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The Frontiers of Chemistry: Video Questions Mark as Favorite (16 Favorites)

ACTIVITY in Renewable Energy, Introduction, Interdisciplinary, History, Polymers, Molecular Structure, Heat. Last updated January 29, 2024.


Summary

In this activity, students will answer questions while watching a video about several exciting scientific developments, including solar cells, 3D printing and micro machines. This video will help students understand that fundamental chemistry concepts are essential to the advancement of science and technology.

Grade Level

High and Middle School

Objectives

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

  • Understand some of the challenges that face today’s scientists.
  • Explain the renewable energy sources are necessary for the future.
  • Indicate that light and heat are both sources of energy that can be used in 3D printing.
  • Define a polymer in terms of molecular structure.
  • Explain how the shapes of a molecule can be beneficial in medicine.

Chemistry Topics

This activity supports students’ understanding of

  • History of Chemistry
  • Renewable Energy
  • Heat
  • Light
  • Molecular Structure
  • Polymers

Time

Teacher Preparation: minimal

Lesson: 10 - 15 minutes

Materials

Safety

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

Teacher Notes

  • This video was created with the intention of engaging students in real-world chemistry based examples. It can be used at any point in the curriculum, however using at the start of a course, or specific unit could be valuable.
  • The running time of this video is eight minutes and thirty five seconds.
  • This video is intended for students to watch, and for teachers to integrate into their curriculum.
  • The student questions/answers are presented in sequential order in the video.
  • An answer key has also been provided for teacher reference.
  • Videos can be shown with the use of a classroom projector, or teachers can generate a Student Pass through their AACT membership to allow students to independently access the video.

For the Student

Lesson

Instructions

While watching the video, answer the following questions:

  1. What is one of the biggest questions that faces scientists today?
  2. How much power do experts predict will be needed by the year 2040?
  3. What is the most challenging aspect of renewable energy sources right now?
  4. Dye molecules are good at absorbing light due to arrangements of carbon atoms that alternate single and double bonds in their molecules. What is this arrangement called?
  5. True or False? Dye sensitized solar cells can be a cheaper alternative to fossil fuels.
  6. The most common 3D printers use thermoplastics. What type of energy do these printers need to operate?
  7. Describe a polymer:
  8. How are the new 3D printers different than the original printers?
  9. When hydrogen peroxide decomposes, what products are formed?
  10. A Nobel Prize was awarded for work related to which type of micro-machine in 2016?
  11. Molecules with specific shapes can help drugs effectively target cancerous tumors in the body. What are these kinds of molecules called?