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Workshop prepared by:

Alastair Fleming, Education Department, Keele University Group Leader


Alison Garside, Brine Leas School, Nantwich
Bernard Besly, ESEU Facilitator
Nicola Maddocks, ESEU Facilitator
Tonia Robertson-Rogers, ESEU Facilitator
Jane Essex, Education Department, Keele University Editor
Hazel Benson, Peter Kennett, Chris King, Susannah Lydon, Cally Oldershaw - ESEU Editors

The Earth Science Education Unit


CBA1.040, Department of Education, Keele University,
Keele, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG

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Chemistry of me at 16:
Teaching KS4 chemistry
Contents
Teachers
Support
Pack

Participant
Cards
Technicians
List

KS4 Starter
KS4 Activity 1
KS4 Activity 2
KS4 Activity 3
KS4 Activity 4
KS4 Activity 5
KS4 Activity 6
KS4 Plenary
activity

Spot the Periodic Table through the window


What am I made of?
The metal in me - calcium
The carbon in me
The iron in me
The hot air in me
The value of me what am I worth?
Putting it all together

4
6
10
11
12
14
16
18

All Activities
All Activities

Summary
Start by looking through the window to spot the elements and compounds you can see
which form the environment around us. Then consider in Activity 1 what elements we are
made of and compare our composition with the lithosphere, atmosphere and hydrosphere.
Discover the calcium in our bones in Activity 2 and the carbon we contain in Activity 3.
Activity 4 looks at the iron in food that our body needs and Activity 5 investigates the air
we breathe. If we added up the value of all the elements in our body, what would we be
worth? Find out in Activity 6, before Putting it all together in the plenary activity.

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Starter Activity: Spot the Periodic Table through the window


Introduction: This activity is intended as a warmup ice-breaker exercise, to stimulate thinking
about how pupils might relate the chemistry they
are taught to the world outside the window.

Follow-up: Pupils can continue to look for


examples of common elements and compounds in
the local environment on their way home from
school.

Key Stage: Chemistry KS4


National Curriculum Ref: Sc3 2g, 3a, 3j
Time: 15 minutes
Pupil learning outcomes: The things around us,
both outside and inside, are made from just a few
elements.
Context: To consider the idea that chemistry is
all around you
Common misconceptions: It is often not
appreciated how few elements make up the
majority of the environment in which we live.

The view through the window (Starter Activity)


Some possible answers to this activity are given
below. Many suggestions regarding which
compounds participants might spot are given on
the Participant Card and are not repeated here.
Elements making up these compounds are ticked.
Elements (un-combined) are circled.

Resources: Participant cards


Activity: Participants look through a nearby
window and attempt to spot the compound or
element. This is best done in pairs or groups to
encourage discussion. There is a help sheet
available.

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Spot that compound. Pupils might include the


following but, technically, they shouldnt do so,
for the reasons given.
Material
Steel is iron alloyed with other elements for various
purposes. It cannot be seen because either it is
covered by a protective coating (paint, plastic) or it
has rusted to iron oxides/hydroxides. Also, it is
neither an element nor a compound, but a mixture
Air but this cannot be seen since it is transparent. It
is also a mixture
Salt if a path has been gritted in the winter, the salt,
if visible at all, will not be there for long it will
dissolve in the next rain shower, leaving just the grit
behind

1.

Chemical make-up
Fe plus C, Cr, Co, Nb, Mo, Ni, Ti, W, V, Zr

N2, O2, Ar, H2O, CO2


Salt sodium chloride

What do all these compounds have in


common?
They are all insoluble
They are all solids (unless water is visible)

2.

Material
Lead, in flashings (edgings) on roofs
Copper in pipes or, unusually, as a roof
covering

Element/symbol
Lead Pb
Copper - Cu

Steel galvanised by zinc in wire fencing,


corrugated iron or in the metal steps of
telegraph poles
Aluminium in ladders or car hubcaps

Zinc - Zn

Jewellery on a person of gold, silver or


platinum
Diamond in jewellery may be visible
A burnt area will be black with carbon

Gold Au, Silver Ag,


Platinum - Pt
Carbon - C
Carbon - C

3.

Constituent(s)
Common alloys are iron with
carbon, chromium, cobalt,
niobium, molybdenum, nickel,
titanium, tungsten, vanadium
or zirconium

Spot that element. Which elements (uncombined) from the periodic table above can
you see? Circle the elements you can spot
answers are shown on the periodic table
above.
Comment
Often is dull due to a lead carbonate coating
Pure copper is usually not visible, it is usually coated
with a weathering veneer of green copper carbonate
compounds
This usually has a surface coating of zinc carbonate
minerals

Aluminium - Al

What do all these elements have in


common?
They are relatively un-reactive which is why
they were chosen for this purpose
Apart from carbon they are all metals
They are mostly different from those in the
first list (Fe, Al, C and Pb are exceptions)

NaCl

This usually has a white surface coating of aluminium


oxides
Doesnt become coated, so stays bright which is why it
is used for jewellery

4.

Spot the difference. How do your answers


differ if you ask which elements and
compounds can be spotted in the ordinary
room where you are now?

Elements and elements of compounds seen outside but not in


Elements and elements of compounds seen in the room but not
the room
outside
There may be slightly fewer elements and elements in compounds in the room, but the answers are likely to be quite similar indicating
that we normally interact with rather few elements in our daily lives. However, some items, such as light bulbs, contain an unexpectedly
large number of elements.

All photographs can be found in colour on the


Earth Science Education Unit website.

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Activity 1: What am I made of?


Resource list:
Participant Card
Diagram showing the Earths four spheres
(lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere,
biosphere).
Jig-saw of the elemental composition of the
human body copied onto card and cut into
pieces

Introduction: Begin thinking about what you are


made of as you make the jig-saw and how this
compares with the make-up of the lithosphere.
Note: The composition of the human body can be
shown visually by assembling the elements in the
correct proportions as indicated in Appendix 1
to the Technicians List on the final page.
Key Stage: Chemistry KS4

Lead-in: Introduce, or remind the participants of,


the names and main features of the Earths four
interacting spheres: lithosphere, atmosphere,
hydrosphere, and biosphere.
Point out (using diagram) that:
(1) these spheres are, of course, all made of the
same chemical elements combined and mixed
in different ways, but
(2) that the essential differences between each of
these are due to their different chemical
structures:
lithosphere ionic lattices,
atmosphere - small molecules (low intermolecular forces),
hydrosphere - small molecules and ions
(relatively high intermolecular forces),
biosphere largely polymers.
All the interesting events take place at the
interfaces between these spheres! They involve
changes in chemical structure, usually meaning
chemical reactions, which move the chemical
elements between these spheres. So there is a
continual cycling of elements through each
sphere, a cycling which is essential to the
existence of each sphere, especially the
atmosphere, hydrosphere and above all the
biosphere.

