Project Description
For this project we created a board game that involved reactions, as an interactive way to present chemistry. We were required to have a single replacement reaction, a double displacement reaction, a production of gas, lighting of an LED, chemical changes of energy, and a physical change.
The Game
Our game was called "Desert Isolation," and was based on a make-believe situation where the players are stranded in the desert and must get to the end of the game to be found. Here's how the game works: our color coded track determines what will happen when you land on them. Green, purple, and yellow spaces were neutral, so nothing would happen. If you landed on a red space, you would draw a bad card and follow the directions. Yellow spaces are good, so you draw a good card. The only other color is orange, which means riddle. If you land on this color, you have to answer a riddle.... your next action depends on your answer. To advance you simply roll a die, and advance the number given. About half of the action cards lead into reactions, while the other half relate to the game pieces on the board.
The Reactions
We had four reactions, and one phase change.
1. Copper Chloride and Aluminum Foil This is a single replacement reaction, which means an element replaces an ion in a compound. In this reaction the Al replaced the Cu in CuCl2. This resulted in the breaking down of the aluminum foil, and the visible collection of copper at the bottom of the cup. Because the foil was part of a parallel circuit, its separation resulted in the lighting of an LED, which represented a flare in our game. 3. Sodium Bicarbonate and Citric Acid
For this reaction we used Alka--Seltzer tablets to release CO2 in water, creating our helpful school of fish. The formula is 3NaHCO3 + H3C6H5O7-->3H2O+3CO2+Na3C6H5O7, or Sodium bicarbonate plus citric acid yields water, carbon dioxide, and sodium citrate. The sodium bicarbonate and citric both exist as solids in the tablet, but do not mix until they dissolve in water. When this happens the carbon dioxide that is released creates a bubbling effect, which we exaggerated by pouring oil into the container, which allowed small amounts of colored water and carbon dioxide to rise to the surface. 5. Evaporation of Dry Ice
Although this is not a reaction, it is a physical change. We placed dry ice into warm water, accelerating it's evaporation to carbon dioxide. This created a fog that spread over the table. We used a paper towel dipped in dish soap and and water to create a bubble over the container, which with gas and eventually popped, releasing a cloud of carbon dioxide. |
2. Sodium Bicarbonate and Acetic Acid
Commonly known as baking soda and vinegar, this reaction is first a double displacement, then decomposition. The formula is NaHCO3+CH3OOCH --> NaC2H3O2+H2CO3. The second product, carbonic acid, is unstable and decomposes to CO2 and H2O. In our game we had a flask pre-filled with sodium bicarbonate, which had a balloon filled with vinegar stretched over the opening. When the correct Good Card was drawn, we dumped in the the vinegar, and the CO2 filled the balloon, which served to be a hot air balloon. 4. Hydrogen Peroxide and Potassium Iodide (elephant toothpaste)
Hydrogen peroxide naturally decomposes to water and oxygen, but the potassium iodide acts as a catalyst to speed up the reaction. By adding dish soap, we can capture the oxygen in bubble form, causing a "snake" to grow out of the graduated cylinder. We also added food coloring to add some life. This is an exothermic reaction, which means there a release of heat energy, causing the foam to be very hot. |
Reflection
This was a very fun project, and helped us to apply our understanding of chemistry in a fun way. Our group worked well together, and besides being pressed for time, we had no major issues. We were able to successfully create a fun board game that helped to teach some interesting chemistry concepts.