Interactive and Experiential Science Tools

The Nation’s Report Card on Science is out. The average NAEP science scores for the nation increased 4 points between 2009 and 2015 in both grades 4 and 8, but did not change significantly at grade 12. Scores for most student groups at grades 4 and 8 were higher in 2015 compared to 2009, but were not significantly different at grade 12. At grades 4 and 8, Black and Hispanic students made greater gains than White students, causing the achievement gap to narrow in comparison to 2009. 

Compared to 2009, scores were higher at grades 4 and 8 in all three science content areas (physical science, life science, and Earth and space sciences) in 2015, while there were no significant changes in content area scores at grade 12. Read more.

This month on prepmagic.com we will see the following new interactives.

Rocket Propulsion and Newton’s Laws of Motion

• Explore how Newton's third law explains the generation of thrust by a rocket engine and how Newton's second law describes the acceleration of the rocket due to the thrust generated.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Effect of gravitational acceleration on projectile motion

• Explore the effect of gravitational acceleration (g) on the projectile trajectory including popular phenomena such as fired bullet versus falling bullet, shoot the monkey, etc.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Lift on an airplane - 2

• Compare the lift generated in different types of aircrafts, varying in terms of size, load and propulsion systems.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS2-1. Analyze data to support the claim that Newton’s second law of motion describes the mathematical relationship among the net force on a macroscopic object, its mass, and its acceleration. HS-PS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support the claim that the total momentum of a system of objects is conserved when there is no net force on the system.

Potential Energy of a Chemical Reaction

• Investigate how the difference in the potential energy of the reactants and the products determine whether the reaction is exothermic or endothermic in nature.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-4. Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

Enthalpy of neutralization reaction

• Investigate the enthalpy of neutralization, which is the change in heat content of the system that occurs when an acid and a base undergo a neutralization reaction to form water and a salt.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-4. Develop a model to illustrate that the release or absorption of energy from a chemical reaction system depends upon the changes in total bond energy.

Half-life of a Radioactive Substance

• Understand the concept of half-life by comparing the decay process across a set of radioactive isotopes.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-8. Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

Radioactive Decay Series

• Explore the effects of emission of an alpha particle or a beta particle and the resulting decay chain for radioactive elements - thorium, neptunium and actinium.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-8. Develop models to illustrate the changes in the composition of the nucleus of the atom and the energy released during the processes of fission, fusion, and radioactive decay.

Periods and Groups - Property Trends

• Explore and compare the trends exhibited for different physical and chemical properties across periods and groups in the periodic table.

NGSS: Physical Sciences HS-PS1-1. Use the periodic table as a model to predict the relative properties of elements based on the patterns of electrons in the outermost energy level of atoms.

Homeostasis - Effect of Nicotine on Heart Rate

• Investigate the effect of nicotine on the heart rate of Daphnia magna.

NGSS: Life Sciences HS-LS1-3. Plan and conduct an investigation to provide evidence that feedback mechanisms maintain homeostasis.

We are already a month into the new year, and it has been the most exciting times for us here at prepmagic.com. Though for many of us on the east coast, we did see some ugly effects of storm Jonas. Weather has always been a researchers enigma. More we think we know about it, more curve balls it throws at us. For the first time, University of Washington researchers, have convincingly connected the effect of Moon’s tidal forces on the amount of rainfall on Earth. Read more about it here.

So after the updates for January 2016 being live on prepmagic.com, this is what you should expect for the month of February 2016.

CHEMISTRY

Reactions

Types of Reactions - Interactives illustrating

• different types of chemical reactions - synthesis, decomposition, single replacement, double replacement, neutralization, and combustion.
• endothermic and exothermic processes.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.B: Chemical Reactions.

Solutions

Colligative Properties - Interactives demonstrating that

• a liquid’s boiling point and freezing point are affected by changes in atmospheric pressure.
• the presence of certain solutes and the number of solutes changes the freezing point and boiling point of a pure substance.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

Gases

Partial Pressure - Interactives demonstrating

• that the sum of the partial pressures of all the components in a gas mixture is equal to the total pressure of a gas mixture.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

Phase Changes

Vapor Pressure - Interactives demonstrating

• that a liquid boils when the vapor pressure equals the ambient pressure.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter.