National Curriculum Ref: Sc3.3a


Time: Assembling the jig-saw should not take
more than 5 minutes. With the lead-in and followup discussion, probably 20 minutes in all.
Pupil learning outcomes: Understand that the
human body is made of the same elements that
make up the Earth, but in different proportions;
understand that the elements are combined
together to form different types of compound
which form bone, blood, tissue etc; know the
main elements in a 15/16 year old.
Context: Consolidation of the concepts of
elements and compounds, linked to a growing
understanding of the patterns of the Periodic
Table; the understanding that the properties of
compounds are usually very different from the
properties of the elements they contain; the
understanding of the role of minerals in nutrition.
Common misconceptions: It is often poorly
appreciated that: the whole of the human body is
made of the same stuff (elements and their
compounds) as the rest of the physical and
biological world; because an element such as
sodium is highly reactive does NOT mean that its
compounds will also be highly reactive rather
the reverse; there is much less iron than people
usually think and phosphorous is often
overlooked or unknown.
Some teenagers may not even appreciate that they
are made of elements, and see themselves as
being made of different materials from anything
else in the world.

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Activity: Ask participants to complete the jigsaw.


(Note that Si, Al, Ti and Mn are extra elements
which look as though they might fit in place of C,
N, Cl and Na respectively, but do not. These
elements are present in the lithosphere, but not in
the body).
After participants have completed the jigsaw
correctly they complete the third column of the
table, followed by the fourth as below.

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Element
Oxygen
Silicon
Aluminium
Iron
Calcium
Sodium
Potassium
Magnesium
Titanium
Hydrogen
Phosphorus
Manganese
Sulfur
Carbon
Chlorine
Nitrogen

Chemistry of me at 16

Percentage in the
lithosphere*
46.6
27.7
8.1
5.0
3.6
2.8
2.6
2.1
0.6
0.1
0.1
0.1
Less than 0.1
Less than 0.1
Less than 0.1
Less than 0.1

Percentage in the human


body
61
none
none
0.006
1.4
0.14
0.2
0.03
none
10
1.1
none
0.2
23
0.13
2.5

[* Note 1: The term lithosphere is used here in a


general way to mean Earths rocky sphere
comparing well with the terms atmosphere,
hydrosphere and biosphere. However, figures
used in this column, and elsewhere in these
worksheets are for the composition of the crust.
Figures for the composition of the lithosphere are
not used because they are more uncertain and less
familiar than those for the crust.

atmosphere and lithosphere, but about the same


as the hydrosphere. It contains more nitrogen
than the lithosphere and hydrosphere, but much
less than the atmosphere. The calcium content of
the human body is less than in the lithosphere,
but the body contains more than the atmosphere
and hydrosphere. The body contains more
phosphorus and sulfur than all the others. It
contains less potassium than the lithosphere, but
more than the atmosphere and hydrosphere. The
body contains less sodium than both the
lithosphere and hydrosphere but there is none
in the atmosphere. The body contains more
chlorine than the lithosphere and atmosphere but
less than the hydrosphere, it also contains less
magnesium and iron than the lithosphere but
more than both the hydrosphere and the
atmosphere
Is your body most like the atmosphere, most
like the lithosphere or most like the
hydrosphere?
None of these it is like a combination of all
three.

* Note 2: The plate tectonic definition of


lithosphere (the material that forms the rigid
plates) includes the crust (averaging around 15
km in thickness) and the upper part of the mantle
the lithosphere averages around 100 km in
thickness.]
The completed table shows that, while some of
the important elements in the human body and
the Earths lithosphere are the same, the human
body contains some important elements that are
rare in the Earths lithosphere and visa versa.
Extension activity: Participants consider a table
of comparison between the chemical make-up of
the human body, the lithosphere, atmosphere and
hydrosphere. Some possible answers to the
questions they are asked are as follows.
What are the differences and similarities
between the chemical composition of your
body and its surroundings?
The human body contains more oxygen than the
atmosphere and lithosphere, but less than the
hydrosphere. It contains much more carbon than
all of them and more hydrogen than the

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The human body has more, less or


same as the lithosphere
more
less
less
less
less
less
less
less
less
more
more
less
more
more
more
more

Follow-up: Establish that there has to be a


continuous flow of each element into and out of
the body if this composition is to be maintained
a cycling of each element from one or more of the
other spheres, either directly or through food. It is
useful to mention conservation of matter at some
point a constant recycling of elements means,
for example, that a carbon atom on the end of
your nose could well have been in a dinosaurs
big toe.

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Chemistry of me at 16

Jigsaw for Activity 1: What am I made of?

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Chemistry of me at 16

Diagram for Activity 1: What am I made of?


The four spheres of the Earth and how they are related

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Activity 2: The metal in me calcium


Introduction: What makes our bones hard? Try
removing the hardness and flame testing the
solution that results.
Key Stage: Chemistry KS4.

best cleaned in preparation for each test by


dipping in 5M HCl on a watchglass, then
flaming them off - but pupils will have to
make do with 1M HCl for safety reasons)
Wirecutters/tinsnips
Watch glasses, 5 cm diam

National Curriculum Ref: Sc3 2g


Lead-in: We have a lot of calcium inside us Why? Calcium is a reactive metal so there is
likely to be a lot of one or more calcium
compounds inside us, but where? Can we find
out what they are doing inside the body?

Time: 20 minutes
Pupil learning outcomes: Know how a few
elements, including calcium, can be identified in
their compounds by use of the flame test. Know
that a major role of calcium in the human body is
as a component of bones, and that phosphorus
and oxygen are also needed for bones.
Understand why regular intake of calcium
compounds is essential in the diet, and how this
fits into the recycling of calcium compounds in
nature.

Activity: Show a sample of elemental calcium


and a sample of a compound containing calcium.
Note the different chemical characteristics of the
metal as an element and in a compound. [You
may wish to show them again the reaction of
calcium with water that they may have seen at
KS3].
Then ask them to carry out the bendy bones and
flame testing activities described on the
Participant Card.

Context: The mass of calcium in the body (1 kg in


a 70 kg person) is mainly there as one of the
elements in bone. This calcium is slowly cycled
into and out of the bones, and of course more
calcium is needed by children who are still
growing. So calcium compounds form an
important component of the diet.
Common misconceptions: Although pupils are
usually aware of the three major organic
components of the diet (carbohydrates, proteins
and fats), they often fail to understand that
minerals are also an important component, and
among these calcium compounds make the
largest contribution.

