MATTER, MATTER, EVERYWHERE

Look at your items in the home, what are they? The items that you have in your home, are they an element, a compound or a mixture? An element is pure chemical substance made up of one type of atom. A compound is made up of two or more elements. A mixture is two or more substances that are combined, but not chemically connected.

Is chocolate milk a compound or a mixture? If the chocolate milk can be separated into milk and chocolate syrup -- then the milk is a mixture. Is pure water a compound or a mixture? You cannot separate the pure water down to a further matter without applying scientific systems to the pure water -- then pure water is then a compound. Is the solid silver bracelet in the jewelry box is an element or a compound? Silver is an element.

Look at this cool, interactive Periodic Table. If your child would like, have them bookmark this page. The link is http://www.chemicalelements.com/. Keep this handy. I will also have this marked as a favorite on the computer in the Science lab. This interactive Periodic Table gives tons of information on the elements, and it might be fun to have all that knowledge about the element at your finger tips.

This site show you how hydrogen (H) and Oxygen (O) combine to form water vapor (H2O): http://www.sunflowerlearning.com/files/animations/products/el.gif . This will show how two atoms can combine to form water.

Hey, try this experiment at home, and if you do not have any of the materials, then ask me and I will gladly send the materials home with your child. Now, get two drinking glasses. Make chocolate milk the way your household makes it. Next, take the second glass with a coffee filter on top (it helps if you will place the filter in a funnel or a strainer). Finally, pour the milk slowly over the filter. See how light the chocolate milk gets? This is an indication that this substance is a mixture.

This site will let you play a game of Battleship with your child: http://www.quia.com/ba/37404.html