Chemical Dominoes
For this project we were assigned to come up with a chain of chemical reactions to work as if it were a rube Goldberg. We began by brainstorming as a group all of the labs we have done in the past and which chemical reactions we wanted to include. We then decided which we were going to use and began to create a blue print. We used a combustion reaction, double displacement reaction, synthesis reaction, and an acid based reaction.
The Chemistry Behind Our Project:
Combustion Reaction - a substance combines with oxygen that releases energy in the form of light and heat.
We had a match burn three ribbons that held the cups containing various solutions.
Chem Equation: C2H4(s) + 3O2(g) → 2CO2+ 2H2O(g)
Real Life Example: Gasoline in your car
Double Displacement Reaction - ions of two compounds exchange places in an aqueous solution to form two new compounds.
Our lever dropped lead nitrate into the beaker containing potassium iodide, creating a yellow color.
Chem Equation:: 2KI(aq)+ Pb(NO3)2 → 2K(NO3)2 + PbI2(s)
Synthesis Reaction - two or more substances combine to form a new compound
We created a bright light spark to occur by turning magnesium and oxygen into magnesium oxide.
Chem Equation: 2Mg(s) + O2(g) → 2MgO(s)
Acid Based Reaction- Hydrogen ions are exchanged between either neutral or electrically charged species.
Our cup dropped hydrochloric acid into the watch glass, changing from a blue color to a light pink/red solution.
Chem Eequation: NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) → H2O(l) + NaCl(s)
Real Life Example: Eating Tums to neutralize stomach acids
Real Life Comparisons:
Combustion Reaction - a substance combines with oxygen that releases energy in the form of light and heat.
We had a match burn three ribbons that held the cups containing various solutions.
Chem Equation: C2H4(s) + 3O2(g) → 2CO2+ 2H2O(g)
Real Life Example: Gasoline in your car
Double Displacement Reaction - ions of two compounds exchange places in an aqueous solution to form two new compounds.
Our lever dropped lead nitrate into the beaker containing potassium iodide, creating a yellow color.
Chem Equation:: 2KI(aq)+ Pb(NO3)2 → 2K(NO3)2 + PbI2(s)
- Double displacement reactions are extremely common.
- The yellow color appears when potassium reacts with nitrate.
Synthesis Reaction - two or more substances combine to form a new compound
We created a bright light spark to occur by turning magnesium and oxygen into magnesium oxide.
Chem Equation: 2Mg(s) + O2(g) → 2MgO(s)
- When the magnesium metal is exposed to atmospheric oxygen, it forms magnesium oxide, releasing a large amount of light and heat that is nearly impossible to stop once started.
- Magnesium metal is highly reactive.
Acid Based Reaction- Hydrogen ions are exchanged between either neutral or electrically charged species.
Our cup dropped hydrochloric acid into the watch glass, changing from a blue color to a light pink/red solution.
Chem Eequation: NaOH(aq) + HCl(aq) → H2O(l) + NaCl(s)
Real Life Example: Eating Tums to neutralize stomach acids
Real Life Comparisons:
- Common in the body and atmosphere such as acid rain. Acid rain occurs when acidic gases are released by power plants and dropped many miles from their source, killing fish and plants.
- Antacids such as Tums, Rolaids, and Maalox relieve heartburn by neutralizing stomach acid with a base.
- Acid-reducing medications like Pepcid AC, Tagamet HB, and Axid AR work by making the stomach secrete less acid.
Reflection: This project was very fun to do as a group because we got to combine all of our ideas to come up with a series of chemical reactions. My favorite part of the project was choosing which chemical reactions we could use by going over all of our previous labs and stations we have done this year so far. We did a very good job collaborating with one another and making sure everybody's ideas were incorporated in the project. Another thing we did well was making sure we had everything done in time and ready to present. A skill I improved on while doing this project was learning more in depth about how these chemicals react and why they react the way they do. There were also some things that I could have done better and improved upon for next time. First, I could have done a better job at constructing the pieces of wood for our levers so that the wholes weren't too tight. This would make it easier for our lever to tip over. Second, we could have gone into Mr. Williams' room to find the type of wood that we needed and the sizes we needed instead of going to the shed and trying to saw up our pieces of wood.