travelling along or through them:

EXTRA! Make another list of materials in the picture that are being used as insulators to prevent heat from travelling.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

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Keeping warm We keep warm in winter by wearing clothes made of materials which are thermal insulators. They stop heat escaping by trapping warm air between the fibres from which they are made.

What you need: Four identical used drinks cans, newspaper, cotton wool, pieces of fabric such as woollen and cotton materials, thermometers, warm water, stop clock, measuring cylinder. Carry out an investigation to find the best insulating materials to keep water warm. Pour the same amount of warm water into each drinks can. Wrap a different piece of material around each can. Make sure your test is fair. Think about the size of each piece of material you are using and the volume of water in each can. Record your results in the table below:

Temperature of water (minutes after start) Material

At start

1 min.

Measure as accurately as possible, keeping the thermometer in the water.

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2 min.

5 min.

10 min.

15 min.

EXTRA! Which of these materials do you think would be best for making a pair of gloves to keep your hands warm in winter: newspaper, wool, cotton, polythene, cardboard, metal, plastic? Give reasons for your choices. Why do you think some of the materials would be unsuitable?

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Good conduct? What you need: 1.5 volt battery, a 1.5 – 2.5 volt bulb in a bulb holder, three connecting wires with crocodile clips at the end, everyday objects made of different materials, eg a paper clip, a small plastic ruler, a key, an eraser, aluminium foil, a nail, a piece of string. Investigate which objects conduct electricity (that is, allow electricity to pass through them). First make an electric circuit using the bulb, battery and wires. If the bulb lights up, then the circuit is complete.

You can test whether objects made of different materials conduct electricity by adding them to the circuit and seeing if the bulb still lights up. If it does, then the material is conducting electricity. Predict what you think will happen with each object and then test them one by one. Use ticks (✓) to record your results in the table below. Object

Material

Prediction

Conducts Electricity Yes No

Which materials allowed electricity to pass through them?

EXTRA! Test some objects made from other materials to see if they conduct electricity.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

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Rock investigation

46

What you need: Samples of rocks (including slate, limestone, granite, sandstone), hand lens, weighing scales, a nail, vinegar, dropping pipette, a coin, water, a bowl, magnet, several copies of the Rock record sheet (page 46). Find out as much as you can about the different rocks in your collection. Examine each rock carefully. Use a hand lens. ❑ How does the rock feel?

❑ Is it rough or smooth?

❑ Does it look shiny or dull? ❑ Are there any shiny crystals on the rock? ❑ What colour is the rock?

❑ Is there more than one colour?

❑ Is the rock magnetic?

❑ Are there any fossils in the rock?

Record your findings on the Rock record sheet. Use a separate sheet for each rock. Estimate the weight of each rock and then check your answer by weighing your rock samples. Carefully draw a picture of each rock on the record sheet. Label each rock sample with a number or a letter so that you can refer to it later. Carry out the following tests: Scratch the rock with a coin. Does it make a mark? Try using a nail to see if it scratches the rock.

Does the rock float or sink? Put it in a bowl of water to test it.

Drop a few drops of vinegar on to the rock. Can you see or hear anything happening? If it makes a noise or foams, the rock contains lime.

EXTRA! Find out as much as you can from reference books about different types of rocks.

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© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Rock hard What you need: Samples of rocks, a coin, a nail file, a pair of scissors, sandpaper, a hand lens, cloth bag, safety goggles, long strong tube (eg, from the inside of a carpet roll). Investigation 1 The hardness of a rock can be measured by how easily it can be scratched. Test some rocks using different objects to see whether they can be scratched. Record your results in the table. Rock sample

Fingernail

Coin

Nail file

Nail

Scissors

Sandpaper

Investigation 2 Carry out another test to see how hard your rocks are. Try dropping them down a strong tube on to a hard surface like the playground, or place each rock in turn in a cloth bag and hit it with a hammer. Make sure your wear your safety goggles for both experiments in case pieces of rock break off. How do the results of your scratch test compare with this test that you have just done?

