In this project we had to construct a board game that appeals to kids and is interactive with a wide variety of chemical reactions. Our board game had to included both single and double displacement reactions as well as a physical change, lighting of an LED, and finally changes of energy. Our sequence of reactions had to eventually lead to the lighting of an LED. The reactions had to be clearly explained and have a demonstration of each one individually.
Our Project
For our board game we chose to have a theme similar to Jurassic Park. Our project consisted of a double displacement reaction, single replacement reaction, a decomposition reactions and a production of a gas.
First Reaction: Cu(NO3)2 + Na2CO3 Our first reaction was a double displacment reaction with copper nitrate and sodium carbonate. Once the two compounds were combined they changed from a clear to a bluish color very similar to ice. This was used to simulate a lake freezing over during the winter time and really caught the attention of the audience on presentation night.
Second Reaction: Al + CuCl2 The second reaction was a single replacement reaction that involved the dissolving of aluminium in copper chloride that lead to the lighting of an LED. How this reaction occurs is that only when the copper chloride dissolves the aluminum the bread board circut will be able to inhibit the LED to illuminate.
Third Reaction: KI + H2O2 Our third reaction was a decomposition reaction between potassium iodide and hydrogen peroxide. This reaction is what we used to simulate a volcano erupting. We added food dye to make the foam appear like lava and it was not only a cool reaction to perform, but also to watch.
Fourth Reaction: C2H3O2 + NaHCO3 Our fourth and final reaction was between acetic acid and sodium bicarbonate. These chemicals are more commonly referred to as baking soda and vinegar. They were as our production of a gas reaction and inflated a balloon for the winning player to escape the island and not get eaten by dinosaurs.
Below are a couple of pictures that include the build process of our game as well as the rules sheet
Content
Single Replacement: A type of chemical reaction where an element reacts with a compound and takes the place of another element in that compound
Double Replacement: A type of chemical reaction where two compounds react, and the positive ions (cation) and the negative ions (anion) of the two reactants switch places, forming two new compounds or products
LED: A light-emitting diode is a two-lead semiconductor light source
Energy: The property that must be transferred to an object in order to perform work on, or to heat, the object
Physical Change: Changes affecting the form of a chemical substance, but not its chemical composition
Board Game: A tabletop game that involves counters or pieces moved or placed on a pre-marked surface or "board", according to a set of rules
Atom: An atom is the building block for everything. Everything on Earth is made of atoms. Atoms are formed from protons, neutrons, and electrons
Proton: Protons are one of the three molecules that form atoms. They can be found in the nucleus of the atom, and help determine the atom's mass. They have a charge of +1, and the number of protons an atom has determines it's atomic number
Neutrons: Neutrons are one of the three molecules that form atoms. They can be found in the nucleus of the atom, and help determine the atom's mass. They have a charge of 0, and the number of neutrons and protons an atom has determines it's mass
Electrons: Electrons are one of the three molecules that make up an atom. Electrons orbit around the nucleus, forming most of the volume of the atom, and they have almost no mass. Electrons have a charge of -1. The number of electrons compared to the number of protons determines of an atom has a positive charge, a negative charge, or no charge
Element: An element is a piece of matter that is made up of only one type of atom. An example would be iron, which is made up of only iron atoms
Compound: A compound is a molecule made up of multiple elements, so it has more than one type of atom. An example would be acetate, which is made of two carbon, three hydrogen, and two oxygen atoms
Cation: A cation is an element or compound that has more protons than electrons. Metals are almost always cations Anion: An element or compound that has more electrons than it has protons. Anions have a negative charge. Non-metals are generally anions, with the notable exceptions of ammonium and hydronium
Synthesis Reaction: A synthesis reaction is when two or more elements or compounds all combine to form only one product. If a reaction has a single product, it must be a synthesis reaction.
Decomposition Reaction: A decomposition reaction is when one compound breaks apart into two or more elements or compounds. It is basically the opposite of a synthesis reaction, with only one reactant and multiple products.
Reflection
In this project I felt that I did many things well with my group, but we definitely struggled in some aspects of the project as well. For starters our communication as a group was extremely pour at the beginning of the project because we had lots of clashing ideas on the board game design. When we finally found a middle ground where everyone was satisfied we then had great collaboration and turned a negative aspect of our group into a positive. I also tried to incorporate as many ideas to the project that I felt were valid so also believe my communication during the project was very strong. At the same time none the less, I felt that my ability to stay on task was not my best at the beginning of the project. I would get easily distracted and get off task; hindering my groups true potential. Another thing I feel I can work on is being more open to other people's ideas. This was what made my group hard to work with at first; we all had idea we were set on and would give no leway to other options. Overall though I believe this project was extremely enjoyable and I would like to do project like this in STEM in the future.