Tempest in a Teacup
Activity 3
In this activity, kids discover signs of different chemical reactions: changes in
temperature (both heat and cold) as well as fizzing and bubbling (gas production).
Materials
Prepare Ahead
Introduce Ruff’s challenge. (5 minutes)
Hand out the activity sheets and tell kids that today
they’ll learn about signs that a chemical reaction has
taken place. The three signs they’ll be looking for are
the production of: 1) heat, 2) cold, and 3) fizzing or
bubbling, which means that a gas is being given off.
Data Sheet
cup
Tempest in a Tea
and
match the labels.
Lab partners:
Make sure your mixtures
in front of each label.
Line up your cups
HEAT
COLD
FIZZING
BUBBLING
Chemical reaction?
NO
Observations:
HEAT
FIZZING
COLD
BUBBLING
Chemical reaction?
YES
Observations:
Did you notice?
Did you notice?
Did you notice?
Did you notice?
NO
HEAT
COLD
FIZZING
BUBBLING
Chemical reaction?
YES
Observations:
Combination #4
Liquid:
Liquid:
Liquid:
Liquid:
Powder:
Powder:
Powder:
Powder:
YES
Combination #3
Combination #2
Combination #1
NO
HEAT
COLD
FIZZING
BUBBLING
Chemical reaction?
YES
NO
Observations:
TM/© 2010 WGBH Educational
Foundation.
• Photocopy the reproducible data
sheet on p. 41; one copy per pair of
kids. Use chart paper to make a
larger copy of the sheet that you’ll
use during your discussion with
the kids.
Lead the Activity
1
• Try the activity yourself, so you can anticipate where
kids may get stuck or need guidance.
p. 41
See p
S
• Notes on ingredients:
• The activity calls for baking powder, not
baking soda.
• Yeast comes in jars or individual packets. The jars
are the most economical.
• A 3% solution of hydrogen peroxide, the strength
commonly found in pharmacies and supermarkets,
will not bleach clothing.
2
Set up the experiment. (10 minutes)
• Have kids work with a partner, and hand out one data
sheet per pair. Show them the two powders they’ll be
using (baking powder and yeast) and the two liquids
(vinegar and hydrogen peroxide). Ask kids to explain
what each is used for. (Yeast and baking powder are
for baking; hydrogen peroxide is an antibacterial for
cuts and scrapes; vinegar is for cooking or cleaning.)
• Tell kids the first step is designing and organizing the
experiment. Have them figure out all the possible
liquid/powder combinations and write them down on
the data sheet. They can use abbreviations: BP &
vinegar, BP & HP, yeast & vinegar, yeast & HP.
National Science
Education Standards
Grades K–4
Science as Inquiry: abilities necessary to
do scientific inquiry; understanding
about scientific inquiry
TM/© 2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
• On the day of the activity, set up work areas. Kids will
work in pairs, and each pair will need four cups, a
data sheet, and pencils. Each work area should have
bowls of baking powder and yeast (with spoons), plus
bottles of vinegar and hydrogen peroxide. Put a roll of
paper towels in each space for potential spills.
41
• activity sheet for each kid
• data sheet (1 per pair; see p. 41
for reproducible copy)
• small bowl of baking powder
(per pair of kids)
• small bowl of baker’s yeast
(per pair of kids)
• plastic spoons for the baking
powder and yeast
• bottles of hydrogen peroxide
(1 bottle is sufficient for 3 pairs)
• bottles of clear vinegar (1 bottle is
sufficient for 3 pairs)
• plastic cups (4 per pair)
• paper towels
(1 roll per work space)
• pencils (1 per kid)
• chart paper and marker
Physical Science: properties of objects
and materials
Grades 5–8
Science as Inquiry: abilities necessary to
do scientific inquiry
Physical Science: properties and
changes of properties in matter
17
3
Test, observe, and record.
(15 minutes) Have kids combine the liquids and
powders in the cups provided and record their
observations on their data sheet.
• Emphasize that they should add powders first,
then liquids—otherwise, the yeast will float on
top and take a long time to mix with the
liquids. A spoonful of powder and an inch or
two of liquid is about right—it doesn’t need to
be exact.
