Solutes and Solvents

Lab Brief #6

🎯 Your mission

Predict it first. Then prove yourself right (or wrong).

⚡ The twist

Color changes mean atoms are rearranging — even if you can't see them.

What you'll learn

Solutions are special mixtures where one substance dissolves completely in another. Salt water is a solution where salt (solute) dissolves in water (solvent).

Key words

solution
A mixture where one substance dissolves evenly into another.

Make a hypothesis first

Before you mix: what color do you think it'll turn?

Say your guess out loud — then find out if you were right.

Get ready

🧰 What you need

sugar

Get ready

⚠️ Safety first

Adult supervision required for any heating. Hot glassware looks identical to cold — use tongs.
Mop up spills straight away so nobody slips, and keep liquids away from sockets.

Step 1 of 4 · Read

Look at the vocabulary words and write a definition for each in your own words.

Step 2 of 4 · Do

Test how temperature affects dissolving: dissolve sugar in cold, warm, and hot water. Count stirs needed for each and create a data table.

Step 3 of 4 · Observe

Use your senses (except taste) to describe what you notice.

Step 4 of 4 · Record

Write a summary of your findings in 3-5 sentences.

Question 1 of 3

What is a solvent?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 2 of 3

What type of substance speeds up a chemical reaction without being used up?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Question 3 of 3

What is a solution?

How sure are you?😐 maybe

Mind = blown

🧪 If you could remove all the empty space from atoms, the entire human race would fit in a sugar cube.

Nice work!

You got 0 of 3 right.

Next: Density and Floating All lessons

🎯

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✨ More to explore

🌍 Where you see this in real life: Your toothpaste, your soap, even your breakfast involves this.

🏆 Stretch challenge (try it this week): Ask a grown-up to help you mix two safe kitchen things. Predict what will happen first.

👨‍👩‍👧 For the dinner table: “What's something we cook that mixes things together this way?”

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