1

Table Experiment I:
Subgrou Number of Crackers Pieces of Ham Total “Sandwiches” Excess Excess
p Used Used Produced Crackers Ham
A1
A2
A3
A4

Table Experiment II:

Subgrou Number of Car Number of Number of Total Cars Excess Car Excess
p Chassis Used Wheels Used Motors Used Produced Chassis Wheels

B1
B2
B3

B4

Table Experiment III:

Subgrou Number of Number of Total Excess Red Excess Blue Balls
p Red Balls Blue Balls Used Rings Produced Balls
Used
C1
C2
C3
C4

Analysis and Conclusions:

Have some students in each group discuss their findings. These should include limiting
parts, excess parts and per cent yield. Have students create generic balanced reactions to explain
their results. For example:
3 red + 2 blue ring
4 wheels + 1 chassis + motor 1 toy car
Extension:
Students are encouraged to try out home experiments with vinegar, baking soda and small
zip lock bags. The objective is to make the small zip lock bag fill up with gas and pop open
(explode). They will try to design their own experiments using different quantities of both.
Finally they will apply what they’ve learned in these experiments to the following exercises.
Assignments:
 2

1. CH4 (g) + 2O2(g) CO2(g) + 2H2O(g)

Using the above chemical equation, how many moles of CO 2 are produced if you add 6 moles of
CH4 and 6 moles of O2?
Which is the limiting reagent? Show procedure.
2. Identify the limiting reagent in the following chemical reaction if you have 1.5 x 10 23 atoms
of sodium and 2.0 x 1023 molecules of chlorine.
2Na(s) + Cl2 (g) 2NaCl(s)
3. List five steps in the solving of a stoichiometry problem.
4. Define in your own words: limiting reagent, mole ratio and provide a different example (than
that of the experiments) of a “limiting reagent” in a non-chemical everyday process.
5. What would you do if your recipe for 36 chocolate chip cookies called for a ¾ cup of cocoa
and you only had ½ cup of cocoa and excess of the remaining ingredients?
I believe this plan is innovative in that is uses non-traditional materials, consumer
products (like the toy cars) to demonstrate the stoichiometry process involved in chemical
reactions and especially the limiting reagent aspect of it. Then it reinforces what they learned in
the classroom with an additional homework using reactions involving vinegar and baking soda.
Finally they have to apply what they learned to simple exercises.
Assessment Strategies:
Students will participate in a group discussion about their findings, which materials were
the limiting reactants and why. Students are given the assignments mentioned above to try out at
home. They will also hand in a report of the homework experiments with findings and
conclusions. They will also hand the above mentioned exercises which will be discuss in class.
Activities outside the classroom that reinforce the lesson plan:
In addition to the homework experiments students are encourage to look at recipes in
cook books or discussed favorite recipes with parents and to ask themselves what ingredients
they have at home. Can they make some favorite cookies with what they have at hand? Will
they have to adjust the recipe to the reality of what is available? What would be the outcome of
such adjustments? Will they get as many cookies as the recipe calls for will they have to settle
for less? They could analyze if they were to build something, how much material of each
component they would need to produce what they wanted or how many items would they be able
to produce given a certain amount of inventory of materials? (required)