GENERAL CHEMISTRY II

ALL ABOUT MATTER

Activity 1: You need two small beakers/containers. One has water in it, the other alcohol.
Both have an eyedropper.

Using the eyedropper drop a drop of water on the back of your partners hand. As quickly
as you can using the other eyedropper place a drop of alcohol on the back of your
partners other hand.

Note any differences in observation and sensation.

Dropper Alcohol Container with Alcohol Water

Container with Water

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 A) What is happening to the alcohol at a faster rate than to the water?

When my partner and I carried out the experiment together, I could see that
alcohol dries faster than water when applied to my partner's hands, thus I draw the
conclusion that alcohol evaporates more quickly than water since it has a lower
boiling point, it may transport away more heat from the skin. This indicates that
alcohol evaporates far more quickly than water does over time and that alcohol
molecules are less likely to stay together than water molecules do.

B) Why is this happening at a faster rate?

Since alcohol is less polar than water, it evaporates more quickly and boils at a
lower temperature. This makes sense given that the water molecules' stronger
attraction to one another makes it more difficult to move them quickly enough to
split from one another and create a gas. In this experiment, the temperature was
also considered because, according to my research, surface area, temperature, and
airflow are additional factors that influence evaporation rates. This may also be
the cause of how rapidly or quickly alcohol dries.

C) Why does the alcohol make your skin feel cold?

This is due to the fact that the rate of evaporation also affects how much heat is
transmitted. Alcohol evaporates significantly more quickly than water due to its
lower boiling point, which allows it to absorb more heat from the skin. As a
result, over a short period of time, alcohol disperses far more quickly than water. I
then questioned my partner about if he observed any differences in the
temperature between the alcohol and the water. He stated that alcohol felt colder
than water, maybe because air helps to transmit heat away from the skin when it is
present. I infer from this that since alcohol boils at a lower temperature than
water, it evaporates considerably more quickly than water. Thus, it feels colder to
the touch and loses heat more rapidly.

Activity 2: What you need are empty flask/metal container (preferred), balloon and two
beakers/container – one with ice cold water and the other with very hot water.

Stretch the balloon over the mouth of the flask/container. Submerge the flask/container
in the hot water to the point that the beaker/container does not overflow. What happens to
the balloon on the flask? Next, move the flask to the ice-cold water. What happens to the
balloon as the flask rests in the cold water/ice.

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 Ice Cold Water Hot Water Container

Balloons

A) What happens to the flask in hot water? Why does this happen?

The balloon expands. The expansion of the particles occurs as a result of their
increased energy, pressure, and space-occupying capabilities when the air
heats. When the bottle is placed in hot water, the air molecules within warm up
and start to expand (thermal expansion), causing air to enter the bottle and inflate
the balloon.

B) What happens to the flask in cold water? Why does this happen?

The balloon contracts. The air contracts as it cools because the particles are less
energetic, exert less pressure, and take up less space. The air molecules cool back
down and occupy less space when I placed the bottle in the cold water (thermal
contraction).

Activity 3: In this activity a candle on a plate and a match is needed

1) Ignite the candle with the match noting how long it takes for the candle to light.

2) Light another match, blow out the candle and immediately try to re-ignite the candle.
Does it re-ignite faster than when the first trial?

3) Light another match, blow out the candle but this time place the match in the white
“smoke trail” coming off the extinguished candle.

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 Match, Candle, and Plate

A) Why does the candle ignite faster in 2) than in 1)?

In my first attempt, the candle burned for 4.10 seconds after re-igniting; in my
second attempt, it ignited for 2.68 seconds; and finally, after blowing it out, we
could see a stream of white smoke emanating from the candle's wax vapor, which
led to igniting it faster in the second try.

B) Why does the candle ignite even faster in the “smoke trail”?

The candle ignites significantly more quickly in the "smoke trail" due to the
vaporized or evaporated wax. As a result, it ignites immediately if the heat source
is applied quickly enough.

Activity 4: In this activity what you need are thermometer and a beaker/container with
hot water and a beaker of cold water.

Place the thermometer in the hot water. What is the temperature? High

Place the thermometer in the cold water. What is the temperature? Low

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Thermometer in the Hot Water Thermometer in the Cold Water

A) What is happening to the liquid inside the thermometer to make the temperature
level increase and decrease?

Since I used a digital thermometer, I can't say that I observed the thermometer's
liquid rising, but I can explain why it did so. The only metal to be a liquid at room
temperature is mercury, a very dense element. It is highly electrically conductive
and responds to temperature changes by expanding and contracting.

B) What is the role of heat in making the liquid level rise?

