Grade 9 Science
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Calendar of upcoming assignments and tests
Homework
Thurs., May 15 - Answer the following questions about the circuit to the right: 
Switches A, B, and C are closed. Switch D is open for all questions except question 2.
1) What current will the ammeter show?
2) a) What would be the consequence of closing switch D?
b) What do we call the problem that this would cause?
3) What would be the effect on the current of opening switch C...
a) on lamp "r"?
b) on lamp "s"?
c) on the reading of the ammeter?
4) a) What would be the effect of adding a 2 ohm resistor at position Y?
b) What current would the ammeter read?
c) Based on the change in the current, was this load added in series or in parallel?
5) a) What would be the effect of adding a 2 ohm resistor at position X?
b) What current would the ammeter read?
6) a) What would be the effect of replacing switch D with a 2 ohm resistor?
b) What current would the ammeter read?
7) What effect would opening switches A or B have on the reading of the ammeter?
Wed., May 14 - Complete the homework from yesterday.
- Answer the following:
1) Two lamps are connected in series to a 9 volt battery. Lamp "A" has a resitance of 2 ohms, lamp "B" has a
resistance of 1 ohm.
a) Calculate the total resistance (RT) of the circuit (both lamps).
b) Use your answer to a) to calculate the current in the circuit (I = Vbattery / RT).
c) Use your answer to b) to calculate the voltage that each lamp will have (Vlamp = Rlamp x I).
d) Which lamp has the greater voltage, the low or high resistance? Does this match the results from the lab.
e) Verify that the voltages of the lamps add up to the voltage of the battery.
f) Calculate the power of each lamp (Plamp=Vlamp x I).
g) Which lamp has the most power? Does this match what you found in your lab?
2) The same two lamps are connected in parallel with the same 9 volt battery. They will both have the same voltage as the battery.
a) Calculate the current going through each lamp (Ilamp = Vbattery / Rlamp).
b) Calculate the total current coming out of the battery (IT = IlampA + IlampB).
c) Use your answer to c) to calculate the total resistance of the circuit (RT = Vbattery / IT)
d) How does the total resistance of the circuit compare to the resitances of the lamps?
e) Calculate the power of each lamp (Plamp = Vbattery x Ilamp).
f) Which lamp has more power, the one with high resistance or low resistance? How does this compare to your lab results?
Tues., May 13 - Study for the Static Electricity test tomorrow.
- If you run out of things to do, you can work on the calculations and questions from today's labs.
We will have time on Thursday to complete the labs.
Mon., May 12 - Study for the Static Electricity test on Wednesday.
- Answer the following:
1) What is the power of a 5 ohm light bulb when it is wired to a 15 volt source?
2) a) What voltage is needed to push 12 amps of current through a 3 ohm heater?
b) What power would the heater produce?
c) What would happen to the power of the heater if the resistance was increased?
- For those of you who are still having trouble with the summative questions for current electricity and
astronomy, those are the links to the review questions for these units.
Fri., May 9 - class notes for today.
- Answer the following:
1) A student sets up a circuit with a 12 V battery, and ammeter, and a volt meter. The ammeter is attached
to the negative terminal of the battery, a lamp is attached to the other terminal of the battery, and a wire
connects the lamp to the ammeter. A volt meter is wired to both terminals of the battery.
The ammeter reads 1.5 amps. The volt meter reads 12 V.
What is the resistance of the lamp?
2) What potential difference is required to cause a current of 3 amps to flow through a heater with a
resistance of 12 ohms?
3) What current will result in a circuit with 30 ohm lamp wired to a 5 volt battery?
- Continue working on the static electricity review questions
Thurs., May 8 - Now that we have recovered from the biology unit test, it is time to start studying for a static electricity test.
The test will take place later next week.
Please work on these review questions.
Wed., May 7 - class notes for today.
- Answer the following using both I=Q/t and V=E/t as appropriate.
1) If a battery uses 600 J of energy to push 120 C of charge through a circuit, what is the potential
difference of the battery?
2) A battery moves 3 amps of current through a circuit over a period of 10 seconds.
a) How much charge was used over the 10 second time span?
b) If the potential difference of the battery is 9 Volts, how much energy was moved through the circuit?
3) If a 1.5 Volt battery needs to move 300 Joules of energy into a lamp, how much charge must it push into
the lamp?
Tues., May 6 - Answer the following using the formula I=Q/t (current=charge/time)
1) Use the correct formula for calculating current to answer the following questions.
a) What is the current if 300 C of charge moves through a wire in 30 seconds?
b) How much charge can be moved in 10 seconds with a current of 5 amps?
c) How long will it take to move 200 coulombs of charge at a current of 6 amps?
