New
New
Year 5

Burning: an irreversible change

I can describe burning as an irreversible change, where a new material is formed.

New
New
Year 5

Burning: an irreversible change

I can describe burning as an irreversible change, where a new material is formed.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. When a substance burns, it produces a flame.
  2. For burning to take place there has to be fuel, oxygen and a high enough temperature.
  3. When things burn, new materials are usually formed.
  4. Burning is a change that cannot be reversed.
  5. Burning materials can be observed closely as they change over time.

Keywords

  • Burn - To burn is to be on fire.

  • New material - A new material is formed when a starting material goes through an irreversible change.

  • Irreversible reaction - If a change is irreversible, it cannot be undone or changed back to its original state.

  • Observe - To observe is to look very closely and use other senses too.

Common misconception

Burning, heating and melting are the same. Smoke and water vapour are the same.

Slides teach that heating and melting are reversible changes because the original materials can be recovered but that, with burning, the original materials cannot be recovered. The difference between smoke and water vapour is also taught.

Encourage children to explain that they know a change is irreversible if they cannot recover the original materials.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Trays, sand, tea lights, matches or a safety lighter, tongs, paper.

Content guidance

  • Risk assessment required - equipment

Supervision

Adult supervision required

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
What are the three states of matter?
Correct answer: solid state
ice state
water state
Correct answer: liquid state
Correct answer: gas state
Q2.
is the process when a liquid changes into a gas.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer: evaporation, boiling
Q3.
Match the process to whether it happens due to heating or cooling.
An image in a quiz
Correct Answer:evaporation,heating

heating

Correct Answer:condensation,cooling

cooling

Q4.
What is the name of the process that causes water droplets to form from water vapour in the air?
An image in a quiz
evaporation
Correct answer: condensation
melting
freezing
Q5.
is the name of the process that causes water in its liquid state to turn into ice.
Correct Answer: Freezing, freezing
Q6.
Which two processes causes ice to change state to become water and water vapour?
An image in a quiz
freezing and melting
melting and condensation
evaporation and condensation
Correct answer: melting and evaporation

6 Questions

Q1.
When a substance _________, it often produces a flame.
An image in a quiz
evaporates
melts
condenses
Correct answer: burns
Q2.
Which of these are needed for burning to take place?
matches
Correct answer: fuel
Correct answer: oxygen
Correct answer: heat
low temperature
Q3.
Match the type of change to the description.
Correct Answer:reversible,can be changed back again

can be changed back again

Correct Answer:irreversible,cannot be changed back again

cannot be changed back again

Q4.
When things burn …
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: new materials are usually formed.
the original materials are kept.
some new materials are formed but the original materials can be recovered.
Q5.
Burning is an example of a ______________ change.
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: irreversible
reversible
Q6.
How could you learn about changes during burning?
by planning investigations
Correct answer: by making observations
by making predictions
by drawing diagrams

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