Make a list of your rocks in order of hardness.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only. .

EXTRA! A German scientist named Friedrich Mohs invented a scale to measure the hardness of minerals such as diamonds. Use reference books to see if you can find out about his scale and which are the hardest and softest minerals.

How to be Brilliant at Materials www.brilliantpublications.co.uk 19

Soil samples What you need: Three different soil samples (preferably a sandy soil, a clay soil and a loam). Identical plastic pots (yoghurt pots will do), a measuring cylinder, three transparent beakers small enough to hold a pot without the pot touching the bottom of the beaker, a measuring cylinder or jug, a stop watch. Water drains through the soil at different rates depending on the type of soil it is. Find out which soil allows water to drain through it at the fastest rate.

soil

yoghurt pot

beaker hole

Draw a picture of your experiment.

Make a hole in the bottom of each plastic pot . Try to make the holes the same size. Fill each pot with a different type of soil. Place each pot in a beaker so it is sitting in the beaker, but not touching the bottom of the beaker. Now pour an equal amount of water on to the soil in each pot and time how long it takes for the water to drain through. Record your results here:

Time for water to drain through the soil Which soil let the least amount of water through? Use the measuring cylinder or jug to find out.

Do you think it is good for the plants growing in the soil if the water drains through quickly? Give a reason for your answer.

How to be Brilliant at Materials www.brilliantpublications.co.uk 20

EXTRA! Try this experiment with some soil dug up from the school grounds. Mix the soil up with some pebbles and small stones to see if this makes a difference to the rate the water drains through the soil.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Comparing soils What you need: Samples of soils from different locations, hand lens, newspaper, weighing scales, trays. Collect some soil from different parts of your garden and the school grounds. Make sure you label each container to show where you collected the soil from. Find out as much as you can about the different soil samples you have collected. Compare the soils by looking for differences in colour and texture (how they feel). Look more closely at the soils with a hand lens. Write down your observations in the table below. Soil sample

Colour

Texture

When I looked at the soil with a hand lens I saw

Weigh 200 g of each soil sample and spread it out on a tray to dry in the sun or near a radiator. Weigh the soil samples again after two days. Do you notice any difference in their weight? Replace the trays in the warm place and weigh the soils again after another day. Is there any difference in weight? Continue this experiment until you find no further difference in weight. Write your results down in the box below.

Why do you think there was a change in weight? Was the weight loss the same for each soil sample? What does this tell you about the soils?

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

EXTRA! Design an investigation to find out what animals live in the soils you have collected.

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Solids, liquids and gases It is important to understand the difference between a solid, a liquid and a gas. A solid keeps its shape and volume.

A liquid can flow and change its shape.

A gas changes its shape and fills the container it is in.

Look at the pictures below and decide whether each is a solid, liquid or a gas. There may be more than one choice represented in each picture. Write down under each picture solid, liquid or gas. Label the appropriate parts of the pictures and give your reason for making that choice.

EXTRA! Make a list of substances that can exist in more than one state. Here is an example to start you off! Butter can be a solid or a liquid.

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© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Water freezes

48

What you need: A beaker, cold water, a thermometer, salt, a fridge with an ice box compartment, Investigation planner sheet (page 48). Water can exist in three forms: as a solid – ice

as a liquid – water

as a gas – steam

Water is usually found as liquid, but when it gets very cold it freezes to form ice. Design an investigation to find out at what temperature water freezes to become ice. Plan your investigation carefully. ❒

How many temperature measurements will you take?

❒

How are you going to record your results?

Use the Investigation planner sheet to help you plan your investigation. Draw and label a diagram to show how you carried out your investigation.

EXTRA! Repeat the experiment but this time add some salt to the water to see if it makes any difference to the temperature at which water freezes.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

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The liquid Olympics

48

What you need Liquids of different thickness (viscosity), eg golden syrup, black treacle, tomato sauce, water, glue, board or piece of card, stop clocks, Investigation planner sheet (pg. 48) Carry out a race to see which liquid can move the quickest. Use the Investigation planner sheet to help you plan your experiment. The pictures will give you some ideas of what you could do. How will you make it a fair test? How will you know when one liquid has won the race? Will you time how long each liquid takes? Will you repeat the race? Design a table to record your results. Did all the substances flow? Were they all liquids?

