Module 1: What is Chemistry?

When chemists are studying substances in a lab, they do not always know the identity of what they are studying. This "mystery matter" is usually identified through a series of calculations and tests. Once a chemist has identified a substance, they can verify how it will behave in different circumstances and with different substances. In this activity, you will be examining four separate samples of matter to identify and classify them based on their properties, just like a professional chemist. As you work through the assignment below use the Mystery Matter Recording Document to record and submit your findings. Each sample has its own table on the document, so you can analyze each substance individually.

Calculating Density

Using the equation for density that you learned in this module and the information about the mass and volume of each of the samples below, calculate the density of each of the mystery samples. Make sure to show all of your work and to express the answer in terms of g/mL with correct significant figures.

Sample Number	Mass	Volume	Density
1	0.49 Kg	51.9 cL
2	0.346 Hg	20 mL
3	5.1 g	9.43 mL
4	119.5 mg	0.01 mL

Identifying a Substance

Now that you have calculated the density for each of the samples of matter, use the chart below to compare and identify the substance. Assign a substance to each of the samples.

Substance	Density	Sample Number
Lithium	0.53 g/mL
Sodium	0.97 g/mL
Magnesium	1.74 g/mL
Lead	11.35 g/mL

Once you have identified each of the samples, calculate the percent error using your calculation and the accepted values provided in the chart above.

Matter and Water

The physical and chemical properties of a substance greatly influence how that substance will react with one of the world's most previous resources: water. For each of the samples, indicate whether or not it would float in water. Provide a brief explanation of how you know this information without actually performing an experiment.

Reaction In Water and Solubility

Research the chemical properties of each sample and determine if and how they would react in water.  In one to two sentences, describe what would happen if they were put in water and make sure to indicate specifics about the chemical reaction if it does indeed react. In addition, research the solubility of each sample to determine if they would dissolve in water.  Explain why solubility is a physical property and not a chemical property.

As you complete the Mystery Matter Recording Document, make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit. You will need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment, so please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you used.

Once you have completed the Mystery Matter Recording Document, please submit your work to the dropbox.

 

Once you have completed this module, please complete the module test.