A Level Chemistry Balancing Equations OCR（化学平衡方程OCR的水平）.pdf

A Level Chemistry Balancing Equations Instructions and answers for teachers These instructions should accompany the OCR resource ‘Balancing Equations’ activity which supports OCR GCE Chemistry. The Activity: Learning outcomes: • To recall simple common chemical compounds and molecules • To understand that new products can only contain elements that the reactants have • To be able to balance symbol equations. This activity offers an This activity offers an opportunity for English opportunity for maths skills development. skills development. Associated materials: Balancing Equations learner activity sheet. Introduction This activity offers an alternative way of introducing students to balancing equations. Research shows that students have a problem with stoichiometry, often not really understanding why they are balancing equations. The balancing of equations is necessary to ensure that the reaction in question observes the rule for the conservation of mass. Students also struggle with the concept that chemical reactions cannot produce any different substances. For example, if you begin with a magnesium compound you cannot suddenly make a compound that uses aluminium if aluminium is not present. This activity is designed to consider these two points by combining some simple animations, developing a modelling activity using ham sandwiches as well as a number of questions to help students to develop their skills. Teachers notes Activity 1 This animation, allows learners to explore the idea that although chemical reactions make new substances those substances must be made from the starting materials. Task – the students should watch the short animation 1 and decide in small groups what the animation is trying to say. This gives the teacher the opportunity to assess what the students already know and expel /explore any miscon