MHS Chemistry - Chemistry in the Community
Mr. Zahm
(updated 01/30/08)

"Scientists use observations and statistical analysis to uncover and analyze patterns in nature."

Room Management Plan  
Course Description  
RI Grade Span Expectations at RI Department of Education NCEE Physical Science Standards
MHS Mission Statement & Student Learning Expectations NCEE Science Standards
MHS Home Page  
MHS AP Chem Page  
Chem. Research Links  
Mid-Term review  
Final Exam review (2008)  
   
My Old Labs & Other Extra Stuff, for you nostalgic types <--- LOTS OF GOOD LABS HERE!
   
Contact Mr. Zahm  
 
 
  

 

As of the 2006-07 school year, Middletown High School will be using the Chemistry in the Community ("ChemCom") program developed by the American Chemical Society for all high school students.  Additionally, this course will be aligned with the Rhode Island Grade Span Expectations to prepare for the Rhode Island State Science Test ["NECAP"] that has been administered beginning in 2008. 

Chemistry in the Commmunity  homepage sponsored by the American Chemical Society.
Chemistry in the Community student page, sponsored by the Publishing Company and the ACS.
Exerpts from Chemistry in the Community

 
NEW STUFF! added...
Cool stuff about Aluminum - thank you to Alert Browser Maddie. June 2015
Reactions of the Alkali Metals - courtesy of the Royal Society of Chemistry.  These are the real reactions, not imitations!
June 2015
What if you breathe a gas denser than air? [from MythBusters] 11/20/10

Go bananas for Lab Safety with Shane and Jimmy!

 

BioDiesel Interns learn to weld!

 
   
Classic Science Papers 10/10
Atomic Timeline 10/10
A surprising variety of Chemistry resources 10/10
Theodore Grey's *NEW" Periodic Table website 10/10
   
Periodic Table of Cupcakes #1 12/09
Periodic Table of Cupcakes #2 12/09
NEW November 2009 - Periodic Table street art 09/09
NEW November 2009 - Element 112 proposed name "Copernicum" 09/09
A cool Element Name Quiz - try it! (I had 92/111 with 1:10 left) 09/09
Definitely NOT our homework policy 2/09
10 COOL chemical reactions!  
Mr. Zahm's Temperature-Dependent Periodic Table [from Visual Basic - 2008 developing - nerd alert] 3/08
A cool interactive periodic table. 5/08
  5/08
An even COOLER ShockWave Periodic Table 6/08

 
MHS's ChemCom Course Source Page!
Main Topic
Related Links

 GSE Addressed
UNIT 0 - MEASUREMENT & ANALYSIS

Abbreviated Lab Rubric (New for 2006!)


 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
Qualitative vs. Quantitative Information      
 
1.1.a
 

 
Measuring

 
  Predicting Height    
       
UNIT 1 - ATOMIC STRUCTURE Atomic Theory Timeline    
       
       
       
UNIT 2 - THE PERIODIC TABLE      
  Electronegativity    
       
       
       
 
From ChemComm Directly -->
 
UNIT 1 WATER: EXPLORING SOLUTIONS
1.A - Sources and uses of water Build A Solar Still [from ZOOM!]    
  Where is the water in the world?    
  1.A.1 Riverwood Facts Assignment    
  1.A.2 Home Water Use    
  1.A.3 Foul Water Lab    
  1.A.3 Foul Water Lab - Data Analysis    
  1.A.7 Water Use Analysis    
       
1.B - A look at water and its contaminants    
  Polyatomic Ions    
  Naming Binary Compounds    
  Writing Formulas for Binary Compounds    
  Ions, Names, & Formulas #1    
  Ions, Names, & Formulas #2    
  Chemical Sentences and Reactions    
  More Name & Formula practice (# 3)    
  More Name & Formula practice (# 4)    
  More Name & Formula practice (# 5)    
  More Name & Formula practice (# 6)    
  More Name & Formula practice (# 7)    
  Reactions Hydrogen & Oxygen (Hindenberg)    
  1.B.0 Riverwood Meeting Notes    
  1.B.1 Physical Properties of Water Homework    
  1.B.2a Density Pre-Lab    
  1.B.2b Density Lab    
  1.B.3 Compare And Contrast    
  1.B.5 Pictures In The Mind    
  1.B.6 & 7 Symbols, Formulas, and Equations    
  1.B.11 Water Testing    
  1.B.12-14 Fish Kill Unit Assessment Preparation    
       
