The Science Behind: Cheese Bundle (Middle School)

Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms. Examples of properties that could be predicted from patterns could include reactivity of metals, types of bonds formed, numbers of bonds formed, and reactions with oxygen. Assessment is limited to main group elements. Assessment does not include quantitative understanding of ionization energy beyond relative trends.

Analyze and interpret data on the properties of substances before and after the substances interact to determine if a chemical reaction has occurred. Examples of reactions could include burning sugar or steel wool, fat reacting with sodium hydroxide, and mixing zinc with hydrogen chloride. Assessment is limited to analysis of the following properties: density, melting point, boiling point, solubility, flammability, and odor.

Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society. Emphasis is on natural resources that undergo a chemical process to form the synthetic material. Examples of new materials could include new medicine, foods, and alternative fuels. Assessment is limited to qualitative information.

Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles. Emphasis is on understanding the strengths of forces between particles, not on naming specific intermolecular forces (such as dipole-dipole). Examples of particles could include ions, atoms, molecules, and networked materials (such as graphite). Examples of bulk properties of substances could include the melting point and boiling point, vapor pressure, and surface tension. Assessment does not include Raoult’s law calculations of vapor pressure.

Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties. Examples of chemical reactions could include the reaction of sodium and chlorine, of carbon and oxygen, or of carbon and hydrogen. Assessment is limited to chemical reactions involving main group elements and combustion reactions.