For the following questions, make sure that all units are in seconds, coulombs, and amps.
2) A D-cell battery can push 5000 C (coulombs) of charge into a circuit in an hour. What current (amperage) is this?
3) A calculator's solar electric cell can push 100 million billion electrons into a circuit every second.
What amperage is this and how does it compare to a D-cell battery? (note that 1 coulomb = 6.24x1018 electrons)
4) How long does it take a 350 amp car battery to push 1000 coulombs of charge through the car's starter motor?
5) A 30 amp electric motor runs for 2 hours. How much charge moved through it?
Mon., May 5 - Read pages 324 to 336 in the text.
Consider and answer the following questions as you read:
1) What is current electricity?
2) What is a circuit?
3) What are the 4 components of a circuit?
4) What are the roles of insulators and conductors in electric circuits?
5) To what are current and voltage analogous in a water hose?
6) Precisely define the terms current and voltage (more properly called potential difference).
Sun., May 4 - Biology Review Answers for tomorrow's test.
Somehow, question 2c from the review got left off the answer document. Here is the answer:
2c) A cell cannot survive without a nucleus, but can regenerate missing parts if it has one.
Also, if the nucleus from another cell in used to replace a cells current own nucleus,
all the cell parts that are regenerated will look the the cell from which the new nucleus
was taken.
Fri., May 2 - Work on your biology review. Answers will be posted late on Sunday afternoon.
- Work on the lightning assignment. It will be taken up in class on Tuesday.
Thurs., May 1 - Complete the "Putting Electrostatics to Work" work sheet that we started in class.
Wed., Apr. 30 - Read pages 310 to 318 in the text.
Spend no more than 15 minutes answering questions on the Putting Electrostatics to Work worksheet.
You will get a printed copy of this worksheet in class tomorrow.
Tues., Apr. 29 - Answers to review questions for tomorrow's quiz:
13) a) We get one of each type of chromosome from each parent.
b) A homologous is a pair of chromosomes with the same shape and size and the same genes (although not the same
alleles for each gene). We get one from each parent.
c) Haploid means one copy of each type of chromosome (no homologous pairs), diploid means two copies of each type
of chromosome (homologous pairs).
f) Sex cells.
15) e Interphase
h Prophase I
c Metaphase I
a Anaphase I
d Telophase I
After telophase I, there is a short period that looks a lot like interphase, except that the cell does not grow, nor
does any duplication of organelles or chromatids take place.
f Prophase II
b Metaphase II
g Anaphase II
i Telophase II
16) a) Gametes, which carry one of each homologous pair to the next generation.
b) It allows each offspring to get a copy of each gene from each parent without doubling the number of chromosomes
each generation.
17) b) Meiosis produces twice as many cells as mitosis, but with half the number of chromosomes each (haploid).
Mon., Apr. 28 - Answers to review questions for tomorrow's quiz:
4) a) day-to-day work, synthesis of a new DNA chromatid
b) chromosomes shorten, nuclear envelope breaks down, spindle forms
c) opposite of prophase
d) cell grows and makes additional organelles
e) chromosomes line up along the equator of the cell
f) cell grows and makes additional organelles
g) chromatids separate and move to opposite poles of the cell (is called 'd' in the question)
h) cell divides into two cells (cytokinesis, not included in the question)
5) a,f,b,e,g,h,c,d
6) a) i) 4th column from left, 4th down
ii) 5th column from left, top
iii) 2nd column, bottom or 4th column 2nd from top
iv) 3rd column, top and second from top or 5th column 2nd and 3rd from top
v) 6th column, middle cell
b) interphase, prophase
c) interphase is the longest phase, prophase is second longest
d) i) S,G2,prophase, metaphase
ii) anaphase, telophase, G1, S
e) by using separated DNA strands as templates to build up a new second strand
Fri., Apr. 25 - Biology Review Questions
Answers to the parts of the cell questions: This is all that will be covered on tomorrow's short quiz.
2a) The left-hand cell is a plant cell (it has a thick cell wall, a large central vacuole, and chloroplasts).
The right-hand cell is an animal cell.
b) Plant cell, starting from the upper most left-hand asterisk and going around counter clockwise:
nucleolus, endoplasmic reticulum, vesicle, cell wall, cell membrane, golgi body, chloroplast, ribosomes (little dots),
not too sure about the next one (it could be a mitochondrion, which is what the organelle above it is), central vacuole.
