If you think about what happens if you put a drop of ink in a glass of water, or milk into tea, or if you leave a piece of metal outside for a year; you’ll realise that materials naturally decompose and spread out. Even plastic, over a long period, breaks down to its basic elements. The law of entropy, which is part of laws of thermodynamics, is agreed science that tells us that all materials will - over time - break down to their smallest parts and transform all energy to its lowest form, which is heat. In this manner, everything disperses.
Learning journal activity
This activity is required for students seeking formal credit. Other students may complete a learning journal but it will not be assessed.
- Think about different substances or materials that you use everyday.
- What happens to them after you have finished with them?
- Where do they end up?
- What chemical elements are in them, and where have those chemicals come from?
If you need more stimulus material, watch this video: The story of stuff
