Chemical Dominoes Project
Project:
This project was one that was very exciting. It combined lots of elements together. There was chemistry, physics, and other science.
For this project we had to create a board game and add some type of Rube Goldberg to it. We were required to have some chemistry component as well. My group incorporated chemistry by having reaction spots. If you landed on a reation spot, you could pick between capturing a gas, creating a double displacement reaction, creating a single displacement, or destroying a metal. We had all of the solutions and materials need to create all of these reactions, and we even had an instruction sheet too.
Chemistry Concepts:
We had a total of 5 reactions. Our first reaction was to capture a gas. We used carbon dioxide gas to blow up a balloon. The materials that we used for this reaction were a beaker, acetic acid (AcOH), sodium bicarbonate, and a balloon. For our second reaction we did a double displacement reaction. For this one we put two clear solutions, potassium iodine and lead nitrate, into a watch glass, and a yellow color was created. This double displacement reaction was an example of a color change. The third reaction was a double replacement reaction. We put 5 drops of NaOH into a watch glass, and added 1 drop of indicator solution to it. Then we added hydrocloric acid to the watch glass, and a color change occured. The new color indicated that the base in the solution had been neutralized and that the solution was becoming acidic. For the single displacement reaction we put zinc into a 10ml beaker and added hydrocloric acid to the beaker. The hydrocloric acid reacted with the zinc, and caused it to fizz and bubble.
Reflection:
I thought that this project was pretty fun, and I learned a lot about different types of reactions. I learned about how to capture a gas, how to create a double displacement reaction, and how to create a single displacement reaction. My group faced a bit of a problem with time management. At the beginning of the project my group could have worked a bit quicker and could have been more productive. That would have resulted in not having to work on the project for so long outside of class. However, we got the got done and presented it nicely at the presentation night.This was my favorite project so far.