FUTURE PROGRAM
myIDEA Laboratory Experiments in General Chemistry
OVERVIEW
This was my second semester as part of the FUTURE
program. I like being a FUTURE participant because of
the insight I gain into education, the interactions I have
with both the students and the teacher, and also I enjoy
helping others learn about how chemistry is applied
outside of the classroom.
I chose to work with Tom Bobovsky again because I
had a great experience working with Tom in the Fall
semester 2008. While I had worked with his organic
chemistry class in the fall, my schedule was better
suited to work with his general chemistry classes during
the winter semester. Tom and I had two main goals
this semester: 1) to allow each of his classes to get
some hands-on laboratory experience that related to
what they were currently learning about 2) Carry out
thoughtful and engaging experiments by bringing in
real-life applications.
TIMELINE
Week 1 – Meeting the classes and observing a typical
lesson
Week 2 – Planning out experiments with Tom relating
to current course work
Week 3 – Experiment 1
Week 4 – Experiment 2
Week 5 – Experiment 3
Stephen Glotzhober, sglotz@umich.edu, LSA, undecided, Class of 2012
PROJECT SNAPSHOT
Experiment 1: Double Replacement Lab
Students were given a reaction well and several
chemicals to test. By trying various combinations of
chemicals in a systematic method, students were able
to see if a precipitate formed, meaning that a double
replacement reaction occurred. They were then asked
to write out the equation. These reactions are
important in areas such as neutralization, where an acid
and base combine to form a harmless salt and water.
Experiment 2: Stoichiometry Lab
Students carried out a variation of the classic acid-
baking soda experiment. By mixing HCl and baking
soda, NaCl was produced. Using measurements they
took throughout the lab, the students were able to
calculate percent yield and stoichimetric conversions.
Important in areas such as baking, where wrong ratios
of ingredients can lead to a cake that is either too bitter
or too sweet.
Experiment 3: Plating of a Penny
In a solution of sodium hydroxide and zinc, pennies
were added which proceeded to turn silver from the
zinc. Students then rinsed the pennies in distilled
water. Lastly, pennies were heated using a bunsen
burner in order to produce the alloy brass, which looks
gold. This experiment helped show the students how
chemistry can be used to change the appearance of
everyday objects.
WHAT I LEARNED
I learned many things from participating in the FUTURE
program. First, I learned the importance of being
flexible. Experiments do not always work out as
planned for all students, and it is important to be able to
deal with roadblocks that arise. Also, I learned the
value of added help when doing experiments. In a
class of 30 students, it would be very hard to run
experiments with only one instructor. Many questions
are asked, and different students need help with
different aspects of the experiment. Skills I learned
from FUTURE are transferrable to other areas as well.
For instance, public speaking and being able to
communicate ideas effectively, along with being able to
adapt, are skills that I will need for almost any career I
choose.
School Information: Cass Technical High School
Teacher Information: Tom Bobovsky, tbobovsky@gmail.com
Project Coordinator: Mary Starr
ProjectSupport Staff: Cesar Delgado, Morten Lundsgaard,
Justin Lomont, Tracy Lent