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Science Launch G5 / Week 02 / Friday
5/6
Week 02 · Nothing Lost

Friday

Nothing lost, everywhere
// Weight stays the same when matter changes
⏱ about 15 min

Friday: Nothing lost, everywhere

After a rainstorm, a puddle shines on the sidewalk outside the workshop. By afternoon, it is gone.

"Where did it go?" Rocket asks. "Did the sidewalk drink it?"

Raven kneels and touches the dry spot. "Think about the salt dish," she says. "Water can leave as a gas."

Nova hovers above the sidewalk. "The water particles are still somewhere," she says. "What do you think?"

Rocket looks up at the sky. "In the air," he says. "Nothing lost, just moved."

Matter on the move

Matter changes form all the time. Each time, the total amount stays the same.

A puddle evaporates. The water particles go into the air as a gas.

Ice melts. The water weighs the same as the ice did.

Sugar dissolves. Its weight is still in the cup.

EventIs the total amount of matter kept the same?
A puddle evaporates on a sunny day.?
An ice pop melts in a sealed bag.?
Salt dissolves in a pot of water.?
Sugar disappears from the world when it dissolves.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEMatter can change form or move, but it is never destroyed, so the total is conserved.
When a puddle dries, the water goes into the ____.
A sealed bag of ice weighs 120 grams. After melting it weighs ____ grams.
What is the science word that means kept the same? Type one word.
WHY THIS EXERCISEConserved is the word scientists use for weight that stays the same through a change.
Look around
Watch a wet towel dry, or a glass of water over a few days.
Ask yourself where the water went.

Tracking matter

Every time matter seems to vanish, ask where it went.

Water from a puddle went into the air.

Sugar went into the water as tiny particles.

Gas from a reaction went into the room unless it was trapped.

WHERE DID IT GO?
  • Read the question.
  • Tap your answer.
A wet towel dries on a line. Where did the water go?
Salt disappears in a pot of water. Where is it?
An ice cube melts in a cup. What happens to the total weight?
A PUDDLE'S TRIP
  • ?Rain makes a puddle.
  • ?The sun warms the puddle.
  • ?Water particles evaporate into the air.
  • ?The sidewalk looks dry.
WHY THIS EXERCISEThe water moved into the air. Nothing was lost.
Try it
With a grown-up, wet two paper towels the same amount.
Hang one in a sunny spot and one in a shady spot.
Check which dries first. Where did the water go?
StatementTrue or false?
A dried puddle's water went into the air.?
Melting ice loses weight.?
Matter can change form or move without being destroyed.?
WHY THIS EXERCISEMatter is conserved when it changes form or moves.
Where did the puddle's water go? Type one word.
WHY THIS EXERCISEThe water evaporated into the air.

You can now explain where matter goes when it seems to disappear. Tomorrow is Launch Lab with your family.

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