We have been learning about materials in science this half term, focusing on chemical reactions that link to our big question:
What are special effects in Science?
As part of this, the children have explored chemical reactions producing reversible and irreversible changes. Last week, we examined acids and alkalis, linking to the PH scale. We wanted to see what would happen if we combined an acid and an alkali (neutralisation) and assess the chemical reaction that took place. We discussed safety, and how to remain safe using protective clothing for our skin and wearing goggles to protect our eyes. We thought about keeping our experiment a fair test by measuring equal measures of acid (vinegar) and alkali (bicarbonate of soda). We combined these materials in different sizes of sandwich bag, to see how long the chemical reaction would take to complete. We observed the chemical reaction of ‘fizzing’ and carbon dioxide gas being produced. We recorded our results as a table and evaluated patterns and anomalies that we could see. An exciting challenge was to the experiment by adding great quantities of bicarbonate of soda, to try and make the bag ‘explode’!
BBC Bitesize Website Link:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/articles/zcnhxbk
What was your favourite part of the experiment? How did you know a chemical reaction had taken place? Can you remember which acids and alkalis we can find around our home?
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