Physical Properties

• Mrs. Aker's Plastic Research Page: Many links about the chemistry of plastics.
• Matter:  Physical and chemical properties with examples.
• Viscosity Explorer:  Click on the picture to the right to perform an interactive viscosity lab.
• Properties of Matter:  An overview of the topic designed for students.
• List of Physical and Chemical Properties:  Includes descriptions of each
• Online Mineral Lab:  perform a number of physical property tests, virtually, to identify minerals.

Density

• Thinking Fountain:  Density:  Some great diagrams and explanations of solid, liquid, and gas densities.
• Sample Density Problem:  A problem with a diagram for an example. (and another from the same site).
• Density Calculator:  Plug in values for sample problems and get immediate results.
• Density Conversion Calculator:  All sorts of density units...and an online calculator to convert them all.
• Buoyancy Explorer:  Click on the picture to the right to perform an interactive floating and sinking lab.

Electrostatics

• Moving a Charged Object Near an Electroscope: Animation showing charges
• Conduction vs. Induction: Animation

Phases of Matter and Phase Changes

• Phantom Portrait Parlor: An interactive simulator that allows you to view molecules and atoms of different substances at different temperatures, and thus, different phases of matter.
• Phases of Matter in Different Containers: Cool animated diagrams showing what happens to different phases of matter as they are manipulated.
• Boil Water with Shockwave:  An online experiment where you can manipulate many different variables.  Very cool!
• Phase Changes:  Phase change diagram with notes.
• Changes of Phase (or State):  Table of info, including explanation of why there is no temperature change during a phase change.
• Phases of the Elements:  Shockwave thingie to show the phase of matter of the elements at different degrees of Kelvin.
• Change of Phase or State:  Notes and diagrams showing molecule energy.

Gas Laws

• Charles' Law online lab:  Flash lab
• Boyle's Law online lab:  Flash lab
• The Molecular Circus:  Animated diagram of Boyle's law in action, with the user choosing which points to plot, interactively!  Very cool.
• History of Gas Laws:  Major players in the development of kinetic theory and gas laws.  Includes basic explanations.
• Boyle's Law Animation :  Animation showing the relationship between pressure and volume, and the graph it creates.

Solubility

• Animation of Sodium Chloride Dissolving:  Explains how and why salt dissolves in water...through animated diagrams.
• Animations of Salt Dissolving:  another animation showing what happens.
• Solubility of Solutes: Basic overview of factors affecting solubility.
• Solubility: Discussion of why some solids dissolve in water and some don't.
• Solubility Factors Quiz: Interactive quiz about solubility curves.
• Solublity: List of factors affecting this physical property with brief explanations.
• Solutions from Ionic Compounds: Diagram explaining the electrical conductivity of ionic solutions.
• Making Crystal Trees:  Describes how to make crystal trees through evaporation of saturated solutions.  Includes pictures.

Atoms and Elements

• Build you own atoms:  Watch a demo and then build 10 atoms by placing protons, neutrons, and electrons in the correct spot.
• Chem4Kids-Atoms Around Us :  Easy to understand introduction with diagrams.  Follow the links on the right hand side of this page to learn more.
• Chem4Kids-Element List : Overview of the first 40 elements.
• Mrs. Aker's Atom Projects Page: Links to sites about atomic structure history and periodic tables.
• Properties of Matter: Discusses several, and explains the use of characteristic properties.
• Element Families: Interactive quiz to match elements with their families.
• Phases of the Elements: Shockwave thingie to show the phase of matter of the elements at different degrees of Kelvin.
• Rutherford Experiment Simulation:  Java applet in which you recreate this experiment.  Also includes an explanation.
• Scale Model of an Atom:  Keep scrolling to the right until you see the one-pixel electron.  Crazy.

Periodic Table

• Periodic Table Videos:  Each element has its own 3-4 minute video.  Awesome!
• Periodic Tables:  A number of tables, in many languages.
• Periodic Table Trends:  Interactive site allows you to look at patterns in the properties of elements.
• Lenntech Periodic Table:  includes properties of each element as well as uses.
• Mokeur's Periodic Table:  Has lots of great info and a chemistry hangman game at the bottom.
• Pictoral Periodic Table: Alternative arrangements for the elements.
• Periodic Spiral:  An alternative arrangement with a shockwave interactive version.  Very cool.
• Pyrotechnics: It's Elemental:  Discusses elements in the periodic table involved in fireworks.
• Element Song: Animation of Tom Lehrer's element song.  Fun.

Chemical Properties

• List of Physical and Chemical Properties:  Includes descriptions of each
• Ten Signs of a Chemical Change:  list with explantions.
• Signs of a Chemical Reaction:  basic explanation of how you determine that a chemical reaction has taken place.

Ions and Chemical Bonding

• Chem4kids-Ions: Diagrams and explanations.  Very easy to understand.

Chemical Reactions

• Chem4Kids-Chemical Reactions:  Diagrams and explanations. 
• Journal of Chemical Education:  Several movies showing cool chemical reactions.
• Ozone Background:  Describes ozone and how it is produced and destroyed.

Acids and Bases

• Alien Juice Bar Lab: Interactive lab to teach this concept.
• The pH Factor: Good comprehensive tutorial on this concept.
• Chem4Kids: Acids and Bases: Overview with diagrams.
• Spring Acid Rain Watch: An online project with background information about acid rain.
• Acid-Base Lab: Dip pH paper in different solutions to see the results.
• pH of Common Foods: From the Department of Health and Human Services
• Marble Chip Lab Simulation:  You can change the surface area of the marble chips or the concentration of the acid in this particular experiment.

Radioactivity

• Interactive Personal Radiation Dose:  Interactive site.
• Personal Radiation Dose Chart: Determine your annual exposure to radiation (with interactive menus).
• The Story of Radiocarbon Dating: Article with a basic explanation of how this works.
• Radiation FAQ: Several frequently asked questions.
• Radioactivity: Types, sources, uses, dangers, half-life, and famous people.
• Isotopes and Radioactivity: Explains what an isotope is and what radioactivity is.
• Virtual Labs and Simulations: Interactive Java and Shockwave labs.
• Radioactivity Applet: Create a half-life graph and watch the radioactivity disappear.

• Color Mixing:  Interactive activity for additive and subtractive color mixing.
• Science of Light: Filters:  Lets you play with filters and light meters.
• Science of Light:  Light Mixing: Play around with lighting.
• Subtractive Color Mixing:  Explains how filters use subtractive color mixing.
• Color Filters:  Interactive site allowing you to play with different colors of filters in different lighting situations.
• The Science and Mathematics of Color:  Explains color mixing

Reflection

• Light Reflection: discusses the law of reflection
• Reflection of Light: A primer talking about the law of reflection, specular and diffuse reflection, and other principles.

Refraction

• Science, Optics, and You-Refraction Tutorial:   Java animation showing light refracts differently through different materials
• Archer Fish Article and Video:  Read this short article and click on the link for the video about halfway through the article.  How does this demonstrate refraction?

Diffraction

Sound

• Virtual Oscilloscope: Play with pitch and volume, and see what aspect of waves this changes.
• Speed of Sound:  Animation showing how sound travels in different phases of matter.
• Exploring Sound:  Play with pitch and learn how sound travels from place to place.
• Radio transmission:  Discusses how sound travels by radio waves.
• Beats Applet:  Interactive site that allows you to combine 2 different pitches to see what type of beats are produced.

Electricity Generation

• Mrs. Aker's Electricity Generation Links

Engineering

• Mrs. Aker's Bridge Building Project