Elements Lab

Judith S. de Nuño
http:/www.jdenuno.com

jdenuno@mhs-la.org

Science at Marymount

Office Hours
Daily at Lunch in the Science Patio

Cyber Office Hours
AIM: teachsci23

Title: Elements Lab

Purpose:

  • to observe and describe the characteristics of representative elements
  • to determine the numbers of subatomic particles or representative elements
  • to graph the relationship of atomic number and mass number

Materials:

  • set of 30 elements
  • periodic chart
  • element information source

Procedure:

  1. construct a data chart with the following headings
    • element name
    • element symbol
    • atomic number
    • atomic mass
    • mass number
    • number of protons
    • number of electrons
    • number of neutrons
    • description
    • hazards or toxicity information
    • other information
  2. graph the relation of atomic number and mass number (atomic number is the independent variable)
  3. draw a line of best fit
  4. determine the slope of the line (the line should go through (0,0)

Results:

  • graph of atomic number vs atomic mass
  • slope calculation....
    • please put calculation and result in a data chart with a box around it so it can be easily found!
    • remember units for the slope!

Discussion:

  1. Briefly summarize what you did
  2. Describe the relation of atomic number and mass number (what does the slope mean?)

Conclusion:

  • (A one sentence testable statement that follows from your results, what you did, what you observed)
  • Two conclusions:
    • one about the most frequent observation about the physical characteristics
    • one about the relation of atomic number and mass

Reflection:

  • (A personal statement about the activity, whether it relates to "real life," whether you liked it, suggested improvements.....)