Year 8 Science · Unit 2 · Lesson 17

Named Elements and Their Uses

Foundation Worksheet

Name

Date

Class

Learning Goals

Name 5 elements (Cu, Al, He, Si, C) and describe at least one property and use for each.
Explain how an element's properties determine where it is used.
Identify that carbon can exist as different allotropes with very different properties.

Warm Up

Fill the gap

Choose the correct word from the word bank to complete the passage below. Each word is used once. Two words will not be used.

conductor semiconductor malleable inert allotropes corrosion density isotope nucleus

Five elements are particularly important in modern technology, each chosen for its unique properties. Copper (Cu) is an excellent electrical , which is why it is used in household wiring and electrical cables. Copper also resists , meaning it does not break down easily when exposed to the environment. Aluminium (Al) has a very low , making it lightweight enough for aircraft and food packaging. Like copper, aluminium is and can be beaten or rolled into thin sheets without cracking. Helium (He) is described as because it does not react with other elements, this is why it is safe to use in party balloons and medical MRI machines. Silicon (Si) behaves as a , meaning it can control the flow of electricity under the right conditions, making it essential for computer chips and solar panels. Finally, carbon (C) is extraordinary because it exists in different structural forms called diamond and graphite look and feel completely different, yet both are made entirely of carbon atoms.

Your Turn

Odd one out

Circle the item that does not belong in each group. Then write the odd one out and explain why it does not fit in the answer column.

#	Group	Your answer (odd one + reason)
1	Electrical wiring Plumbing pipes Coins Computer chips
2	Carbon as diamond Carbon as graphite Carbon as buckminsterfullerene Carbon as isotope C-14
3	Inert Colourless Less dense than air Very reactive

Show What You Know

1. State two properties of copper that make it suitable for electrical wiring. For each property, explain how it helps copper do its job.

Recall 2 marks

2. Helium is used in weather balloons instead of hydrogen. Using the properties of helium from this lesson, give two reasons why helium is the preferred choice.

Recall 2 marks

Wrap Up

In one sentence, what was the main idea of this lesson?