Using Chemical Reactions to Reduce Waste (Developed by SEPUP)
kit #441S
Students learn that wastes from many industrial processes contain toxic or valuable substances that can sometimes be reclaimed then recycled or disposed of safely. Working in groups, students reclaim copper from a liquid "waste" containing dissolved copper chloride. They measure the effectiveness of three different metal replacement reactions at removing the copper from the "waste". They then compare the effectiveness, cost, and safety information for each replacement reaction and decide which metal would be the best to use for removing the copper from the "waste".
- Toxic waste is harmful to living organisms and must be disposed of according to strict guidelines
- Toxic elements can be reclaimed from waste through chemical reactions
- One property of a metal is its reactivity with other substances
- Different metals react differently, in some cases replacing one another in solution
- Identifying and controlling variables is essential to good experimental design
- Making decisions about complex issues often involves trade-offs
Content List in Using Chemical Reactions to Reduce Waste (Developed by SEPUP) is as follows:
| Quantity | Description |
|---|---|
| 1 | Teacher’s Guide with MSDS |
| 28 | Student Worksheets and Guides |
| 13 | Chemplates® |
| 12 | Aluminum washers |
| 12 | Iron washers |
| 12 | Zinc washers |
| 6 | Waste copper chloride solution, 15-mL drop control bottles |
| 6 | Plastic spoons |
| 1 | Dropper |
| 1 | Transparency: Wastewater Discharge Limits |
- Recommended number of students
- 24 maximum per class
- Number of groups
- 6 groups per class
- Number of classes
- 4 (with 6 groups per class)
To complete this kit requires one to two ~50-minute class periods.
