To start the week we did many demonstrations and smart board presentations on how particles move in solids, liquids, and gasses. The first demonstration we did was with the "Stinky Spray". For this we were all supposed to breath normal and when we smelt the scent, we were to raise our hand. The spray went towards the outsides first and then the middle, never quite hitting the back row of students. This showed us that the particles moved to fill up the room. This is called diffusion. We then watched the Hot and Cold water when food coloring was added to the water. The reaction is what most of us expected. The food coloring in the warm container spread out much faster then the dye in the cold water. This is because as temperature goes up, the diffusion ratio goes up. We then showed this on whiteboards by drawing particles with wooshies. The next day we watched 3 Eureka videos learning how particles react in solids, liquids, and gasses when they are heated up. We then took notes on these videos. Some notes that we took of each was the volume, shape, if it was compressible, and a microscopic explanation of each. We learned that a solid has a definite shape and volume, is not compressible, and the particles are held in a rigid lattice that are always in a vibrating motion. For liquids we learned that they have a definite shape, they take the shape of there container, are slightly compressible, and particles can move along and past each other yet always remain in contact with each other. If they are heated up and start to move faster, particles slide away and are then evaporated. With gases we learned there volume and shape take the shape of there container, are compressible, and that they move freely in all directions. One of the Eureka videos taught me why my soccer balls always become flat. It is due to the contraction of particles. This contraction happens because I leave my soccer balls in the garage, causing them to get cold. The last couple of days we have been working with air pressure and gas pressure. The experiments we did were with blowing the garbage bags with people on them, drinking our juice boxes, and the one where pat and Mr. G poured the Mercury in the tube. The experiment with blowing into the straws was the most fun of these. This showed us that the gas moves to fill up the space, so if a person is sitting on the container, it will fill around this area. It also showed us that the gas particles bouncing off the bag, raised the bag, keeping the person in the air.
The Mercury one that Mr G showed us was showing us that there is gas pressure even in a container completely filled with Mercury. He tipped the tube upside down, leaving air in the tube. This showed us the Barometric Pressure of the room.