BIOLOGY

Evolution

Fossil Dating - Interactives demonstrating 

• methods to determine the age of a fossil using radioactive decay.

NGSS: SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Systems and system models, LS4.A: Evidence of Common Ancestry and Diversity.

Reproductive Strategies & Survival Rates  - Interactives investigating

• the impact of reproductive strategies and rates on a population’s survival

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Systems and system models, LS4.C: Adaptation.

PHYSICS

Electric Circuits

Electrical Power - Interactives demonstrating that

• the dissipated power of a circuit element equals the product of the voltage across that element and the current through it.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Systems and system models, PS2.B: Types of Interactions.

Sound & Waves

Wave Characteristics - Interactives illustrating various aspects of a wave, including

• wavelength, period, frequency and amplitude
• simple harmonic motion
• velocity of sound waves versus medium of propagation

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, PS4.A: Wave Properties.

Wish you a very happy new year from the prepmagic.com team. The big news! The new year has been fantastic for the four who made it to the most elite club in the universe, 'the periodic table'. You can read more about it here.

Wanted to share our new year resolution with you. We will be sending you, at the beginning of the month, the list of what to expect in the month on prepmagic.com. This will be our commitment to you.In this month, we will be adding interactive simulations on acids and bases, solutions, gases, and energy in Chemistry. In Biology, we will have heredity, life functions, and ecosystems. Physics will see electrostatics and momentum. Check out our detailed list for January below.

CHEMISTRY

Solutions

Moles & Molarity - Series of interactives demonstrating:

• Concept of a mole and how it relates to atomic mass
• Molarity of a solution, based on moles of solute and volume of solvent
• Diluting a solution

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Scale, proportion, and quantity, PS1 - Matter and its interactions.

Acids & Bases

Acid-Base Titration - Series of interactives on

• Acid-base titration for exploring reaction between acids and bases, based on strength, molarity and pH value.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Scale, proportion, and quantity, PS1 - Matter and its interactions.

Gases

Gas Laws - Series of interactives demonstrating

• behavior of gases and the relationship between pressure, volume and temperature using Boyle’s Law, Charles’ Law and the ideal gas equation.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Scale, proportion, and quantity, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1 - Matter and its interactions

Energy

Heating, Temperature & Phase Change - Interactives to

• investigate the process of heating and phase change using heating curves and to understand the concept of specific heat capacity and molar heat of fusion and vaporization.

Calorimetry - Series of interactives involving

• use of calorimeter to monitor energy changes due to specific heat, molar heat of fusion and vaporization, heat of solution and to measure energy content of common food items.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Scale, proportion, and quantity, CCC - Energy and matter, PS1 - Matter and its interactions, PS3 - Energy.

BIOLOGY

Life Functions

Homeostasis - Interactives investigating

• regulation of body temperature exhibited by endotherms, ectotherms and homeotherms.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Structure and function, CCC - Stability and change, LS1 - From molecules to organisms: Structures and processes

Heredity

Mendelian Inheritance - Interactives exploring

• inheritance patterns based on Mendel's laws of heredity.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, LS3 - Heredity: Inheritance and variation of traits.

Ecosystem

Population Growth - Interactives to interpret

• a population growth curve and understand the carrying capacity of populations.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Stability and change, LS2 - Ecosystems: Interactions, energy, and dynamics.

PHYSICS

Electrostatics

Coulomb's Law - Series of interactives demonstrating that

• electrostatic force between two point charges is a function of their magnitudes and the distance separating the two, as given by Coulomb's Law.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Scale, proportion, and quantity, PS2 - Motion and stability: Forces and interactions.

Momentum

Elastic Collisions - Interactives showing that

• linear momentum is the product of mass and velocity, and is conserved during an elastic collision along with the conservation of kinetic energy.

NGSS: SEP - Developing and using models, SEP - Planning and carrying out investigations, SEP - Analyzing and Interpreting Data, CCC - Patterns, CCC - Cause and effect, CCC - Stability and change, PS2 - Motion and stability: Forces and interactions.