Animal cell, starting from the top asterisk and going around counter clockwise:
mitochondria, cytoplasm, golgi body, microtubules, endoplasmic reticulum, ribosomes, chromatin, nucleolus, cell membrane,
ribosome.
3) a) makes ribosomes, b) stores chromosomes, c) stores genetic information (chromosomes), site where proteins are assembled,
e) assemble protein polymers, f) move material around the cell while keeping it separate from the cytoplasm,
g) prepares material to be released from the cell, h) converts food molecules into energy molecules,
i) stores digestive enzymes, j) carries out photosynthesis, k) controls movement of substances into and out of the cell,
l) pressurizes the inside of the cell.
Fri., Apr. 11 - Answer questions 1-6 on page 35 and 1-4 on page 40 for Wednesday.
- We will be working with the microscopes on Monday and Tuesday. Please bring a few sheets of blank paper for sketching.
Thurs., Apr. 10 - Read sections 1.4 and 1.5 from the textbook.
Wed., Apr. 9 - Work on the two worksheets handed out in class today: "parts of the microscope" and "calculation and sketching"
- Over the next two days, we will work on asexual reproduction
For those of you that will be away: read sections 1.4 and 1.5
answer 1-6 on page 35 and 1-4 on page 40
Thurs., Apr. 3 - Work on the review questions for the chapter 8 test on Tomorrow.
Wed., Apr. 2 - Work on the review questions for the chapter 8 test on Friday.
Tues., Apr. 1 - Work on the review questions for the chapter 8 test on Friday.
Mon., Mar. 31 - Answer pg 10: #3-5,8,9
Fri., Mar. 28 - Start working on activity 1-A on pages 5 to 9 in the textbook. Spend no more than 40 minutes working on this activity!
- Spend the rest your alloted science homework time for the weekend working on the review questions posted on Wednesday.
Given the number of field trips next week, I decided to have the last chemistry test, based on those review questions, on Friday.
Wed., Mar. 26 - That was the end of the chemistry unit.
We will have a chapter 8 quiz next week. The homework questions posted on the board today are for review.
If you did not get them copied down, they are:
pg 264: #1-3,5
pg 267: #1-5,7
pg 276: #1-4
pg 282: #-15,7-17,19,23,24,26,27
- Remember that there is no school for grade nine students until period 3 which starts at 1:05 PM
Tues., Mar. 25 - Study for the test tomorrow.
Wed., Mar. 19 - Work on the Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Review
- With reference to the models for ionic and molecular compounds presented in class today:
a) Explain the differences in odour, hardness, and conductivity when dissolved
b) Predict and explain the differences in melting point, malleability, and conductivity in the solid state
Tues., Mar. 18 - Chapter 5, 6, & 7 Review
Mon., Mar. 17 - Work on your Chemical Element Cards
- Make sure that you are ready for your periodic table quiz tomorrow
- Have your Atomic Numbers sheet ready to hand in tomorrow.
Thurs., Mar. 6 - Complete the new periodic table assignment
Wed., Mar. 5 - Comtinue working on your new periodic table assignment
- Today's Notes
Tues., Mar. 4 - To summarize today's proceedings:
I) a) A reaction of Sodium carbonate and vinegar produced gas bubbles, but the mass of the contained reaction did not change.
b) A reaction of Iron III nitrate and Sodium hydroxide produced a dark red solid precipitate, but the mass of the
contained reaction did not change.
The conclusion reached was that the Law of Conservation of Mass is credible.
II) a) Mendeleev constructed his periodic table by constructing chemical element cards for each element containing:
- the average atomic mass
- other properties inculding melting and boiling point, density, reactivity, typical chemical formulas
b) Mendeleev arranged his cards in order of increasing average atomic mass.
c) When he encountered an element with properties similar to one already in the list, he started a new row, placing the
new element below those with which it was similar. In this way, all the elements in a column had similar properties.
d) For two elements, he reversed the order of the elements to keep the chemical similarity within a column.
1) Find the two places where a heavier element comes before a lighter one.
e) In at least two places, the next heaviest element in the list was heavier compared to the last element that was common
(the gap in mass was unusually large) and the properties were not similar to the next column, but were similar to
one of the columns after that. Mendeleev left a gap in his periodic table and put the next element in the column for
its properties were a match. Mendeleev supposed that there must be one or more undiscovered elements that should fit
into the gap. Mendeleev predicted the average atomic masses of the missing elements by comparing the mass on either
side of the gap, and predicted the properties of the missing element by looking at the properties of elements above
and below the gap. He particularly looked at trends within the column to predict the properties of the missing element.
f) Mendeleevs predictions for the elements that were subsequently discovered and named Gallium and Germanium were quite
close:
Predicted Actual Predicted Actual
Element Gallium Germanium
Atomic Mass (u) 68 69.7 72 72.3
Density (g/mL) 5.9 5.94 5.5 5.47
Melting Point low 30oC high 2830oC
Solubility in acids moderate moderate low low
g) We will investigate Mendeleev's process by i) making our chemical element coster,
ii) completing the new periodic table assignment.
