The reaction between zinc and copper sulphate Essays

The reaction between zinc and copper sulphate Essays The reaction between zinc and copper sulphate Paper The reaction between zinc and copper sulphate Paper To investigate the affect of varying the amounts of zinc in the reaction between zinc and copper sulphate has on the rate of reaction. Background Knowledge My experiment is based on the theory of: A more reactive metal can displace a less reactive metal from a compound For examplThis type of reaction is known as a single displacement. This is when one element trades places with another element in a compound. The reaction that I will be looking at is zinc-replacing copper. This happens, as zinc is higher in the reactivity series than copper. The equation is shown below important aspect of these experiments is that they are exothermic. An exothermic reaction gives out heat as a source of energy. A reaction that is exothermic uses less energy to break the old bonds than is emitted to create the new bonds therefore heat is given off. The higher the energy given off, the higher the heat will be. The possible independent variables that could be investigated are: i The mass of zinci The pressure of the surrounding atmosphere i The concentration of the copper sulphate i The surface area of the solid reactant, i. e. the zinc i The volume of copper sulphate i The light intensity. The amount of times the solution is stirred The dependent variable that I will be measuring will be the temperature change of the reaction. To do this I will have to measure the initial and final temperature of the reaction. Preliminary experiments I conducted preliminary experiments using 1g of zinc, in order to predict, with greater accuracy, the outcome of my experiments. It showed that the experiment was going to be exothermic, and that the temperature given off increased as the experiment progressed. I also decided that I would only time the experiments for a maximum of ninety seconds each, as this was ample time for the results to be recorded onto a graph. Apparatus To do the experiment I will need the following equipment: Powdered zinc In powdered form as this increases the surface area and gives better results Copper sulphate solution (0. 5M) Measuring cylinder To make sure the volume of copper sulphate is controlled Timer To time the 5-second intervals Weighting scales To accurately measure the amount of zinc Polythene cups polythene, as this is a heat insulating material. Using a different cup for each section of the experiment so that each one is fair. Also using plastic lids to stop any unwanted substances from interfering with the experiment and to stop heat from being easily lost. Thermometer To measure temperature changes from start to intervals to the final temperature. Method During this experiment I will be measuring the temperature given off as I expect the reaction to be exothermic. I will use 25ml of copper sulphate solution and 0. 8125 grams of zinc in each experiment. I manage to work this out using Avogadros theory of moles. First, I had to work out how many moles there are in 25ml of copper sulphate at 0. 5M. We need to convert the ml units into dm units. I therefore divided the 25 into 1000. I timed this answer by how strong the concentration of the copper sulphate was, 0.5M. Consequently, we have the sum (25/1000) x 0. 5= 0. 0125 moles of copper sulphate. We then need to times this number by the atomic weight of zinc, which is 65. 0. 012565 = 0. 8125 grams. This is the amount of zinc needed to disassociate copper in 25ml of copper sulphate solution at 0. 5M. It is important to note that the starting temperature of each experiment will be 25oC. I will record the temperature change in five-second intervals from zero to seventy. I have to make sure that the zinc used is definitely powdered zinc as any strips or lumps of zinc would alter the rate of reaction due the surface area. I will record my results in a table and then convert the data onto a graph. I will do this by plotting temperature against time. By drawing a line of best fit we can interpret the rates of reactions by calculating the gradient. I will repeat my experiment to ensure accurate and fair results. 1. Measure out 25cm3 of 0. 5M copper sulphate solution using the measuring cylinder 2. Pour the copper sulphate into the polystyrene cup 3. Put the thermometer in and wait until the temperature reaches 25oC 4. Using the weighing scales, measure out   grams of zinc. 5. Add the zinc, simultaneously start the timer and put the plastic lid on immediately. 6. Stir the solution using the thermometer as a rod. 7. Record the temperatures at five-second intervals. 8. Repeat experiment for accurate results. Safety There is a possible hazard when carrying out this experiment as the copper sulphate solution or the zinc sulphate solution could be an irritant to the skin therefore contact with the skin should try to be avoided. Goggles must also be worn to protect any harmful substances from entering your eyes. If contact is made with the skin during the experiment you must wash the affected area thoroughly. Prediction I predict that this experiment should be a displacement reaction. Therefore the copper in copper sulphate should be displaced by the zinc to form zinc sulphate and copper. This should occur as zinc is higher in the reactivity series than copper. The reactivity series is as follows: Element Symbol Group Number Potassium K 1 Sodium Na 1 Lithium Li 1 Calcium Ca 2 Magnesium Mg 2 Aluminium Al 3 Carbon C 4 (Non-Metal) Zinc Zn Transition Metal Iron Fe Transition Metal Tin Sn 4 Lead Pb 4 Hydrogen H Non-Metal Copper Cu Transition Metal Silver Ag Transition Metal Gold Au Transition Metal Platinum Pt Transition Metal Most Reactive Least Reactive As I am varying the amounts of zinc, I can predict that the greater the amounts of zinc the faster the rate of reaction. This is because there is more reactant for the copper sulphate to react with. Therefore the temperature should rise in direct proportion the mass of zinc. Heat should be given off so I can predict that the experiment will be exothermic. Conclusion From my experiment I can conclude that it was an exothermic reaction, which shows that my prediction of this was correct. The graphs show that as the reaction time increases, the more the reactants give off heat energy. The lines of best fit highlight an error in my prediction as I predicted that the greater the amounts of zinc the faster the rate of reaction. From the gradients of the lines of best fit we can see that this is untrue. In both experiments the 1. 