We have been continuing our Science lessons this term by looking at how a range of materials can change state. This week we have been focusing on irreversible changes. We conducted three investigations and discussed why the changes were irreversible.
1. We added bicarbonate of soda to vinegar to create a foam. We know this cannot be reversed to create separate vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. We also found out that this reaction caused carbon dioxide to be released which is what made the glove inflate.
2. We added vinegar to milk to create curds. The proteins in the milk react with the vinegar and unravel which then forms strings that attach together to form the clumps of curd. We took these out of the milk and they are drying in our classroom. Once they have dried they will form a new material which is similar to plastic.
3. We added soft mints to diet coke. There was an explosion of coke because the carbon dioxide bubbles in the coke were trapped by the uneven coating on the mints. This caused a foam to be created and it exploded from the narrow neck of the bottle.
We enjoyed conducting these investigations and would love to show you at home too!


