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Station 2 – Mini Lab: Evidence for Atoms (Textbook Resource: Holt Science Spectrum)
Task: Complete the following experiment and answer the questions that follow.
Materials: Balance, pennies, marbles, 2 cups (labeled “1” and “2”).
Name: Teacher Answer Key Atomic Theory
Discovering The Structure of The Atom
Each cup contains pennies & marbles in a predetermined amount. The pennies & marbles from each cup
should be weighed separately, do not combine the pennies & marbles from Cup 1 with the pennies &
marbles from Cup 2.
Step 1: Use a balance to find the total mass of the pennies in Cup 1. Mass of pennies (Cup 1) = _varies_
Use a balance to find the total mass of the marbles in Cup 1. Mass of marbles (Cup 1) =__varies_
Step 2: Use a balance to find the total mass of the pennies in Cup 2. Mass of pennies (Cup 2) = _varies__
Use a balance to find the total mass of the marbles in Cup 2. Mass of marbles (Cup 2) =__varies_
1. Compare the composition of the “compounds” in the 2 cups in terms of the proportions of
marbles and pennies by mass. Do the cups contain the same “compound”? Explain. _Because_
the ratio of pennies & marbles is different in each cup, they are not the same compound.
2. Based on your evidence, do you think that different substances could be made up of the same
elements, just different amounts? Explain. Yes. We have a limited number of elements, but
those elements are arranged differently (different proportions bond with different elements) to
give us all mater that we can observe. Two different items could be made up of hydrogen and
oxygen simply by having different hydrogen-oxygen ratios.
Station 3 – Timeline Research (Textbook Resource: Holt Science Spectrum - pgs 113-129)
Task: Research to find the following information.
When did Democritus develop his atomic theory? __400 BC____
What did Democritus suggest? He said that all matter is made up of indivisible units called atoms
Much later, in the early 1800s, British scientist John Dalton made a convincing argument, based on
experimental evidence that supported the existence of atoms. Atoms are much too small to see, but
Dalton found evidence for them in things he could observe, such as reactions between compounds.
Because of the work of Dalton and others, the atomic theory soon became widely accepted by scientists.
The first image created by an STM showed a layer of gold atoms. Since then, the atoms of many
different substances have been observed with STMs, including silver, nickel, platinum, and silicon. At
this time, STMs are used primarily for imaging atoms. STMs have also been used to move single atoms
from one location to another, and other potential applications are being researched.
EXERCISES – Discuss the answers to the following questions then, on your own, write your response.
1. What is the most important difference between the Greek theory of atoms and Dalton’s atomic
theory?
Dalton was able to provide evidence.
2.What is the significance of the invention of the STM?
It will allow us to make even more observations of the atom and potentially provide new evidence for
the continued evolution of our knowledge of the atom
Explain where you placed your subatomic particles and why you placed them in that location. Protons
and neutrons were placed inside the bowl since the bowl represented the nucleus. Electrons were
placed around the outside of the bowl since they are found in electron clouds outside the nucleus. _
How did you select the amount of protons, neutrons, and electrons that you chose to use?
Using the periodic table provided, the number of protons was based on the atomic number, the number
of neutrons was found by taking the atomic mass minus the atomic number and the number of
electrons equals the number of protons since the atom is neutral.