Flame testing for calcium (Activity 2)

Resource list:
Participant Card
Small thin bones from e.g. rabbit or chicken.
Immerse the bones in the acid about one hour
before the activity takes place. It would also
be sensible to set up a bone in acid some time
earlier, eg. the day before.
Hydrochloric acid (1M)
Tweezers
Any calcium salt
Crushed limestone
Bunsen burner and heat proof mat
10 cm lengths of clean thin nichrome wire
(NB It is not necessary to mount these in glass
rod holders if they are long enough they can
be held between the fingers at the far end
from the flame, and the other end can be
snipped off between tests to ensure a fresh
piece of wire for each test). Also the wires are
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Follow-up: Discuss the flexibility of bone when


calcium is removed, such as the issues of calcium
deficiency and osteoporosis. Note: brittle bones
are caused by protein deficiency.
In the context of the big picture, where does the
calcium in our bones come from? Here is an
example of how the calcium trail might work:
Underlying strata containing calcium
compounds are weathered
Calcium is incorporated into the soil profile
It is absorbed through the roots of plants
Grass is eaten by cows
Cows produce milk
Cheese is made from milk
We eat the cheese - and the calcium from it is
cycled into our bones
10

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Activity 3 - The carbon in me


Introduction: Find out how much carbon is
produced when food samples are burnt. Our own
bodies would also produce carbon if burnt but it
is best to try it with food instead!

Lead-in: Where do the carbon compounds that


make up our bodies come from? Are we animal,
vegetable or mineral? Both animals and
vegetables are organic, minerals are inorganic.
Discuss the meaning of organic - we are organic
rather than inorganic, we are made up mainly of
compounds of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen with a
few other elements.

Key Stage: Chemistry KS4.


National Curriculum Ref: Sc3 2q, 3k
Time: 15 minutes

If we were to burn, we would produce masses of


soot! (mainly because of the fat content of our
bodies). Relay the story of spontaneous
combustion in humans clothing may act as a
wick and the body fat melts and vaporises like a
candle. Only the extremities (hands and feet) are
left. (see
http://www.mysticalblaze.com/SpontaneousCo
mbust.htm or
http://www.alternativescience.com/spontaneous
-human-combustion-burning-issue.htm).

Pupil learning outcomes: Understand that the


carbon in compounds in our bodies comes from
the carbon compounds in what we eat, from fats,
protein and carbohydrates. Be able to relate the
soot formed when foods are burned to the
proportion of carbon in the food. Understand the
use of the terms organic and inorganic in the
context of chemistry.
Context: This activity links the percentage of
carbon (C) in the human body to the food we eat
as the main source of carbon. It can also be used
to consolidate the standard word equation for the
combustion of carbon compounds.
Common misconceptions: It is often not
appreciated that what we eat doesnt make a
difference to our composition, including the
proportion of carbon. We are born with the right
composition and keep it to the end!
Resource list:
Participant Card
Bench mat
Stand and clamp
Boiling tube
Cold water and measuring cylinder
Tongs (mounting pins can be used instead)
Several different foods to burn. Include potato
crisps, which have a high fat content and
work well. Other foods could include one
high in protein (a meat product), and one
high in carbohydrate, although these can be
difficult to ignite. Avoid nut-based products
in case of allergies.
Safety: Ensure boiling tubes are pointed away
from faces. Use eye protection.

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Apparatus for burning foodstuffs under a boiling


tube of cold water (Activity 3)
Activity: Carry out the food-burning activity
described on the Participant Card.
All photographs can be found in colour on the
Earth Science Education Unit website.

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Activity 4: The iron in me


Introduction: You may be surprised to find that
iron metal is added to some foods. Use the
magnetic properties of iron to find out how much
is in your breakfast cereal.

Refer to the dietary information for example on a


packet of Kelloggs Special K and ask whether
they would expect the iron to be present as the
element or as a compound of iron.

Key Stage: Chemistry KS4

How could iron as an element be extracted from


Special K? Try the activity below.

National Curriculum Ref: Sc3 2g


Activity: As the mixture of crushed cereal in
water is stirred with the magnetic stirrer, fine iron
power adheres as a grey coating to the magnetic
stirrer bar to the surprise of most.

Time: 10 minutes
Pupil learning outcomes: Know that iron is an
essential element in the human body, and
therefore in the diet. Understand why iron is
needed for haemoglobin in the blood and why
some sources of iron in the diet are better than
others.

Since it is unlikely that a school laboratory will


have several magnetic stirrers, this can be done as
a teacher demonstration with pupil participation,
or as one activity in a circus.

Context: Iron is a common element in the Earths


crust, so perhaps it is not surprising that it is
found in the human body. However there is
much more to iron in the body than that, and the
role of iron is central to the process of human
respiration. For abler pupils, the concepts of
oxidation and reduction can be consolidated and
widened in this activity.
Common misconceptions: Many pupils do not
think of rocks as being made of elements and
compounds in the same way as the substances
they encounter in the chemistry laboratory. Even
when simple minerals like quartz (SiO2) are
introduced and seen to be simple chemical
compounds, the complexity and variability of
rock composition seems to lead them to believe
that rocks must be made of something else. This
activity, as well as others in this sequence, may be
used as a vehicle to address this.

Apparatus for finding the iron in cereals


(Activity 4)
Follow up: This activity shows how the iron
content in the cereal is increased by the addition
of fine iron powder. At this point the story of the
KS3 SAT question set a few years ago could be
told, when this experiment was described and
questions asked about what was happening. The
magazine New Scientist heard about the
question, failed to check what was behind it, and
jeered at what it regarded as a nonsense
suggestion, that Special K contained iron
filings. If they had checked their facts, they
would have found that the science was correct,
that it had been checked out with Kelloggs, and
above all that it is iron powder, not iron filings,
that is used an important difference. Although
several scientists, including teachers, wrote in to
correct the magazine, there seems to have been no
official correction published.

Resource list:
Participant Card
Any fortified cereal e.g. Special K
Water
Large beaker (1000 ml)
Magnetic stirrer with stirrer bar (preferably a
clean white one)
Tweezers
Lead-in: What is iron doing in the human body?
Iron is a common element in the Earths crust, so
perhaps it is not surprising that it is found in the
body, but what is its role - what does it do?

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Extension: Compare and contrast the amount of


iron extracted from other cereals and discuss the
differences. Special K packets quote 20 mg of
iron per 100g of cereal, while cornflakes, which
are fortified at a lower level, have about 7 mg of
iron per 100g while un-fortified cereals have 1 2
mg iron per 100g. Also try comparing and
contrasting the compositional analyses of contents
given on different cereal packets.

Why are iron compounds not used? The body


requires Fe2+ for haemoglobin and iron tablets
contain iron(II) sulphate and are swallowed
whole. But if this compound were to be used as a
fine powder in the cereal it would dissolve and
oxidise to Fe3+ before reaching the stomach. If the
iron content of the body is to be increased, the
iron must be digested as Fe2+. When the iron
powder reaches the stomach, it reacts with the
hydrochloric acid in the stomach to form iron(II)
chloride (and hydrogen), so providing Fe2+ just
where it is needed! Importantly, iron eaten in
powder form has no taste.

Acknowledgement: This activity is taken from:


Lister, T. (1996) Classic chemistry demonstrations.
London: Royal Society of Chemistry, 5 6.
All photographs can be found in colour on the
Earth Science Education Unit website.

This story will need to be adapted to the level of


the pupils in the class, but it forms a useful
example of the application of understanding of
simple chemistry to their lives.
This can then lead into a wider discussion on the
benefits and possible hazards of vitamin and
mineral supplements.

