Resumen de Teaching Kinetics and Equilibrium Topics Using Interlocking Building Bricks in Hands-on Activities
Two in-class interlocking building brick-based activities were used to engage students in class and help improve student performance on chemical kinetics and equilibrium questions. In the kinetics activity, a pseudo-first-order bimolecular reaction is modeled with different numbers of colored bricks. In the equilibrium activity, the relationship between the rates of forward and reverse reactions and equilibrium amounts is demonstrated with different numbers of assemblers and disassemblers. A second part of this activity illustrates the concept of Le Châtelier’s principle by changing the conditions after the system has reached equilibrium. Student performance on in-class questions was higher after completing the activities.