- For homework: work on the new periodic table assignment. It is due on Friday.
Mon., Mar. 3 - Formulas worksheet (this will be checked tomorrow)
- Chemical Element Poster: due on March 25
- In class, we tested two experiments cited in the last class:
Identification of elements by electrolysis of chemical compounds: electrolysis of water.
Read over pages 180 and 181.
Sketch the apparatus and write out the procedure.
The purpose of the sulfate compound is to improve the electrical conductivity of the water.
When the battery was connected, gas bubbles formed around the electrodes and floated to the top of each test tube.
Results
1) Test tube 'A' with the electrode connected to the negative terminal of the battery collected twice as much gas as the other.
2) The gas in test tube 'A' popped when a burning splint was inserted.
3) The gas in the other test tube, 'B', caused a glowing splint to re-ignite when inserted.
Conclusions
1) What gas collected in test tube A?
2) What gas collected in test tube B?
3) What conclusion can you reach as to the chemical formula of water from the relative volumes of gas in the two test tubes?
Conservation of Mass in a Chemical Reaction
Read over page 179
1) We completed one reaction today, more will be tested tomorrow.
2) Reactions are carried out in a stoppered flask.
3) One reactant is placed in the flask, the other in a test tube which is lowered into the flask.
4) The flask is stoppered and its mass is recorded.
5) The properties of the reactants are recorded.
6) The flask is inverted so that the reactants can mix.
7) Evidence for a chemical reaction and the properties of the products are recorded.
8) The mass of the flask is recorded.
Results (so far)
Trial Reactants Starting Mass Products Ending Mass
1 Sodium hydroxide solution Dark blue, jelly-like 170.7 g
- clear, colourless solution 170.7 g precipitate
Copper chloride solution
- clear, light blue solution
Fri., Feb. 29 - Research chemical elements for your chemical element poster.
Thurs., Feb. 28 - None homework.
Fri. Feb. 21 - Answer the 7 density questions below using the following data.
Some Densities (g/mL)
Copper: 8.9 Steel: 7.8 Lead: 11.3 Gold: 19.3 Silver: 10.5
Aluminum: 2.7 ice: 0.92 glycerol: 1.26 birch wood: 0.66 cedar wood: 0.37
distilled water: 1.0 vegetable oil: 0.92 alcohol: 0.8 granite: 2.65 air: 0.00129
1 g/mL = 1000 kg/m3
Whenever performing calculations, you must make certain that your units are consistent.
For example, if your volume is in litres and your density is in kg/m3, you must either convert
the density to kg/L or the volume into m3.
1) Last week, I asked you to estimate the mass of the air in the class room. Using the density of air, listed above,
calculate the mass of the air in the room using your estimate of its volume. Remember to convert the density
in the list to kg/m3
2) Which takes up more space: a tonne of bricks or a tonne of feathers? Why?
3) The king of LCI wants to make sure that his crown is really made of gold. You measure the volume of the crown using
the water displacement method and find it to be 225 mL. You measure the mass of the crown using a balance and
find it to be 2000 g. Is the crown made of gold or copper?
4) a) What does the density of an object have to be in order to float in a liquid?
b) How does a ship made out steel manage to float in water?
c) What will happen to the density of water if salt is dissolved in it?
d) Which do you think is more dense: i) an unpeeled orange or a peeled orange?
ii) diet coke or regular coke?
5) A pickup truck can hold a load of up to 1800 kg. Any heavier a load will break the rear suspension.
When loading sand into the load box, what is the maximum volume of sand (in m3) that can be added without
overloading it? The density of sand is 2200 kg/m3.
6) A submarine has a volume of 3000 m3 and a mass of 2500000 kg. The density of sea water is 1030 kg/m3.
The captain of the submarine wishes to dive the boat by adding water to the ballast tanks to increase its mass.
How many kilograms of water must she add to her boat to give it the same density as sea water?
7) A mining company needs to move 20,000 m3 of dirt from its mine site. The dirt has a density of 1500 kg/m3.