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Activity 5: The hot air in me


Resource list:
Participant Cards
2 gas syringes, 100 ml, with plungers loosely
fastened with string, to prevent them
dropping out of the syringes onto the bench
and smashing
freshly reduced wire-form copper (or if this is
unavailable, copper turnings) see Technicians
list
Silica (glass) combustion tube, 15 cm long
2 short pieces of silica glass rod that fit loosely
into the tube
3 way tap to allow initial adjustment of
plunger positions
Rubber tubing short lengths to connect
Cartoon poster or OHT prepared to show a
volcano with past atmospheric composition,
and then arrows and clouds linking to present
day atmospheric composition

Introduction: How might the atmosphere of the


early Earth have originated and how might it
have changed to contain the gases that are vital to
our lives? Investigate how much of the air we
breathe is actually composed of oxygen.
Key Stage: Chemistry KS4.
National Curriculum Ref: Sc3.2 l, m, p
Time: 10 minutes
Pupil learning outcomes: Know that the most
abundant element in the body is oxygen, most of
which combined with hydrogen as water. Know
that water intake comes both from drinking
liquids and from eating such things as fruit and
vegetables. Know the approximate percentages of
the most important gases in air nitrogen, oxygen
and carbon dioxide. Understand how percentages
of the reactive and unreactive components in air
can be found by using another element to remove
the reactive component.

Lead-in: Can we live without air? Discuss the


importance of air. The average person breathes in
about 14,500 litres of air each day when resting.
For someone doing energetic exercise, the air
intake could be about 30 40 litres of air every
minute. All in all, we need a lot of air! But where
did the air we breathe come from and what is it
made of?

Context: Human life depends on respiration, for


which we need to draw on resources from all the
Earths spheres (lithosphere, hydrosphere,
atmosphere and biosphere), but in particular, the
gases of the atmosphere.
Common misconceptions: Many pupils think air
is made mainly or even completely of oxygen, and
they do not abandon this misconception even
when they have learnt the values for the
composition of air by heart!

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Activity 5A: Name that gas


The completed table should be as follows:
Gas description

Gas(es)

These three constituents of volcanic gas either form the water of the oceans or
dissolve in the ocean waters.
These two constituents of volcanic gas are not very reactive and so remain in the
atmosphere and their percentages have built up over geological time
This gas is found in varying amounts in the atmosphere, depending on the
temperature and the balance between such processes as evaporation and
condensation
During photosynthesis by plants, this gas is released. The process has added an
important gas to the atmosphere that is not found in volcanic gas
This constituent of volcanic gas not only dissolves in the oceans but is also used by
plants during photosynthesis
This constituent of volcanic gas has very low density and so is easily lost from the
atmosphere to outer space. It is a gas that has low atomic mass and so is found
early in the periodic table

Cloud
letter
c

Water vapour
Carbon dioxide
Sulfur oxides
Nitrogen
Argon
Water vapour

Oxygen

Carbon dioxide

Hydrogen

b
f

Answers to questions on Participant Card:


What volume of air was set at the start?
100 cm3
What volume of gas was still there after passing it
over hot copper? 79 cm3
So what volume of gas was used up in
reaction with the copper? 21 cm3
And what percentage is this of the whole air?
- 21%
What is the name of the gas that reacted with
the copper? - oxygen
What is the name of the main gas in air that
did not react? - nitrogen
Follow up: Discuss results and develop a word
equation for the reaction that takes place. Explain
that the copper reacts with something in the air to
give the grey-black product that the pupils
observe. This is a compound. The gas that
remains is unreactive.

Acknowledgement: This activity is taken from:


King, C. & York, P. (1995) SoE1 Changes to the
Atmosphere, Sheffield: ESTA, Figure A9.3.
Activity 5B: How much air is used when copper
reacts with air? This is a teacher demonstration
described on the Participant Card (but not
intended for pupils to do themselves). The
Participant Card contains questions for those
observing the demonstration.

The reaction can be written as:


Copper + Air Product + Inactive air (79%)
The 21% active gas in the air is oxygen.
Of the remaining 79%, 78% is nitrogen
The grey-black solid is copper (II) oxide.

The apparatus for reacting copper with air


(Activity 5)

Extension: Ask whether the pupils would expect


any change in the mass of the copper during the
experiment and why? (The mass of the copper
increases as it becomes copper oxide).
Acknowledgement: This activity is taken from:
Hunt, J.A & Sykes, A. (1984) Chemistry. York:
Longman.
All photographs can be found in colour on the
Earth Science Education Unit website.

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Activity 6: The value of me


Introduction: How much are you worth? Use the
prices to find out how much the materials that
make up your body would cost if you were to buy
them separately. Then discuss what you are really
worth to your family, friends and as a citizen of
your country.

Common misconceptions: Some people think


that drinking water supplies minerals for our diet.
While several trace elements may be supplied this
way, it is not a significant route for the major
minerals, which are supplied mainly in our food,
and also perhaps by mineral supplements.

Key Stage: Chemistry KS4.

Resource list:
Participant Cards
Geological map of the UK

National Curriculum Ref: 3.2.g and 3.3k


Time: 20 minutes

Lead-in: Where do we get the minerals in our


diet from? By discussion establish that ultimately
they must come from the lithosphere (or the
Earths crust). Since we live in Britain, this idea
can be linked to geological maps of the UK, and if
possible to the range of mineral extraction for
different elements that occurs, or has occurred in
the past, in different parts of Britain. This leads to
the question of the economic cost of these
elements, and wondering what we ourselves
might be worth as a collection of elements.

Pupil learning outcomes: Be able to calculate the


monetary value of a stated quantity of an element,
given the market value of that element. Know that
Britain is made of rocks that contain all these
elements, and that in a few places the rocks may
contain enough of an element to be an economic
source for its extraction. Understand that we
depend upon the rocks of the Earths crust to
supply our needs for many elements, both for the
biosphere and to provide our modern way of life.
Understand in particular that the mineral
components of our diet come from the rocks,
mainly via the soil to the plants and then the
animals that together form our diet. Understand
that our market value as a collection of elements
forming our bodies has no real meaning in terms
of our value as human beings!

Activity: The Participant Cards provide a data


table giving the market prices for 12 important
elements in their bodies (taken from the 1997
Aldrich Catalogue), along with the mass of each
element in a typical 70kg body and the percentage
of body mass this represents.
Participants calculate the value of these elements
EITHER in the typical 70 kg body OR in their own
body if they know their own mass. They then
calculate the total value of the body.

Context: All living things depend upon minerals


derived from the lithosphere, and most of the raw
material we need for everything we use in our
day-to-day lives also derive from the lithosphere.
This is all bound up with the way elements are
cycled in and out of the lithosphere, both by
natural processes and by the processes of the
mineral industry and waste disposal.

This process can be speeded up by asking each


member to carry out the calculation for one
element and combining all the results together at
the end.

