Using a Precipitation Reaction in a Guided-Inquiry Stoichiometry Laboratory

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 12 Issue 5 (2007) pp 347-348

Using a Precipitation Reaction in a Guided-Inquiry Stoichiometry Laboratory

Jack F. Eichler

Division of Natural Science and Mathematics, Department of Chemistry, Oxford College of Emory University, Oxford, GA 30054, Jack.Eichler@emory.edu.
Received February 20, 2007. Accepted July 7, 2007.

Published online: 4 September 2007

Abstract. A guided inquiry exercise conducted in both the lecture and laboratory components of a college introductory chemistry course for nonmajors is described. The exercise involved having the students investigate the relationship between the mass of sodium chloride used and the mass of silver(I) chloride produced in the reaction between sodium chloride and silver(I)nitrate. Collaborative group discussion was used to create hypotheses and design the corresponding experiments, and the results from the guided inquiry laboratory exercises are summarized. This exercise effectively integrated activities in the lecture and laboratory, immersed the students in the process of scientific inquiry, and successfully conveyed the concept of the limiting reactant in a chemical reaction.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; general chemistry; first-year undergraduate; collaborative learning; inquiry-based learning; discovery learning; stoichiometry; limiting reactant

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: Jack.Eichler@emory.edu)

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Supporting Materials:

Supporting materials include laboratory guidelines for students, instructor guidelines, an example of a student report, and the raw data for Figure 1. (225 KB).