Name: Date:

Student Exploration: Phase Changes

Directions: Follow the instructions to go through the simulation. Respond to the questions and
prompts in the orange boxes.

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?

All the water in the pipes froze causing them to expand and burst the pipe.

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 boiling point of water is lower their meaning the water is cooler causing
the pasta to cook slower.

Gizmo Warm-up
In the Phase Changes Gizmo, select Micro view and set the Ice volume to
50 cm3. Notice the nitrogen ( ), oxygen ( ), and water ( ) molecules.

Click Play ( ) and observe water molecules in the solid (ice), liquid
(water), and gas (air) phases.

1. In which phase(s) are the molecules held rigidly together?

Solid

2. In which phase(s) do the molecules move freely?

gas, liquid

3. In which phase(s) are the molecules held in a defined solid, liquid

shape?

4. In which phase(s) do the molecules take the shape of liquid

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 their container?

Get the Gizmo ready:

Activity A:
● Click Reset ( ) and select Macro view.
Phase changes ● Set the Water temperature to 10 °C.
● Set the Ice volume to 0 cm3.

Question: How is temperature related to phase changes?

1. Predict: Based on your prior knowledge, predict the following:

A. At what temperature will water change from a liquid to a solid (freeze)? 0

B. At what temperature will water change from a solid to a liquid (melt)? 0

C. At what temperature will water change from a liquid to a gas (boil)? 100

2. Investigate: Use the Gizmo to explore phase changes. Use the Add/remove heat energy slider to control
the water temperature. Record your observations in your notes, then answer the questions below:

A. At what temperature does water freeze? 0 This is the freezing point.

B. At what temperature does ice melt? 0 This is the melting point.

C. At what temperature does water boil? 100 This is the boiling point.

3. Observe: Set up the Gizmo to observe freezing. What do you notice about the temperature while the water
is in the process of freezing?

It stays the same.

4. Explore: Use the Gizmo to investigate melting and boiling. Does the temperature change while either of
these phase changes is occurring?

No.

5. Interpret: Select the GRAPH tab to see a graph of temperature vs. time. Click the “–” button until the whole
graph is visible. What does the graph look like during a phase change?

The line is horizontal.

6. Extend your thinking: Why do you think the temperature does not change much during a phase change? If
possible, discuss your answer with your classmates and teacher.

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 Because the energy is being used to change the state of matter.

Activity B: Get the Gizmo ready:

● Click Reset, and select the Micro view.
Temperature and molecular ● Set Ice volume to 0 cm3.
motion ● Set Add/remove heat energy to 0 J/s.

Question: Why do phase changes occur?

1. Compare: Set the Water temperature to 0 °C and click Play. Observe the water molecules. Click Reset,
set the Water temperature to 100 °C, and click Play again.

What do you notice?

Nothing, there is no difference.

2. Observe: Click Reset. The mean molecular speed of the water molecules is displayed below the
container. Set the Water temperature to 0 °C and Add/remove heat energy to 400 J/s. Click Play.

A. How does the mean speed of the water molecules change as they are heated?

It increases the hotter the water is.

B. Does the mean molecular speed change as much as the temperature as the water heats up?
Explain.

The more temperature increases the mean molecule speed changes.

3. Explain: How is temperature related to the motions of molecules?

The higher the temperature, the faster the molecules move.

4. Observe: Click Reset. Set the Water temperature to 20 °C and the Ice volume to 50 cm3. Set
Add/remove heat energy to 0 J/s. Click Play. How do the molecules in the liquid interact with the
molecules in the solid?

The molecules of the liquid collide with the molecules of solid, causing the bonds to break.

5. Observe: Click Reset. Set the Water temperature to 100 °C and the Ice volume to 50 cm3. Click Play.
How does this situation compare to the previous one?

The ice melts much more quickly.

6. Propose a theory: Based on what you have observed, explain why you think phase changes occur. If
possible, discuss your theory with your classmates and teacher.

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 I think it happens because the amount of kinetic energy they have within
them exceeds what their bonds can hold causing them to change form.

7. Apply: Use your theory to explain what happens at the molecular level in each of the following situations.
Also, list the temperature at which each transition occurs.

A. Ice is warmed to the melting point.

Frozen water molecules vibrate more and more until they break free of Temperature: 0*C
the ice crystal.

B. Water is warmed to the boiling point.

Liquid water molecules move faster and faster until they break free of Temperature: 100*C
the liquid.

C. Water is cooled to the freezing point.

Liquid water molecules move more and more slowly until they begin to Temperature: 0*C
stick together to form an ice crystal.

8. Extend your thinking: Click Reset. Set the Water temperature to 0 °C, the Ice volume to
0 cm3, and Add/remove heat energy to -400 J/s. Click Play and wait until all of the water freezes.

A. What volume of ice is created from 200 cm3 of water? 217.4 cc

B. Why do water pipes sometimes burst in the winter?

When water freezes into ice, it expands, which can cause a pipe to burst.

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 Get the Gizmo ready:
Activity C:
● Click Reset.
Altitude and phase changes ● Set Ice volume to 0 cm3.
● Set the Altitude to 5,000 meters (16,404 feet).

Question: The altitude of a location is its vertical distance above sea level. How does altitude affect
phase changes?

1. Form a hypothesis: As altitude increases, the air pressure decreases. How do you think the lower pressure

will affect the following? (Highlight your answers. )

A. Freezing point: Increase Stay the same Decrease

B. Melting point: Increase Stay the same Decrease

C. Boiling point: Increase Stay the same Decrease

2. Experiment: Use the Gizmo to find the freezing, melting, and boiling points of water at 5,000 meters
(16,404 feet). Write these values below.

Freezing point: 0 Melting point: 0 Boiling point: 83

3. Analyze: How did altitude affect the freezing, melting, and boiling points of water?

Freezing and Melting point stayed the same, but the boiling point decreased.

4. Challenge: Try to explain these results based on the fact that air pressure decreases with altitude. If
possible, discuss your ideas with your classmates and teacher.

With less air pressure, there is less pressure to break bonds.

5. Apply: Why does pasta take longer to cook in the mountains?

The water can not reach as high a temperature causing pasta to cook slower.

6. Apply: A pressure cooker allows food to be cooked under high pressure. Why is this useful?

It can cause the pasta to cook faster.

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