Sample Unit Plans – Homogenous Solutions (90 minute periods)

Day 1: Sugar and Salts PhET (pages 2-3)

Homework - textbook reading and note taking

Day 2: Lecture - Polar vs non-polar solvents, sample text concept questions
Class discussion - clicker questions Sugar and Salts PhET (pages 4-6)
Lab - Solubility of salt and sugar (page 7)
Homework - textbook reading, note taking, and problems
Day 3: PhET Molarity (pages 8 – 9)

Day 4: Lecture- Concentrations of solutions calculations: molarity, dilutions,

percent by mass
Lab - Small scale molarity lab (page 10)
Homework - textbook reading, note taking, and problems
Day 5: Class discussion, Clicker questions Molarity (11-12)
Homework - Review worksheet or textbook problems
Day 6: TEST
 Lesson plan for Sugar and Salts:
http://phet.colorado.edu

Learning Goals: Students will be able to:

 Identify if a compound is a salt or sugar by macroscopic observations or microscopic
representations.
 Explain how using combinations of solutes changes solution characteristics or not.
 Use observations to explain ways concentration of a solute can change.
 Describe ways the formula, macroscopic observations, or microscopic representations of a
compound indicates if the bonding is ionic or covalent.

Background:
Most of the college prep chemistry students will have experience with molecular representations of
moving particles in physics, but not all of the students took physics. In honors chemistry, students will
have used molecular representations in their text book, physics and chemistry lessons using PhET. In
regular chemistry, during a lab about salts, I put out some sugar, salt, and acid solutions and provided a
conductivity tester. The honors students should have experience with conductivity from physics. At this
point in the course, we will not have talked about anhydrides, so the students would not predict
molecular compounds like CO2 to conduct in water. I have avoided the issue in the clicker questions.

Sugar and Salt Introduction:

Students may have difficulty with the scale of the Micro tab since the water is not depicted. The number
of water particles is really quite small, so the representation is an over simplification of the actual
hydration process. The third tab is meant to help with this, but there is no way to exclude the water
particles, so during the post-lab or during class, I plan to demonstrate that the third tab is a “super
microscopic” version of the second tab. Tips for Teachers are provided by the PhET team.

Lesson: In college prep chemistry, the students will work in pairs during class. I noticed that students did
not realize that there were 5 different solutes and many only were answering the questions for “salt”
and “sugar”; I began checking groups and guiding them to use the other salt and sugars. I changed the
directions to include the number of chemicals available hoping this helps. My honors chemistry
students will do this activity for homework because they have already had an introduction to molecular
representations of solutes using Salts and Solubility Activity 1.

Post-Lesson: I plan to use clicker questions included in this activity. For some of the questions, if I saw
that the distribution of answers was great, I demonstrated the sim to help students after the first clicker
response before I made any comments. Then I would have a “revote”. This stimulated lots of discussion
between votes.
I included an alcohol in the lab and it seemed that most students made appropriate predictions because
“it was made up of the same elements as sugar that it would not dissociate”. I included a clicker
question to help them see the difference between acids and alcohols because my texts both integrate
acids and alcohols early in the sequence, but just as classification introduction, not function. I also
specifically included aluminum because some students think it is a metalloid; the texts both mention
this irregularity on the periodic table, so I wanted to reinforce the metal nature of Al. Having HCl in the
questions also provides an opportunity to remind students that Hydrogen is not a metal even though it is
on the metal side of the periodic table in the versions that they use.

Following Activities: Real lab with Salt and sugar (see activity for file) and Molarity: Quantitative
Relationships.

6/21/2013 Loeblein http://phet.colorado.edu

 Student directions: Sugar and Salts activity

Learning Goals: Students will be able to:

• Identify if a compound is a salt or sugar by macroscopic observations or microscopic
representations.
• Explain how using combinations of solutes changes solution characteristics or not.
• Use observations to explain ways concentration of a solute can change.
• Describe ways the formula, macroscopic observations, or microscopic representations of a
compound indicates if the bonding is ionic or covalent.

Directions:
1. Describe:
a. Solute, solvent, and solution.
b. What solvent is used in the sim? Why do you think it was chosen? What types of solutes
are used? What representations or tools did you use to help you decide the “type of
solute”?
c. List each of the 5 chemicals in the simulation and identify the “type of solute” to which
each belongs. Give at least one piece of evidence for each.
d. Which the Micro tab solute combinations are more complex than others? Explain.

