Quiz!!

Today we took our weekly quiz, which always stresses me out. I studied rigorously for it, which might be overkill for a simple quiz, but I can not do badly on this. I consulted many friends and resources while studying and used a variety of outside sources to aid in my learning. Some of the sources I used were:

Ch 7 Notes

Today in class we had a lecture over Ch 7, which includes chemical reactions, their characteristics and balancing equations. I found this lesson relatively straightforward, with just a few new pieces of information. For example, the difference between a change in subscripts and coefficients was finally made clear to me. A change in coefficient changes the amount of molecules, while a change in subscript completely changes the composition and identity of an element. It is extremely important to not confuse the two and to understand when both changes are appropriate. Additionally, I learned the importance of combustion and how to balance an equation using the CHO method. Combustion always reacts with oxygen and always produces carbon dioxide and water. Also, to balance its equation, it is easiest to start with carbon, then work on the hydrogen and finally end with the oxygen.

 Balancing Chemical Equations

Reaction Lab

In the beginning of the unit, we participated in a lab to test our knowledge and prediction of solubility rules. To guess which reactions would actually occur, we combined compounds and carried out double replacement reactions. There were approximately 12 reactions that actually took place which then required us to form their net ionic equations. This real life practice helped me envision the lecture and its information. 

Post Unit Test

Although I thoroughly studied and completed the online practice tests and worksheets, I still felt I was unprepared for this test. It was very difficult for me because I forgot many of the necessary components from previous chapters such as polyatomics and properly identifying substances. This was definitely a reminder of the importance of continual learning and repetition of previous lessons. Here are a few links I will be using in the future to aid in my studying.

Chemical Composition Basics Video

Also, this is a great introduction into the formulas!

Post Note Practice

After notes this week, Mrs. Frankenberg gave us a challenging problem to further extend our lesson at home. It incorporated our lesson over molecular and empirical formula into a real world problem. This problem is similar to many on the test, so it helps us practice for the upcoming unit test. I found it quite difficult, but with more practice I believe it will become easier. 

Empirical Formula Practice

Empirical Formula Lesson

Chloride Lab!

This was my first time getting into lab, and it was a great one to start with! We took a small amount of zinc and combined it with 10 mL of chloride. We then heated the contents until all the chloride evaporated and only the crystallized substance remained. Finally, we took the data we collected and calculated our percent of error using our knowledge from the previous lessons on chemical composition. My partner and I ended up with a narrow error margin of 4.5%. Overall, this lab was a lot of fun, even if the smell was a little overwhelming. I look forward to more labs that broaden my real life experiences with our lessons.

11/4 Notes

Today we began our notes on the Chemical Composition unit. We identified what a mole is and its uses and began putting our previous knowledge of dimensional analysis to use. We learned how to convert grams to moles to atoms and vice versa. Additionally, we put this knowledge to the test with practice stations that were set up in the back of the classroom. Here are some helpful links for the basics of chemical composition.
Definition of a Mole

Mole Conversion Practice