Reactive Chemistry Incursion (Levels 5/6)

In this exciting 90-minute incursion, students use their senses to learn more about chemicals, and how different chemicals behave when mixed. Students investigate states of matter using super absorbent polymers, and learn about the pH of different chemicals using red cabbage as a pH indicator. This incursion challenges students to think about what is occurring in each chemical reaction, making it perfect for later year levels. Our passionate science educators carefully guide students through each step, prompting students to predict, observe and reflect on each activity.

• Students investigate the properties and behaviour of chemicals/materials.
• Students explore reversible and irreversible changes that occur when chemicals are mixed.

• Discussing prior knowledge of chemicals and the states of matter. 
• Investigating reversible physical changes by mixing sodium polyacrylate with water, turning it into a solid. Salt turns it back into a liquid.
• Mixing different chemicals in a Ziplock bag to observe the various signs of a chemical reaction.
• Creating two different reactions to compare the temperatures between them.
• Investigating the formation of a gas during a chemical reaction.
• Using red cabbage extract as a pH indicator to test a variety of chemicals to determine whether they are acid, neutral, base/ alkaline.

• Changes to materials can be reversible, including melting, freezing, evaporating, or irreversible, including burning and rusting (VCSSU077).
• A change of state between solid and liquid can be caused by adding or removing heat (VCSSU059).
• Solids, liquids and gases behave in different ways and have observable properties that help to classify them (VCSSU076).