2. What is the “concentration” specifically indicating for each “type of solute”? Make sure to
include the differences between the Macro and Micro tabs.

3. Find all the ways you can change the concentration of a solute. Describe what you would do in a
real lab to increase or decrease the concentration of a solution.

4. Using your text or cite other resources to describe the difference between an “ionic” and a
“covalent” compound. Why is the periodic table given as an optional display? How could you use
your periodic table to predict conductivity of a solution?

5. Draw pictures that would show what the following chemicals would look like on a microscopic
scale if dissolved in water-
a. LiF b. KNO3 c. C2H5OH d. MgF2

5/25/2012 Loeblein http://phet.colorado.edu

 Sugar and Salt Solutions 1 1. Which would you predict to
Learning Goals: Students will be able to:
• Identify if a compound is a salt or sugar by be a salt?
macroscopic observations or microscopic
representations. A. CO2
• Explain how using combinations of solutes changes
solution characteristics or not. B. CaCl2
• Use observations to explain ways concentration of a
solute can change.
C. C12H22O11
• Describe ways the formula, macroscopic D. HCl
observations, or microscopic representations of a
compound indicates if the bonding is ionic or
covalent.
by Trish Loeblein updated October 2011

1. Ans Which would you predict to be a salt? 2. If a compound conducts

A. CO2
electricity when in solution with
B. CaCl2 water, you might categorize the
C. C12H22O11 compound as a
D. HCl
A. salt
B. sugar
C. Both conduct
A metal combined with a non-metal make a
“salt”.
D. Neither conduct

3. Which would not conduct

3ans. Which would not conduct electricity
electricity very well in solution with
very well in solution with pure water?
pure water?
A. O2 Non-metals combined
A. O2 with each other don’t
B. CaCl2
B. CaCl2 break into ions in
C. C12H22O11
solution. Ions are needed
C. C12H22O11 D. HCl
to conduct. Acids are an
D. HCl E. More than one
exception (compounds
of these
E. More than one of these that begin with H);
usually they break into
ions.

1
 5. To increase the
4. If the microscopic view of a compound in
concentration of a
water looks like the picture on the left (I.),
solution, you could
you might categorize the compound as a
A. Add more water
I. II.
B. Add more salt
C. Evaporate
D. Drain out solution
A. Salt B. Sugar C. Neither
E. More than one of
these

6ans. Which would you predict to

6. Which would you predict to be be ionic?
ionic?
A. NO
A. NO B. MgF2
C. Al2O3
B. MgF2 D. I2
C. Al2O3 E. More than
one of these
D. I2 A metal combined with a non-metal make an
E. More than one of these “ionic compound”.

7a. If the microscopic view of a compound in

water looks like the picture on the left (I.), 7b What is the compound on the right (II.)?
you might categorize the compound as a

I. II. I. II.

A. Ionic B. Covalent C. Neither A. Ionic B. Covalent C. Neither

2
 8a. If the microscopic view of a compound in
water looks like the picture, you might 8b How are the particles bonded?
categorize the compound as

A. Ionic B. Covalent
A. Ionic B. Covalent

9. If Sodium Chloride is
added to this solution,
how will the
concentrations change?
A. Only the Na+ will increase
B. Na+ and Cl- will increase
C. NO3- will decrease
D. More than one of these

3
 Laboratory: Solubility of Table Salt and Table Sugar in Water

Purpose: Determine the solubility of table salt and table sugar in room temperature water using
varying amounts of water.

Data: Read the experiment directions and the calculations. Then design a data table that will
serve to show your data and allow required predictions.

Directions:
Part A: Table salt
1. Mass a clean cup or beaker, then put about 150 grams of table salt in it and record the
amount of salt.
2. Measure 20 ml of water into a 150 ml beaker.
3. Carefully add salt and while stirring until the solution appears to be barely over
saturation.
4. Record the amount of salt that dissolved.
5. Add another 10 ml of water to your salt solution and then find out how much will
dissolve.
6. Continue adding 10ml of water and then salt until you reach a total of 80 ml of solution.
Part A: Table sugar
Repeat 1-6 procedure with table sugar and water.

Graph and Calculations:

1. Graph your results and include a trendline. (use graph paper or Excel). Consider these
ideas before you finalize your graph.
a. How did you decide what to put on the x- axis?
b. How did you decide what type of trendline to use?
c. Do you have any outliers that should be excluded in a trendline?

