For this project we were asked to create a chemical game board for children around the age of 10 to play. I was in a group with Sterling and Simon for this end of the semester project. The concept seemed interesting, but then we realized how hard it actually was. There were cool chemical reactions we wanted to have in our game, but had to realize that we either didn't have the materials for it or it was way to complicated for children to understand. In our project we had to include a single replacement, double displacement, physical, chemical, and production of a gas reaction. Some of the reactions could be paired together, resulting in us have 3 reactions on our game board. We wanted our reactions to have some relevance to our games theme, Jurassic Park.
For our production of a gas, we decided to blow up a balloon using baking soda and vinegar. To tie it back to our theme, we used it as a boulder blocking off a path from the other players. Our single replacement reaction was shown by destroying aluminum foil with copper chloride. This was used as a short cut for the leading player, and after then crossed the aluminum "bridge" they had to destroy it by applying copper chloride on top of it. Our double displacement reaction was shown by producing the color blue, by combining ammonium sulfate and copper nitrate, and producing the color yellow, combining potassium oxalate and lead nitrate. After creating these colors we then combined them together to make green as a sort of camouflage for each player.
Since our theme was Jurassic Park, we wanted to create a kind of wood theme. First, we started by painting the game board brown to act as the dirt ground, then we made each playing space a different leaf shape and color. Once the game board was assembled, we added the details such as rocks and fake moss, also we had to add dinosaurs since that's pretty much what Jurassic Park is all about. To finish off our game board, we had to add the famous Jurassic Park gate sign.
Our Reactions and Our Explanations:
Double Displacement -
For our double displacement reaction we decided to create the color green as our way of making “camouflage”. In order to make green, we had to make dark blue and bright yellow then combine those solutions together. The chemical equation we used to make dark blue is represented below:
(NH₄)₂SO₄ + Cu(NO₃)₂ → 2NH₄NO₃ (aq) + CuSO₄ (s)
Ammonium Sulfate + Copper Nitrate →Ammonium Nitrate + Copper Sulfate
The chemical equation we used to make bright yellow is:
K₂CrO₄ + Pb(NO₃)₂ →2KNO₃ (aq) + PbCrO₄ (s)
Potassium Oxalate + Lead Nitrate →Potassium Nitrate + Lead Oxalate
We knew these two chemical solutions would produce a color change because according the the Solubility Guidelines some ions don’t react with anything and stay the same, and others have exceptions changing them from aqueous to solid or solid to aqueous.
Single Replacement -
On our game board, we are destroying a Aluminum bridge with Copper Chloride. The chemical formula is below:
2Al + 3CuCl₂ → 2AlCl₃ + 3Cu
Aluminum + Copper Chloride → Aluminum Chloride + Copper
It is an exothermic reaction, meaning that heat is released during the process. Going along with that, we know a reaction occurred because a small amount of smoke/heat was noticed and the aluminum began to turn a copper tone and slowly started to dissolve.
Production of a Gas -
In producing a gas, we chose to blow up a balloon but had some problems along the way. First we were going to use Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) and Hydrochloric Acid, but realize it gave off too much pressure for the balloons size. We changed to using Acetic Acid (Vinegar) and Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), as many have used when making volcanoes. Our chemical equation is represented below:
C₂H₄O₂ + NaHCO₃ → NaC₂H₃O₂ + H₂O + CO₂
Acetic Acid + Sodium Bicarbonate →Sodium Acetate + Hydrogen + Carbon Dioxide
For our production of a gas, we decided to blow up a balloon using baking soda and vinegar. To tie it back to our theme, we used it as a boulder blocking off a path from the other players. Our single replacement reaction was shown by destroying aluminum foil with copper chloride. This was used as a short cut for the leading player, and after then crossed the aluminum "bridge" they had to destroy it by applying copper chloride on top of it. Our double displacement reaction was shown by producing the color blue, by combining ammonium sulfate and copper nitrate, and producing the color yellow, combining potassium oxalate and lead nitrate. After creating these colors we then combined them together to make green as a sort of camouflage for each player.
Since our theme was Jurassic Park, we wanted to create a kind of wood theme. First, we started by painting the game board brown to act as the dirt ground, then we made each playing space a different leaf shape and color. Once the game board was assembled, we added the details such as rocks and fake moss, also we had to add dinosaurs since that's pretty much what Jurassic Park is all about. To finish off our game board, we had to add the famous Jurassic Park gate sign.
Our Reactions and Our Explanations:
Double Displacement -
For our double displacement reaction we decided to create the color green as our way of making “camouflage”. In order to make green, we had to make dark blue and bright yellow then combine those solutions together. The chemical equation we used to make dark blue is represented below:
(NH₄)₂SO₄ + Cu(NO₃)₂ → 2NH₄NO₃ (aq) + CuSO₄ (s)
Ammonium Sulfate + Copper Nitrate →Ammonium Nitrate + Copper Sulfate
The chemical equation we used to make bright yellow is:
K₂CrO₄ + Pb(NO₃)₂ →2KNO₃ (aq) + PbCrO₄ (s)
Potassium Oxalate + Lead Nitrate →Potassium Nitrate + Lead Oxalate
We knew these two chemical solutions would produce a color change because according the the Solubility Guidelines some ions don’t react with anything and stay the same, and others have exceptions changing them from aqueous to solid or solid to aqueous.
Single Replacement -
On our game board, we are destroying a Aluminum bridge with Copper Chloride. The chemical formula is below:
2Al + 3CuCl₂ → 2AlCl₃ + 3Cu
Aluminum + Copper Chloride → Aluminum Chloride + Copper
It is an exothermic reaction, meaning that heat is released during the process. Going along with that, we know a reaction occurred because a small amount of smoke/heat was noticed and the aluminum began to turn a copper tone and slowly started to dissolve.
Production of a Gas -
In producing a gas, we chose to blow up a balloon but had some problems along the way. First we were going to use Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda) and Hydrochloric Acid, but realize it gave off too much pressure for the balloons size. We changed to using Acetic Acid (Vinegar) and Sodium Bicarbonate (Baking Soda), as many have used when making volcanoes. Our chemical equation is represented below:
C₂H₄O₂ + NaHCO₃ → NaC₂H₃O₂ + H₂O + CO₂
Acetic Acid + Sodium Bicarbonate →Sodium Acetate + Hydrogen + Carbon Dioxide