MS-PS1-3: Synthetic Materials and Natural Resources

MS-PS1-3
Synthetic Material & Natural Resources

Middle School

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Learning Objectives

• Define synthetic materials and how they are made from natural resources.

• Describe how a material’s structure and function can meet society's needs.

• Explain what happens during a chemical reaction, including reactants and products.

• Balance a simple chemical equation to show conservation of matter.

• Identify the characteristic physical and chemical properties of substances.

Key Vocabulary

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Synthetic Material

A synthetic material is a substance made by humans through chemical reactions, not found in nature.

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Natural Resource

Natural resources are materials that exist in nature and can be used by people for various purposes.

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Chemical Process

A chemical process is a method or means of changing one or more chemical substances into others.

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Structure and Function

This describes how the arrangement of a material's components determines its specific properties and practical uses.

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Element

An element is a pure, fundamental substance that cannot be broken down into simpler substances by chemistry.

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Chemical Reaction

A chemical reaction is a process that leads to the chemical transformation of one set of substances.

Key Vocabulary

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Reactant

A reactant is a starting substance that is part of and changed during a chemical reaction.

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Product

A product is a new substance that is formed as a result of a chemical reaction.

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Conservation of Matter

Matter is not created or destroyed in a chemical reaction, only rearranged to form new substances.

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Combustion

Combustion is a chemical reaction that occurs when a substance reacts rapidly with oxygen to produce heat.

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Natural Resources vs. Synthetic Materials

• Natural resources are materials that exist in nature and are used by humans.

• ​Examples of natural resources include wood, cotton, minerals, and crude oil.

• Synthetic materials are made by people through different chemical processes.

• Examples of synthetic materials include plastic, nylon, polyester, and Teflon.

• Every synthetic material originates from one or more natural resources like crude oil.

Multiple Choice

What is the main difference between natural resources and synthetic materials?

• Natural resources are found in nature, while synthetic materials are made by humans.

• Natural resources are used for fuel, while synthetic materials are used for clothing.

• Natural resources are processed in factories, while synthetic materials are not.

• Natural resources are always stronger than synthetic materials.

Multiple Choice

Which of the following are natural resources?

• Crude oil

• Plastic

• Nylon

• Polyester

Multiple Choice

A company develops a new type of wood in a laboratory that is completely fireproof. How would this new wood be classified?

• It is a synthetic material because it was created by humans and has enhanced properties.

• It is a natural resource because it is a type of fabric, similar to cotton.

• It is a natural resource because it is stronger than the original material.

• It is a synthetic material because it is made from crude oil.

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Creating Synthetic Materials

• Natural resources undergo a chemical process to create synthetic materials.

• Chemical reactions rearrange atoms to form completely new substances.

• For example, heating limestone, a natural resource, produces cement.

• Cement's new properties make it useful for creating concrete.

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Multiple Choice

What is the fundamental process for creating synthetic materials?

• By applying a chemical process to natural resources

• By physically mixing different synthetic materials together

• By separating natural resources into smaller parts

• By cooling natural resources until they freeze

Multiple Choice

What occurs at the atomic level during the chemical process that creates a synthetic material?

• The atoms of the original substance are rearranged to form a new substance.

• The atoms of the original substance are completely destroyed.

• The natural resource is simply broken into smaller pieces.

• The natural resource is melted and then cooled to change its shape.

Multiple Choice

Based on the example of limestone and cement, what is the key advantage of creating a synthetic material from a natural resource?

• The new material has different properties that make it more useful for a specific purpose.

• The new material has the exact same properties as the natural resource.

• The natural resource is always stronger than the synthetic material.

• The chemical process only changes the color of the material.

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Structure, Function, and Societal Impact

• We create materials for a function based on their unique internal structure.

• Examples include new medicines, alternative fuels, and strong but lightweight plastics.

• These materials can lead to benefits like improved health and new technologies.

• Their production can also consume resources and create harmful environmental waste.

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Multiple Choice

What is the main reason for designing a material with a particular internal structure?

• To ensure it can perform a specific function

• To make the material heavier and more dense

• To guarantee the material is inexpensive to produce

• To change the color and appearance of the material

Multiple Choice

What is the relationship between the creation of new materials and their effect on society?

• They can lead to the development of new technologies and improved health.

• They are always created without using any natural resources.

• They immediately solve all environmental problems.

• They are only used for making lightweight plastics.