2. Describe how to use your graph to predict how much of each substance in grams will
dissolve in 100 ml of water at room temperature using each trial. State your prediction.

3. Research to find the accepted value for solubility of each substance in g/100ml. Then
calculate your percent error.

4. Show how to calculate how much of each substance in moles will dissolve in 100 ml of
water using each trial.

Questions:
1. Explain why your results might have some variation and also a percent error. (ie. your
precision and accuracy errors) Make sure to explain experimental errors that are not just
“mistakes”, but design issues.

2. What ideas do you have that might explain why the solubility of salt is not the same as
sugar?

5/25/2012 Loeblein http://phet.colorado.edu

 Lesson plan for Molarity: Quantitative Relationships
http://phet.colorado.edu
Time for activity

Learning Goals: Students will be able to

A. Determine the solubility for some solutes and explain why the solubility cannot be determined for
others given experimental constraints.
B. Identify the relationships for measurable variables by designing quantitative experiments,
collecting data, graphing, and using appropriate trend lines.

Background: My students will have used Salts and Solutions and Sugar and Salts, so they are
familiar with macroscopic and microscopic views of solutions. Additionally, we have used many
PhET sims like States of Matter and Gas Properties. In our Gas Laws unit, I discovered that the
students needed more practice selecting appropriate curves for fit. We use Excel and TI graphing
calculators pervasively in our school, so I was surprised that the seniors were poor at selecting
appropriate curves when data had reasonable variations. So I had them do a lab with sugar and
salts (file attached in this activity). We had more discussion about curve choice and then did this
activity.

Molarity Introduction:
I did not show anything about the sim. The Tips have good information about the assumptions
made in this sim.
Lesson:
The students took about 2 -40 minute periods to complete this activity.

Post-Lesson: I have not written any clicker questions. We did a lab I wrote called Molarity and
Dilution. I chose the nickel salt because I had a large supply and it has a nice color. I did not
worry that it might not totally dissolve, but just wanted to make sure it was colored and that
dilution would look very different. You could use any number of chemical and perhaps one that
is more soluble. My jar was full and had not been used in 15 years, so it seemed a good use. We
have chemical traps, so I don’t have to worry about disposal.

3/16/2013 Loeblein http://phet.colorado.edu

 Student directions Molarity activity

Learning Goals: Students will be able to

A. Determine the solubility for some solutes and explain why the solubility cannot be determined for
others given experimental constraints.
B. Identify the relationships for measurable variables by designing quantitative experiments,
collecting data, graphing, and using appropriate trend lines.

Prelab:
1. When you were dissolving salt or sugar in a beaker of water, how did you know it was a saturated
solution?

2. If you designed an experiment for another student for them to see some saturated solutions and
some unsaturated solutions, what might you have them do?

Directions:

1. Make a list of all the solutes and determine the solubility if possible.
a. Explain how you know you have identified the solubility.
b. Explain why you couldn’t determine the solubility for some substances. How does this
explanation match your experimental ideas for Prelab #2?

2. What are the variables for solutions in this simulation? Which are independent and which are
dependent?

3. Design an experiment to determine the relationship between one of the independent variables and
the dependent one. Collect data for more than one solute so that you will have more than one
trend line to support your conclusion about the relationship.
 Excel hint: To graph more than one set of data and make multiple trendlines. First make
sure that the independent variable values are consistent; put them in the A column. Then,
you can put the dependent results in other columns. For example, a student may design an
experiment to determine the speed of three toy cars at the bottom of a ramp released from
a variety of heights. Their data table and graph might look like this:

Height in speed of speed of speed of

y blue = 0.15x y red = 0.2x y white = 0.22x
cm red car in blue car white car Speed vs Height R² = 1 R² = 1 R² = 1
cm/s in cm/s in cm/s 18
16 speed of red car in
14 cm/s
10 2 1.5 2.2 speed of blue car in
speed in cm/s

12
cm/s
20 4 3 4.4 10
speed of white car in
8
30 6 4.5 6.6 cm/s
6
40 8 6 8.8 4
2
50 10 7.5 11 0
0 20 40 60 80
60 12 9 13.2
height in cm
70 14 10.5 15.4

4. Design an experiment to determine the relationship between the other independent variable and
the dependent one. Collect data for more than one solute so that you will have more than one
trend line to support your conclusion about the relationship

3/20/2013 Loeblein http://phet.colorado.edu

Molarity and Dilution

Students will be able to:

 Determine the amount of grams of solute to make a given volume of specified molarity.
 After dilution, determine the molarity of a solution.

