Mini+Investigations

Chemical reactions occur every day all around us. A chemical reaction is a process where one type of substance is chemically converted to another substance. That fizzling toilet bowl cleaner is a chemical reaction. The fire in your fireplace is another type of chemical reaction. This experiment demonstrates a chemical reaction that's fairly common all around us. Read all the instructions and then make a prediction about what will happen to the temperature after soaking the steel wool in vinegar.

1. Put the thermometer in the jar and close the lid. 2. Wait about 5 minutes and write down the temperature. 3. Remove the thermometer from the jar. 4. Soak a piece of steel wool in vinegar for one minute. 5. Squeeze the vinegar out of the steel wool pad. Wrap the steel wool around the bulb of the thermometer. 6. Place the thermometer and steel wool back into the jar and close the lid. 7. Wait 5 minutes. 8. Now take a look at the temperature. What happened to the temperature? Can you make a theory as to why this happened? Compare your thinking with other people and we will all get together and discuss.