Multiple Choice

A scientist develops a new material that is highly effective at fighting diseases. What potential trade-off must be considered before producing this new medicine on a large scale?

• The production of the material might consume significant resources and create pollution.

• The new material will likely be weaker than the materials it replaces.

• New technologies developed from the material will not have any benefits.

• The material will be useful for creating alternative fuels but not medicines.

States of Matter

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Solids

• ​Particles have strong bonds, holding them tightly in a fixed position.

• ​​Solids maintain a definite shape and also a fixed, specific volume.

• ​The particles within a solid can only vibrate in one place.

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Liquids

• ​Particles have weaker bonds, allowing them to move past one another.

• ​​Liquids will take the shape of the container that they are in.

• ​The particles in a liquid can easily slide and flow around.

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Gases

• ​Particles have almost no bonds, so they move freely and randomly.

• ​​Gases will expand to fill the entire volume of their container.

• ​The particles in a gas move very quickly in all directions.

Multiple Choice

What fundamental properties are used to define whether a substance is a solid, liquid, or gas?

• The strength of the bonds and movement of its particles.

• The size and mass of its individual particles.

• The color and texture of the substance.

• The total volume that the substance occupies.

Multiple Choice

How does the arrangement of particles in a liquid explain why it takes the shape of its container, unlike a solid?

• Liquid particles can slide past one another, while solid particles are held in a fixed position.

• Solid particles can flow easily, while liquid particles can only vibrate.

• Liquid particles have stronger bonds than solid particles.

• Solid particles take the shape of their container, while liquid particles do not.

Multiple Choice

If a gas is taken from a small, sealed box and placed into a much larger, sealed box, what is the predicted behavior of the gas particles?

• The gas particles will move freely to fill the entire volume of the larger box.

• The gas particles will remain in a space the size of the original small box.

• The gas will turn into a liquid because the container volume increased.

• The bonds between the gas particles will become stronger in the larger box.

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What is a Chemical Reaction?

• A chemical reaction is a process that transforms substances by rearranging atoms.

• The starting substances are called reactants, and the new substances are products.

• During a reaction, chemical bonds in the reactants break to form new bonds.

• For example, carbon dioxide and calcium hydroxide react to form calcium carbonate.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary result of a chemical reaction?

• Substances are changed into new substances.

• Substances are mixed together without changing.

• Substances are separated from a mixture.

• Substances are melted from solid to liquid.

Multiple Choice

During a chemical reaction, what happens to the atoms of the reactants to form the products?

• Their bonds break and rearrange to form the products.

• They are destroyed and new atoms are created.

• They mix together but their bonds remain the same.

• They change into atoms of different elements.

Multiple Choice

If you observe that a piece of iron has rusted and formed a new, reddish-brown substance, what can you conclude must have happened on an atomic level?

• The iron atoms rearranged their bonds with other atoms to form a new substance.

• The iron was simply coated with a reddish-brown powder.

• The iron atoms were destroyed and replaced by new atoms.

• The iron melted and then changed color as it cooled.

Conservation of Matter & Balancing Equations

• Atoms are not created or destroyed during a chemical reaction.

• A chemical equation must be balanced to conserve matter.

• The balanced equation for burning hydrogen is 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O.

Multiple Choice

What does the principle of conservation of matter state about atoms in a chemical reaction?

• Atoms are not created or destroyed.

• Atoms can be changed into different elements.

• Some atoms are lost in every reaction.

• New atoms are formed to make new substances.

Multiple Choice

What is the primary reason for balancing a chemical equation?

• To make the chemical equation look more organized.

• To show that the number of atoms stays the same on both sides of the reaction.

• To indicate which substances are the reactants.

• To show how quickly the reaction will happen.

Multiple Choice

Looking at the balanced equation 2H₂ + O₂ → 2H₂O, what evidence supports the conclusion that matter was conserved?

• The number of molecules is equal on both sides of the equation.

• The number of hydrogen and oxygen atoms is the same in the reactants and the products.

• The reaction produces a liquid from two gases.

• The equation uses the correct chemical symbols for the elements.

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Combustion Reactions

Hindenburg Disaster

• The Hindenburg airship was filled with highly flammable hydrogen gas (H₂), which was the fuel.

• It reacted with oxygen (O₂) from the air in a massive, uncontrolled combustion reaction.

• This explosive reaction produced water (H₂O) and incinerated the airship in a very short time.

Car Engine

• In a car engine, gasoline that contains octane (C₈H₁₈) is used as the fuel.

