Lesson 5 of 6 · Chemical Bonds
Experiment⭐ 30 XP🧪 Potion KitchenPredicting Properties From Structure
Chemical Bonds.
🎯 Your mission
Run the experiment. Find out what really happens.
⚡ The twist
If it bubbles, something invisible is escaping.
Mind = Blown
💧 Hot water can freeze faster than cold water under the right conditions. Nobody fully understands why.
Make a hypothesis first
Guess: will the fizz be loud, soft, or none at all?
What You'll Learn
Structure determines behaviour. Ionic solids are brittle and conduct only when molten or dissolved. Simple molecular substances melt low and never conduct. Metals conduct and bend. Giant covalent solids melt very high and mostly insulate.
Key Words
Tap a word to see its definition.
Materials Needed
- four unknown solids
- conductivity tester
- water
- beakers
- spatula
- heatproof mat
Safety First
- Treat all unknowns as harmful: goggles on, no tasting, wash hands afterwards.
- An adult must supervise any heating.
Steps
Read the explanation above and note the two key terms before you start.
Test four unknown solids for melting behaviour, solubility, and conductivity when solid and when dissolved. Use your results to classify each as ionic, simple molecular, metallic or giant covalent.
Record what actually happened, including anything that did not match what you expected.
Write a conclusion that answers the question this lesson opened with, and state your uncertainty.
Check Your Understanding
Question 1
1 of 2A substance that conducts when molten but not when solid is likely to be:
Where you see this in real life
This is happening in your kitchen right now — every time food cooks.
Stretch Challenge
Try this in real life this week.
Find one ingredient in a snack and look up what it does.
For the dinner table
“What's something we cook that mixes things together this way?”
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Predicting Properties From Structure
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