About Investigating Intermolecular Forces

Highly Recommended
Like all our Science Reasoning Center activities, the completion of Investigating Intermolecular Forces relies on the use of provided information about a phenomenon, experiment, or data presentation to answer questions. This information is accessible by tapping on the small thumbnails found on the bottom right of every question. However, it may be considerably easier to have a printed copy of this information or to display the information in a separate browser window. You can access this information from this page. 





The Standards
The Investigating Intermolecular Forces activity is an NGSS-inspired task that consists of five activities. Each of the five activities place an emphasis upon the planning of an investigation and the analysis of the results. The investigations pertain to bulk scale properties of substances and the relationship of those properties to the strength of the intermolecular forces between particles of those substances.


This NGSS-inspired task consists of five parts. Each part involves a different type of skill or understanding. Collectively, the five parts were designed to address the following NGSS performance expectation:

HS-PS1-3:
Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.



As a whole, the questions in this task address a wide collection of disciplinary core idea (DCI), crosscutting concepts (CCC), and science and engineering practices (SEP). There are 60 multiple choice questions organized into 15 Question Groups and spread across the five activities. Each question is either a 2D or (preferably) a 3D question. That is, the task of answering the question requires that the student utilize at least two of the three dimensions of the NGSS science standards - a DCI, a CCC, and/or an SEP.


The following DCI, SEPs, and CCCs are addressed at some point within Investigating Intermolecular Forces:

DCI:  PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter

• The structure and interactions of matter at the bulk scale are determined by electrical forces within and between atoms.

DCI:  PS1.B: Types of Interactions

• Attraction and repulsion between electric charges at the atomic scale explain the structure, properties, and transformations of matter, as well as the contact forces between material objects. 

SEP 1.6:  Asking Questions and Defining Problems
Ask questions that can be investigated within the scope of the school laboratory, research facilities, or field (e.g., outdoor environment) with available resources and, when appropriate, frame a hypothesis based on a model or theory.


SEP 3.1:  Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Plan an investigation or test a design individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence as part of building and revising models, supporting explanations for phenomena, or testing solutions to problems. Consider possible variables or effects and evaluate the confounding investigation’s design to ensure variables are controlled.


SEP 3.2: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations
Plan and conduct an investigation individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, and in the design: decide on types, how much, and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable measurements and consider limitations on the precision of the data (e.g., number of trials, cost, risk, time), and refine the design accordingly.


SEP 4.1:  Analyzing and Interpreting Data
Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.


SEP 7.5:  Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Make and defend a claim based on evidence about the natural world or the effectiveness of a design solution that reflects scientific knowledge, and student-generated evidence.



CCC 1.1: Patterns
Patterns of performance of designed systems can be analyzed and interpreted to reengineer and improve the system.


CCC 2.1: Cause and Effect
Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.


CCC 7.1: Stability and Change
Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable.

 

Here is our NGSS-based analysis of each individual activity of the Investigating Intermolecular Forces Science Reasoning task. The core ideas, crosscutting concepts, and science and engineering practices that we reference in our analysis are numbered for convenience. You can cross-reference the specific notations that we have used with the listings found on the following pages:  

Disclaimer: The standards are not our original work. We are simply including them here for convenience (and because we have referenced the by number). The standards are the property of the Next Generation Science Standards.

 

Part 1: Planning an Investigation

This activity consists of 12 multiple choice or multiple select questions organized into three Question Groups. Students are presented with a description of equipment at each of three lab stations and given a lab goal. Students must identify an effective and safe procedure for accomplishing the lab goal with the given equipment. Students earn the Trophy for this activity once they demonstrate mastery on all three Question Groups. 


NGSS Claim Statement: Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.

 

Target DCI(s)	Target SEP(s)	Target CCC(s)
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter The structure and interactions of matter at the bulk scale are determined by electrical forces within and between atoms.	SEP 3.2: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Plan and conduct an investigation individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, and in the design: decide on types, how much, and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable measurements and consider limitations on the precision of the data (e.g., number of trials, cost, risk, time), and refine the design accordingly.	Patterns CCC 1.1 Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of phenomena.

 

Part 2: Claim-Evidence-Reasoning

This activity consists of 12 multiple choice or multiple select questions organized into three Question Groups. Students are presented with a description or diagram of student lab results (based on Part 1). Students must identify the proper claim, the associated evidence that supports the claim, and the reasoning behind why the evidence lends support for the claim. Students earn the Trophy for this activity once they demonstrate mastery on all three Question Groups. 

​
NGSS Claim Statement: Use observations of bulk scale properties of substances as evidence to make and defend a claim regarding the relative strength of electrical forces between molecules of those substances.

