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Chapter 2: Movie Special Effects

Chapter Challenge

A movie producer has asked your class to create a movie scene using special effects that involve chemical concepts.You are asked to develop a script for the movie scene and to provide an explanation of the chemistry concepts youused to produce your special effect.

Activity Summaries

Chemistry Principles

Activity 1: Elements and Compounds

The activity discusses the basic concept of what is matter and how we can change compounds backto the elements. Also, students will conduct some simple tests to identify hydrogen and oxygen gas.

  • Electrolysis
  • Chemical reaction
  • Elements
  • Compounds
  • Chemical properties
  • Dissociation

Activity 2: States of Matter: Solid, Liquid, and Gas

This activity helps the students develop an understanding of molecular motion in the differentphysical states: solid, liquid, and gas.

  • Heating curves
  • Melting point
  • Boiling point
  • Vaporization
  • Potential energy
  • Kinetic energy
  • Physical states of matter
  • Sublimation

Activity 3: Solutions, Suspensions, and Colloids

This activity shows the students how to differentiate between solutions, suspensions, and colloids.The mixtures are tested for the Tyndall Effect and if they can be separated by simple filtration.

 

  • Tyndall Effect
  • Suspensions
  • Emulsions
  • Filtration
  • Homogeneous mixture
  • Heterogeneous mixture
  • Solutions
  • Solvent
  • Solute

Activity 4: Properties of Matter

This activity helps the students understand how small models can be used to represent largestructures. Models can be used to develop an understanding of the physical properties of asubstance.

  • Composites
  • Emulsions
  • Texture
  • Elasticity
  • Malleability

Activity 5: Mass and Volume

The students will determine the density of liquids and solids. The solids will be irregularly shaped,so that water displacement techniques need to be used to determine the densities.

  • Density
  • Estimation
  • Displacement
  • Measurements
  • Uncertainty

Activity 6: Metals and Nonmetals

This activity will study the physical properties of metals and will show how they can bedifferentiated from the nonmetals. They will also learn how the metals, metalloids, and nonmetalsare arranged on the periodic table.

  • Metallic properties
  • Nonmetals
  • Metalloids
  • Oxidation
  • Alloys

Activity 7: Polymers

This activity shows the students how to make the polymer “slime” and how to test this non-Newtonian liquid. They will find that it has both solid and liquid characteristics.

  • Polymers
  • Proteins
  • Starch
  • Cellulose
  • Cross-linked polymers
  • Commercial uses

Activity 8: Identifying Matter

This activity uses flame tests to help identify metal cations. The principles of electron excitation arediscussed and applied to fireworks and neon signs. Different metals can by used to produce thedifferent colors.

  • Metal flame colors
  • Electron excitation
  • Ions
  • Flame tests

Activity 9: Organic Substances

The students will learn what the term organic means to scientists and how the layman uses itincorrectly. They will study how to write organic structures and apply the Law of Conservation ofMass to combustion reactions.

  • Hydrocarbons
  • Organic/Inorganic compounds
  • Carbon bonding
  • Alkanes
  • Alkenes
  • Alkynes
  • Combustion
  • Law of Conservation of Mass