Draw bar charts to show your results.

EXTRA! Place the liquids in the fridge for an hour. How will this affect the results? Repeat the investigation and record your results on the back of the sheet.

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© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Properties of solids, liquids and gases What you need Block of wood, water in a container, bottle of scent or air freshener can, three syringes, a piece of wood (small enough to fit into a syringe), water, balloon, cornflower. Can solids, liquids and gases flow easily? Record your results in the table below. ◆ Place the block of wood on the bench. Does it flow? ◆ Pour a small amount of water on to the table. Does it flow? Does it flow across the whole table or the room? ◆ Take the top off a scent bottle or gently release some air freshener. Stand three metres away. Does the gas given off flow? Does it fill the room eventually? Can solids, liquids and gases maintain their volume and shape? wood

◆ Can you change the volume of a solid, a liquid and a gas by compressing them with the syringe plunger? (Note the starting volume on the syringe.) Be careful to place your finger firmly over the end of the syringe. ◆ Can you change the shape of the wooden block and the water? Place them in different shaped containers. ◆ Partly blow up a balloon. Can you change the shape of the air (gas) inside it? Item

Solid, liquid or gas?

Block of wood Water

Gas from scent or air freshener © Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Did it flow easily, a little or not at all?

Could you change its volume?

Could you change its shape?

EXTRA! Mix two level teaspoonfuls of cornflower with one teaspoonful of water. Form it into a cube and then stand it on your palm. Watch what happens. Is it a solid or a liquid?

How to be Brilliant at Materials www.brilliantpublications.co.uk 25

Mixing materials What you need Plastic see-through containers, water, instant coffee, bicarbonate of soda, cornflour, pepper, salt, sand, sugar, spoon. When some materials are mixed they may change. For example when some powders are added to water they may 'disappear'. We say that the material has dissolved. Carry out an investigation to see which materials dissolve in water. Record your predictions in the table first. Think about how you are going to make your investigation fair. (Hint: how will you measure the water and the materials?) Record your results in the table. Substance/material

Prediction: Will it dissolve?

Result: Did it dissolve? Did the water change colour?

coffee

bicarbonate of soda

cornflour

pepper

salt

sand

sugar

EXTRA! Choose other solid substances and see if they dissolve. If a substance/material does not dissolve, find out if it will dissolve in warmer water.

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© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Changing materials What you need Yoghurt pots or other containers, baking powder, vinegar, cornflower, red cabbage, scissors, lemon juice or clear vinegar, dropping pipettes, teaspoon. Carry out these investigations. Record your findings in the table below. Investigation 1 Place a teaspoon of baking powder in a container. Add a few drops of vinegar.

Investigation 2 Add one teaspoon of water to one level teaspoon of cornflower. Mix with a spoon.

Investigation 3 Cut up a red cabbage leaf and pour warm water on it. Wait until the water becomes coloured. Pour off the coloured water. Place a few drops of lemon juice or vinegar in the coloured water.

Investigation

Material

Add

1

baking powder

vinegar

2

cornflower

water

3

red cabbage water

lemon juice

Result – how did it change?

Use these words to fill in the blanks: change

fizzed

frothed

materials

paste

pink

powder

vinegar

red

When we mix two _________________ it can cause them to _________________. The baking powder _______________ and _____________ when _________________ was added. The ________ cabbage water changed colour to ______________ when lemon juice was added. The cornflower changed from a _______________ to a _______________ when water was added. EXTRA! Think of other materials which change when they are mixed. A good place to start is in the kitchen.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

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Dissolving materials Six children have each carried out a test to see whether salt or sugar dissolves quicker. However, none of them have carried out a fair test. Under each picture, write why the test is unfair.

