NPS International School

Periodic Table - Grade 8 Chemistry Investigation

Title of the investigation: An Investigation on periodic trends of elements.

What is the investigation about?

Arrangement of elements in the modern periodic table is based on the Periodic Law. The
Periodic Law states that the physical and chemical properties of the elements recur in a
systematic and predictable way when the elements are arranged in order of increasing atomic
number. The research aspect of this investigation is to explore trend in physical property of
elements in a group with change in atomic radius.

Research
Select any two physical properties of the elements in a group and investigate how these
properties are affected by atomic/ionic radius. In your research, your consideration should
cover but not limited to the following:-

Research Question:
 How does physical properties of elements (melting point, boiling point, density etc.)
in a group affected by change in atomic radii/ionic radii?

Hypothesis:

Variables:
 What is your Controlled variable?
 What is your Dependent variable?
 What is your Independent variable?
Data collection:
Use interactive periodic table or other similar secondary sources for data collection.
For eg: Periodic Table – Royal Society of Chemistry (rsc.org)
 Tabulate your data collected here:
Data analysis:
 Using appropriate axes, plot a graph of the data collected:-
Observations:
 List your observations and suggest scientific reason for each of your observations.
Conclusion:
 Refer to your hypothesis and answer the research question.
Extension:
 Repeat the investigation for elements belonging to a period and compare the results.

NPSI/ Version1.0/22-23/Chem./8/AA2 Page No:1

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Rubrics

Proficient Basic Novice

Hypothesis clear and Hypothesis is not clear but Hypothesis is neither
focussed on the topic have some relevance to the written clear nor relevant to
topic the topic.
Hypothesis
(2 marks) Hypothesis does not make
links to two variables.

(2 mark) (1 mark) (0 mark)

All variables listed Some variables listed are No variables listed are
are linked to the linked to the hypothesis. linked to the hypothesis.
Variables
hypothesis.
(3 marks)
(3 marks) (2-1 marks) (0 mark)
.
Data collected allows Some data collected allows Data collected is not
the hypothesis to be the hypothesis to be relevant to hypothesis and
confirmed or confirmed or rejected. not tabulated.
rejected.
No data is collected.
Data collected is Some data collected is
Data Collection
tabulated and linked tabulated.
(5 marks)
to the variables.
.
References are made References are made (1-0 mark)
for atomic radii
(3-2 marks)
(5-4 marks)

A graph is correctly A graph is incorrectly plotted A graph is incorrectly

plotted with correct with axes chosen that links to plotted with wrong axes or
Data Analysis axes chosen that the variables. no graph is plotted
(5 marks) links to the variables.
(3-2 marks)
(5-4 marks) (1-0 marks)
Observation, Experimental Some experimental Experimental observations
Conclusion, & observations are observations are correctly are not correctly inferred.
Extension correctly inferred inferred which allows the
(5 marks) which allows the hypothesis to be confirmed Conclusion made is not
hypothesis to be or rejected. scientifically correct.
confirmed or
rejected. Conclusion made is No extension of learning is
scientifically correct. demonstrated.
Conclusion made is
scientifically correct. Extension of learning is (1-0 marks)
demonstrated.
Extension of learning
which allows the (3-2 marks)
same hypothesis to
be tested.
(5-4 marks)

NPSI/ Version1.0/22-23/Chem./8/AA2 Page No:2

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NPSI/ Version1.0/22-23/Chem./8/AA2 Page No:3