Natural Resources and Synthetic
Materials
Term 1 project
Objective
What is a synthetic material?
A "synthetic" material is one in which the starting substances are changed
chemically to produce a material with different characteristics.
Example: Plastic.
To make plastic, petroleum (natural resource) is processed and chemically changed
to eventually become plastic. The series of chemical reactions that are used to
change natural resources into synthetic products.
Natural Product
To make a "natural" product, the natural resource is not
chemically changed.
An example is a wooden chair. It is more natural than
synthetic, because its shape has been changed, but the material
is still wood.
Glass is another example. Glass is a little harder to classify, but
could be considered a natural material because it comes from
sand, which has been melted and then cooled. The molecules
which make up the glass are still the same as they were in
sand.
Everything comes from natural products- you just
have to trace back far enough
"Natural" products are made from natural resources, like wood and sand.
"Synthetic" products are also made from natural resources. For example, the
synthetic material plastic is made from petroleum, which is pumped out of the earth.
Petroleum is a natural resource.
If you choose medicine, be aware…
Scientists may synthesize a compound that can also be found in
nature.
Watch video on the following website:
http://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonplan
s/chapter6/lesson12
Take home message
●
●
●
●
Synthetic materials are made from natural resources.
Synthetic materials are made by chemically changing the starting substances
to create a material with different characteristics.
Some examples of synthetic materials are plastics, medicines, and new fuels
A synthetic substance may be chemically identical to a naturally-occurring
substance or may be different.
Example: Casein Plastic
Was used to make buttons, beads, jewelry, and
hair brushes in the early 1900’s.
Questions I need to answer:
1.
What natural resources are used to make the
synthetic product?
2.
What chemical processes are used to make the
synthetic product?
3.
What are the negative and positive impacts to
society of making and using the synthetic product,
compared to making and using a more natural
product with a similar function?
Natural Sources Casein Plastic Comes From
Vinegar is a synthetic product
made from the natural resource of
corn.
Corn becomes vinegar through the
process of fermentation.
I know that fermentation is a
chemical process because sugars
and changed into acids.
Natural Sources Casein Plastic Comes From
Milk is already a natural source.
A natural source is something that
humans don’t tamper with to
create.
What chemical processes are used?
Instructions:
Add 8 teaspoons of vinegar to 1 cup of
milk heated to 49 degrees celsius.
Stir slowly. After curds begin to form,
allow the mixture to cool for about an
hour.Then, pour the milky solution
through a cloth which is secured to a cup
with a rubberband. Squeeze out any excess
liquid.
How do you know that this is a chemical
change?
What are some negative and positive impacts to society of
making and using the synthetic product compared to making
and using a more natural product with a similar function?
What are some negative and positive impacts to society of
making and using the synthetic product compared to making
and using a more natural product with a similar function?
Casein plastic is a relatively natural, earth friendly substance compared to other
types of plastics.
Something even more natural that is used for a similar purpose is glass.
Casein
Plastic
Glass
Draw
this
chart in
your
notes!!
Impacts from making Casein Plastic
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Vinegar
Corn is harvested using large equipment, which can add to pollution.
Processing corn into vinegar takes energy and waste which has to be controlled.
Milk
You need to raise and feed cows. Farms take up land and it takes energy and equipment to run a farm.
Positive impacts
Corn is subsidized by the government, so it is a very cheap material, meaning the plastic will be less expensive.
More natural and creates less of an impact than petroleum plastics.
Impacts from making glass
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Sand is technically a non-renewable source.
Glass breaks easier than plastic, more will have to be created.
It is more dangerous to dispose of broken glass than it is to dispose of plastic.
Heating it into glass
The sand needs to be heated in some way. People will sometime use machines that can cause some pollutants.
Positive impacts
Uses only one source. Sand is extremely cheap and very abundant. Less processing means less pollution.
Write a conclusion.
Material A is better for the environment and society than Material B because of
Point C.
Which material is better is sometimes open to interpretation. Please be sure to
include your reasoning.
Examples of how I could present this
Pamphlet
Poster
Short Video
Essay
PowerPoint
If you have another idea, get it approved by me first!!
Examples of topics you can choose from
Synthetic on the left, more natural comparable resources on the right.
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
●
Plastic bag/ Paper bag
Plastic container/ Glass container
Disposable diaper/ Cloth diaper
Synthetic fiber and cloth
Kevlar/ Steel
Artificial sweetener/ Sugar
Synthetic fuel (Synfuel)/ Petroleum
Synthetic rubber/ Natural rubber
Chloroquine (Malaria drug)/ Cinchona tree bark
Taxol(Cancer drug)/ Yew tree bark
Physostigmine(Glaucoma drug)/ Calabar beans
Aspirin/ Willow tree bark
These are just
examples. You
should choose
something that you
find interesting!
You can find links to different resources by
following the link below and scrolling down to the
bottom of the bag.
http://www.middleschoolchemistry.com/lessonpla
ns/chapter6/lesson12