Table of Contents:

1. Overview
2. Objectives
3. Materials and/or Software Required
4. Prerequisites
5. Module Description
6. National Standards Addressed
7. Assessment Techniques
8. Areas of Focus
9. Appropriate Grade Level(s)
10. Relevant Links and Related Resources

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Overview:

By using Excel and Gnuplot, we designed a lesson to connect Chemistry and Algebra I.

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Objectives:

• To measure the mass of solute dissolved in water depending on the temperature.
• To show the ability of a solid to dissolve in water can be predicted by determining the enthalpy of solution is a positive value and solubility will be aided by an increase in temperature.
• To compare the solubility of various solids.
• To construct a graph of solubility versus temperature.
• To investigate concentration, molarity, percent by mass, ratio proportion, slope, and percent error.
• To observe the solubility curves of NaCl, KNO3, and NH4Cl.

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Materials:

• Analytical Balance
• Aluminum foil
• NaCl
• KNO3
• NH4Cl
• Waterproof markers
• Ice
• 25 mL pipet
• 5 mL pipet
• Bunsen Burner or Hotplate
• Test tubes
• 1 Liter beaker (2)
• Tongs
• Thermometer
• Tapwater
• Stirring Rod
• Distilled Water
• Excel Software
• Gnuplot Software
• Microsoft Notepad

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Prerequisites:

Knowledge of a spreadsheet software such as Microsoft Excel
Knowledge of gnuplot (See Relevant Links and Related Resources)
Creating tab-delimited text files
Creating batch files

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Module Description:

The chemistry class will conduct a basic solubility lab. In this lab, the students will construct a solubility curve for the chemicals studied using Excel and gnuplot. The data tables and curves will be shared with the Algebra I class to discuss slope, trends, percent change, and unit conversion.

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National Standards Addressed:

Technology

• Select and apply technology tools for research, information analysis, problem solving, and decision making in content learning. (4, 5)

Science

• Structure and properties of matter

Mathematics

• Interpret representations of functions of two variables
• Draw reasonable conclusions about a situation being modeled
• Approximate and interpret rates of change from graphical and numerical data
• Identify trends in bivariate data and find functions that model the data or transform the data so that they can be modeled

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Assessment Techniques:

• Accuracy of graphs
• Computations
• Formal lab report

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Areas of Focus:

Chemistry/ Algebra I , Statistics, & other areas of mathematics

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Appropriate Grade Level(s):

8-12

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Relevant Links and Related Resources:

Solubility Curves

NC Curriculum Standards

Gnuplot

Merlin's Help With Science

To obtain a copy of the lab procedure, visit Greene County Middle School's homepage

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