Mrs. Prescott’s Science Blog

***DO NOT RESPOND TO THIS POST!!!***

Use this post as an example of how you should write your responses. 

Invisible1 and Invisible2 are examples of regular responses to the teacher’s question.

Invisible3 is an example of a reply to another student’s comment.

*Reminder: 3 complete sentences!*

Air is made up of mostly nitrogen (N₂) and oxygen (O₂).  So is air heavier than water (H₂O)?

Before you answer, consider the following…

• What is “heaviness”?
• Each element has a unique atomic mass.  What are the atomic masses of the elements that make up air and water?
• How might the arrangement of atoms in a substance affect its “heaviness”?

Remy the Rat* has received an offer from the Ragu company to buy the recipe for his special pasta sauce.  Before Remy can become the first billionaire rat in French history and retire to the Bahamas, he must provide Ragu with the nutrition information for his sauce. 

To determine the nutrition information, Remy must first determine whether his sauce is a compound or a mixture of the original ingredients.  How should he figure this out?  How will knowing whether the sauce is a compound or a mixture help Remy determine the nutrition information?  How would the nutrition information of a compound or mixture compare to the nutrition information of the original ingredients?

*Remy…think Ratatioulle…come on now…

You have the great honor of exploring the surface of a foreign planet for NASA.  While there, you collect many samples, including an unfamiliar rock.  Sadly, aliens did not leave a sign explaining what the rock is made of, so you’re going to have to figure it out (sigh…). 

How would you identify if the rock is made of one of the elements on the Periodic Table?  If it turns out to be a completely new element, how would you identify where it should go on the Periodic Table?  What information would help you determine whether the rock is an old or new element?  How would you figure out this information?