 

Target DCI(s)	Target SEP(s)	Target CCC(s)
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter The structure and interactions of matter at the bulk scale are determined by electrical forces within and between atoms.	SEP 7.5:  Engaging in Argument from Evidence Make and defend a claim based on evidence about the natural world or the effectiveness of a design solution that reflects scientific knowledge, and student-generated evidence. SEP 3.2: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Plan and conduct an investigation individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, and in the design: decide on types, how much, and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable measurements and consider limitations on the precision of the data (e.g., number of trials, cost, risk, time), and refine the design accordingly.	Patterns CCC 2.1 Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects. Patterns CCC 1.1 Different patterns may be observed at each of the scales at which a system is studied and can provide evidence for causality in explanations of phenomena.

 

Part 3: Getting into the Flow of IM Forces

This activity consists of 12 multiple choice or multiple select questions organized into three Question Groups. Students are presented with a short discussion of the concept of viscosity and a list of lab materials. They must identify a procedure that would safely and effectively lead to the collection of evidence to support a claim regarding the strength of intermolecular forces for five liquids. In the process, students consider the number of trials and other considerations. Students earn the Trophy for this activity once they demonstrate mastery on all three Question Groups. 
​
NGSS Claim Statement: Plan and conduct an investigation to gather evidence to compare the structure of substances at the bulk scale to infer the strength of electrical forces between particles.


 

Target DCI(s)	Target SEP(s)	Target CCC(s)
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter The structure and interactions of matter at the bulk scale are determined by electrical forces within and between atoms. .	SEP 3.1:  Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Plan an investigation or test a design individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence as part of building and revising models, supporting explanations for phenomena, or testing solutions to problems. Consider possible variables or effects and evaluate the confounding investigation’s design to ensure variables are controlled. SEP 3.2: Planning and Carrying Out Investigations Plan and conduct an investigation individually and collaboratively to produce data to serve as the basis for evidence, and in the design: decide on types, how much, and accuracy of data needed to produce reliable measurements and consider limitations on the precision of the data (e.g., number of trials, cost, risk, time), and refine the design accordingly.	Patterns CCC 1.1 Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

 

Part 4: Results Are In

This activity consists of 12 multiple choice or multiple select questions organized into three Question Groups. Students are presented data for the investigation that was planned in Part 3. Students must analyze the data to identify a claim regarding the strength of IM forces for the five liquids. They must also make decisions regarding outliers and a set of trials having a large range of time values. Students earn the Trophy for this activity once they demonstrate mastery on all three Question Groups. 
​
NGSS Claim Statement: Analyze the results of an investigation in order to make a claim regarding the electrical forces between molecules based on the observable patterns of behavior.

 

Target DCI(s)	Target SEP(s)	Target CCC(s)
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter The structure and interactions of matter at the bulk scale are determined by electrical forces within and between atoms.	SEP 4.1:  Analyzing and Interpreting Data Analyze data using tools, technologies, and/or models (e.g., computational, mathematical) in order to make valid and reliable scientific claims or determine an optimal design solution.	Patterns CCC 1.1 ​Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects. Stability and Change CCC 7.1 Much of science deals with constructing explanations of how things change and how they remain stable.

 

Part 5: Do It Yourself Investigations

This activity consists of 12 multiple choice or multiple select questions organized into three Question Groups. Students are presented information (short procedural descriptions and associated data) about other investigations performed. They must identify the testable question that was being addressed by the investigation. Students earn the Trophy for this activity once they demonstrate mastery on all three Question Groups. 
​
NGSS Claim Statement: Ask questions that can be investigated regarding the relationship between the electrical forces between molecules and the observable patterns of behavior.

 

Target DCI(s)	Target SEP(s)	Target CCC(s)
PS1.A: Structure and Properties of Matter The structure and interactions of matter at the bulk scale are determined by electrical forces within and between atoms.	SEP 1.6:  Asking Questions and Defining Problems Ask questions that can be investigated within the scope of the school laboratory, research facilities, or field (e.g., outdoor environment) with available resources and, when appropriate, frame a hypothesis based on a model or theory.	Patterns CCC 1.1 ​Empirical evidence is required to differentiate between cause and correlation and make claims about specific causes and effects.

 








Complementary and Similar Resources
The following resources at The Physics Classroom website complement the Investigating Intermolecular Forces Science Reasoning Activity. Teachers may find them useful for supporting students and/or as components of lesson plans and unit plans.

Concept Builders, Chemistry

Concept Builders, Chemistry - Intermolecular Forces (coming soon)

Concept Builders, Fluids - Properties of Matter

Science Reasoning Center - Melting Points and Boiling Points