Everything Matters

 I have been slacking on Mommy School.  I finally did a lesson this week on states of matter.  It was quick, but Harper had a fun time learning.

   

Of course we started with a book and posters.

    

   

Harper used cereal to represent atoms in each state of matter: solid, liquid and gas.

   

  

We put pop rocks (solid) into soda (liquid) and watched them release carbon dioxide (gas) to blow up the balloon.  This proved that carbon dioxide is made of matter - it takes up space and has mass.  We could visualize the space it takes up.  The same goes for air.

   

   

We changed these Crayons from solids to liquids using heat.

   

    

   

We painted with salt water.  The salt (solid) in the liquid (water) formed a mixture.  The water then evaporated into a gas and left the solid behind.  

   

   

Harper drew a cat.

   

We then used warm liquid to melt our ice balls.  One ball had salt on it and melted quicker than the other.

   

   

The kids favorite experiment was using gas to put out a fire.  We mixed baking soda with vinegar to make carbonic acid.  The carbonic acid separates into carbon dioxide and water.  The carbon dioxide is heavier than oxygen and removes the oxygen from the environment of the flame.  The flame then goes out.

      

We put out the candle without using water!

   

   

   

Then you mix the vinegar and baking soda solution so that all of the carbon dioxide gas is formed and released.  You hold the container next to the flame again and this time, it doesn't go out!