Activities

1.  Sam, Nick, and Tyler designed an experiment to find out which type of four-wheeler could jump the farthest off a dirt ramp. What scientific unit of measurement will they use to measure the distance of each jump?
   1. Feet
   2. Kilometers
   3. Meters
   4. Celsius

2. The data on this line graph shows how the height of the giant sunflower fluctuates depending on how close together the flowers are planted. If you planted four giant sunflowers per square meter approximately how tall would they grow?

3. A school bus traveling at an average rate of 88.5 kilometers per hour made the trip to Heinz Stadium in 3 hours. A second school bus from the same school traveled at 80.5 kilometers per hour. How many more minutes did the second group of students have had to sit on the bus? Please show your work.

4. Complete the chart by filling in the quantity measurement and base SI unit for each example.

5. While researching a science fair project you came across an experiment titled Rainbow in a Jar. You are curious and decide to give it a try. The list of supplies that you need are a: tall jar with a lid,  and ½ a cup each of honey, light corn syrup colored with red food coloring, blue dish soap, tap water dyed green, vegetable oil, and rubbing alcohol. After gathering the supplies you pour the liquids one at a time into the jar in the order they are listed on the materials list.  You are careful not to allow any of the liquids to touch the sides of the jar. After you put the lid on the jar you give it a couple of gentle shakes then set it on a flat surface for one hour.  When you return you notice that the liquids have separated into six distinct layers – honey on the bottom followed by the light corn syrup, the blue dish soap, the green water, the vegetable oil and finally the rubbing alcohol which is on the top.

1. Illustrate the results of your experiments.
2. Construct a conclusion that explains why certain liquids sank to the bottom while others floated to top. Include data from your illustration.
3. Explain density.
4. What is another way to measure density?
5. What do you think would happen if you poured the liquids into the jar in reverse order?

Answer Key/Rubric

1. C.
   
   
2. The giant sunflowers would grow to a height of approximately 1.75 meters.
   
   
3. Formula – Rate x Time = Distance
   Set-up problem.

Answer: It took student group two 3.5 hours to travel to Heinz Field and it took student group one only 3 hours. The difference in travel time was .5 hours.

5. Acceptable responses might include, but not be limited to:
   1.  Illustration should include a jar with the six liquids labeled and in the correct order.
   2. Different liquids have different density (mass per volume) therefore different weights. The denser, or heavier liquids sink to the bottom while the less dense, or lighter liquids rise to the top. The honey is the density liquid so it is on the bottom followed by the light corn syrup, the blue dish soap, the green water, the vegetable oil and finally the least dense liquid, the rubbing alcohol which is on the top.
   3. Density is how much something of a fixed volume weighs.
   4. You could measure the density of the liquids using a scale. The denser liquids would weigh the most. For example the honey would weigh more than the light corn syrup.
   5. If the liquids are pour into the jar in reverse order the more dense liquids would sink to the bottom and the less dense liquids would rise to the top.