Home | Helping with Resources | Units | Balancing Reactions |Grams to Moles
Tutoring Chemistry at Signal Peak Campus
Knowledge Transfer Technique:
Concept: Convert Grams to Moles
Resources: Periodic Table, Calculator, Appropriate Textbooks of Chemistry and Arithmetic, Classroom Notes
Method: Use few learning units (wavelets): moles, calculating grams in one mole, and proportions to calculate the number of moles in given chemical quantity [in grams].
*********************************************************************************
Some ideas for tutoring:
Use Technology: If a computer with Internet is available, I like to ask my tutees to play for a moment or two with a grams to moles calculator.
By showing the student/s a grams to moles calculator, I am making my case - this problem involves a combination of mathematics and chemistry.
What I will do next depends on many factors, but this is one approach of tutoring grams to moles conversion that works in most cases:
1. The first question is about the definition of Mole and what does it mean to my tutee/s. The key question: How many particles are in one mole of different chemical atoms or molecules? (Ask the student to use the number of Avogadro explicitly.) This tutoring approach leads to proper usage of resources.
2. My next goal is to use the most important resource of chemistry: The Periodic Table. I will focus on one molecule or atom. Which one depends on student's readiness to use the periodic table.
3. Application of Arithmetic: I ask my students to calculate the grams in one mole of this particular molecule or atom (step 2). I lead the student to mastering the combination of steps 2 and 3. Fluency in calculating the number of grams in one mole may require few examples. For some students I will repeat step 1, 2 and 3 few times starting with simple molecule and gradually introducing more complex molecules.
4. My next step is to refresh student/s knowledge of proportion.
What is arithmetic proportion? Why arithmetic proportion works in this case? My goal is to lead student/s to the following proportion:
Use periodic table and calculate x (step 2).
Substitute the value of x, and solve the proportion for y.
Use Technology: Use the grams to moles calculator and check the y - value.
For more confident students, I have a final question: Now explain how the grams to moles calculator works.
*******************************************************************************************
Limiting Reactants Problems
Next, the student may use tutorials on Balancing Chemical Reactions + this tutorial on Conversion from Grams to Moles to solve any problem involving Limiting Reactants Calculator
In problems on limiting reactants, we use well balanced chemical reactions.
Q1. How many moles of each reactants?
Q2. How many moles do we have? Convert grams to moles using this tutorial.
Q3. In a chemical reaction, which reactant will finish first and why?