Student Directions Balancing Chemical Equations Activity

Student directions Balancing Chemical Equations activity

Learning Goals: Students will be able to

 Describe what “reactants” and “products” in a chemical equation mean.  Explain the importance of knowing the difference between “coefficients” and “subscripts”.  Use pictures and calculations to show how the number of atoms for each product or reactant is found.  Identify the relationship between “reactants” and “products” atoms.  Balance a chemical equation using the relationships identified.  Given a chemical equation, draw molecular representations of the reaction and explain how the representations were derived.  Given a molecular drawing of a chemical reaction, write the equation and explain how the symbols were derived. Directions: Google search Phet Simulations. Click on the first link. Once open, click on chemistry on the left then find the simulation entitled Balancing Chemical Equations and select it then hit Run Now. Click on Bar Charts on the bottom to be able to compare the number of atoms on each side. Now make ammonia, then separate water, then combust methane (you can change between these different reactions by clicking in the top right). Once you have balanced those three reactions, play the balancing game by clicking on that tab at the top. Challenge yourself and check your work. When done, get in a group of 4 and discuss these questions and come to a consensus on an answer and write them down. Then share with the class in a group discussion. 1. How does the sim provide information to help you learn the goals?

2. What things did you have to research outside the sim (how did you know the information to answer these, cite references)?

3. How can you use the sim to check your learning?

4. Use this balanced reaction to show that you can write the equation that makes chemical sense. Explain how the symbols were derived in paragraph form.

5. Use this reaction to show that you can draw molecular representations of a balanced reaction. Explain how the representations were derived in paragraph form.

CO2 + H2O C2H6 + O2

4/29/2018 Loeblein http://phet.colorado.edu