Driving question : What is the reaction rate for the reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid?
In this activity students study the reaction between magnesium and hydrochloric acid using a pre-recorded video.
The reaction equation shows that a gas is produced. By measuring the amount of gas that is produced during a certain amount of time, the reaction rate can be determined. Students follow the rate of gas production by following the position of floating plastic balls in the collecting cylinder. By using the correct scaling, the moment of the balls can be correlated to a certain volume of gas. This scaling has already been prepared so that students can focus on the chemical aspects of this experiment.
Topic: Chemical kinetics,
Concepts: Chemical calculations, Molar volume, Reaction rate, Redox reactions,
Grade level: Middle School (11-14 years),
Activity type: Data video,
Sensors: Not applicable,
Interface requirements: Not applicable,
The Student Worksheet gives investigation instructions for students.
The Teacher Notes includes teacher commentaries such as didactical approach, exemplary questions, assignments and data analysis.
The Science Background describes the scientific principles that underlie the activity.
Coach Activity/Result file can be opened in the Coach 7 Program. This requires Coach 7 to be installed on your computer.
Download activity Magnesium and hydrochloric acid (video) (.cma7) Download result Magnesium and hydrochloric acid (video) (.cmr7)