Results for a 70 kg human body are as follows:


Element
Oxygen
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen

% of body mass from


each element
61
23
10
2.5

Mass of element in a
70kg person
42.7kg
16.1kg
7.0kg
1.8kg

1.4
1.1
0.2
0.2
0.14
0.13
0.03
0.006

1.0kg
770g
140g
140g
98g
95g
21g
4.2g

Calcium
Phosphorous
Potassium
Sulfur
Sodium
Chlorine
Magnesium
Iron
Total value

The Earth Science Education Unit

16

Price per kg

Value of element in 70
kg person
146.46
272.09
1173.69

2.88

3.43
16.90
167.67
1.60
144.00
21.00
790.00
9.40
82.40
198.23
34.90
49.50
1877.80

144.00
16.17
110.60
1.32
8.07
18.83
0.73
0.21

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Follow-up: Discuss of the validity of the


elemental value calculated, both in economic
terms and also in terms of ethics!

Extension: Consider the role of the water cycle


and hence the presence of dissolved minerals in
water supplies. Relate this in particular to
borehole abstraction, where rainwater has
infiltrated the soil and percolated through the
underlying rock, reacting with it and dissolving
substances. Develop the understanding that
groundwater is stored in aquifers, which consist
of porous, permeable rocks (not large caverns
underground!) while surface water is stored in
reservoirs.

Consider biological mechanisms for maintaining


steady levels of the elements in the body
(homeostasis and excretion).

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Chemistry of me at 16

Plenary Activity: Putting it all together


Introduction: The elements in your body have
been cycled through many places before they
formed you. Where else are they found?

Context: Re-visit some of the key elements


explored in earlier activities and see where they
are found in the wider environment.

Key Stage: Chemistry KS4

Common misconceptions: Pupils may not realise


that most of the common elements form
compounds important in all of Earths spheres.

National Curriculum Ref: Sc3 2 l, p, q


Time: 15 minutes (approx)

Resource List:
Participant Cards

Pupil Learning Outcomes: Revise the lessons


learned in the earlier part of the workshop, and
acquire a broader perspective of the relationship
between their own bodies and the world around
them.

Lead-in: Where (chemically) do you come from?


Where else on Earth are the elements that make
up your body found?
Activity: Groups complete the tables on the
Participant Cards. Answers are as shown below.

Element
Calcium

Natural example of element or its compounds

Calcium carbonate in limestone and marble


Calcium dissolved in hard water
Calcium carbonate in teeth and bones
Calcium carbonate in shells

Another example? Calcium dissolved in the sea

Chlorine

Sodium chloride (salt) in sea water


Sodium chloride in rocks
Chloride ions in plants
Chloride ions in animals
Another example? Chloride ions in the soil

Nitrogen

Nitrogen in air
Nitrate in soil water
Nitrogen in bacteria in soil
Nitrogen in protein in plants
Nitrogen in protein in animals
Nitrogen in urea

Another example? Nitrogen in excretion


Sodium chloride (salt) in sea water
Sodium chloride in rocks
Sodium ions in plants
Sodium ions in animals
Another example? Sodium ions in soil water

Carbonate such as limestone and marble


Carbon in fossil fuel coal
Carbon in fossil fuel oil and natural gas
Graphite formed of carbon
Diamond formed of carbon
Carbon dioxide dissolved in seas
Carbon dioxide in the air
Carbon dioxide used in photosynthesis
Carbon dioxide produced by respiration
Carbon in carbohydrates in plants
Carbon in carbohydrates in animals
Another example? Carbon monoxide in the air

Sodium

Carbon

The Earth Science Education Unit

18

Sphere where it
is found
L
H
B
B if living,
L if dead
H
H
L
B
B
L
A
H
B
B
B
B if in animal
L if in soil
H if in sewage
B
H
L
B
B
H
L
L
L
L
L
H
A
B
B
B
B
A

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Oxygen

Oxygen dissolved in water


Oxygen in the air
Carbon dioxide in the air
Carbon dioxide dissolved in water
Oxygen reacted with metals (eg. rust)
Oxygen used in breathing
Oxygen produced by photosynthesis
Another example? Oxygen in iron ore (magnetite)

Iron

Iron in haemoglobin in red blood cells


Iron oxide in ore (hematite)
Iron sulfide in rocks (fools gold)
Iron metal crystals in igneous rock (e.g. basalt, granite)
Dissolved iron compounds in rivers
Iron in food (e.g. green vegetables, meat, fortified cereal)
Iron compounds in faeces
Another example? Iron stained weathered rock surfaces

H
A
A
H
L
B
B
L
B
L
L
L
H
B
B
L

Follow-up: When groups are clear where in the


Earths spheres these examples are found follow
up with a discussion of how they are cycled from
one sphere to the others. Each group can take an
element and show how it can be moved to
another sphere, as shown below:
Element

Calcium

Natural example of element or its


compounds

Calcium carbonate in limestone and


marble
Calcium dissolved in hard water
Calcium carbonate in teeth and bones
Calcium carbonate in shells
Another example? Calcium dissolved
in the sea

Sphere
where it is
found
L

Sphere it can
be cycled to
H

Dissolved by acid rain

H
B
B

L
H
L

Deposited in stalactites
Dissolved by water after burial
Buried to form limestone

Used to form sea shells

Biosphere (Plenary Activity)

Lithosphere (Plenary Activity)

Atmosphere (Plenary Activity)


The Earth Science Education Unit

Process

Hydrosphere (Plenary Activity)


19

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Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Spot the Periodic Table through the window

1. Spot that compound: Look out of


the window you can see many
different compounds made of
different elements. Tick the
elements which make up the
compounds you can spot. A help
sheet is available if you need help.

3. Spot that element: Which


elements (uncombined) from the
periodic table above can you see?
Circle the elements you can spot.
4. What do all these elements have in
common?

2. What do all these compounds have


in common?

5. Spot the difference: How do your


answers differ if you ask which
elements and compounds can be
spotted in the ordinary room where
you are now?
Elements and elements of compounds
seen outside but not in the room

Elements and elements of compounds


seen in the room but not outside

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Spot the Periodic Table through the window help sheet


The chemistry of common outdoor compounds
Material
Bricks/tiles these are
made from clays which are
baked in a kiln to form
bricks/tiles. Clays contain
clay minerals and the most
common ones are:
Cement cement is usually
mixed with sand in mortar or
with sand and rock chips in
concrete. Major cement
constituents include:
Bitumen (asphalt or tar)
Rock made of minerals
(roofing slate is a rock)
Glass the main constituents
of float glass the most
common form of glass today,
are:
Plastic polymers
Paint include a form of glue
(resin), a primary pigment,
secondary pigments and
colorants and a solvent. In
dry paint, the solvent
evaporated when the paint
dried

Human body

Plants

Constituent(s)
Kaolinite contains:
Montmorillonite contains:
Illite contains:

Tricalcium silicate contains:


