Summary

In this activity, students will review a series of fundamental chemistry questions and select the answer from two choices provided. Upon completion, the sum of all the correct answers will equal the number of grams in one pound. Students can then use dimensional analysis to determine the number of grams in one pound for comparison.

Grade Level

High School

NGSS Alignment

This activity will help prepare your students to meet the performance expectations in the following standards:

• Scientific and Engineering Practices:
  • Using Mathematics and Computational Thinking

Objectives

By the end of this activity, students should be able to:

• Answer basic chemistry questions related to the periodic table, subatomic particles, and interpretation of a chemical formula.
• Demonstrate how to use dimensional analysis to convert between units of measurement.

Chemistry Topics

This activity supports students’ understanding of:

• Subatomic Particles
• Periodic Table
• Ions
• Chemical Formulas
• Mole Concept

Time

Teacher Preparation: minimal

Lesson: 20-30 minutes

Materials

• Student Handout
• Periodic Table
• Calculator

Safety

• No specific safety precautions need to be observed for this activity.

Teacher Notes

• This activity was originally published in the February 1987 issue of ChemMatters Magazine. It has been modified slightly and republished in the AACT library with permission by the editor.
• This activity was chosen to be republished in the Chemistry Fun section of the November 2022 issue of Chemistry Solutions.
• This activity was designed to review basic chemistry content related to atomic structure, subatomic particles, the periodical table, chemical formulas, as well as several quantitative topics related to moles.
• This activity could be used as a review activity, or a challenge, depending on the time of year it is used, and student ability. Alternatively, it could be assigned to students who finish an assignment earlier than others.
• In the activity students must choose the correct answer from the two choices provided. All answer choices have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
• When students have answered all 25 question and add the numbers together, it is important that any negative answer choices (example: question 10) are added as a negative number.
• An Answer Key has been provided for teacher reference.