This test is unfair because…

This test is unfair because…

hot

This test is unfair because…

cold

This test is unfair because…

stir

This test is unfair because…

This test is unfair because…

How would you make a fair test to show whether salt or sugar dissolves quicker? Draw a picture of your fair test on the back of this sheet. Label the picture and explain why it is a fair test.

EXTRA! Using pictures and words, show how you would set up a fair test to find out whether stirring alters the speed at which sugar dissolves. Ask your teacher to let you try out your idea.

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© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Heating and cooling What you need Water or soft drink, ice-tray, fridge, kettle, chocolate, two saucepans, modelling clay, kiln, oats, wholemeal flour, salt, sugar, yeast, butter, oven, bread recipe (see page 4). Carry out these six investigations. Observe what happens. Record your findings in the table below. Investigation 1 Put some water or soft drink in an ice-tray in the freezer part of a fridge. Leave for at least three hours. Safety note: an adult must supervise the remaining activities. Investigation 2 Boil some water in a kettle. Investigation 3 Put some chocolate in a pan. Heat it gently. Investigation 4 Make a model with some modelling clay. Heat (fire) it in a kiln. Investigation 5 Put a spoonful of oats into a small pan. Add a spoonful of water and heat gently to make porridge. Investigation 6 Prepare some bread dough using wholemeal flour, water, sugar, salt, butter and yeast. Place in a oven. Investigation

Substance

What to do

1

water

freeze it

2

water

boil in a kettle

3

chocolate

heat it

4

clay

heat in a kiln

5

porridge oats

heat it with water

6

bread dough

bake it

How did the substance change?

EXTRA! Draw a diagram showing what happens as you heat and cool water. Add these words to your diagram: heat, cool, solid, liquid, gas, ice, water, steam.

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Temperature – hot or cold? As the temperature rises, the liquid in the thermometer expands and rises.

What you need Two alcohol thermometers.

The temperature of an object is a measure of how hot or cold it is. Today temperature is measured in degrees Celsius (˚C), but it used to be measused in degrees Fahrenheit (˚F). Measure the outside temperature in the shade and in the sunlight throughout the day. Leave the thermometer in each place for two minutes before you read the temperature. Record your results in the table. Time and place Monday

Tuesday

Temperature ˚C Wednesday Thursday

Friday

9.00am – shade 9.00am – sunlight 10.30am – shade 10.30am – sunlight 12.00pm – shade 12.00pm – sunlight 1.30pm – shade 1.30pm – sunlight 3.00pm – shade 3.00pm – sunlight Is it hotter in the shade or in the Sun? Explain your answer.

Which was the hottest day of the week?

Which was the coldest day of the week?

When do you think the hottest time of the day is?

How to be Brilliant at Materials www.brilliantpublications.co.uk 30

EXTRA! Draw bar charts to show the change in temperature for one or more days. Draw a line graph to show the change in temperature during one or more days.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Melting temperatures What you need A metal tray, a radiator or saucepan of heated water, ice cube, chocolate, cooking, margarine, candle or wax, graph paper.

When heated, many materials melt and change from a solid to a liquid. Different materials melt at different temperatures.

Place the materials on the tray on top of a radiator. Try to make it a fair test. If a hot radiator is not available, ask your teacher to supervise the activity using heated water in a saucepan. Observe carefully to see in which order they melt. Record your results in the table. Allow the materials to cool. Observe the order in which they solidify (become solid again). Record your results in the table. Material

Order of melting

Order of solidifying

Chocolate

When the material looks the same after heating, we say that the change is reversible.

Ice Cooking margarine Wax (candle) Did the materials look the same as before they were heated? Explain why one was not. How could you get it back to its original appearance? A scientist found out the melting points of chocolate, ice, cooking margarine and wax. Her results are shown below. Material

Melting temperature (˚C)

Chocolate Ice

23˚C 0˚C

Cooking margarine

18˚C

Wax (candle)

70˚C

Using graph paper, draw a bar chart to show the different melting points of these materials. Make sure that you label your chart fully. © Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

EXTRA! Using reference books, find out at what temperatures metals (such as iron, copper and gold) and various plastics melt.

