Is there more to evaporation than just less liquid? Show young scientists the energy transformation that occurs during a phase change through a series of simple experiments. Lab partners place drops of water, ethanol, and ethoxyethane on a strip thermometer, then observe and record temperature changes.

Concepts

evaporation, liquids, water, ethanol, hydrogen bonds, intermolecular forces, boiling points, temperature changes, making observations

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Additional Tags

science

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Instructional Ideas

• Present the structures of the three chemicals, then ask the class to make predictions about what they expect to observe in the experiment
• Create a discussion around the question posed at the end of the lab to link learning to a real-world situation

Classroom Considerations

• Have learners time the temperature changes to gain insight into the rate of the phase changes
• Ensure middle schoolers have an understanding of intermolecular forces before doing the lab

Pros

• The experiment is written clearly and is easy to execute
• Observations students make are impactful and illustrate several important concepts at one time

Cons

• None

Common Core

RST.6-8.3 RST.9-10.3 RST.11-12.3