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Students examine the similarities and differences in the properties of soap, hand dishwashing detergent, and machine dishwashing detergent—all included in the kit. Perform activities such as testing pH; examining the effect of soap and detergent on the surface tension of water; and discovering foaming ability, fat emulsification, and the performance of soap and detergent in hard water.

Learn science at home with this exciting activity!
Though similar in function, soaps and detergents differ in chemistry and performance. Students examine the similarities and differences in the properties of soap, hand dishwashing detergent, and machine dishwashing detergent—all included in the kit. Perform activities such as testing pH; examining the effect of soap and detergent on the surface tension of water; and discovering foaming ability, fat emulsification, and the performance of soap and detergent in hard water. Kit contains enough materials for 5 groups. Teacher's manual and student study guide copy masters are included.

This kit addresses the following Next Generation Science Standards*:
Performance Expectation(s)
MS-PS1-3. Gather and make sense of information to describe that synthetic materials come from natural resources and impact society.
HS-PS1-3. 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.

Crosscutting Concepts
Patterns
Structure and Function

Disciplinary Core Ideas
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter
PS1.B: Chemical Reactions

Science and Engineering Practices
Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information

*Next Generation Science Standards® is a registered trademark of WestEd. Neither WestEd nor the lead states and partners that developed the Next Generation Science Standards were involved in the production of this product, and do not endorse it.