This term, our current focus is enhancing our knowledge about different movements of particles. I was able to learn 4 different movements of particles even though I was at ESOl for most of our Science lessons. Those movements are called: Conduction, Convection, Contraction and Diffusion. To help you understand more what those movements of particles define as, here is a brief explanation of what they mean and their differences:
Conduction is the transfer of heat or energy through a material by direct contact. For example, if you put a metal spoon in a hot cup of coffee, the heat travels through the spoon from the hot end to the cooler handle. That heat transfer is conduction.
Contraction is when energy is removed (colder) or when two different temperatures make contact, particles move slower—causing solids, liquids, and gases to compress or get smaller. An example would be the contraction experiment we did that I will share soon.
Diffusion is particles that are spread out from high concentration to low concentration units. Hot particles spread faster than cold particles because they have less concentration.
Convection is the process of how liquids and gasses that rise and cold liquids and gases will sink; a circular movement called convection current.
A brief vision of what our experiment of each concept consists of is for Convection, our experiment was to light up an empty tea bag and watch it rise up and fall down which the Convection was seen. For Diffusion, we were to compare if Potassium Permanganate diffuses faster on low temperature or high temperature. And lastly—because I was not there for the Conduction experiment—for Contraction, we were to make a soda can compressed or shrunk by dumping a hot soda can with hot water into a tub of cold water.
What I have learned from our Convection experiment was that there is a circular movement in Convection wherein when the particles reached their hottest temperature and became less dense, they will come up again—to move away from the heat source—where there is low temperature and go down again; this circular movement is called convection current. For our Diffusion experiment, what I have learned is that particles spread faster or have less concentration when they are in hot temperature and when they are in put in a cold temperature, they will still spread apart, though not as fast as particles do when they are in hot water. And lastly, what knowledge that our Contraction experiment gave me is that when the hot particles are stuck or can’t go anywhere then make direct contact with cold particles, they will move slower and shrunk or compress.
Out of all the experiments that I was able to do, my favourite one was the Contraction experiment. It is my favourite because it showcases Contraction very well which helped a lot to visualise what Contraction is and what it looks like. I like this experiment the best out of all that I was able to do because it’s the coolest, and most fun. This experiment also showed my class that following instructions when experimenting should be prioritised because if you don’t follow every part of the experiments method, you would not be able to do it right, not everyone would have the same results or just you will just simply fail to do the experiment correctly.
The contraction experiment that we did is called Imploding can. Our aim for this experiment is to visualise what contraction looks like and heighten our current knowledge about contraction. This experiment demonstrates contraction really well as well.
Hypothesis
I think that the soda can will compressed because the hot air will be stuck inside the soda can when it is dump into the cold water which will caused it to shrunk as the hot water makes contact with cold water causing the boiling air inside to be stuck.
For us to be able to be successful with this experiment, we will need some equipment. Those equipment are:
- Gas Faucet
- Empty soda can
- Bunsen Burner
- Heatproof mat
- A stand
- Gauze Mat
- Bowl
- Cold Water
- Ice cubes
- Thongs
Method
Our first step for this experiment was to set up the equipment that we gathered. What we did to make sure that our equipment was ready to go was to make sure that we have plugged the Bunsen burner into the gas faucet—make sure to have the opening air opened—put the stand over the heatproof mat with the gauze mat positioned above it, and make sure to put the empty soda can at the very top of everything. Once positioned at the very top, fill the empty soda can with water until you’ve filled it 100ml. And lastly, fill your bowl up to 70% or 60% water then put approximately less than six ice cubes in it.
Once everything is set up and ready, open your gas faucet—make sure the colour of your fire is blue and not red or orange. The moment before the exciting part, you need to wait for approximately 10 minutes or more until the water inside the empty soda can is boiling.
Result
When the soda can is finally boiling, turn off your gas faucet and grab your thongs; slowly with two hands, grab the boiling soda can with your thongs and quickly dump it—with the hole facing towards the water—into the bowl of cold water. That moment where the soda can compressed and shrunk quickly, is the moment where it showed us what contraction is.
Discussion
Some of my classmates’ experiment did not work because they did not quickly dump the soda can once away from the heat source which caused the hot particles to be able to get out of the soda can before making contact with the cold particles in the bowl or the water was just not boiled enough so they were not that hot for the contraction to work.
The soda can compressed and shrunk because when the boiling water and hot can were immediately dumped into the cold water where there are cold particles, the hot particles or hot air inside the soda can can’t go anywhere which caused for both hot and cold particles to mixed and have less energy and which caused them to shrunk and go close together.
Conclusion
Therefore, I think my group’s experiment for this focus was successful on the first try because we were able to follow each and every step we were given and we did not rush the waiting time. We also made sure that while waiting, everything is still going perfectly. The following instructions also made my hypothesis and the result of the experiment accurate because what I thought would happen, did happen because we followed everything correctly.
Thank you for reading.
