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Could you transform something worthless into gold?

Could you transform something worthless into gold?

Lesson narration:
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DISCUSS (1 of 3): Can you think of any tests you could do, that would help you figure out which idea is true?

2 possibilities

Here’s an idea we had...

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DISCUSS (2 of 3):

Suppose we give you a scale, a tool that measures weight. Using a scale, is there a test you could do to figure out which idea is true?

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DISCUSS (3 of 3):

If the vinegar and salt REMOVED the dull copper, then what should we find out when we weigh the penny before and after?

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DISCUSS:

Why do you think the alchemist left, never to be heard from again? Was there something he didn’t want the king to figure out?

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DISCUSS (1 of 2):

Why do you think we couldn’t see little bits of copper in the liquid?

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mixture


1 of 10

a combination of two or more things
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dissolve


2 of 10

when one substance mixes with another and it looks like it disappears, such as when sugar mixes into tea
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solution


3 of 10

a special kind of mixture where you cannot tell the different parts from each other
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liquid


4 of 10

a state of matter, such as water when you can pour it
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states of matter


5 of 10

the different forms of matter that include solid, liquid, and gas
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matter


6 of 10

anything that takes up space; can be in different forms such as solid, liquid, or gas
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particle


7 of 10

a very tiny thing, sometimes too small to be seen
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experiment


8 of 10

a test used to discover new information about a question
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evidence


9 of 10

information that can be used to support or reject an idea
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alchemist


10 of 10

a name for people in the past who studied the combination of chemicals
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Lesson narration:

Activity Prep

Print Prep

THIS LESSON WAS REVISED ON JANUARY 11, 2018. If you've prepped prior to that date, we suggest using the previous version.
In this lesson, students investigate the alchemists’ claim of transforming ordinary metals into gold. In the activity, The King's Sword, students use the vinegar, salt, and penny solution that they created in Lesson 1 to copper plate a steel nail. Students then create a conceptual model of how particles from the pennies are the same ones that eventually coat the nail in copper.

Preview activity

Exploration

20 mins

Wrap-Up

10 mins

Extend this lesson