Resumen de Understanding Chemical Reaction Kinetics and Equilibrium with Interlocking Building Blocks
Carrie A. Cloonan, Carolyn A. Nichol, John S. Hutchinson
Chemical reaction kinetics and equilibrium are essential core concepts of chemistry but are challenging topics for many students, both at the high school and undergraduate university level. Visualization at the molecular level is valuable to aid understanding of reaction kinetics and equilibrium. This activity provides a discovery-based method to help students visualize a simple reaction at the molecular level using small, plastic brick interlocking building blocks to represent atoms and molecules. By performing and observing model synthesis, decomposition, and competing reactions, the students gain a deeper understanding of bimolecular and unimolecular kinetics, as well as the dynamic state of equilibrium. This activity allows students to dispel some of the common misconceptions about equilibrium and chemical reactions and encourages discussion to facilitate understanding. This flexible activity using building blocks is an appropriate activity for both high school and undergraduate general chemistry students and can be performed in a classroom or laboratory.