1.C - Investigating the cause of the fish kill Reaction: Gummi Bear in Potassium Chlorate    
  Reaction: Sodium and Chlorine    
  1.C.1 Solubility and Solubility Curves (Lab)    
  1.C.1 Solubility and Solubility Curves (Supplement)    
  1.C.3 (Alternate Lab) Determining Solubility     
  1.C.3 Alternate Solubility Lab Error Analysis    
Solutions
1.1.a
The Periodic Table    
Calculating Concentration    
1.D - Water purification and treatment      
       




UNIT 2 MATERIALS: STRUCTURE AND USES
  Alkali Metals Video [not Braniacs]    
  Rubidium AND Cesium in water    
 
 
 
  A cool interactive periodic table.    
  An even COOLER Periodic Table    
2.A - Why we use what we do
Physical and Chemical Changes
 
 
  Physical and Chemical Properties    
  2.A.x Physical and Chemical Changes of Copper    
  Graphing Periodic Trends    
  2.A.2 Compare & Contrast Physical/Chemical Properties/Changes    
  2.A.4+5 Metal or Nonmetal    
  2.A.6+7 Periodic Table and Grouping the Elements    
  2.A.8+9 Patterns of Atomic Numbers and Periodic Variations    
2.B - Earth's mineral resources 
Properties of Metals
 
 
  The Copper Cycle    
  Silver & Copper: A RedOx Reaction    
  5.C.1 Electrolysis and Voltaic Cells    
2.C - Conservation
A Cool Balancing Tutorial (Thanks Jordan!)


Chemical Reactions Practice Balancing Reactions    
Stoichiometry & The Mole Beans and the Mole    
  Stoichiometry Worksheet    
  Stoichiometry and % Yield (Aluminum version)    
  Stoichiometry and % Yield (Magnesium version)     
  The Copper Cycle, Observation Sheet, & Analysis    
  Solubility Rules      
2.D - Materials: designing for properties      




UNIT 3 PETROLEUM: BREAKING AND MAKING BONDS
       
3.A - Petroleum: what is it? Newport BioDiesel    
  Bonding    
3.B - Petroleum as an energy source.      
3.C - Petroleum as a building source      
3.D - Energy alternatives to petroleum      

 

 
UNIT 4 AIR: CHEMISTRY AND THE ATMOSPHERE
4.A - Gases in the atmosphere A railroad tank car crushed by atmospheric pressure.    
  The coldest place in the UNIVERSE?    
  What if you breathe a gas denser than air? [from MythBusters]    
4.B - Radiation and climate      
4.C - Acids in the atmosphere      
4.D - Air pollution: sources, effects, solutions      
       
UNIT 5 INDUSTRY: APPLYING CHEMICAL REACTIONS
5.A - The chemistry of nitrogen      
5.B - Nitrogen and industry      
5.C - Metal processing and electrochemistry 5.C.1 Electrolysis and Voltaic Cells    
       
UNIT 6 ATOMS: NUCLEAR INTERACTIONS
6.A - The nature of atoms  Marbles as Neutrons?    
6.B - Nuclear radiation      
6.C - Using radioactivity      
6.D - Nuclear energy: benefits and burdens      

 

 
UNIT 7 FOOD: MATER AND ENERGY FOR LIFE
7.A - Food as energy      
7.B - Energy storage and use      
7.C - Proteins, enzymes, and chemistry 
 

 
7.D - Other substances in foods 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 
 
 

 

 

OTHER DOCUMENTS & LINKS
Tutoring
A very cool chemistry tutor/self-testing web site.
www.mychemistrytutor.com
 
SKOOL.uk (Look for Chemistry under the Stage 3 or Stage 4 tabs)
101Science.com CHEMISTRY - this site has tons of links, summaries, labs, etc.
 
 
Serious Silly (Slightly to Very) Possibly Just Useless
Common Ion Table (Word)
Chemistry Puns My Pi Finders
Polyatomic Ions Are You A Nerd? "The Soluble Song"
General Nomenclature Summary New Math? "The Elements." (song, Flash)
Scientific Notation THE 5 Answers  
Significant Digits Should We Ban Water?  
More Sig Fig stuff Procrastination Warning  
The Wave Equation (Word) Definitely NOT our homework policy  
Many Chemistry Data Tables (Excel) Fun Chemistry Links  
Unit Conversions    
Metric Prefixes    
Chemistry Equations (Word    
Cool 3-D trend graphs    
Solubility Rules      
     