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Changes – reversible or not? Are the changes below reversible or not? Can the substance in picture 2 be returned to the substance in picture 1? If it could, say how this could be done. Sugar dissolving 1

2

Ice melting 1

2

Water boiling 1

2

Dough baked into bread 1 2

Water freezing 1

2

Water vapour condensing 1 2

Solid dissolving and liquid evaporating 1a 1b 2

Coal and wood burning 1 2

EXTRA! Think of other changes and sort them to show whether they are reversible or not. For example, making a cake, making concrete, making a jelly.

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The water cycle, 1 What you need Yoghurt pots or plastic beakers, water, felt-tip pens, a plant pot containing soil, a plastic bag.

After you take a shower the mirror in the bathroom is often steamed up. This is because the water vapour condenses on the cold mirror.

Investigation 1 Partly fill a yoghurt pot or plastic beaker with water. Mark the level accurately with a felt-tip pen. Place the container where it will be warm and leave it until the next day or over the weekend. Record your findings here in words and pictures. At the start

Later:

What happened to the water level? Scientists say that the water has evaporated into the air because it has changed from a liquid into a vapour or gas.

Where has the water gone to? Investigation 2 Put a plastic bag over a plant pot containing soil and fasten it securely. Leave it until the next day. What do you notice on the inside of the bag? How did it get there? Use these words to fill in the blanks: gas

evaporated

liquid

clouds

water

condensed

vapour

The _____________ in the soil and in the container has ___________________ due to the warm air. It has changed from a _____________ to a _____________. The water vapour has cooled on the bag and formed droplets of water. We say that the water ________________ has ___________________ to form water. This is similar to the way that ______________ are formed. EXTRA! In your own words, try to explain how water in puddles, lakes and the soil eventually becomes rain. Use the words: liquid, evaporates, heat, water, vapour or gas, cooled, condenses, clouds.

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The water cycle, 2 What you need Copy of the Water cycle word sheet (page 47).

47

The calendar year is a cycle because winter is always followed by spring, summer and autumn.

A cycle is a series of events which take place in the same order time after time. Carefully study the picture. Cut out the boxes on the Water cycle word sheet and stick them in the correct place on the picture.

Sewage works

Water treatment works

G. B. Factory

EXTRA! Find out how water is cleaned at a water or sewage works.

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Burning materials What you need Metal tray, matches or burner, small pieces of paper, wood (eg used matches), fabric, candle, electronic weighing scales.

SAFETY NOTE: Adult supervision is required for these activities. Burning should be carried out outside.

Carry out an investigation to find out whether burning is a reversible change. Use the following materials: paper

wood

fabric

candle

Weigh each material on the metal tray. Take the tray off the scales and carefully set the material alight. Allow the material to burn completely. Allow the material and the tray to cool, then weigh the burnt material and the tray. Record your results below. Paper

Wood

Fabric

Candle

Weight at start Weight after burning Change in weight (gain or loss?) Record how the materials have changed below: Material

How did it change when burnt?

Is the change reversible? Can it be changed back?

Paper Wood Fabric Candle

EXTRA! Make a list of other changes which are not reversible. Consider activities in the kitchen and the burning of fuels.

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Sieving soils What you need: Samples of soils from three different locations (these soils must be dry – spread them out on a tray in the classroom, in the Sun or near a radiator for a couple of days until dry), two sieves with different sized meshes, newspaper, weighing scales. Soil is made up of different sized particles. See whether you can separate the particles of different sizes by using sieves with different sized meshes. • Measure equal weights of each soil (about 500 g). • Take one of your samples. Shake the soil through the coarse sieve on to a large sheet of newspaper. You should find that the largest particles remain in the sieve and the finer soil passes through it. • Weigh the soil left in the coarse sieve. • Shake the finer soil through another sieve with a smaller mesh on to a newspaper. • Again, weigh the soil that is left behind in the sieve. These will be the medium-size soil particles.

