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Product Highlights

• Observe and compare silicate tubes produced from transition metal salts dissolved in a sodium silicate solution.
• High school teacher-led, student-engaged demonstration with enough materials for 5 performances.
• Carolina Kits 3D®—Labs that use phenomena to support NGSS and 3-dimensional instruction.

Students observe the osmotic pressure phenomenon of colorful upward-growing metallic silicate precipitates. The osmotic pressure phenomenon is the clue to why the precipitates are upward growing rather than sinking. Students illustrate and model what happens at a particulate level and write balanced chemical equations for the 4 precipitation reactions in this demonstration. They then connect the osmotic pressure phenomenon to real-world applications.

Time Requirement
Total, 25 minutes. Teacher prep, 10 minutes. Demonstration and discussion, 15 minutes.

Digital Resources
Includes 1-year access to digital resources that support 3-dimensional instruction for NGSS. Digital resources may include a teacher manual and student guide, pre-lab activities and setup videos, phenomenon videos, simulations, and post-lab analysis and assessments.

Performance Expectations
HS-PS1-2

Crosscutting Concepts
Patterns

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

Science and Engineering Practices
Developing and Using Models
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions

Learning Objectives

• Write balanced equations for the formation of metallic silicates.
• Understand how the osmotic pressure of water produces columns of metallic silicates.
• Illustrate and explain the silicate precipitation reactions on a molecular level.

NOTE: Instructions for this kit are based on the predict, observe, explain (POE) model. POE is primarily used in science classes. Specifically, POE has optimal effects when paired with demonstrations that allow students to make and record observations and then follow those observations with explanations.