Directions:
Part A: Make 100 ml of a 0.08 M solution of NiNH4SO4
1. Calculate how many grams of NiNH4SO4 you will need.
2. Show your calculation to your teacher for approval.
3. Get a clean 150 ml beaker and put in about 25 ml distilled water.
4. Use a small piece of wax paper to measure your NiNH4SO4.
5. Carefully add your NiNH4SO4 to the beaker and use the wash bottle to get all of
the particles off the paper. Then stir.
6. Pour your solution into a 100ml volumetric flask. Wash all of the solution out of
the beaker into the flask using your wash bottle.
7. Fill the flask to the line using the wash bottle.

Part B: Dilute your solution

1. Pour your solution back into your 150 ml beaker.
2. Measure 10ml of the solution and put it in the 100ml flask.
3. Carefully fill the flask to the 100 ml mark. Put on the lid and gently rotate to stir.
4. Show your calculation to determine the concentration of the Part B solution.
5. Show your teacher both of the solutions and the work for PartB #4 for credit.

Loeblein 2/19/2012
 1. Which of these solutions look
Molarity PhET like they are saturated?
Learning Goals: Students will be able to
• Determine the solubility for some solutes and
explain why the solubility cannot be determined
for others given experimental constraints.
• Identify the relationships for measurable
variables by designing quantitative
experiments, collecting data, graphing, and
using appropriate trend lines.
A. B. C.
D. none of these E. two of these
Trish Loeblein March 2013 Molarity

2. What do you think the 3. Which could help you

solubility of this solution is? identify the independent
Concentration vs Solute Amount
1.6 variables?
1.4
C 1.2
o
A. Move a slider and see if another
1
n
c 0.8
measurement changes
0.6
B. Assume that there is only one independent
(

M 0.4
)

0.2
0
variable
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1
solute amount (moles) C. Move a slider and anything that changes is
A. 0.7 moles B. 1.4 M an independent variable
C. 2.0M/moles D. Can’t be determined D. More than one of these

1.4
Concentration vs Solution Volume Concentration vs Solute Amount
4. Given this graph, 3
5. Given this graph, 1.2

what can you say 2.5

what can you say C
1
o
conc (M)

about the relationship

about the 2
n 0.8
1.5 between amount of c red chemical
experiment? 1 solute and
0.6
gold chemical
(

0.4
0.5
concentration? M
)

0 0.2
0.18 0.28 0.38 0.48 0.58 0.68
0
solution volume (L) 0.15 0.25 0.35 0.45 0.55 0.65

Solute amount (moles)

A. Amount of solute was the independent variable A. The amount and concentration are directly related
B. Amount of solution was the independent variable B. Some chemicals are not as soluble as others
C. Concentration was the independent variable C. The relationship is the same for the chemicals used
D. More than one of these
D. More than one of these

1
 concentration vs solution Concentration vs Amount of Solute
volume
7. Given this graph, 2
6. What was held 3 what can you say about 1.8
red chemical

conc (M)
constant in the 2
the relationship 1.6
blue chemical

conc (M)
1
experiment that gives 0 between amount of 1.4
0.18 0.38 0.58 0.78
this graph? (Assume solution volume (L) solution and 1.2

good experimental concentration? 1

0.8
design) 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
amount of solute (moles)

A. The amount of solute

A. The amount and concentration are directly related
B. The solution volume
B. Some chemicals are not as soluble as others
C. The concentration C. The relationship is the same for the chemicals used
D. More than one of D. More than one of these
these

Concentration vs Amount of Solute Concentration vs Amount of Solute

2 2
8. Given this graph, 1.8 1.8
red chemical red chemical
what would you 1.6 9. Given this graph, 1.6
blue chemical blue chemical
conc (M)

conc (M)
predict for the 1.4 what would you 1.4
1.2 1.2
concentration at predict the solubility
1 1
0.8 moles of solute 0.8
of the red chemical? 0.8
for each chemical? 0.6 0.6
0.4 0.6 0.8 1 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
amount of solute (moles) amount of solute (moles)

A. Red() solubility is 1.6M

A. Red() is 1.6M and Blue ( ) is 1.4 M B. Red() solubility is 1.4M
B. They are both 0.4M C. Red() solubility is 0.8M
C. They are both 1.6 M D. Cannot be determined by this experiment