The particles' energy is increased by the heat energy. The mercury within the
thermometer rose as a result of the heat we provided to the thermometer, which
caused the particles’ energy to move quickly and expand.

C) Why in terms of heat does the liquid level drop when the thermometer is placed in
cold water?

Heat moves from an area that is hot to one that is not, which causes the particles
to lose energy. To answer the question, since we transfer the thermometer to the
cold water, the particles decrease its heat as we let it stay on cold water and
causes it to contract. Kinetic energy is present in the reaction of the mercury or
the liquid inside the thermometer, so we can say that if the temperature is low,
kinetic energy decreases, and if the temperature is high, kinetic energy increases.

Activity 5: What you need are moth balls, a heating source, some tongs and a
flask/container with ice water.

Hold one moth ball in the tongs and gently warm the moth ball near (but not in) the heat
source. As you are warming it, hold the flask/container a few centimeters above the moth
ball.

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Observe the underside of the flask/container as the moth ball is being warmed.

Tongs Container Match Moth Balls

Candle

A) Why are the moth balls so easy to smell when they are heated?

Naphthalene, which sublimates at room temperature, makes up mothballs. Moth

B) What is happening to the moth ball as it is heated?

Mothballs slowly disintegrate as they turn into gas and interact with the air, but they
melt when placed near a heat source. The time it takes for a mothball to evaporate
depends on several factors, including the temperature, the number of mothballs, and
the amount of wind surrounding them.

C) Explain what is happening on the underside of the flask.

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 When I conduct the experiment, I observe that the underside and side portions of
the container darken as I place the moth balls close to the heat source. Additionally,
I notice that lines appear on the underside, side, and beside of the container as some
of the liquid that resulted from the moth balls melting seeps up to the container.

Activity 6: What you need are heat source, a metal spoon and a plastic spoon.

Place the metal spoon in the heat source. What do you feel in time?
Now place the plastic spoon in the heat source. What do you feel?

Candle, Metal Spoon Plastic Spoon Metal Spoon

A) Why do you feel the heat quicker through the metal rod than through the glass
rod?

Plastics don't conduct heat as quickly as metals do. Since metals are effective heat
conductors, metals feel colder or hotter to the touch than other materials at the
same temperature. As a result, they may quickly absorb heat from warmer objects
or transfer heat to colder ones. Heat does not move as quickly through thermal
insulators like wood and plastic.

B) What is different about what is happening at the particle level in these two rods
when the rod is heated?

Plastic is an insulator, therefore when it is heated, its particles do not flow as

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Activity 7: For this activity, what you need are beakers/container with hot and cold
vinegar and some baking soda. As well, there are several small empty beakers/containers.

Place 10 mL of cold vinegar in one small beaker/container. Add one spoonful of baking
soda to the vinegar. Note the speed of the reaction.

Now place 10mL of hot water in another small beaker/container. Again add one small
spoonful of baking soda to the vinegar. Again note the speed of the reaction.

Vinegar Baking Soda Spoon Container

High Temperature Low Temperature

A) In which vinegar is the reaction faster?

The hot vinegar or vinegar that is at a higher temperature reacts more quickly.

B) Explain at the particle level why it is faster with this vinegar?

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 The vinegar particles collide with the baking soda more vigorously due to their
greater energy. Since a chemical reaction that results in carbon dioxide causes the
temperature to drop, it is quicker with higher temperature vinegar because the
reaction is sped up by temperature.

Activity 8: You need two beakers/container with eyedroppers, one with normal water
and the other with water and a liquid detergent and pennies.

Take one penny and ensure it is clean and dry. Fill the eyedropper that is the normal
water. Drop drops of water onto the penny. Count the number of drops you add until the
water bursts over the edge of the coin. You should not it builds up on the coin and then
bursts over the edge.

Repeat this process with another clean, dry coin but this time add the soapy water.

Dropper Normal Water Liquid Detergent

Soapy Water Pennies

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 Normal Water Soapy Water

A) Compare the number of drops required to burst the edge in the normal water as
compared to the soapy water.

It takes fewer drops of soapy water to burst the edge. I had 20 drops of soapy
water to break the edge, while I had 26 drops of normal water.

B) What does this activity tell you about the relationship between water molecules in
a non-soapy environment?

Water molecules are attracted to one another by forces. The water itself is drawn
to the cohesiveness of the water. The water's adhesion to the coin when a drop
was dropped on it, attracted the substance. This lessens the water's surface tension
in a soapy environment, causing the water to breach the edge sooner.

C) What effect do you think soap has on water particles?

This force is disrupted. The water's surface tension is reduced by the soap.
Surfactants are substances that lessen the water's surface tension. The water
molecules are separated from one another by it.

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