4
Discuss what happened. (10 minutes)
Gather as a group and use the large data sheet
you made on chart paper. Fill it out together,
using kids’ observations. Ask what their
favorite reaction was, and why they liked it.
• Kids work with a partner so that each will have
a chance to hold the cup when the reactions
begin—that way they can both experience the
change in temperature that takes place in
some instances.
Combination #1
Combination #2
Combination #3
Combination #4
Powder:
Powder:
Powder:
Powder:
Liquid:
Did you notice?
Liquid:
BP
HP
Did you notice?
Yeast
vinegar
Did you notice?
Liquid:
Yeast
HP
Did you notice?
HEAT
COLD
HEAT
COLD
HEAT
COLD
HEAT
COLD
FIZZING
BUBBLING
FIZZING
BUBBLING
FIZZING
BUBBLING
FIZZING
BUBBLING
Chemical reaction?
YES
Observations:
NO
Chemical reaction?
YES
NO
Observations:
Cold and fizzy, Some fizz,
lasts a long
some cold
time
18
Liquid:
Award Points. (5 minutes). Time to rack up
some points! Review the activity’s key ideas by
asking the following questions, worth 50
points each.
1.
What signs of a chemical reaction did you
notice today? (Getting cold, getting warm,
fizzing, or bubbling.)
2.
Were there any combinations that did not
produce a chemical reaction? How did you
know? (Yeast and vinegar didn’t react. The
yeast got wet—that’s all. There was no fizzing,
bubbling, heat, or cold.)
3.
Some of the chemical reactions you saw
produced gas. What did these reactions look
like? (Bubbling and fizzing are the signs that a
gas is being released.)
4. What are yeast, baking powder, and hydrogen
Data Sheet Answer Key (see p. 41 for a reproducible copy)
BP
vinegar
5
Chemical reaction?
YES
NO
Observations:
no reaction,
yeast just
gets wet
peroxide used for? (Yeast and baking powder
are used for baking; hydrogen peroxide is an
antibacterial used for cuts and scrapes.)
5.
Scientists test, observe, and record data when
they do experiments. When did you test? When
did you observe? When did you record?
(Answers will vary.)
Chemical reaction?
YES
NO
Observations:
tiny bubbles, lots
of foaming, heat,
lasts a long time
Safety Tips
Tell kids to keep mixtures
away from their clothes,
eyes, and mouth. Have
them wear protective
goggles, if available.
Activity Sheet
Tempest in a Teacup
It’s hot! It’s cold! It’s bubbly! You won’t believe the wild chemical reactions you can
create in a cup!
1 Get what you need.
Each pair of kids will need: baking powder
• baker’s yeast • hydrogen peroxide • vinegar
• 4 plastic cups • 2 plastic spoons
• paper towels • pencils • data sheet
(see below)
• In this activity, you’ll test, observe, and
record different chemical reactions.
• Get a partner. Together, consider all the
possible combinations you can make using
one powder and one liquid. Your ingredients
are: baking powder, yeast, hydrogen peroxide,
and vinegar. Write down the four possible
combinations on your data sheet.
3 Make predictions.
What do you think will happen when these
substances are combined? Signs of a chemical
reaction you may observe include heat, cold,
and fizzing or bubbling.
acup
Tempest in a Te
Data Sheet
and
match the labels.
Lab partners:
Make sure your mixtures
in front of each label.
Line up your cups
HEAT
COLD
FIZZING
BUBBLING
Chemical reaction?
Observations:
NO
HEAT
COLD
FIZZING
BUBBLING
Chemical reaction?
YES
Observations:
NO
HEAT
COLD
FIZZING
BUBBLING
Chemical reaction?
YES
Observations:
Data Sheet
Use separate data sheet to
record your observations.
Did you notice?
Did you notice?
Did you notice?
Did you notice?
Liquid:
Liquid:
Liquid:
Liquid:
Powder:
Powder:
Powder:
Powder:
YES
Combination #3
Combination #2
Combination #1
Combination #4
NO
HEAT
COLD
FIZZING
BUBBLING
Chemical reaction?
