Natural Science - Year II
Unit 39: Search for the Elements
Parents Guide for Unit 39
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Parent Notes for Unit Unit 39: Search for the Elements
Preparation
Below are notes on the main points of each assignment.
- History Web Lecture: Modern Chemistry: Atomic Theory and the Search for the Elements
We've determined that an element is a substance whose chemical properties are unique; further division of the substance into smaller amounts doesn't change the chemical properties. At this point, the 19th century scientists still believed that atoms were indivisible. Since there was a lot of publicity and scientific credit given the discoverer, scientists actively sought new elements, creating new techniques for refining substances. The primary reading for today is a secondary source (summary by someone other than the the primary discoverer). Students should understand how specific methods such as electrolysis can be used to separate substances, and techniques such as spectral analysis can be used to identify a substance.
Please discuss with your student the study questions at the end of the web lecture.
- Science Web Lecture: Chemical Reactions
We've seen how to balance chemical reactions, now we look at some of the ramifications of atomic theory on gas interactions, and the general relationship between a gas's temperature, pressure, and volume, and number. There are two key concepts here: the idea of a universal constant, which doesn't change even though other factors in a situation do, and the application of gas laws to determine the "absolute zero" of temperature possibilities.
We also look at the periodic table and families of chemicals that share chemical reaction characteristics.
- Mastery Exercises:
The exercise questions identify discoverers with their discoveries, and key concepts students should understand as a result of the reading and discussion. Make sure that the student reads and attempts to answer the exercises before chat, so that he can identify questions that need to be discussed in chat.
- Discussion: Our Chat discussion will concentrate on the discovery of relationships between elements that led to the organization of the periodic table.
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