Periodic Tables    
NEWEST & COOLEST version of 3-D Trends (by Levi J Hoiriis - Thank You!)
A very cool interactive PERIODIC TABLE - play with the temperature slider!
The Periodic Table -  one of the ones we use in class, in case you lost yours!
A man who has collected pretty much all the elements possible, and built them into a big wooden periodic table.
Mr. Zahm's Temperature-Dependent Periodic Table [from GW Basic - 1990 version - old-schol nerd alert]
Mr. Zahm's Temperature-Dependent Periodic Table [from Visual Basic - 2008 developing - nerd alert]
Periodic Table of Cupcakes #1
Periodic Table of Cupcakes #2
Periodic Table street art
Fill in a blank table with a cool Element Name Quiz - try it! (I had 92/111 with 1:10 left)
3-D Periodic Trends
Periodic Data & Trends (Excel)
Periodic Tables (Excel)
Periodic Table for Organic Chemists
 
Other Possibly Interesting Links
A series of science fiction stories about each element.
Sample Lab Report (Word 2000) for styles (right click, and "save as") 
The coldest place in the UNIVERSE?









 

[FEEDBACK: Let me know what you think.]


EXTRA & OLD STUFF

The text for this course used to be Chemistry: Connections to Our Changing World (LeMay, Beall, Robblee, & Brower, published by Prentice Hall).  Links related to the course when this textbook was used are below.
Essays Notes
   
Heat and Energy  
Atomic Theory  
Light, Waves, & Energy  
Colligative Properties  
Transuranic Elements  

 

Labs & Activities Notes
Activities in this table are either not currently part of the Chemistry Curriculum at MHS, or have not beeb transferred to the section above yet.
% Copper in Pennies  
8 Solution Lab  
Air Pressure & Soda Cans  
An Endothermic Reaction Ammonium thiocyanate and barium hydroxide
An Exothermic Reaction Acid + Base
Analysis of Sea Water  
Atomic Theory Worksheet  
Barium Chloride Hydrate  
Bicarbonate Decomposition  
Blood Alcohol Content discussion  
Boiling Point  
Brass Pennies  
Calculating Molecular Weight Using colligative properties
Carbonate Decomp. (2002)  
Colligative Properties Worksheet  
Concentration Worksheet  
Cu + S: Continuous Variation  
Distillation  
Electron Configuration Worksheet  
Flame Line Spectra  
Flame Tests  
Formula of Magnesium Oxide  
Formulae of Two Carbonates  
Freezing Point Depression Constant  
Gas Producing Challenge: Relative Masses  
Group 2 Precipitates  
Heat of Combustion  
Heat of Fusion of Ice  
Heat of Fusion practice calculations  
Heat of Neutralization  
Hess' Law  
How Fast Does Water Boil?  
How Much Does A Shower Cost?  
How to Balance Equations  
Hydrate Decomposition (2002)  
Ice Cream  
ID of a Metal by Specific Heat  

Light Waves & Energy Notes

 
Light & Energy Worksheet  
Making a Potassium Hydroxide Solution  
Melting Point  
Metric Prefices  
Mg + HCl (Hydrogen Gas)  
Patterns in Reactions  
Pb + I: Continuous Variation  
Pennies' Chemistry  
Pennies' Composition  
Pennies' Masses (2004) Gathering and analyzing data
Percent Water in a Hydrate  
Physical Separation  
Plant Bits and the Mole  
Polymers & Slime  
Potassium Permanganate Observations  
Predicting Reaction Products Using reaction patterns
Pressure-Volume Lab  
Probability & Electrons  
Qualitative Observations  
Reaction 01 Oxidation of magnesium
Reaction 02 Determining the waters of hydration
Reaction 03 Formation of iron sulfide
Reaction 04 Zinc in acid
Reaction 05 Lead nitrate and sodium iodide
Safety Poster Project  
Separation of a Mixture of Solids  
Simple Titration  
Solubility 2006  
   
Solubility Trends  
Specific Heat Pre-Lab  
Standardizing a Base  
Stellar Line Spectra From a NASA activity
Sterling Silver  
Sulfur Observations  
Surface Tension  
Synthesis of Esters  
The Activity Series of Metals (#1)  
The Activity Series of Metals (#2)  
The Activity Series of Metals (#3) (2005)  
The Copper Cycle & Observation form  
Thermometer Calibration  
Thickness of Metal Foil  
Titration Contest  
Volume of a Drop of Water  
   
OTHER LINKS  
LOTS of good Spectra stuff © James B. Kaler
NASA Supernova/Spectra Stuff from the Goddard Research Center
Flash-Based Line Spectrum Simulator Kansas State University
Powers of 10 WebSite from the Eames Office
A Powers of 10 Exploration Site Molecular Expressions
Ester Structure page - The Good Scents Company  
   
Compound Research Paper and Presentation