Embedded Files
Investigation 7:
How can we
produce
better foods?
This first phase begins with a deep dive into the physical world of food. Youโll choose a key ingredient in a baked good (such as eggs, milk, sugar, or oil) and explore its role at the molecular level. What are its physical properties? What happens to it when it's heated, cooled, or mixed? What makes it essential to texture, shape, or structure? Youโll begin your pamphlet with a section on this ingredient and propose a potential substitute. Investigation 7 provides the scientific foundation to understand how physical properties influence the materials we use in cooking.
Driving Question:
๐งช How do the structure and properties of foods change as their components change?ย
Overview:ย In this investigation, you'll explore how the physical structure of substances affects their propertiesโlike melting point, hardness, and phase (solid, liquid, or gas). You'll learn about the different types of bonding (ionic, covalent, metallic) and how they relate to real-world materials. Concepts like intermolecular forces, crystal structure, and phase changes will help explain why materials behave the way they do.
Built to Perform:
Why Structure Matters
Built to Perform:
Why Structure Matters
Designing for extreme environments requires a deep understanding of how small molecular differences lead to big changes in material propertiesโand pushes us to ask: how do we design materials for a specific function?
States of Matter
EQ: How do particle arrangements and movement determine whether a substance is a solid, liquid, or gas?
Solids, liquids, and gases differ in how closely packed and mobile their particles are, which affects properties like volume, shape, and compressibility.
Understanding states of matter is the foundation of material designโchoosing the right phase helps create gear, containers, and tools that work in specific environments.
๐ Textbook: 200-211
โ๏ธ Notes
๐ Vocabulary:
Kinetic energy Kinetic theory
Translation Rotation
Vibration Fluid
Standard temperature and pressure (STP)
Helpful Links:
Modeling Phase Changes
EQ: What happens to particles and energy during melting, freezing, boiling, or condensing?
During phase changes, energy is used to overcome or form intermolecular forces, not to change temperature.
Materials must handle changes in temperature and pressureโlike waterproof coatings or thermal gear that resists freezingโso understanding phase changes is key to smart design.
๐ Textbook: 213-222
โ๏ธ Notes
๐ Vocabulary:
Phase change Vaporization
Condensation Sublimation
Deposition Evaporation
Vapor pressure Phase diagram
Helpful Links:
โถ๏ธ ย Phase Transitions
Comparing Ionic and Molecular Compounds
EQ: How do different types of chemical bonds impact the properties of a substance?
Ionic compounds form crystalline solids with high melting points and conductivity in solution, while molecular compounds are often softer and less conductive.
Choosing between these types helps engineers design materials with desired hardness, flexibility, or melting pointsโcrucial for products used outdoors or under heat.
๐ Textbook: 224-228
โ๏ธ Notes
Assignments:
๐ Vocabulary:
Representative unit Allotropes
Covalent network solids
Helpful Links:
โถ๏ธ Ionic vs. Molecular
Comparing Metals and Nonmetals
EQ: What makes metals flexible and conductive, while nonmetals are brittle and insulative?
Metallic bonding allows electrons to move freely, giving metals their strength and conductivity. Nonmetals have localized electrons, leading to different properties.
Designers rely on these differences to pick the right material for wiring, cooking tools, or structural components in high-performance settings.
๐ Textbook: 229-235
โ๏ธ Notes
๐ Vocabulary:
Ductility Malleability
Luster Sea of electrons
Point defect Dislocation
Alloy
Helpful Links:
Water and Aqueous Systems
EQ: Why is water such an effective solvent, and how does it interact with other substances?
Waterโs polarity allows it to dissolve many substances and form hydrogen bonds, influencing solubility, cohesion, and adhesion.
Designing materials that resist or absorb water (e.g., waterproof fabrics or moisture-wicking linings) depends on understanding how water behaves.
๐ Textbook: 236-247
โ๏ธ Notes
Assignments:
๐ Vocabulary:
Surface tension Surfactant
Solvent Solute
Electrolyte Nonelectrolyte
Hydrate Efflorescence
Helpful Links:
โถ๏ธ Water & Solutions - CCC #7
Properties of Solutions
EQ: What factors affect how substances dissolve and interact in a solution?
Temperature, particle size, stirring, and polarity all impact solubility; solutions can also be categorized as saturated, unsaturated, or supersaturated.
The behavior of solutions is essential in product designโlike sports drinks, snowmelt chemicals, or antifreezeโwhere solubility and concentration must be precisely controlled.
๐ Textbook: 249-257
โ๏ธ Notes
๐ Vocabulary:
Dissolution rate Solubility
Saturated solution Solubility curve
Henry's law Colloid
Suspension
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