Chemical Dominoes
Overview
For this project we had to create a small-scale Rube Goldberg type of contraption involving basic chemistry. We had to incorporate 3 basic reactions throughout the whole process. The problem with the project is that it is hard to have an outcome while yielding another step.
Our Process
The first thing for us to do was to brainstorm a way to incorporate 3 reactions, naturally, into a dominoes effect. We figured that a lever could yield two possible reactions, assuming that you could place one on each end. Going off of this theory we constructed it and realized what to do for the other end. The ending was to put out a light with the weight of an object, which would disconnect the circuit. We then put a magnesium ribbon on one end of the lever and on the other side a little flask with Copper Chloride(CuCl2). To tip the lever we would inflate a balloon with a hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate reaction. Once the lever tipped, the Copper Chloride would spill into a funnel and get filtered onto aluminum foil. Here the foil would dissolve and break. A weighted object was attached to this aluminum and once it split it gained momentum and put out a light.
Reactions
Balloon Reaction: Double Replacement= 2HCl+CaCO3-->CaCl2+H2O+CO2 Here hydrochloric acid reacts with calcium carbonate and yields calcium chloride, water, and carbon dioxide, which is the gas that inflates the balloon.
Aluminum Foil Reaction: Single Replacement= 2Al+3CuCl2--> 3Cu+2AlCl3 Here the aluminum and copper chloride come in contact, which diminishes the metal and the copper gets singled out while the chloride and aluminum react.
Magnesium Ribbon Reaction: Synthesis= 2Mg+O2-->2MgO The Magnesium reacts with the fire, which bring oxygen and lights up.
Reflection
Overall, this project was really entertaining. Not only was my group extremely fun and light-hearted, but we were innovative. I think we were the only group that had each one of our dominoes connect and react with each other without another object to help it. Also I'm pretty sure we had the best time doing it, even when we had creative differences. Personally, I think I got a lot better at communicating exactly what I was thinking to the group and it benefited us tremendously. Next, I got better at taking a step back and realizing that I wasn't the only one in my group, like most group work in other classes work out to be these days. One of my fallouts could be that I was thinking too idealistically about our project and science isn't always perfect. This was true when we constructed the lever. I thought the magnesium ribbon would work, because in my head it worked perfectly, but in reality it needed a little nudge to excellence. Later, I learned how to create solutions from scratch and that was useful, because that is important in Chemistry. To start we had to figure out the specific concentration we needed for the reaction. Then you put the exact amount of the solution and dilute it with deionized water to get a specific concentration, in moles, of the solution. I wish I would've heard some of my other group members ideas sometimes, but I will work on that in the future. To conclude, this project was very enticing and I'm glad I did it with the group of people that I worked with.
For this project we had to create a small-scale Rube Goldberg type of contraption involving basic chemistry. We had to incorporate 3 basic reactions throughout the whole process. The problem with the project is that it is hard to have an outcome while yielding another step.
Our Process
The first thing for us to do was to brainstorm a way to incorporate 3 reactions, naturally, into a dominoes effect. We figured that a lever could yield two possible reactions, assuming that you could place one on each end. Going off of this theory we constructed it and realized what to do for the other end. The ending was to put out a light with the weight of an object, which would disconnect the circuit. We then put a magnesium ribbon on one end of the lever and on the other side a little flask with Copper Chloride(CuCl2). To tip the lever we would inflate a balloon with a hydrochloric acid and calcium carbonate reaction. Once the lever tipped, the Copper Chloride would spill into a funnel and get filtered onto aluminum foil. Here the foil would dissolve and break. A weighted object was attached to this aluminum and once it split it gained momentum and put out a light.
Reactions
Balloon Reaction: Double Replacement= 2HCl+CaCO3-->CaCl2+H2O+CO2 Here hydrochloric acid reacts with calcium carbonate and yields calcium chloride, water, and carbon dioxide, which is the gas that inflates the balloon.
Aluminum Foil Reaction: Single Replacement= 2Al+3CuCl2--> 3Cu+2AlCl3 Here the aluminum and copper chloride come in contact, which diminishes the metal and the copper gets singled out while the chloride and aluminum react.
Magnesium Ribbon Reaction: Synthesis= 2Mg+O2-->2MgO The Magnesium reacts with the fire, which bring oxygen and lights up.
Reflection
Overall, this project was really entertaining. Not only was my group extremely fun and light-hearted, but we were innovative. I think we were the only group that had each one of our dominoes connect and react with each other without another object to help it. Also I'm pretty sure we had the best time doing it, even when we had creative differences. Personally, I think I got a lot better at communicating exactly what I was thinking to the group and it benefited us tremendously. Next, I got better at taking a step back and realizing that I wasn't the only one in my group, like most group work in other classes work out to be these days. One of my fallouts could be that I was thinking too idealistically about our project and science isn't always perfect. This was true when we constructed the lever. I thought the magnesium ribbon would work, because in my head it worked perfectly, but in reality it needed a little nudge to excellence. Later, I learned how to create solutions from scratch and that was useful, because that is important in Chemistry. To start we had to figure out the specific concentration we needed for the reaction. Then you put the exact amount of the solution and dilute it with deionized water to get a specific concentration, in moles, of the solution. I wish I would've heard some of my other group members ideas sometimes, but I will work on that in the future. To conclude, this project was very enticing and I'm glad I did it with the group of people that I worked with.