Explosives Detective
At a Glance
Discipline
- STEM
- Chemistry
Instructional Level
- College & CEGEP
- University
Course
- General Chemistry
Tasks in Workflow
Social Plane(s)
- Group
- Whole Class
Type of Tasks
- Discussing
- Solving problems
Technical Details
Class size
- Small (20-49)
- Medium (50-99)
Time
- Single class period (< 90 mins)
Instructional Purpose
- Application & knowledge building
Overview
In this activity, students are presented with a case study in which the challenge is to identify the compound responsible for an explosion in a laboratory (and in doing so, identify the individual behind the explosion).
Working in pairs, students will determine molar masses, % mass composition, and empirical formulas for various compounds in order to eliminate all but one compound (and therefore suspect).
Students then vote on the guilty party. Groups that voted for different suspects join forces to collaborate and compare their work. In these larger groups, students discuss their reasoning before coming to a conclusion for a second vote.
Instructional Objectives
To promote development of skills required to solve complex problems including the following: knowledge application, analysis and evaluation of solution. Students learn to identify substances based on clues such as molar mass.
Workflow & Materials
Activity Workflow
Contributor's Notes
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Applied Strategies
Published: 18/09/2018
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