Are there equal amounts of small, medium and large particles?

• Weigh the fine soil that has passed through both sieves. Repeat the experiment with the remaining two soil samples. Draw bar charts on the grid below to show how much the particles of different sizes weigh. Soil A

Soil B

Soil C

Weight (g)

Small

Med.

Large

Small

Med.

Large

Small

Med.

Large

EXTRA! Put some soil from each of your samples into jam jars. Add water, put the lids on and shake.The soils should settle out after a while into different layers. What does this tell you about the soils?

Particle size How to be Brilliant at Materials www.brilliantpublications.co.uk 36

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Dissolving in water What you need: Table salt, sand, flour, chalk, sugar lumps, different types of brown and white sugar, chalk, transparent beakers, plastic spoons for stirring, stop watch. When some substances are added to water they dissolve in it (you cannot see them any more) and form a solution. Other substances do not dissolve in water and can still be seen at the bottom of the container when added to water. Fill in the table below to predict whether you think the following substances will dissolve in water. Substance

Prediction – will it dissolve?

Experiment – did it dissolve?

Table salt Flour Chalk Sand Test each substance in water to see if your predictions were right. Give the water a good stir after you have added the substance. What do you have to do to make sure you carry out a fair test? Carry out an investigation to compare how quickly different types of sugar dissolve in water. Will brown sugar dissolve quicker than the white? Will white sugar lumps dissolve quicker than brown sugar lumps? Be sure to make your test fair. What will you have to keep the same? How many times will you stir? What did you find out? Write your results down here: EXTRA! Find out whether it will make a difference if you use warm rather than cold water.

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Filtering dirty water What you need Plastic drinks bottle with bottom cut off, cotton wool, fine sand, coarse sand, fine gravel, coarse gravel, plastic tubing, cork or bung with hole, dirty water, container to catch 'clean' water.

Filtering is a way of separating a liquid and a solid which will not dissolve in that liquid.

Gravel and sand can be used a a filter. Set up the equipment carefully using the picture opposite to help you. Pour in the dirty water. dirty water

Observe closely.

coarse gravel

Has the water changed?

fine gravel coarse sand

How?

fine sand cotton wool

Pour the cleaned water through the filter again. Does it get any cleaner? plastic tube

Use fresh sand and gravel but try them in a different order in the bottle. Does that clean the water better?

cork or bung

Use these words to fill in the blanks: dissolve

dirt

filter

trapped

liquid

separating

solid

Sand and gravel may be used to _____________ dirty water. The bits of ____________ are ________________________ by the sand and gravel. Filtering is a method of ___________________ a _______________ from a ________________, when the solid will not _____________________ in the liquid. EXTRA! Make your own filters using a number of different materials. How good are they at cleaning the water?

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Filtering Substances which dissolve in water are said to be soluble. What you need Filter funnel, filter paper, mixture of sand and water in a container, yoghurt pot or plastic beaker, stand to support filter funnel (if available). Fold the filter paper once

and then again

.

Make into a funnel shape by separating one edge of the paper from the other three. Place the filter paper in the filter funnel and set up your equipment as shown in the picture. Slowly pour the mixture of sand and water into the filter funnel. Watch carefully what happens. Write down your findings here:

Did the sand dissolve in the water?

Substances which do not dissolve in water are said to be insoluble.

sand and water

filter paper

Yes/No

The sand did not dissolve in water. Therefore it is ___________________ in water. Use these words to fill in the blanks: filter paper

sand

filtering

insoluble

does not dissolve

We can separate _____________ from water by using a funnel and ___________________. The sand ______________________________________ in water. This is because it is _______________________. Any substance that does not dissolve in water may be separated from water by ______________________.

EXTRA! Repeat the above using gravel and sugar. Can these two substances be separated by filtering? Do they dissolve? Are they soluble or insoluble?