YES
NO
Observations:
TM/© 2010 WGBH Educational
Foundation.
41
• One partner will hold a cup while the other
mixes combination #1 on the data sheet. Add a
spoonful of powder first, then about an inch or
two of the liquid.
• Pass the cup back and forth with your partner.
What do you notice? Did you see or feel any
signs of a chemical reaction? Write down your
observations on the data sheet.
5 Test, observe, and record.
• Now test the other three combinations listed on
your data sheet with your partner. For each,
add a spoonful of powder first, then about an
inch or two of the liquid.
• Take turns adding the ingredients. Write down
your observations on the data sheet.
Chew on This!
Chemical reactions produce brand
new substances. There are many
clues that let you know a chemical
reaction has taken place. In this
activity, you witnessed changes in
temperature (both hot and cold),
as well as fizzing and bubbling. The
fizzing and bubbling meant a gas
was produced. For example, mixing
yeast and hydrogen peroxide
formed water and oxygen (a gas),
and mixing baking powder
and vinegar produced carbon
TM/© 2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
2 Set up the experiment.
4 Test the first combination.
dioxide gas.
6 Draw conclusions.
Review your data sheet. Which combinations
produced chemical reactions? How would
you describe them? Did some last longer
than others?
Safety Tip
Keep mixtures away
from clothes, eyes,
and mouth. No tasting!
19
Fantastic Foam. If you liked the fizzing and foaming in this
experiment, you’ll love what happens when you add a squirt of
dishwashing soap to hydrogen peroxide and yeast.
Carbon Capture. The bubbling reactions in this experiment
produced lots of gas, but we couldn’t see it. Let’s capture some!
Stretch a balloon to make it flexible and put 2 teaspoons of
baking powder (or baking soda) inside it. Pour about 2" of
vinegar into an empty bottle. Pull the mouth of the balloon over
the top of the bottle and drop the powder in the balloon into the
bottle. What happens?
Did You Know?
The yeast used in this experiment is a living
creature—a single-celled fungus. When you buy it
in a grocery store, it’s dormant. But mix it with
warm water and sugar, and it comes alive, giving
off carbon dioxide gas. When you bake bread using
yeast, the gas gets trapped in the dough and
makes it expand and rise.
Fold
Dig Deeper
Tempest
in a Teacup
Some artistic genius I am! I’ve been staring at this
blank canvas for hours. I need inspiration—something
with passion, excitement, drama! I’ve got it—let’s
shake up my creativity with some crazy
chemistry! But please, no explosions
(or my owner will cut off my
Chinese food supply).
Goo
Watch FETCH! on PBS KIDS GO! (check local listings)
and visit the FETCH! Web site at pbskidsgo.org/fetch.
20
FETCH! is produced by WGBH Boston. Major funding for Fetch! is provided by the National Science Foundation and public television viewers. Corporate funding is provided
by Chuck E. Cheese’s®. This Fetch! material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. 0840307. Any opinions, findings, and
conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. This
Fetch! material, when being used by a school, must be made available within the school district using it for inspection by parents or guardians of children engaged in
educational programs or projects using such material of that school district. © 2010 WGBH Educational Foundation. All rights reserved. FETCH!, the characters, and
related indicia are trademarks of the WGBH Educational Foundation. All third party trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Used with permission.
o
FETCH!
Data Sheet
Tempest in a Teacup
Lab partners:
and
Line up your cups in front of each label. Make sure your mixtures match the labels.
Combination #1
Combination #2
Combination #3
Combination #4
Powder:
Powder:
Powder:
Powder:
Liquid:
Liquid:
Liquid:
Liquid:
Did you notice?
Did you notice?
Did you notice?
Did you notice?
HEAT
COLD
HEAT
COLD
HEAT
COLD
HEAT
COLD
FIZZING
BUBBLING
FIZZING
BUBBLING
FIZZING
BUBBLING
FIZZING
BUBBLING
Chemical reaction?
YES
Observations:
NO
Chemical reaction?
YES
Observations:
NO
Chemical reaction?
YES
Observations:
NO
Chemical reaction?
YES
NO
Observations:
TM/© 2010 WGBH Educational Foundation.
41