You Light up my Life!

Lab Activity

ChemCatalyst If you were to drop a spoonful of salt, NaCl, into a glass of water, what would happen? If you were to drop a gold ring into a glass of water, what would happen? What do you think is different about the atoms of these two substances? Why wouldn’t the individual gold atoms come apart?

The Big QuestionWhat patterns do we see in the properties of substances?

At the end of this lab…

You will be able to: Predict whether MgSO4(aq),

epsom salts, will conduct electricity.

Lab Set-up

ActivityPurpose: This lesson allows you to collect evidence regarding some of the properties of substances, and look for patterns.

Predictions Test Results

Substances Conduct?

Yes/No

Dissolve?

Yes/No

Conduct?

Yes/No

Dissolve?

Yes/No

H2O(l), water

Al(s), foil aluminum

C12H22O11(s), sucrose (sugar)

NaCl(s), salt,

sodium chloride

SiO2(s), sand,

silicon dioxide

C20H42(s), paraffin (wax)

C2H6O(l), ethanol

Cu(s), copper

CaCl2(s),

calcium chloride

CuSO4(s), copper sulfate

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Yes

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

No

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

N/A

(cont.)

1. Substances that don’t Dissolve in water, BUT conduct electricity

• Copper• Aluminum foil

2. Substances that dissolve in water

Conduct Don’t conduct

Salt-NaClCalcium-ChlorideCaCl2

Copper Sulfate-CuSO4

They are all IONIC BONDS

Sugar-C12H22O11

Ethanol-C2H6OWater-H2O

They are all COVALENT BONDS!

NaCl – salt

CaCl2 – calcium chloride

CuSO4 – copper

sulfate

H2O – water

C12H22O11 – sugar

C2H6O – ethanol

Au – gold

Cu – copper

Al – aluminum

SiO2 – sand

C20H42 – paraffin

Dissolves

Yes No

Conducts

Yes Yes NoNo

Conducts

Wrap up

3. What do the substances that conduct electricity once dissolved

have in common?They are all made up of ionic bonds. Ionic bonds are made up of a metal and a non-metal. Metals a good conductors of heat and electricity.

4. What do the substances that Don’t conduct electricity once dissolved

have in common?They are all made up of covalent bonds. Covalent bonds are made up of all non-metals. Non-Metals a NOT good conductors of heat and electricity.

5. & 6. Write a generalizing statement about the substances that DO and Don’t

light up the bulb.

Hint: • Think about bonds• What the bonds are made up of • Any properties

7. Predict whether isopropanol, C3H8O (l), will

conduct electricity. No because it is all made up of covalent bonds and covalent bonds are made up of all non-metals. Non-Metals a NOT good conductors of heat and electricity.

Making SenseIf it is dangerous to take a bath with a blow dryer, what must also be true about the water in the bathtub?

Check-InPredict whether MgSO4(aq), epsom salts, will conduct electricity. State your reasoning.

Question?The element K is located between Na and Rb. Based on where it is located on the periodic table, what are some properties that we can predict about K?