Future Presentation Stephen Winter2009

Experiments in General Chemistry Stephen Glotzhober Cass Technical High School Teacher: Tom Bobovsky

Overview

3 experiments: •Double Replacement Lab

Students were given a reaction well and several chemicals to test. By checking for the formation of a precipitate, students were able to deduce whether a reaction had occurred. •Stoichiometry Lab Students mixed HCl and baking soda, and NaCl was produced. Percent yield and stoichiometric conversions were calculated. Important in areas such as baking, where wrong ratios of ingredients can lead to a cake that is either too bitter or too sweet.

•Plating of a Penny Lab Students added pennies to a solution of sodium hydroxide and zinc, turning the pennies silver. Pennies were heated using a bunsen burner in order to produce the alloy brass, which looks gold. This experiment helped show the students how chemistry can be used to change the appearance of everyday objects.

Stephen’s Perspective •Some students were much more engaged than other students in the experiments •Class size was a bigger problem than I had thought •Each class period the experiments ran smoother, as we were able to note things that worked and things that did not work from the previous class period •Students seemed to enjoy the change of pace that the experiments brought

Evaluation and Reflections…. •Longer class time would open up more experiment possibilities •Smaller class sizes would be easier to instruct •Importance of being flexible and prepared •Observing where students struggled •Very worthwhile experience •Different approach to experiments as an instructor versus a student

Moving Forward… •Hopefully continue being part of the FUTURE program next fall •Get an earlier start on experiments, cataloging past experiments •Improvement from first semester •How FUTURE helped me