Skip to content
PlayOwl

Science · Grade 10

Chemical Reactions and Representations

Learners read chemical formulas as atom inventories, connect particle models of reactions to symbolic equations, and balance equations by changing coefficients only, never the identities of substances. They then explain conservation of mass as atoms rearranging, test that idea against open and closed systems, and finish with unseen reactions and a clear statement of what a balanced equation can and cannot tell us.

  • 5 lessons
  • About 110 minutes
  • Reactions and representations check: 10 questions
  • Ways to answer: balance equations, fill in the blanks, choose an answer, draw a graph, highlight a text and match pairs
Try it now (no account) One of the five free starter courses Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • Read a chemical formula as an inventory of atoms: name the elements and count the atoms of each, including subscripts, parentheses and coefficients.
  • Connect particle representations of a reaction to its symbolic equation, interpreting coefficients as numbers of particles and subscripts as the make-up of one particle.
  • Balance chemical equations by changing coefficients only, using the smallest whole numbers, and verify each element with an atom tally.
  • Explain conservation of mass in a reaction as the rearrangement of a fixed set of atoms, and use it to predict or check masses in closed and open systems.
  • Apply balancing and conservation to unseen reactions, critique flawed balancing, and state what a balanced equation does not tell us.

Lessons

  1. Formulas are atom inventories 8 steps4 practiceabout 20 min
  2. From particles to equations 7 steps4 practiceabout 20 min
  3. Balancing with coefficients only 8 steps6 practiceabout 25 min
  4. Conservation of mass: evidence and explanation 8 steps5 practiceabout 22 min
  5. Unseen reactions and the limits of the model 7 steps4 practiceabout 23 min
  6. Reactions and representations check 10 questions at the end

Keep exploring

More 10th grade science

Guide for grown-ups