This phase change graph activity has students graph heat energy versus temperature data to create THEIR OWN PHASE CHANGE DIAGRAM.
And this activity takes it a bit further to include the characteristic properties of melting point and boiling point!
Students are given heat energy data about an unknown substance. After they graph the data, they can clearly see the melting point and boiling point of the substance. By comparing these characteristic properties to several given known substances, students can figure out (and make a claim based on evidence about) the identity of the unknown substance from the graph.
In this activity, students will:
- READ background information about phase change diagrams, melting and boiling points, and these characteristic properties can be used to help identify pure substances.
- GENERATE A PHASE CHANGE GRAPH using the provided data on a pre-made graph that has all axes labels already added.
- ANSWER text-dependent questions from the background information.
- COMPLETE A CER that asks them to identify the substance in the graph based on its melting and boiling point. (They can do this based on all the information given to them in this activity – no outside info required.)
Teacher Notes:
- Check out my Particle Motion Bundle!
- This phase change graph activity is not editable.
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- Answer keys are always included.
- NGSS MS-PS1-4: Develop a model that predicts and describes changes in particle motion, temperature, and state of a pure substance when thermal energy is added or removed.