The company's trucks can carry a load of 2000 kg. How many trips will it take for one truck to move all the dirt?
- Review for chemistry test on Tuesday.
Thurs., Feb. 21 - Work on your labs.
Wed., Feb. 20 - Watch out for the lunar eclipse that occurs tonight at 8:45 PM
- Work on the lab discussion (errors and their effects, sketch, graph and slope calculation, ect.)
- We will do the chemical changes lab tomorrow
Tues., Feb. 19 - 1) What is the mass of the air in the classroom?
2) Why is a graph a better way to estimate the density of the rubber stoppers in our lab tomorrow?
- Chapter 5 test (part 1): properties, changes, and the particle theory
Review questions will be posted later tonight
- Density lab takes tomorrow.
- Class notes
Fri., Feb. 15 - Go to the Resources page and investigate some of the periodic table web sites.
You also can do a google search for chemical elements.
We are going to be doing a major project on a chemical element, and I would like you to look at the different elements
and see in which ones you might be interested.
- Answer the following:
1) Classify each of the following as a colloid, suspension, solution, mechanical mixture, compound, or element.
You may have to do a little internet research for some of these.
a) ketchup b) air
c) water d) mud
e) apple juice f) Carbon
g) Hydrogen h) Carbon dioxide
i) fog j) a chocolate chip cookie
k) milk l) Iron
m) steel n) dusty air
2) For valentine's day a chemist and a geologist both give their spouses a gift.
The chemist gives a small cube of a new, super light-weight plastic. The geologist gives a 12 tonne block of granite.
a) List one difference in the properties of the two objects
b) List one difference in the properties of the two substances.
- Class notes
Thurs., Feb. 14 - Make sure that your lab is ready to hand in tomorrow.
- Answer the following:
1) What is the difference between a chemical and a physical property?
2) Identify the physical property indicated in each of the following.
a) Glass breaks if you try to bend it. b) Rubber stretches.
c) Salt dissolves in water. d) Salt crystals looks like cubes.
e) Ketchup is hard to pour from the bottle. f) Carbon has a dull sheen.
g) Chalk can scratch wax. h) Ice floats in water.
i) Wax boils at 150 oC. j) Sand feels rough.
3) Give one example of a chemical property.
4) What must be made in a chemical change?
5) What are 5 clues that you can use to help you identify chemical changes?
6) Which of the following changes are physical and which are chemical?
a) garbage rots b) carrots are cut up c) an egg is hard-boiled
d) silver spoon turns black e) tea is made f) food is digested
g) a glass breaks h) paper burns i) sugar dissolves
j) a nail rusts k) chalk is ground up l) chalk fizzes in acid
- Class notes
Wed., Feb. 13 - Complete the lab questions.
The lab report is due on Friday: 1) original observations that were recorded in the lab
2) the answers to the lab questions
- Class notes for those with the sketchy excuses about late buses and weather.
This is winter!
If you are half and hour late every few days, you will miss too much of the course to pass.
Tues., Feb. 12 - Answer all the questions from the lab handout that you can. We will discuss any difficulties in class tomorrow.
- Do not re-write your observations: I want only your original observations that were recorded during the lab.
- We will negotiate the due date for the lab in class tomorrow.
Mon., Feb. 11 - Read pages 156-159; 164-168; 170-175
- Class notes for today.
Thurs., Feb. 7 - Read pages 574 to 576
- Answer the "Instant Practice Questions" on pages 575 and 576
Wed., Feb. 6 - Get practice at making observations.
Pick a substance from around the house and try to describe it as thoroughly as possible.
Remember, you are trying to describe the substance, not the object into which it is made.
For example, if I was to describe the properties of a piece of chalk (a likely substance for a teacher), I would
not talk about the size or shape of the chalk. These are properties of that specific piece of chalk. I would
try to describe the properties of the substance chalk itself. Properties that any piece of chalk would have,
no matter what size or shape it had.
- Class notes for today if you were away.
Tues., Feb. 5 - None tonight.
Mon., Feb. 4 - Study for the lab safety quiz tomorrow:
- safe practices rules
- your class room map of safety equipment
- WHMIS safety symbols for chemical bottles
Fri., Feb. 1 - Complete: Survey, and mental puzzles
- Have a parent or guardian sign the course outline and be ready to show this to the teacher in class.
- Print off 2 copies of the first page of the safety contract and one copy of the second page.
Read the contract carefully and ask your parents or guardians to do the same.
Complete the bottom portion of one copy of the first page and return it to the teacher.
Place a copy of the first and second pages into your notes.
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