Experiments in General

Chemistry
Stephen Glotzhober
Cass Technical High School
Teacher: Tom Bobovsky
3 experiments:
Overview
•Double Replacement Lab
Students were given a reaction well and
several chemicals to test. By checking for the
formation of a precipitate, students were able to
deduce whether a reaction had occurred.
•Stoichiometry Lab
Students mixed HCl and baking soda, and
NaCl was produced. Percent yield and
stoichiometric conversions were calculated.
Important in areas such as baking, where
wrong ratios of ingredients can lead to a cake
that is either too bitter or too sweet.
•Plating of a Penny Lab
Students added pennies to a solution of
sodium hydroxide and zinc, turning the pennies
silver. Pennies were heated using a bunsen
burner in order to produce the alloy brass,
which looks gold. This experiment helped show
the students how chemistry can be used to
change the appearance of everyday objects.
 Stephen’s Perspective
•Some students were much more engaged than other
students in the experiments
•Class size was a bigger problem than I had thought
•Each class period the experiments ran smoother, as we
were able to note things that worked and things that did
not work from the previous class period
•Students seemed to enjoy the change of pace that the
experiments brought
 Evaluation and Reflections….
•Longer class time would open up more experiment
possibilities
•Smaller class sizes would be easier to instruct
•Importance of being flexible and prepared
•Observing where students struggled
•Very worthwhile experience
•Different approach to experiments as an instructor
versus a student
 Moving Forward…
•Hopefully continue being part of the FUTURE program next
fall
•Get an earlier start on experiments, cataloging past
experiments
•Improvement from first semester
•How FUTURE helped me