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

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Evaporating liquids What you need Clean containers, clean measuring cylinders, water, muslin, rubber bands, labels, teaspoon, magnifying glass or hand lens, salt, sugar, coffee granules. Using the magnifying glass, draw diagrams of the three powders in the chart below. Measure 20 cm3 clean tap water into a measuring cylinder. Pour into a clean container and add one level teaspoon of sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Label the container: sugar.

SAFETY NOTE: Normally you should not eat or drink while doing science activities. For this activity only it is allowed, but make sure all your equipment is clean.

Taste the liquid. Is the sugar still there? Where has it gone? Repeat using the salt and coffee powders. Cover the containers with muslin, and leave them in a warm place. Look at the contents every day, until all the liquid has gone. What do you notice? Draw pictures of how they look now in the chart. Salt

Sugar

At the start

At the start

Coffee At the start

At the end

At the end

At the end

Carefully, taste the powder. Is the salt, sugar and coffee still present?

The salt, sugar and coffee dissolved in the water to make a solution. As the liquid is warmed it changes into water vapour and moves into the air. We say that the liquid has evaporated. How to be Brilliant at Materials www.brilliantpublications.co.uk 40

EXTRA! Both boiling and evaporation change water (a liquid) into a gas (water vapour). Use reference books to find out the difference.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

The great salt problem What you need Salt mixed with wet soil and sand, any apparatus and materials available in the classroom. What are we going to do now, Mrs Jones? I've dropped the salt into the wet flower bed and we need it for our dinner party tonight!

Don't worry. Just brush it up and give it to me. I know how to make the salt as white as snow!

Design an experiment to show how Mrs Jones can recover pure salt. Draw diagrams of what you intend to do. Label your diagrams using the following words: evaporation

dissolving

filtering

soluble

insoluble

Discuss your ideas with your teacher before you start your practical work. What I am going to do:

EXTRA! Find out how the salt you have on your table is produced. It is produced in different ways in different parts of the world, for example, Cheshire and Salt Lake City.

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How much will dissolve? What you need Small transparent containers such as plastic beakers, electronic scales, measuring cylinder, spoon or stirrer, water, salt, sugar. Look carefully at the salt and sugar crystals. Will the same amount of salt and sugar dissolve in 50 cm3 of water? Write your prediction below: I think that because

.

Carry out a fair test to see if more salt or more sugar dissolves in water. 1

2

1 teaspoon or 10 grammes

50 cm3

4

3

5

stir

Repeat and count the number of teaspoons or grammes added.

Carry on adding salt until no more will dissolve. Draw a table of your results showing the amount of salt added. Use the back of the sheet or a separate piece of paper.

EXTRA! Repeat the above investigation with other solids. Talk to your teacher before you start.

Repeat the experiment using sugar.

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Will more dissolve?

48

What you need Kettle or hot water, measuring cylinder, containers, thermometer, sugar or salt, teaspoon, electronic scales, Investigation planner sheet (page 48). There is a limit to the amount of sugar and salt that can dissolve in a certain volume of water at a certain temperature. This limit is different for sugar than for salt. But does the temperature of the water make a difference? Design and carry out an investigation to see whether the temperature of the water affects how much solid will dissolve. The Investigation planner sheet will help you. a fair ake it

Choose e

test?

ither suga

m ill you

How w

r or salt.

What range of different temperatures will you use? supervised Ensure you are ter. you use hot wa

if

Will you weigh the sugar or salt or use spoo nfuls?

Plan your investigation below using pictures and labels:

My results were:

I found out that …

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

EXTRA! Allow the solution with the highest temperature to cool. What do you notice?

How to be Brilliant at Materials www.brilliantpublications.co.uk 43

Dissolving data Did you know there is a limit to the amount of solid that will dissolve in a given amount of water?

Yes, and it is different for different powders, such as sugar and salt.

Jon, Tom and Emily have been carrying out an investigation. They tried to find out how much powder will dissolve in 100 cm3 water at different temperatures. They used two powders: Powder A and Powder B. Their results are shown below: Temperature ˚C 20 30 40 45 55 60 70 80

Amount dissolved Powder A (grammes) 4 8 12 14 18 18 18

Draw a graph to show a pattern of their results. Remember to label the axes. Use as large a scale as possible.

