Last week we ran multiple experiments about mass chemical reactions. There were six parts overall that included burning steel wool, melting ice, dissolving sugar, dissolving Alka-seltzer, and taking the before and after mass of each. I liked this because it yielded different results than I expected and it gave me an opportunity to work in lab groups and get back into the mentality of doing real experiments after having a whole summer off. Each station took about 5-10 minutes depending on what had to be done, for example dissolving the sugar took longer than simply mixing solutions. We also learned how to use a tri-beam scale instead of a digital scale, which is actually a lot easier than it sounds. I particularly enjoyed burning the steel wool partly because I enjoy burning stuff in general but also because it was actually quite a cool experiment. We also had to figure out the pom poms attached to the pvc pipe, which took a lot longer than one might expect. Eventually the class agreed on a conclusion after a couple days but it took a lot of brainstorming with our groups. Overall it was a productive first two weeks.