Dicalcium silicate contains:
Tricalcium aluminate contains:
Tetracalcium aluminoferrite
contains:
Calcium sulfate (gypsum)
Long chains of hydrocarbon
molecules including:
The most common minerals are
made of the most common
elements in the Earth crust:
Silicon dioxide (silica sand,
quartz)
Sodium carbonate
Calcium carbonate
Magnesium carbonate
Plastic polymer chains are made
mainly of:
Resin compounds mainly of:
Primary pigment commonly
titanium dioxide
Simple secondary pigments
include:
iron oxide, used to give yellows,
reds and browns
chromium oxide giving green
lead oxide giving red
99% of the mass of the human
body is made of just six
elements:
Plants are formed mainly of the
following elements, with trace
amounts of around ten others:

Chemical make-up
Al, Si, O, H
Na Ca, Al, Mg, Si, Al, O,
H
K, Al, Si, O, H

Ca, O, Si
Ca, O, Si
Ca, O, Al
Ca, O, Al, Fe
CaSO4
H, C, N, S, O
O, Si, Al, Fe, Ca, Na, K,
Mg, Ti
SiO2
Na2CO3
CaCO3
MgCO3
C, H, O, Si
C, O, H
TiO2

Fe2O3
Cr2O3,
Pb3O4
O, C, H, N, Ca, P

O, C, H, N, P, S, Si

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Activity 1: What am I made of?


Introduction:
Begin thinking about what you are made
of as you make the jig-saw and how
this compares with the make-up of the
lithosphere.

Element

Oxygen
Silicon
Aluminium
Iron
Calcium
Sodium
Potassium
Magnesium
Titanium
Hydrogen
Phosphorus
Manganese
Sulfur
Carbon
Chlorine
Nitrogen

Percentage in the
lithosphere

Activity:
Put the jig-saw together correctly
Write the information from the jigsaw into the table below to compare
the percentage of elements in your
body with the percentage of
elements in the Earths lithosphere
Percentage in the
human body

The human body


has more, less
or same as the
lithosphere

46.6
27.7
8.1
5.0
3.6
2.8
2.6
2.1
0.6
0.1
0.1
0.1
Less than 0.1
Less than 0.1
Less than 0.1
Less than 0.1

Then complete the final column of


the table by writing more if the
human body has a greater
percentage of the element than the
lithosphere, less of it is lower or
same if it is about the same.

How similar is the composition of


the human body to that of the
Earths lithosphere?

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Activity 1: What am I made of? Extension activity


Look at the table below giving the
average composition of the three parts
of our environment; the lithosphere
(solid rock of the Earths outer layers),
Element
Oxygen
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Calcium
Phosphorous
Potassium
Sulfur
Sodium
Chlorine
Magnesium
Iron
Aluminium
Silicon
Titanium
Manganese

the hydrosphere (rivers, lakes, seas)


and atmosphere (the air) as well as the
composition of the human body.

Average % in the following locations


Atmosphere
Lithosphere
Hydrosphere
Human body
21
46.6
86
61
0.008
Less than 0.1
A trace *
23
Varies *
0.1
10.8
10
78.03
Less than 0.1
A trace #
2.5
0
3.6
0.04
1.4
0
0.1
A trace +
1.1
0
2.6
0.04
0.2
0#
Less than 0.1
0.08
0.2
0
2.8
1.07
0.14
0
Less than 0.1%
1.92
0.13
0
2.1
0.13
0.03
0
5.0
0
0.006
0
8.1
0
0
0
27.7
0
0
0
0.6
0
0
0
0.1
0
0
* depending on
*as carbonate
whether air is
ions
damp or dry
# unless sulfur
# as nitrate
dioxide present
ions
due to burning
+ as phosphate
fossil fuels
ions

What are the differences and


similarities between the chemical
composition of your body and its
surroundings?

Is your body most like the


atmosphere, most like the
lithosphere or most like the
hydrosphere?

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Activity 2: The metal in me calcium


Introduction:
What makes our bones hard? Try
removing the hardness and flame
testing the solution that results.
We cant use our bones for this test, so
we are using animal bones instead
because they have the same
composition as ours.
Use eye protection.
Activity 2A: Removing the hardness
You have been given a small bone
that has been covered in 1M
hydrochloric acid and left for an
hour or so.
Remove the bone from the solution
with tweezers, rinse it off and dry
it. Then compare it with an
untreated bone.
Pass the treated and untreated
bones around the group.
Activity 2B: Flame testing
Conduct flame tests on the known
calcium salt provided and on crushed
limestone, as follows:
Dip the flame test wire in
hydrochloric acid on the watch
glass.
Holding the wire firmly at the
far end, touch the tip of the
wire into the bottom corner of a
strong blue Bunsen flame, and

hold it there until any colour


from the wire in the flame dies
away.
Repeat this until the wire gives
no colour to the flame the wire
is now clean.
Now dip the wire into acid, and
then into a sample of a known
calcium compound. What colour
does it give to the flame now?
Clean the wire again as before,
and when clean repeat the test
using a sample of powdered
limestone. Is the colour given to
the flame the same?
Now use this flame testing method
to discover if there is calcium in
bones. Dip the wire into the solution
from activity 2a and carry out the
flame test. Does this give a calcium
colour?
Where might the calcium in our
bones have come from?

Flame testing for calcium

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Activity 3: The carbon in me


Introduction
Find out how much carbon is produced
when food samples are burnt. Our own
bodies would also produce carbon if
burnt but it is best to try it with
food instead!
Use eye protection, and ensure that
boiling tubes are pointing away from
faces.

Apparatus for burning foodstuffs


under a boiling tube of cold water

Activity
Hold a potato crisp (with a high fat
content) with tongs. Light it in a
Bunsen flame and place the burning
crisp under a boiling tube half-full
of water.
Watch for condensation forming on
the tube and dripping onto the food
sample it might put out the flame.
Wait until the food has burnt out.
How much soot has been deposited
onto the test tube?
Burn different food types e.g. one
high in protein, and one high in
carbohydrate. Do they all give the
same results?

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Activity 4: The iron in me


Introduction
You may be surprised to find that iron
metal is added to some foods. Use the
magnetic properties of iron to find out
how much is in your breakfast cereal.

Apparatus for finding the iron in


cereals

Activity: Iron grains in cereal can


you be serious?
Measure about 50g (or around one
serving) of cereal into the beaker.
Crush the cereal by hand, or in a
pestle and mortar.
Add about 500 ml water.
Use a magnetic stirrer to stir the
mixture for a few minutes.
Remove the stirrer bar using
tweezers and look at it closely.
What do you see?

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Activity 5: The hot air in me


Introduction
How might the atmosphere of the early
Earth have originated and how might it
have changed to contain the gases that
are vital to our lives? Investigate how
much of the air we breathe is actually
composed of oxygen.

Activity 5a: Name that gas


Look at the cartoon provided.
It shows the composition of volcanic
gas that comes from volcanoes
today, which we think is similar to
the early atmosphere, several billion
years ago.
Between these are arrows and
clouds (a f) which link them.
Study the information table below,
which describes the gases.
Now work out which cloud
represents which gases, and write
the answers into the table.