Amount dissolved Powder B (grammes) 3 6 9 10.5 13.0 13.5 13.5

What do you think the results will be at 80˚C? Complete the table.

Why do you think the shape of the graph levels off, after going up?

EXTRA! Use your graph to work out how much of Powder A and B will dissolve at 50˚C. What would be the lowest temperature when 15 g of Powder A could dissolve?

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Energy efficiency in the home resource sheet Use the information on this sheet to help you design your energy efficient home. Heat can be lost through the roof, the walls, the floor and the windows of a house. Here are some ways of preventing heat loss. Room temperature • Turning the room thermostat (temperature controls) down by just 1˚C can save a lot of energy. You will probably not notice any difference and will not feel cold. If the room is too hot, it is better to turn the central heating down again rather than open windows. • Setting the timer controls on your central heating system so it is only on when you need it can help to cut down on energy use. • The central heating should come on 30 minutes before you get up and be off when the house is empty. Set it to come on again 30 minutes before the family comes home in the evening and then set the timer so that the heating goes off just before the family goes to bed at night. • A lot of heat is lost to the outside from radiators fitted to outside walls. Reflective foil (like aluminium foil) can be stuck on the wall behind the radiator. The foil acts like a mirror and the heat is then reflected back into the room rather than being lost to the outside. • Temperature controls can be fitted to each radiator so that when the room reaches a comfortable temperature, the radiator switches itself off.

Insulation • You can stop heat escaping by insulating your home. Insulate the loft by using special insulating material. • Insulate the walls of your house. Most modern houses have cavity walls. This means that there are two walls which have a gap between them that can be filled with special insulating material to keep the heat in. • Your immersion heater can be lagged. This means wrapping a thick material around the tank to keep the water in the tank hot. • Heat can be prevented from escaping through the floors by putting down carpets which have an underlay. Foam padding can also be put underneath the floor boards. • Stop draughts coming through windows by fitting draught-proofing strips around windows and outside doors.

Curtains • Heavy, lined curtains help keep the heat in a room. • Make sure the curtains are closed in the evening in the winter.

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Double glazing • A lot of heat is lost through windows so it is a good idea to have double glazing fitted. This means that there is a double layer of glass in a window with an air space between the layers which traps air and acts as insulation. • It has the added advantage of keeping out noise so if you live next to a busy road, it will be quieter in the house.

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Rock record sheet What my rock looks like

Drawing of my rock

Colour Texture Shiny or dull? Is it magnetic? Are there any shiny crystals?

Are there any fossils?

I estimated the weight to be:

When I looked at it through a hand lens I noticed …

The actual weight is:

I carried out the following tests: Floats or sinks?

Effect of dropping vinegar on the rock

Effect of scratching the rock with a coin

with a nail

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The water cycle word sheet Cut out the statements below and stick them in the correct place on page 34. The condensed water vapour falls from the clouds as rain.

The rain soaks into the land and drains into streams, rivers and reservoirs.

Some of the water is used by people in houses and in factories.

Most of the water is not used by people, but is evaporated.

Water evaporates from the land.

Water evaporates from the rivers.

Water evaporates from the seas and oceans. Our waste water flows back into the rivers and seas. Rivers flow into the seas.

Water vapour cools as it rises and condenses into tiny drops of water. This water forms clouds.

© Winnie Wade and Colin Hughes This page may be photocopied for use in the classroom only.

Water evaporates due to the heat from the Sun. The water (a liquid) changes to water vapour (a gas).

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Investigation planner sheet I want to find out …

I think this will happen … because …

I will measure …

To measure I will use …

I will observe …

I will use …

I will change …

I will keep the same …

My results are …

My drawing of the investigation showing how I carried out a fair test:

I must draw a histogram/graph (delete as appropriate). I found out …

How to be Brilliant at Materials www.brilliantpublications.co.uk 48

I can relate my conclusion to scientific knowledge as follows:

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