Contextualization

Matter is what everything around us is made of. Matter, in turn, is made up of microscopic particles called atoms and molecules. The way these particles are organized and interact with each other determines whether we have a pure substance or a mixture. Have you ever wondered about this? That the simple glass of water you drink, the air you breathe, or even the ink that colors your notebook, all have a very well-defined structure on a microscopic level? Incredible, isn't it?

Introduction

Throughout this project, we will explore the fascinating world of substances and mixtures. To begin with, we need to understand that a substance is a form of matter with constant physical and chemical properties. There are two main types of substances: simple and compound. A simple substance is formed by only one type of atom, such as oxygen (O2) or nitrogen (N2). A compound substance is formed by two or more types of atoms, such as water (H2O) or carbon dioxide (CO2).

Now, when we have two or more substances together, we have a mixture. A mixture can be homogeneous, when we cannot distinguish its parts, such as water with sugar, or heterogeneous, when we can identify its different parts, such as water with sand.

Importance

Knowing and understanding the different types of substances and mixtures is crucial, not only to pass the year, but also to understand the world around us. The chemical industry, for example, is almost completely based on the study of pure substances and their reactions, whether to produce new materials, new medicines or cosmetics. The food industry also uses this knowledge to create tasty recipes and dishes. Knowing about substances and mixtures can even help us understand why the sea is salty or why the atmosphere is mainly composed of nitrogen and oxygen. Fantastic, isn't it? And this is just the beginning.

I recommend the following references for you to learn more and prepare for the project:

• Book: "Chemistry: The Central Science" by Theodore L. Brown, H. Eugene LeMay Jr., Bruce E. Bursten and Catherine Murphy. This is one of the main Chemistry books worldwide and has a very accessible language.
• Videos: YouTube channel "Chemistry in Action" by professor Paulo Valim, full of incredible classes and experiments.
• Website: Chemistry Portal, with an infinity of articles, experiments and curiosities about the subject.
• Website: Khan Academy, which has a section dedicated to Chemistry and offers a vast range of video classes and exercises.

Practical Activity: "Exploring the World of Substances and Mixtures"

Project Objective

The objective of this project is to allow students to explore and understand in a practical and playful way the concepts about simple substances, compound substances and mixtures. The students will be encouraged to perform experiments, collect data, analyze results and present their findings in a detailed report.

Detailed Project Description

This project will be carried out in groups of 3 to 5 students and will last 12 hours over a month, where students will do a series of experiments to differentiate simple, compound and mixture substances, observe their properties and behaviors. In addition, the objective is to encourage skills such as time management, communication, creative thinking, proactivity, etc.

Materials Needed

• Water
• Sugar
• Salt
• Sand
• Oil
• Alcohol
• Transparent cups
• Spoons
• Scale
• Thermometer
• Chronometer
• Paper and pen for notes

Detailed Step-by-Step for Carrying out the Activity

1. Gather your group and discuss the concepts of simple, compound and mixture substances. Write down on a paper the definitions and examples of each one.

2. Perform the tests to identify the mixture types.

• Mix water and oil in a cup. What happens? Is this a homogeneous or heterogeneous mixture? Why?
• Repeat the test with water and alcohol. What is the difference from the previous test? Is this a homogeneous or heterogeneous mixture? Why?

3. Perform the tests to identify the substances’ properties.

• Measure the mass of a spoon of sugar and a spoon of salt. Are they the same? What is the conclusion?
• Add a spoon of sugar in a cup with water and another spoon of sugar in a cup with oil. In which does sugar dissolve best? Why?

4. Based on the experiments carried out, discuss with your group the observations and results.

Project Deliverables

At the end of the project, the group must submit a written document following the structure of a report, with the following topics:

• Introduction: Contextualization of the subject, its relevance and application in the real world, as well as the objective of this project.

• Development: Explain the theory behind the subject, detail the activity, indicate the methodology used and present the results obtained. The results discussion must be linked to the theoretical concepts studied.

• Conclusion: Conclude the work by resuming the main points, explaining the lessons learned and the conclusions drawn about the project.

• Bibliography: Indicate the sources they based themselves to work on the project, such as books, web pages, videos, etc.

The assessment will be carried out by taking into account not only the technical knowledge demonstrated in the report, but also the collaboration and teamwork, the organization and presentation of the report.

Remember: The main objective is to learn and have fun in the process!