Gas description
These three constituents of volcanic gas either form
the water of the oceans or dissolve in the ocean waters.
These two constituents of volcanic gas are not very
reactive and so remain in the atmosphere and their
percentages have built up over geological time.
This gas is found in varying amounts in the atmosphere,
depending on the temperature and the balance between
such processes as evaporation and condensation.
During photosynthesis by plants, this gas is released.
This process has added an important gas to the
atmosphere that is not found in volcanic gas.
This constituent of volcanic gas not only dissolves in the
oceans but is also used by plants during photosynthesis.
This constituent of volcanic gas has very low density and
so is easily lost from the atmosphere to outer space. It
is a gas that has a low atomic mass and so is found early
in the Periodic Table.

Gas(es)

Cloud
letter

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Activity 5: The hot air in me


Activity 5B is a teacher demonstration
(described here for teachers only)
Answer these questions before, during
and after the demonstration.

The Activity
Set-up the apparatus well in
advance, as shown in the diagram

(add string to each plunger, to stop


plungers popping out, and a tap in
the middle)

Activity 5B: How much air is used


when copper reacts with air?

What volume of air was set at the


start?
What volume of gas was still there
after passing it over hot copper?
So what volume of gas was used up
in reaction with the copper?
And what percentage is this of the
whole air?
What is the name of the gas that
reacted with the copper?
What is the name of the main gas in
air that did not react?

The apparatus for reacting copper with


air

Pack freshly-reduced wire-form


copper (or copper turnings) into the
silica tube, using a short piece of
silica glass rod at each end to
prevent the wire pieces spilling out
Set the apparatus with one syringe
containing 100 cm3 of air and the
other set to the zero mark, using
the tap to vent unwanted air
Heat the copper strongly with the
Bunsen burner
As the copper is heated, use the
syringes to push air to and fro
across it
As the copper is heated in air it
becomes grey-black
As the copper is heated the volume
of air decreases
When no more reduction in gas
volume occurs turn off the Bunsen
burner
Leave the apparatus to cool
Measure the volume of air remaining
This will allow the observers to
answer the questions on the
Participant Card as above

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Activity 6: The value of me


Introduction
How much are you worth? Use the
prices to find out how much the
materials that make up your body would
cost if you were to buy them
separately. Then discuss what you are
really worth to your family, friends
and as a citizen of your country.

Activity
You are provided with a data table
giving market prices for twelve
important elements in your body.
The table also shows the mass of each
element in a typical 70kg adult human
body, and the percentage of body mass
this represents.
For each element, calculate:
EITHER: the value of the typical 70 kg
human body as follows:

First find the mass in kilograms


of each element in the body
From the table, find the value of
1 kg of that element
Now multiply the mass of the
element by the value of 1 kg of
that element

OR: the value of your own body if you


know your own mass in kilograms and
can use the percentage composition
column. Use the same stages as those
above.
Finally, calculate the total value of the
main elements in the body.

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Data table for a 70 kg person


Element

Oxygen
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Calcium
Phosphorous
Potassium
Sulfur
Sodium
Chlorine
Magnesium
Iron
Total value

% of body mass
from each
element
61
23
10
2.5
1.4
1.1
0.2
0.2
0.14
0.13
0.03
0.006

Mass of
element in a
70kg person
42.7kg
16.1kg
7.0kg
1.8kg
1.0kg
770g
140g
140g
98g
95g
21g
4.2g

Price per kg

Value of
element in 70
kg person

3.43
16.90
167.67
1.60
144.00
21.00
790.00
9.40
82.40
198.23
34.90
49.50

Data table for your own body mass of X kg


Element

Oxygen
Carbon
Hydrogen
Nitrogen
Calcium
Phosphorous
Potassium
Sulfur
Sodium
Chlorine
Magnesium
Iron
Total value

% of body
mass from
each element
61
23
10
2.5
1.4
1.1
0.2
0.2
0.14
0.13
0.03
0.006

Calculation
of mass of
element in
me, in kg
61/100 x X
23/100 x X
10/100 x X
2.5/100 x X
1.4/100 x X
1.1/100 x X
0.2/100 x X
0.2/100 x X
0.14/100 x X
0.13/100 x X
0.03/100 x X
0.006/100 x
X

Mass of
element in
me, in kg

Price per kg

3.43
16.90
167.67
1.60
144.00
21.00
790.00
9.40
82.40
198.23
34.90
49.50

Value of
element in
me

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

KS4 Plenary Activity: Putting it all together


Introduction
The elements in your body have been
cycled through many places before
they formed you. Where else are they
found?
Activity
Show in which sphere each of the
examples over the page is found by
writing the initial letter of the sphere
opposite each example. The first has
been done for you to help you (L =
lithosphere; H = Hydrosphere; A =
Atmosphere; B = Biosphere)

Lithosphere

Then add an example of your own and


show where it is found.
Atmosphere

Biosphere

Hydrosphere

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Element
Calcium

Chlorine

Nitrogen

Sodium

Carbon

Oxygen

Example of element or its compounds

Calcium carbonate in limestone and marble


Calcium dissolved in hard water
Calcium carbonate in teeth and bones
Calcium carbonate in shells

Another example? Sodium chloride (salt) in sea water


Sodium chloride in rocks
Chloride ions in plants
Chloride ions in animals

Another example? Nitrogen in air


Nitrate in soil water
Nitrogen in bacteria in soil
Nitrogen in protein in plants
Nitrogen in protein in animals
Nitrogen in urea

Another example? Sodium chloride (salt) in sea water


Sodium chloride in rocks
Sodium ions in plants
Sodium ions in animals

Another example? Carbonate such as limestone and marble


Carbon in fossil fuel coal
Carbon in fossil fuel oil and natural gas
Graphite formed of carbon
Diamond formed of carbon
Carbon dioxide dissolved in seas
Carbon dioxide in the air
Carbon dioxide used in photosynthesis
Carbon dioxide produced by respiration
Carbon in carbohydrates in plants
Carbon in carbohydrates in animals

Another example? Oxygen dissolved in water


Oxygen in the air
Carbon dioxide in the air
Carbon dioxide dissolved in water
Oxygen reacted with metals (eg. rust)
Oxygen used in breathing
Oxygen produced by photosynthesis

Another example? -

Sphere where it is
found
L

Participant Cards

Chemistry of me at 16

Iron

Iron in haemoglobin in red blood cells


Iron oxide in ore (hematite)
Iron sulfide in rocks (fools gold)
Iron oxide crystals in igneous rock (e.g. basalt,
granite)
Dissolved iron compounds in rivers
Iron in food (e.g. green vegetables, meat, fortified
cereal)
Iron compounds in faeces

Another example? -

Then draw a table like the one below and complete it for one of the elements
above. An example shows you how to do this.
Element

Natural example of element or


its compounds

Calcium

Calcium carbonate in
limestone and marble

Sphere
where it is
found

Sphere it
can be
cycled to

Process

Dissolved by acid rain

Technicians List

Chemistry of me at 16

Technicians List
KS4 Starter activity - Spot the Periodic Table
through the window
Participant Cards
A room with a reasonable view from the
window
KS4 Activity 1 - What am I made of?

