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Who Wants to Cook with Chemicals?

By Janice VanCleave

Let’s Use Our Hands to make a Chemical Mixture Homemade play dough is a great science experiment for young learners. But, more than learning about chemistry, this play dough activity connects to other curriculum, including math and art. But one of the best parts is that it is FUN! Even adults will want to get […]

Filed Under: Chemistry Tagged With: matter, physical properties, playdough, states of matter

How Energy Affects States of Matter

By Janice VanCleave

Ice is formed when water molecules linked forming hexagonal cells that build on each other in three dimensions.

What Happens When A Substance Gains or Loses Energy? For this article, heat will be the energy source and water molecules the substance gaining or losing energy. So, what happens when water molecules gain or lose energy? Energy is needed for motion, the more energy a substance has the faster is its motion. The reverse […]

Filed Under: Chemistry, Energy Tagged With: condensation, deposition, Energy, freezing, melting, states of matter, sublimation, vaporization

The Melting and Freezing of Water

By Janice VanCleave

The diagram represents heat of fusion, equilibrium, melting, freezing.

How Can Water Freeze and Melt at the Same Temperature? The freezing/melting  point of water is OºC. But it is not an instantaneous physical change. Instead, both liquid water and ice can be present at OºC. At this temperature, there is a constant exchange of water molecules between the ice and liquid water as shown […]

Filed Under: Chemistry Tagged With: Energy, equilibrium, freeze, melt, physical changes, states of matter

States of Matter: Solid

By Janice VanCleave

Matter exists naturally in four states. These states in order of energy from least energy to greatest energy are: Solid Liquid Gas Plasma A SOLID is the state of mater with the least amount of energy and the most structure. Solids exits in two basic forms: 1. Crystalline solids are those in which the particles […]

Filed Under: Chemistry, Physics Tagged With: crystals, solid, states of matter

Gases Have Volume

By Janice VanCleave

Chemistry is the study of the composition, structure, properties, and interactions of matter. Matter is all the material in the universe. Simply, matter is the stuff that things are made up of. Matter has mass and volume. Mass is the amount of material (stuff)  something is made of. Mass is not affected by gravity. Materials are […]

Filed Under: Chemistry Tagged With: displaced, mass, matter, phases of matter, states of matter, volume

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Welcome to Janice’s Science Extravaganza!

The spoon hanging from the string vibrates when struck and these vibrations are transmitted through the string and the sound is amplified by the plastic cups. ABOUT ME: Hi, I am Janice VanCleave, author of 50 best-selling science experiment books for children ages 4 through high school. I taught science for 27 years. MORE.....

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