MATTER is anything that has MASS and takes up SPACE.  Changes in matter can be either physical or chemical.  PHYSICAL CHANGES occur in the appearance or phase of the material but does not involves changes in the substance itself. The melting of ice to liquid form is a physical change yet the substance is still H₂O, whether it is called ice (solid) or water (liquid).  CHEMICAL CHANGES will result in a new substance being formed. The combustion of gasoline is a chemical change that transforms the gasoline/oxygen mixture into a mixture of carbon dioxide, water and other gases. Energy is closely associated with chemical changes.

This laboratory experiment will focus on student OBSERVATIONS, at the macroscopic level, of "changes" detected during dissolving processes and during reaction processes. These observations may include:  the formation of a solid (called a precipitate), the formation of a gas (via bubbles), a change in color or a change in energy (known as heat).