• This fuel burns with oxygen in a controlled explosion, also known as a combustion reaction.

• This reaction produces carbon dioxide and water, while the energy released powers the car forward.

Multiple Choice

What two things are always required for a combustion reaction to occur?

• A fuel source and oxygen

• Hydrogen gas and water

• Octane and carbon dioxide

• An energy source and water

Multiple Choice

What is the main difference between the combustion reaction in a car engine and the one in the Hindenburg disaster?

• One reaction produced water, while the other produced carbon dioxide.

• One reaction used a gas fuel, while the other used a liquid fuel.

• One reaction was much faster than the other.

• One reaction was controlled to release energy, while the other was uncontrolled and explosive.

Multiple Choice

Based on the principles of combustion, what would most likely happen if a large amount of gasoline was ignited in an open area instead of inside a car engine?

• It would cause a large, uncontrolled explosion because the energy was not released in a controlled way.

• It would release energy slowly and safely, powering the car forward.

• It would produce water and carbon dioxide, but no energy would be released.

• It would fail to react with oxygen because it was not inside the engine.

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Useful Salts and Carbonates

• Sodium Chloride (NaCl) is table salt, used for preserving food and helping muscles work.

• ​Calcium Chloride (CaCl₂) is used to melt ice on roads and absorb moisture.

• Sodium Bicarbonate (NaHCO₃) is baking soda, which helps dough rise and neutralizes acids.

• Calcium Carbonate (CaCO₃), found in chalk, is used in antacids and supplements.

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Multiple Choice

According to its uses, what are the primary functions of sodium chloride (NaCl)?

• Melting ice and absorbing moisture

• Preserving food and helping muscles work

• Making dough rise and neutralizing acids

• Use in antacids and health supplements

Multiple Choice

What is a common chemical function of both sodium bicarbonate and calcium carbonate?

• They are both used to preserve food.

• They both help with muscle function.

• They can both be used to neutralize acids.

• They are both effective at melting ice.

Multiple Choice

A city's road crew is preparing for a winter storm and needs to treat the streets. Which salt is the most appropriate choice for this situation?

• Sodium Chloride, because it is used to preserve food.

• Calcium Chloride, because it is used to melt ice.

• Sodium Bicarbonate, because it neutralizes acids.

• Calcium Carbonate, because it is used in supplements.

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Acids, Sugars, and More

• Ascorbic acid (C₆H₈O₆) is Vitamin C, essential for healing and tissue growth.

• Citric acid (C₆H₈O₇) adds a sour taste to candies and preserves jams.

• Sucrose (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁), or table sugar, provides energy and preserves sweet foods.

• Magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄), or Epsom salt, can be used to soothe muscles.

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Multiple Choice

What is the primary function of magnesium sulfate, also known as Epsom salt?

• To provide energy for the body

• To help with healing and tissue growth

• To soothe muscles

• To add a sour taste to food

Multiple Choice

How does the role of ascorbic acid in the body differ from the role of sucrose?

• Ascorbic acid is for healing, while sucrose is for energy.

• Ascorbic acid adds a sour taste, while sucrose soothes muscles.

• Ascorbic acid preserves jams, while sucrose helps tissues grow.

• Ascorbic acid provides energy, while sucrose is for healing.

Multiple Choice

A chef is making a large batch of jam and wants to ensure it has a tart flavor and a long shelf life. Which substance would be the most logical choice to add and why?

• Citric acid, because it adds a sour taste and helps preserve the jam.

• Sucrose, because it is also known as table sugar and provides sweetness.

• Ascorbic acid, because it is an essential vitamin for tissue growth.

• Magnesium sulfate, because it can be used to soothe sore muscles.

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Common Misconceptions

Misconception	Correction
Synthetic materials are completely artificial.	They are derived from natural resources through chemical processes, like plastic from crude oil.
Freezing only happens at cold temperatures.	Freezing is a phase change that can occur even at very high temperatures.
Atoms are destroyed in chemical reactions.	Atoms are conserved and rearranged to form new products, not destroyed.
All salts are the same as table salt.	Table salt is NaCl, but many other chemical salts exist with different properties.

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Summary

• Synthetic materials are made from natural resources through chemical processes.

• A material’s structure determines its properties and its specific function.

• In chemical reactions, atoms rearrange to form new products.

• Atoms are conserved in reactions, so we balance chemical equations.

Poll

On a scale of 1-4, how confident are you about the concepts covered in today's review?

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