11g of zinc does not have the fastest rate of reaction and the temperature does not rise as high as 1. 01, 0. 91 or 0. 81 grams of zinc. I also predicted that the mass of zinc would rise in direct proportion to the temperature. We can see that this prediction is not true as then you would expect the temperature to almost double from 0. 41 to 0. 81 and from 0. 51 to 1. 01, which does not happen. Evaluation In general my experiment has been a success as it has produced fairly accurate results. The reason for the experiment not following the exactly correct pattern could be: Not all the zinc reacted with the copper. Some heat might have escaped from the open cup. There could have been errors in the reading. The stirring could not have been thorough and consistent. These results can be further improved by: Using a more insulating lid to prevent heat loss. Using more accurate and sensitive scales. Using a pipette or burette instead of a measuring cylinder will increase the accuracy of the measuring of the copper sulphate. I could improve my results to my experiment if: More repetitions of the experiment were done. This would provide more results and add to the evidence for the experiment and also increase accuracy. The experiment was tried with different metals, ones that are at different levels in the reactivity series. This would be done to see how the use of different reactions change the temperature and energy changes and if the theory still works with different metals. Also, using salts with a metal lower in the reactivity series than the base can show whether distance in the reactivity series affects the energy change. Different concentrations of the copper sulphate were used. This can also show the difference between the temperature and energy changes. Data logging could be used so that there is now chance in human error in the experiment. Results Repeats in bold Amounts of Zinc (g) Starting Temperature (oC) End Temperature (oC) Temperature Change (oC) Average Temperature Change .

Teaching Civic Education in the Post-Trump Era

Teaching Civic Education in the Post-Trump Era Educators teaching civics during the presidency of Donald Trump can turn to social media to provide teachable  moments and have conversations  with students  about Americas democratic process. Beginning in the election campaign and continuing through the presidency, there have been many teachable moments in the form of 140 characters that come from the personal Twitter account of President Donald Trump. These messages are clear examples  of social medias growing influence on American foreign and domestic policy. Within a few days, President Trump may tweet about a range of topics including immigration issues, natural disasters,  nuclear threats, as well as the pregame behavior of NFL players.    President Trump’s tweets are not bound to the Twitter software platform. His tweets are then read aloud and analyzed on news media outlets. His tweets are re-published by both paper and digital newspaper outlets. In general, the more incendiary the tweet from Trump’s personal Twitter account, the more likely the tweet will become a major talking point in the 24-hour news cycle. Another example of a teachable moment from social media comes from the admission by Facebook’s CEO Mark Zuckerberg that campaign ads could have been purchased by foreign agencies during the 2016 presidential election in order to shape public opinion. In coming to this conclusion, Zuckerberg stated on his own Facebook page  (9/21/2017): â€Å"I care deeply about the democratic process and protecting its integrity. Facebooks mission is all about giving people a voice and bringing people closer together. Those are deeply democratic values and were proud of them. I dont want anyone to use our tools to undermine democracy. Zuckerburg’s statement indicates a growing awareness that the influence of social media may need more oversight. His message echoes a caution offered by the designers of the C3 (College, Career, and Civic) Frameworks for Social Studies. In describing the important role of civic education for all students, the designers also offered the cautionary note, â€Å"Not all [civic] participation is beneficial.† This statement alerts educators to anticipate the growing and sometimes controversial role of social media and other technologies in the future lives of students.    Beneficial Civic Education Using Social Media Many educators themselves use social media as a part of their own civic life experiences. According to the Pew Research Center (8/2017) two-thirds (67%) of Americans report getting their news from social media platforms. These educators may be included in the 59% of people who state that their interactions on social media with people of opposing political views are stressful and frustrating or they may be part of the 35% who find such interactions interesting and informative. Educator experiences can help inform the civic lessons that they design for their students. Incorporating social media is an established way to engage students. Students already spend much of their time online, and social media is accessible and familiar.   