Week 15 Blog Post

 

    In our final week of lab for the Fall 2023 semester, we tested out reactions and the volume before and after the reaction. We tested throughout the lab session whether or not everything would stay the same mass before AND after the reaction happened. Our chemical reaction was baking soda and vinegar. We would weigh every material, the dixie cup, baggie, baking soda, vinegar, etc, before the reaction. Then, we would weigh it after it has fizzed up and reacted. We tested it in different variations, but all the tests seemed to have the same outcome with the weight being within 0.6-0.3 grams of the original weight. 

    Prior to this lab, my knowledge to this reaction was pretty high because I knew that if you had mixed baking soda with vinegar, it'll fizz up and make the plastic bag bubble up. However, I did not know whether or not they stayed the same weight before and after the reaction occurred, I guess I had never given it the thought. 

    I can apply this to my future teaching with doing the same exact experiment with my students and ask them whether or not all the materials involved will stay the same weight after the reaction happened. I would have them test out a hypothesis in groupwork, and test it to see whether or not their hypothesis would be true or false.