'The First Year Notes Of An Academic Sytherin..' - Hogwarts Library

The First Year Notes Of An Academic Sytherin..

Studying these notes alone should hep you pass every quiz with full marks :) Please note this includes the direct words from the lesson, as well as my own notes which simplifies and summarises the important parts (Personal notes are written in italic)

**Also includes help with essays**

Last Updated

05/31/21

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Potions: Week 2 (How To Do The Essay?!)

Chapter 3

For your first essay you will receive a choice of two topics (prompts) on which to write your essay. This essay should be a minimum of 200 words and should be written in YOUR OWN WORDS. Please do not use wording from this book either, as it is still Plagiarism and you will receive 1%.

It is very important to make sure you have covered all aspects of the prompt you have chosen and that you have answered the question fully.

PROMPT 1:

What is a phase transition? Name and give an example of 3 different phase transitions we see in Magical or Muggle life and discuss what causes the transition.

Now for your essay to seem logical and well thought out, it would be best to start by explaining what a phase transition is. According to the previous chapter a phase transition is: "..the process by which a solid becomes a liquid, a liquid becomes a gas, a gas becomes a solid, and so forth. We typically see this through a change in the amount of energy as created by heat..."

We can however not write that in the essay, so let's try to put that into our own words. Here's an example: "A phase transition is the shifting from one stage of matter to another due to a change in temperature..."

In the example above I have defined it very scientifically, however that is not necessary. This can be worded any way you deem fit as long as the meaning does not change and it is in your own words. Next you are asked to give examples of 3 different phase transitions as well as what causes them. Here is a list of things you could possibly say:

A boiling cauldron in the Potions class- This is an example of a liquid changing to a gaseous state and is caused by exposure to extreme heat.
The Black Lake (Also known as the Great Lake) freezing in the winter- Transition from a liquid to a solid, due to very cold temperatures (an absence of heat).
The ice cubes in your butterbeer melting- A transition from a solid to a liquid due to heat.
Dry ice in the Muggle world- An excellent example of sublimation (Solid to a gas, although I hope you already knew that) it is caused by an exposure to heat, which raises the incredibly low temperatures of the ice.
Snow- Snow is formed in the clouds by deposition which is when a gas changes directly to a solid due to extreme cold.
The water that gathers on your mirror after you have bathed- This is an example of condensation as it involves a transition of molecules from a gas to a liquid form.

It might be necessary for you to expand on a few things more to fill up your word count, but there you have it. The guidelines to writing an excellent essay

PROMPT 2:

Describe what mixtures, compounds, and solutions are. Provide an example of at least one of them that you have used in your Magical or Non-Magical life (and identify which of the three it is).

Start making a habit of always giving your definitions before you talk about something, even if they are not specifically asked for. This not only gives your essay a more finished appearance but also helps with your word count later. For this particular topic I'd also suggest adding lots of examples or else you won't reach your word goal. With that being said let's get started. First I'm going to add the Professor's definitions of the words, then I will add an example of how to rewrite it in your own words.

A mixture, is when one substance or ingredient is distributed through another without any reaction taking place. This means that there has been no rearrangement of chemical bonds.

"A mixture is the distribution of one substance or ingredient through another without a reaction taking place. Thus the chemical bonds between the atoms are in no way rearranged..."

Examples of this:

The Great Lake/Black Lake at Hogwarts (Wizarding world)
A muggle stew (Muggle world)

A compound, on the other hand, occurs when there is a reaction that causes the two or more ingredients that are combined to undergo a chemical reaction and change the shape and form of their chemical bonds. In simplest terms, something has caused the building blocks of each substance to change.

"A compound occurs when two or more ingredients are combined and chemically react to each other. This causes the shape and form of their chemical bonds to change. This usually happens in the presence of extreme heat..."

As an example of a compound, the Carbon Dioxide we inhale can be used as it is created by bonded atoms of both Carbon and Oxygen.

A solution is a mixture (remember the definition from above) in which a smaller quantity known as the solute is dissolved and spread throughout a larger quantity or the solvent. A solution can actually be a solid, liquid, or a gas. As an example, our own atmosphere, which contains many different elements, is actually a solution in gas form!

"Solutions can be solid, liquid or gas and are defined as a mixture (the distribution of one substance or ingredient through another without a reaction taking place) in which a smaller quantity (also referred to as the solute) is dissolved and spread throughout the larger quantity known as the solvent."

As you can see, in my version I didn't change much of the original wording, I simply added the definition of a mixture and inserted a few bracket, yet it appears different. Next we should add a few examples:

saltwater (In both the muggle and wizarding world).
syrup (Once again, both worlds).
Certain types of alcohol like Vodka (Muggle world).
The atmosphere (Both).

Now just expand on a few things if your word count is too low and press the submit button.