Mrs. Powers Science Classroom

Physical Properties

Mrs. Aker's Plastic Research Page: Many links about the chemistry of plastics.
Matter: Physical and chemical properties with examples.
Viscosity Explorer: Click on the picture to the right to perform an interactive viscosity lab.
Properties of Matter: An overview of the topic designed for students.
List of Physical and Chemical Properties: Includes descriptions of each
Online Mineral Lab: perform a number of physical property tests, virtually, to identify minerals.

Density

Online Density Lab: Learn about sinking and floating, and how mass, volume, and density explain that behavior.
Thinking Fountain: Density: Some great diagrams and explanations of solid, liquid, and gas densities.
Sample Density Problem: A problem with a diagram for an example. (and another from the same site).
Density Calculator: Plug in values for sample problems and get immediate results.
Density Conversion Calculator: All sorts of density units...and an online calculator to convert them all.
Buoyancy Explorer: Click on the picture to the right to perform an interactive floating and sinking lab.

Phases of Matter and Phase Changes

Phantom Portrait Parlor: An interactive simulator that allows you to view molecules and atoms of different substances at different temperatures, and thus, different phases of matter.
Phases of Matter in Different Containers: Cool animated diagrams showing what happens to different phases of matter as they are manipulated.
Boil Water with Shockwave: An online experiment where you can manipulate many different variables. Very cool!
Phase Changes: Phase change diagram with notes.
Changes of Phase (or State): Table of info, including explanation of why there is no temperature change during a phase change.
Phases of the Elements: Shockwave thingie to show the phase of matter of the elements at different degrees of Kelvin.
Change of Phase or State: Notes and diagrams showing molecule energy.

Gas Laws

Charles' Law online lab: Flash lab
Boyle's Law online lab: Flash lab
The Molecular Circus: Animated diagram of Boyle's law in action, with the user choosing which points to plot, interactively! Very cool.
History of Gas Laws: Major players in the development of kinetic theory and gas laws. Includes basic explanations.
Boyle's Law Animation : Animation showing the relationship between pressure and volume, and the graph it creates.

Solubility

Animation of Sodium Chloride Dissolving: Explains how and why salt dissolves in water...through animated diagrams.
Animations of Salt Dissolving: another animation showing what happens.
Solubility of Solutes: Basic overview of factors affecting solubility.
Solubility: Discussion of why some solids dissolve in water and some don't.
Solubility Factors Quiz: Interactive quiz about solubility curves.
Solublity: List of factors affecting this physical property with brief explanations.
Solutions from Ionic Compounds: Diagram explaining the electrical conductivity of ionic solutions.
Making Crystal Trees: Describes how to make crystal trees through evaporation of saturated solutions. Includes pictures.

Atoms and Elements

Build you own atoms: Watch a demo and then build 10 atoms by placing protons, neutrons, and electrons in the correct spot.
Chem4Kids-Atoms Around Us : Easy to understand introduction with diagrams. Follow the links on the right hand side of this page to learn more.
Chem4Kids-Element List : Overview of the first 40 elements.
Mrs. Aker's Atom Projects Page: Links to sites about atomic structure history and periodic tables.
Properties of Matter: Discusses several, and explains the use of characteristic properties.
Element Families: Interactive quiz to match elements with their families.
Phases of the Elements: Shockwave thingie to show the phase of matter of the elements at different degrees of Kelvin.
Rutherford Experiment Simulation: Java applet in which you recreate this experiment. Also includes an explanation.

Periodic Table

Periodic Table Videos: Each element has its own 3-4 minute video. Awesome!
Periodic Tables: A number of tables, in many languages.
Periodic Table Trends: Interactive site allows you to look at patterns in the properties of elements.
Lenntech Periodic Table: includes properties of each element as well as uses.
Mokeur's Periodic Table: Has lots of great info and a chemistry hangman game at the bottom.
Pictoral Periodic Table: Alternative arrangements for the elements.
Periodic Spiral: An alternative arrangement with a shockwave interactive version. Very cool.
Pyrotechnics: It's Elemental: Discusses elements in the periodic table involved in fireworks.

Chemical Properties

List of Physical and Chemical Properties: Includes descriptions of each
Ten Signs of a Chemical Change: list with explantions.
Signs of a Chemical Reaction: basic explanation of how you determine that a chemical reaction has taken place.

Ions and Chemical Bonding

Chemical Reactions

Acids and Bases

Alien Juice Bar Lab: Interactive lab to teach this concept.
The pH Factor: Good comprehensive tutorial on this concept.
Chem4Kids: Acids and Bases: Overview with diagrams.
Spring Acid Rain Watch: An online project with background information about acid rain.
Acid-Base Lab: Dip pH paper in different solutions to see the results.
pH of Common Foods: From the Department of Health and Human Services
Marble Chip Lab Simulation: You can change the surface area of the marble chips or the concentration of the acid in this particular experiment.

Radioactivity

Interactive Personal Radiation Dose: Interactive site.
Personal Radiation Dose Chart: Determine your annual exposure to radiation (with interactive menus).
The Story of Radiocarbon Dating: Article with a basic explanation of how this works.
Radiation FAQ: Several frequently asked questions.
Radioactivity: Types, sources, uses, dangers, half-life, and famous people.
Isotopes and Radioactivity: Explains what an isotope is and what radioactivity is.
Virtual Labs and Simulations: Interactive Java and Shockwave labs.
Radioactivity Applet: Create a half-life graph and watch the radioactivity disappear.

Color Mixing: Interactive activity for additive and subtractive color mixing.
Science of Light: Filters: Lets you play with filters and light meters.
Science of Light: Light Mixing: Play around with lighting.
Subtractive Color Mixing: Explains how filters use subtractive color mixing.
Color Filters: Interactive site allowing you to play with different colors of filters in different lighting situations.
The Science and Mathematics of Color: Explains color mixing

Reflection

Light Reflection: discusses the law of reflection
Reflection of Light: A primer talking about the law of reflection, specular and diffuse reflection, and other principles.

Refraction

Science, Optics, and You-Refraction Tutorial: Java animation showing light refracts differently through different materials
Archer Fish Article and Video: Read this short article and click on the link for the video about halfway through the article. How does this demonstrate refraction?

Diffraction

Sound

Virtual Oscilloscope: Play with pitch and volume, and see what aspect of waves this changes.
Speed of Sound: Animation showing how sound travels in different phases of matter.
Exploring Sound: Play with pitch and learn how sound travels from place to place.
Radio transmission: Discusses how sound travels by radio waves.
Beats Applet: Interactive site that allows you to combine 2 different pitches to see what type of beats are produced.

Electricity Generation

Engineering