Participant Card
PowerPoint or OHT slides showing the
Earths four spheres (lithosphere,
atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere).
Jig-saw of the elemental composition of the
human body, copied onto card and cut into
pieces

KS4 Activity 2 - The metal in me calcium

Participant Card
Small thin bones from e.g. rabbit or chicken.
Hydrochloric acid (1M).Immerse the bones in
the acid about one hour before the activity
takes place. It would also be sensible to set
up a bone in acid some time earlier, eg. the
day before.
Tweezers
Any calcium salt
Crushed limestone
Bunsen burner and a heat proof mat
10 cm lengths of clean thin nichrome wire
(NB It is not necessary to mount these in
glass rod holders if they are long enough
they can be held between the fingers at the
far end from the flame, and the other end can
be snipped off between tests to ensure a
fresh piece of wire for each test. Also the
wires are best cleaned in preparation for each
test by dipping in 5M HCl on a watchglass,
then flaming them off - but pupils will have to
make do with 1M HCl for safety reasons)
Wirecutters/tinsnips
Watch glasses, 5 cm diam

KS4 Activity 4 - The iron in me

Participant Card
Any fortified cereal, e.g. Special K
Water
Large beaker (1000 ml)
Magnetic stirrer with stirrer bar (preferably a
clean white one)
Tweezers

KS4 Activity 5 - The hot air in me


Participant Cards
2 gas syringes, 100 ml, with plungers loosely
fastened with string, to prevent them dropping
out of the syringes onto the bench and
smashing
freshly reduced wire-form copper (see
photograph below) (or if freshly reduced wireform copper is unavailable, copper turnings)
Silica (glass) combustion tube, 15 cm long
2 short pieces of silica glass rod that fit
loosely into the tube
3 way tap to allow initial adjustment of plunger
positions
Rubber tubing short lengths to connect
Cartoon poster or OHT prepared to show a
volcano with past atmospheric composition,
and then arrows and clouds linking to present
day atmospheric composition

KS4 Activity 3 - The carbon in me

Participant Card
Bench mat
Stand and clamp
Boiling tube
Cold water and measuring cylinder
Tongs (mounting pins can be used instead)
Several different foods to burn. Include
potato crisps, which have a high fat content
and work well. Other foods could include one
high in protein (a meat product), and one high
in carbohydrate, although these can be
difficult to ignite. Avoid nut-based products in
case of allergies.

The preparation of freshly reduced copper wire,


using the lab gas supply

Technicians List

Chemistry of me at 16

KS4 Activity 6 - The value of me what am I


worth?

Participant Cards
Geological map of the UK

KS4 Plenary activity - Putting it all together


Participant Cards
---------------------------------------------------------Appendix 1. Optional - A visual representation
of the human body
The elemental composition of the human body
can be illustrated visually as follows:
Prepare sealed and labelled samples of some
common elements in the human body. Where
possible each sample should have the same
mass as contained in an average 70kg human
body, but where not possible a smaller
sample taped to e.g. a box having a similar
volume to that which that mass of element
would occupy. See the Data Sheet on the
Participant Card for a table of the correct
quantities.
Oxygen: a standard medical oxygen
cylinder, or the small size of oxygen
cylinder found in some schools (less than
1 metre long), when full probably contains
somewhat less than the 43 kg of oxygen,
but is the nearest approximation to this
mass of oxygen in the body. If such a
cylinder is available, it should be
displayed securely and clearly labelled:
Oxygen: 43 kg (gas under high
pressure). Failing this, a large box of
approx. 50 litres capacity (40cm X 40cm
X 30cm), wrapped in coloured paper and
labelled Oxygen: 43kg (volume as
occupied by liquid oxygen).
Carbon: 16kg of coke, charcoal or a high
carbon fuel such as phurnacite, displayed
if possible in a transparent box labelled:
Carbon: 16kg.
Hydrogen: the small size of laboratory
cylinder probably contains somewhat
more than the 7kg of hydrogen found in
the human body, but as with oxygen this
would be the nearest approximation.
Displayed securely and labelled:
Hydrogen 7kg (gas under high pressure).
Failing this a box about twice the size as
suggested for oxygen above, wrapped in
coloured paper and labelled: Hydrogen:
7kg (volume as occupied by liquid
hydrogen)
Nitrogen: a small nitrogen cylinder would
need to be nearly empty to contain a
mass of nitrogen approximating to the
1.8kg in the body! Such a cylinder could
be displayed with a label stating: Nitrogen
1.8kg (cylinder almost empty), or use a
box about 2 litre capacity (20cm X 10cm
X 10cm) wrapped in coloured paper and

labelled: Nitrogen: 1.8kg (volume as


occupied by liquid nitrogen)
Calcium: a mass of 1kg is probably too
much for the average school chemical
store to provide, but if it can be done, so
much the better! displayed with due
regard to safety in a clear container and
labelled: Calcium: 1kg. Failing this, a
smaller sample displayed in the same
way, attached to a box or block of volume
3
650 cm (e.g. 10 X 10 X 6.5 cm) painted
silver or covered with cooking foil.
Phosphorus: 770g of red phosphorus is
probably more than is normally kept in
stock by schools, so a smaller sample in a
sample bottle attached to a block/box of
3
volume about 333cm (e.g. 7 X 7 X 7cm),
labelled: Phosphorus: 770g
Potassium: it is unlikely that most schools
will have 140g of potassium, so prepare a
3
box/block of volume 120 cm (5 X 5 X
5cm) covered in foil paired with a small
sample bottle containing potassium under
oil. Label: Potassium: 140g
Sulfur: 140g of flowers of sulfur or roll
sulfur in a bottle labelled: Sulfur: 140g (a
school chemical store should have little
problem supplying this!)
Sodium: a sample of 98g of sodium
(displayed under oil) may be possible in
some schools, but otherwise a box/block
3
of volume 100cm (5 X 5 X 4cm) covered
in foil paired with a small sample bottle
containing sodium under oil. Label:
Sodium: 98g
Chlorine: it is highly unlikely that most
schools will have small bench cylinders of
chlorine used for demonstrations (but if a
school does, then a nearly empty cylinder
would be appropriate). A box/block of
volume 32 litres would approximate to
95g of chlorine gas, but for comparability
to the other gases, a box of approx.
3
volume 60cm (e.g. 4 X 4 X 4cm) could
represent 95g of liquid chlorine. Label:
Chlorine: 95g (volume as occupied by
liquid chlorine)
Magnesium: 21g. A partly used reel of
magnesium ribbon may suffice, or a
sample bottle with 21g of magnesium
powder. Label: Magnesium: 21g
Iron: 4.2 g. If possible a single nail of
appropriate size will make the point quite
forcefully! Otherwise iron filings in a
sample bottle could be used. Either way,
label: Iron: 4.2g

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