Name: Date:
Student Exploration: Phase Changes
Vocabulary: altitude, boil, boiling point, freeze, freezing point, gas, liquid, melt,
melting point, phase, solid
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. A family from Minnesota turns off the heat and flies to Florida for a winter
holiday. When they come home, all of their water pipes have burst. What do you
think happened?
The pipes froze, because the heating was turned off.
2. Spaghetti takes about 9 minutes to cook at sea level, but about 14
minutes in the mountains. Why do you think this is so?
The air pressure is different than somewhere near sea level.
The difference in pressure most likely caused the difference in cook time.
Gizmo Warm-up
In the Phase Changes Gizmo™, select the Micro view
and set the Ice volume to 50 cc. Click Play ( ) and
observe molecules in the solid (ice), liquid (water),
and gas (air) phases.
1. In which phase(s) are the molecules held rigidly together?
The Solid phase.
2. In which phase(s) do the molecules move freely?
The gas and liquid phases.
3. In which phase(s) are the molecules held in a defined shape? The
solid phase.
4. In which phase(s) do the molecules take the shape of their container?
The gas and liquid phases.
,
Student Exploration: Phase Changes
Vocabulary: altitude, boil, boiling point, freeze, freezing point, gas, liquid, melt,
melting point, phase, solid
Prior Knowledge Questions (Do these BEFORE using the Gizmo.)
1. A family from Minnesota turns off the heat and flies to Florida for a winter
holiday. When they come home, all of their water pipes have burst. What do you
think happened?
The pipes froze, because the heating was turned off.
2. Spaghetti takes about 9 minutes to cook at sea level, but about 14
minutes in the mountains. Why do you think this is so?
The air pressure is different than somewhere near sea level.
The difference in pressure most likely caused the difference in cook time.
Gizmo Warm-up
In the Phase Changes Gizmo™, select the Micro view
and set the Ice volume to 50 cc. Click Play ( ) and
observe molecules in the solid (ice), liquid (water),
and gas (air) phases.
1. In which phase(s) are the molecules held rigidly together?
The Solid phase.
2. In which phase(s) do the molecules move freely?
The gas and liquid phases.
3. In which phase(s) are the molecules held in a defined shape? The
solid phase.
4. In which phase(s) do the molecules take the shape of their container?
The gas and liquid phases.
,
