Overview
In this activity, your students will engage in the practice of alchemy by guiding a penny through a series of physical transformations that give it a gold-colored appearance. They will then be challenged to determine whether the penny is truly gold.
In this activity, your students will engage in the practice of alchemy by guiding a penny through a series of physical transformations that give it a gold-colored appearance. They will then be challenged to determine whether the penny is truly gold.
Materials
Hot Plate, Zinc Granules, 1M Zinc Chloride solution, Evaporating Dish, Chemistry Spatula
Goggles available on Request
Hot Plate, Zinc Granules, 1M Zinc Chloride solution, Evaporating Dish, Chemistry Spatula
Goggles available on Request
Standards
SC.8.P.8.4: Classify and compare substances on the basis of characteristic physical properties that can be demonstrated or measured; for example, density, thermal or electrical conductivity, solubility, magnetic properties, melting and boiling points, and know that these properties are independent of the amount of the sample.
SC.8.P.8.9: Distinguish among mixtures (including solutions) and pure substances.
SC.8.P.9.2: Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.
SC.912.P.8.2: Differentiate between physical and chemical properties and physical and chemical changes of matter.
SC.912.P.8.4: Explore the scientific theory of atoms (also known as atomic theory) by describing the structure of atoms in terms of protons, neutrons and electrons, and differentiate among these particles in terms of their mass, electrical charges and locations within the atom.
SC.8.P.8.4: Classify and compare substances on the basis of characteristic physical properties that can be demonstrated or measured; for example, density, thermal or electrical conductivity, solubility, magnetic properties, melting and boiling points, and know that these properties are independent of the amount of the sample.
SC.8.P.8.9: Distinguish among mixtures (including solutions) and pure substances.
SC.8.P.9.2: Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.
SC.912.P.8.2: Differentiate between physical and chemical properties and physical and chemical changes of matter.
SC.912.P.8.4: Explore the scientific theory of atoms (also known as atomic theory) by describing the structure of atoms in terms of protons, neutrons and electrons, and differentiate among these particles in terms of their mass, electrical charges and locations within the atom.
