The Mystery of the Missing Marbles!
FINAL PTASK in GENERAL CHEMISTRY 2
DEADLINE OF SUBMISSION: ON or BEFORE APRIL 30, 2024
Make a video presentation to show the experiment below.
Introduction:
Colligative properties are a group of special properties of solutions that depend on the
number of dissolved particles (solute) and not on the identity of those particles. Today, you’ll be
putting colligative properties to the test in a fun experiment!
The Challenge:
Imagine you have a collection of colorful marbles. Unfortunately, some of the marbles
have mysteriously sunk to the bottom of a deep vase filled with water! You need to find a way to
rescue the sunken marbles without getting your hands wet.
*Materials:
Two clear glasses or beakers or jars
Warm water
Salt (or sugar)
Spoon
String (optional, for retrieving marbles)
Colorful marbles (some should sink in water)
Instructions:
1. Fill one glass with warm water. (This is your control glass.)
2. Fill the other glass with warm water and add several tablespoons of salt (or sugar). (Stir until
the salt/sugar dissolves completely. This is your solution.)
3. Carefully place the marbles in both glasses. (Observe what happens to the marbles in each
glass.)
Data and Observations:
1. In which glass did the marbles sink more?
2. Did the amount of salt/sugar in the water seem to affect the marbles in any way?
3. How easy (or difficult) was it to retrieve the marbles from each glass (if you used string)?
Explanation:
Think about colligative properties! Saltwater (or sugar water) is a solution with more
particles compared to plain water. This change in particle concentration affects the solution’s
properties, including something called buoyancy.
1. Research the concept of buoyancy What is buoyancy? And how it relates to density?
2. Relate your observations to colligative properties and buoyancy. How did the addition of
salt/sugar change the density of the solution and in turn, affect the marbles?
Conclusion:
1. Explain how colligative properties were involved in this experiment.
2. Can you think of other real-life applications of colligative properties?
Bonus Challenge:
1. Research other colligative properties besides the one explored in this experiment (e.g.,
boiling point elevation, freezing point depression).
2. Design a simple experiment to demonstrate another colligative property.
6 - Needs 3-
Criteria 15 - Excellent 12 - Good 9 - Satisfactory
Improvement Unsatisfactory
Shows a good
Demonstrates a
understanding Displays a basic Shows limited Shows a lack
deep
of colligative understanding of understanding of
understanding
properties and colligative of colligative understanding
of colligative
Understanding relates them to properties but properties and of colligative
properties and
of Colligative the experiment struggles to struggles to properties and
effectively
Properties and relate them connect them to does not relate
relates them to
observations clearly to the the experiment them to the
the experiment
with minor experiment and and experiment and
and
gaps in observations. observations. observations.
observations.
explanation.
Analysis of Analyzes data Analyzes data Attempts to Struggles to Does not
Data and effectively, well, draws analyze data, analyze data analyze data,
Observations draws insightful appropriate draws basic effectively, fails to draw
conclusions conclusions conclusions draws limited conclusions
about the about the about the conclusions about the
marbles' marbles' marbles' about the marbles'
behavior in behavior, and behavior, but marbles' behavior, and
different attempts to struggles to behavior, and does not
solutions, and connect connect does not connect
connects observations to observations to connect observations to
observations to colligative colligative observations to colligative
colligative colligative
properties and properties and properties and
properties and properties and
buoyancy. buoyancy. buoyancy.
buoyancy. buoyancy.
Provides a clear
Does not
and thorough Offers a good Provides a basic Attempts to
explain how
explanation of explanation of explanation of explain the role
colligative
how colligative how colligative how colligative of colligative
properties were
properties properties properties were properties in the
Explanation of involved in the
influenced the affected the involved in the experiment but
Results and experiment,
marbles' marbles, with experiment, with lacks clarity and
Concepts and there are
behavior, with some limited detail, with
no references
detailed references to references to the minimal
to buoyancy or
references to the the experiment buoyancy reference to
relevant
experiment and and buoyancy. concept. buoyancy.
concepts.
buoyancy.
Identifies and Identifies and
discusses explains some
multiple real- real-life Mentions one Attempts to Does not
life applications applications of real-life discuss a real- mention any
of colligative colligative application of life application real-life
Real-Life properties properties, colligative of colligative applications of
Applications beyond the demonstrating properties, but properties, but colligative
experiment, an awareness the explanation the explanation properties
showing a deep of their is basic and lacks is unclear or beyond the
understanding relevance depth. inaccurate. experiment.
of their beyond the
significance. experiment.
Bonus Successfully Researches and Attempts to Struggles to Does not
Challenge researches and designs an research a research or attempt the
designs a experiment to different design a new bonus
creative show another colligative experiment challenge or
experiment colligative property and involving provide any
demonstrating a property, but design an colligative new
different the experiment, but properties, with experiment
colligative implementatio the execution is significant gaps related to
property, n lacks some basic and lacks in colligative
showcasing clarity or detail. understanding properties.
innovation and
understanding.
creativity. or execution.
Submits the video
Meets the Submits the video
presentation on Submits the video Does not submit
deadline for slightly past the
time and with late and lacks the video
submission and deadline and
Timeliness and exceptional visually presentation or
presents the includes visuals
Visual visual appeal, appealing includes visuals
video with that are somewhat
Presentation enhancing the elements that that are
engaging visuals helpful in
overall could enhance irrelevant or
that support the demonstrating the
understanding of understanding. confusin
experiment. experiment.
the experiment.
