Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy Environmental Literacy Project Michigan State University Plants Unit Activity 2.1 Predictions about Radish Plants Growing

Three Questions Poster QuestionRules to FollowConnecting Atoms to Evidence The Movement Question: Where are atoms moving? Where are atoms moving from? Where are atoms going to? Atoms last forever in combustion and living systems. All materials (solids, liquids, and gases) are made of atoms. When materials change mass, atoms are moving. When materials move, atoms are moving. The Carbon Question: What is happening to carbon atoms? What molecules are carbon atoms in before the process? How are the atoms rearranged into new molecules? Carbon atoms are bound to other atoms in molecules. Atoms can be rearranged to make new molecules. The air has carbon atoms in CO 2 Organic materials are made of molecules with carbon atoms: Foods fuels living and dead plants and animals. The Energy Question: What is happening to chemical energy? What forms of energy are involved? How is energy changing from one form to another? Energy lasts forever in combustion and living systems. C-C and C-H bonds have more stored chemical energy than C-O and H-O bonds. We can observe indicators of different forms of energy: organic materials with chemical energy light heat energy motion. 2

Before you make your predictions… watch the Growing Plants Video 3

Remembering the investigation you set up several weeks ago

What are plants made of? What do plants look like at different scales? 5

Plants are made of cells 6 Benchmark Scale Power of Ten Decimal Style Large scale Larger Larger 100,000 10,000 1,000 Macroscopic meter Microscopic Atomic- molecular Smaller Smaller Scale: 10 0 meters = 1 metersScale: meters = 0.1 metersScale: meters = 0.01 metersScale: meters = meters Scale: meters = metersScale: meters = meters Scale: meters = meters Scale: meters = meters Scale: meters = meters Scale: meters = meters Plant cells are made of molecules Plant molecules are made of atoms

Using what you know about atoms to make predictions You may already know: Atoms last forever, so all the atoms in a plant must come from somewhere Plants need water, air, sunlight, and soil nutrients to grow and survive You may not know that the dry mass of a garden plant includes these atoms: Carbon (about 45%) Oxygen (about 45%) Hydrogen(about 6%) Nitrogen, phosphorous, and all other atoms (about 4%) 7

Making predictions Predicting mass changes What materials will gain and lose mass when plants grow? How are the mass changes connected with The Movement Question: Where are atoms moving? Use arrows on the worksheet to show your ideas

Possible BTB colors

Using tools for investigation: BTB What does your breath do to BTB solution? Use the soda straw to blow gently through the BTB solution. What does BTB tell us about carbon dioxide in the air? 10

Making predictions Predicting BTB changes How will the plants in the light and in the dark change the BTB? How are the BTB changes connected to The Carbon Question: What is happening to carbon atoms? Explain your ideas on the worksheet.

Using what you know about energy to make predictions You may already know: Energy lasts forever, so all the chemical energy in a plant must come from somewhere Plants need water, air, sunlight, and soil nutrients to grow and survive You may not know that the dry mass of a garden plant includes organic molecules with many high- energy bonds. 12

Making predictions Predicting energy changes What forms of energy are coming into the plant? What forms of energy are stored in the plant? How are the energy changes connected to The Energy Question: What is happening to chemical energy? Explain your ideas on the worksheet.

What are your ideas about the Movement Question? Where are atoms moving from? 1. Where are atoms going to? 1. 14

What are your ideas about the Carbon Question? What molecules are carbon atoms in before the change? What other molecules are involved? 1. What molecules are carbon atoms in after the change? What other molecules are produced? 1. 15

What are your ideas about the Energy Question? What forms of energy come into a plant? 1. What forms of energy are stored in the plant? 1. 16

Planning the investigations (optional) How will you measure mass changes? How will you observe changes in the color of BTB?