Simulation Activity: Predicting Products Mark as Favorite (63 Favorites)

ACTIVITY in Balancing Equations, Activity Series, Classification of Reactions, Solubility Rules. Last updated July 25, 2023.

Summary

In this simulation, students will reference an activity series and a solubility chart to accurately predict the products of single replacement and double replacement chemical reactions. Associated particle diagrams will be displayed to help students better comprehend the reaction at the particulate level. Students will also be asked to balance the chemical equation. The simulation is designed as a five question quiz for students to use multiple times.

Grade Level

High School

NGSS Alignment

This simulation will help prepare your students to meet the performance expectations in the following standards:

  • HS-PS1-2: Construct and revise an explanation for the outcome of a simple chemical reaction based on the outermost electron states of atoms, trends in the periodic table, and knowledge of the patterns of chemical properties.
  • HS-PS1-7: Use mathematical representation to support the claim that atoms, and therefore mass, are conserved during a chemical reaction.
  • Scientific and Engineering Practices
    • Developing and Using Models

Objectives

By the end of this simulation, students should be able to

  • Successfully predict the product of a single replacement reaction using an activity series.
  • Successfully predict the product of a double replacement reaction using a solubility chart.
  • Balance a chemical equation.
  • Use a particle diagram to represent a chemical reaction.

Chemistry Topics

This simulation supports students’ understanding of

  • Chemical Reactions
  • Predicting Products
  • Classification of Reactions
  • Balancing Equations
  • Activity Series
  • Solubility Rules
  • Particle Diagrams

Time

Teacher Preparation: minimal

Lesson: 20–30 minutes

Materials

Safety

  • No specific safety precautions need to be observed for this activity.

Teacher Notes

  • This simulation could be used during a unit about chemical reactions.
  • Each quiz randomizes the order of 5 questions, and also the order in which the answer choices are presented. If students are working on the quiz at the same time, they should not have the same order of questions or answer choices as their peers.
  • The quiz draws from 15 possible questions, so that a student could repeat the quiz if they are in need of additional practice, and would not be given the same 5 questions again.
  • Each quiz question has 2 parts, each worth one point. The first part of the question requires the student to predict the product(s) of a chemical reaction. The second part of the question requires the student to balance the chemical equation.
    • There are 3 quiz questions in which the reaction yields no reaction. The point value awarded for these particular questions is 0 (if incorrect) or 2 points (if correct). The student will not be asked to balance a chemical equation for these particular questions.
  • Important Notes:
    • The particle diagrams are used to show a simplified version of just a small representation of each chemical reaction.
    • The particle diagrams do not indicate any intermediate steps of the chemical reaction.
    • The purpose is simply to model the particles of the reactants and the products.
    • All of the reactions take place in aqueous solutions, however the water molecules are intentionally not shown, except for in cases of a neutralization reaction.
    • There are several neutralization reactions in the quiz. In each particle diagram for the product(s) of these reactions, water molecules are shown as the combination of the hydrogen ion and a hydroxide ion, rather than as the familiar bent geometry. This was done in order to maintain visual consistency between the reactant and product beakers and to help students better understand how these particles rearranged to form a water molecule.
    • The particle diagrams are intended to show the basic organization of particles. Spheres of the same size are used to represent all substances, and are not intended to indicate the relative sizes of the particles that participate in the reaction.
    • Intermolecular forces are not implied in the particle diagrams.
  • There is no student handout associated with this simulation. Students will be given instructions, and answer questions using the simulation interface.
  • Correct answers are provided to the student during the quiz if a question is answered incorrectly.
  • The simulation can be found at either of the following links (note that students can access the simulation without an AACT login):
  • Related classroom resources from AACT Library that may be used to further teacher this topic: