Description

The Law of Conservation of Matter: Students will make a model to demonstrate that the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and matter is conserved. Students will learn about the conservation of mass and matter through hands-on science investigations, developing and using models and follow-up pages. Students will learn to count atoms. They will also learn that the same number and type of atoms in the reactants are found in the product, although they might be rearranged.

This resource includes a slide show, two labs, a hands-on activity making a physical model, an informational text article, response pages, and a quiz.

Science Standards Addressed in this Unit:

NGSS MS-PS1-5. Develop and use a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction and thus mass is conserved.

Utah SEEd Standard 8.1.6  Develop a model to describe how the total number of atoms does not change in a chemical reaction, indicating that matter is conserved. Emphasize demonstrations of an understanding of the law of conservation of matter. Balancing equations and stoichiometry will be learned at the high school level. (PS1.B)

Note to Teacher: My resources, including the slide show, are not editable. They are secure for copyright reasons.

The focus of this unit is on the introduction to the concept of the Law of Conservation of Mass. The words: mass and matter are both used in this lesson and in the scientific community when talking about this law.

The labs use simple materials: vinegar, powdered drink mix, baking soda, water, balloon, and a scale that can measure in grams. You will also need some plastic building blocks for the hands-on physical model