Atoms, elements and formulae

Atoms, elements and formulae

Pencil and paper
Overview
Using this Resource
Connecting to the Curriculum
Marking Student Responses
Further Resources
This task is about diagrams and chemical formulae for compounds.
These symbols represent atoms of different elements.
 
oxygen Oxygen (O) sulphur Sulphur (S)
hydrogen Hydrogen (H) sodium Sodium (Na)
carbon Carbon (C)    
 
a)
Write the formula for each of the following.
 
  i)
diagram 1
 
 _______________________
  ii)
diagram 2
 
 _______________________
  iii)
diagram 3
 
 _______________________
b)
Using the symbols above, draw diagrams to represent each of the following.
 
  i)
H2O
 
  ii)
H2SO4
 
  iii) carbon dioxide
Task administration: 
This task can be completed with pencil and paper.
Level:
5
Curriculum info: 
Science, Communicating in science, Material World
Keywords: 
structure of matter, atoms, compounds, symbols, chemical formulae
Description of task: 
Students use provided symbols to write formula and to draw diagrams of different compounds.
Curriculum Links: 
Science capabilities
The capabilities focus is brought about by the conversations you have and the questions you ask.
Capability: Interpret representations
This resource provides opportunities to discuss that scientists have an agreed code for names of chemical elements and for ways to represent cominations of atoms that allows them to more easily show relationships and combinations.
Science capabilities: 
Interpret representations
Answers/responses: 
   Y10 (05/1999)
a) i)
ii)
iii)
SO2
NaOH
C3H8
[Note: the order does not matter, e.g., H8C3]
 easy
easy
moderate
b)
i)
 
 
ii)
 
 
 
 
 
iii)
answer diagram 1
answer diagram 2
answer diagram 3
[Note: Accept variations in layout as long as atom numbers and symbols are accurate.]
very easy
 
 
easy
 
 
 
 
 
moderate