Learning Goals:
1) Students should be able to make educated predictions about:
a. Classification of Ionic & Covalent Substances in daily life
b. Solubility of Ionic & Covalent Substances
c. Conductivity of Ionic & Covalent Substances
Introduction:
Ionic Substances are comprised of ions. Covalent substances are composed of atoms.
Ionic and Covalent substances have different properties in liquids. Ionic substances will disassociate
(break apart) when in polar substances such as water. Covalent substances will disassociate (break
apart) when in nonpolar liquids such as heated fats. Disassociation can be viewed visually when a
substance of smaller amount (solute) dissolves in a substance of larger amount (solvent).
Bond Strengths:
Hydrogen Bonding (Hydrogen attached to-N, O, or F) < Ionic Bonding < Covalent Bonding
Weakest Strongest
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Materials:
Safety Precautions:
Order of Activities:
1st – Make predictions about the materials & substances being used in the Bonding & Molecular
Structure Prediction Table.
2nd – Write a brief paragraph to explain why you predicted these materials & substances to be
classified as you did.
2nd – Carry out the specific experimental directions & record the data observed in the Bonding &
Molecular Structure Observations Table.
3rd – Write a concluding paragraph which explains your observed data as polar, nonpolar, ionic,
hydrogen or covalent.
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Procedures:
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Bonding & Molecular Structure Observations Table
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PART I
Solubility
2) Fill your 250 mL beaker with ~150 mL DI water. (An educated attempt, it doesn’t have to
be perfect.)
3) Fill 2 test tubes ~ ¾ with DI water & put them in your test tube rack. Label 1 water test
tube with white tape “H2O + sugar”. Label the other water test tube with white tape “H2O +
Dish Powder”.
4) Fill 2 test tubes ~ ½ with vegetable oil & put them in your test tube rack. Label 1 oil test
tube with white tape “Oil + sugar”. Label the other oil test tube with white tape “Oil + Dish
Powder”.
5) This step depends on whether you are using Weighing Paper or a Weighing Boat.
6) Weighing Sugar:
a. Place the weighing paper or weighing boat labeled “sugar” on the top loader balance
and zero it out. (Or record the weight here________ and add 2.0 to equal
_________.)
b. Add enough sugar until you have ~2 grams. (Close to sum from 6.a if applicable.)
a. Place the weighing paper or weighing boat labeled “dish powder” on the top loader
balance and zero it out. (Or record the weight here _______ and add 2.0 to equal
________.)
b. Add enough dish powder until you have ~2 grams. (Close to sum from 7.a if
applicable.)
c. Carefully transport both the sugar & dish powder which have been weighed back to
your lab bench.
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8) Mix in ½ of the sugar in the appropriate oil & water test tubes using 2 different wood
stirring sticks.
11) Mix in ½ of the dish powder in the appropriate oil & water test tubes using 2 different wood
stirring sticks.
PART II
Conductivity
15) Use the tongs to hold the dry wood stirring stick in the flame until it catches fire.
16) Let it burn as you like above the 250 mL beaker filled with ~150 mL of DI water.
19) Use the tongs to hold the metal nail file in the flame until it starts to turn color from the
heat.
20) Carefully place the metal nail file into the water, it will sizzle, this is okay, just don’t touch it.
24) Place your glassware containing both the nail file & the burnt wooden stirring stick into the
sink for the teacher to put away so as to eliminate the possibility of metal-induced burns.
25) Congratulations! You’ve completed Fab-Lab Activity C.3.5! You have hypothesized,
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