Social Media as Resource and Tool Today, educators can readily access primary source  documents  from politicians, business leaders, or institutions. A  primary source  is an original object,  such as audio or video recordings and social media is rich with these resources. For example, the  White House  YouTube  account hosts the video recording of the  Inauguration  of the 45th president. Primary sources can also be digital documents (firsthand information) that were written or created during the historical time under study. One example of a digital document would be from the Twitter account of  Vice-President Pence  in reference to Venezuela in which he states,No free people has ever chosen to walk the path from prosperity to poverty (8/23/2017). Another example comes from  the Instagram account of President Donald Trump: If America comes together – if the people speak with one voice – we will bring back our jobs, we will bring back our wealth, and for every citizen across our great land... (9/6/17) These digital documents are resources that educators in civic education to call attention to specific content or to the role that social media has played as a tool for promotion, organization, and management in recent election cycles.   Educators who recognize this high level of engagement understand the great potential for social media as an instructional tool. There are a number of  interactive websites  that are aimed at promoting civic engagement, activism, or community involvement in intermediate or middle schools. Such online civic engagement tools can be the initial preparation for engaging young people in their communities to get involved in civic activities. In addition, educators can use examples of social media to demonstrate its unifying power to bring people together and also to demonstrate its divisive power to separate people into groups.   Six practices for incorporating social media Social studies teachers may be familiar with the Six Proven Practices for Civic Education hosted on the National Council of Social Studies website. The same six practices can be modified by using social media as a resource of primary sources and also as a tool for supporting civic engagement.   Classroom Instruction: Social media offers many primary document resources that can be used to spark debate, support research, or take informed action. Educators must be ready to provide instruction on how to evaluate the source(s) of texts that come from social media platforms.Discussion of Current Events and Controversial Issues: Schools can access current events on social media for classroom discussion and debate. Students can use social media  texts as the basis for polls and surveys to predict or to determine public response to controversial issues.Service-Learning: Educators can design and implement programs that provide students with hands-on opportunities. These opportunities can use social media as communication or management tool for more formal curriculum and classroom instruction. Educators themselves can use social media platforms to connect with other educators as a form of professional development. Links posted on social media can be used for inquiry and research.Ext racurricular Activities: Educators can use social media as a means to recruit and continue to engage young people to get involved in their schools or communities outside of the classroom. Students can create portfolios on social media of their extra-curricular activities as evidence for college and career. School Governance: Educators can use social media to encourage student participation in school government (ex: student councils, class councils) and their input in school governance (ex: school policy, student handbooks).  Simulations of Democratic Processes: Educators can encourage students to participate in simulations (mock trials, elections, legislative sessions) of democratic processes and procedures. These simulations would use social media for ads for candidates or policies. Influencers in Civic Life Civic education at every grade level has always been designed to prepare students to be responsible participants in our constitutional democracy. The evidence suggests that what be added to the design is how educators explore the role of social media in civic education. The Pew Research Center lists recent high school graduates (ages 18-29) as choosing Facebook (88%) as their preferred social media platform compared to students in high school who rank Instagram (32%) as their favored platform. This information indicates educators must become familiar with multiple social media platforms to meet student preferences. They must be ready to address the sometimes outsized role social media plays in Americas constitutional democracy. They must bring perspective to the different points of view expressed on social media and teach students how to evaluate the sources of information. Most importantly, educators must provide students practice with social media through discussion and debate in the classroom, especially when the Trump Presidency offers the kinds of teachable moments that make civic education authentic and engaging. Social media is not limited to our nations digital borders. Roughly one-quarter of the worlds population (2.1 billion users) is on Facebook; one billion users are active on  WhatsApp  daily. Multiple social media platforms connect our students to networked global communities. In order to provide students with critical skills important for 21st century citizenship, educators should prepare students to understand the influence of social media and to be able to communicate using social media on issues both national and global.