Covalent Compounds Modeling Activity
Chemistry. Activity Lab: Covalent Compounds Modeling Activity. The colored spheres represent the following elements:
Black = Carbon Yellow = Hydrogen Red = Oxygen
Instructions: Part 1. In your groups, use the colored spheres and connecting sticks or springs, to build the following compounds. For single bonds, use the sticks, for double or triple bonds you will need to use the springs. Show your completed models to me, and I will check them off. After you build each model, you should start drawing the electron dot structure and stick model for each compound (see part 2). ____1. Hydrogen Gas (H2)
____2. Water
____3. Methane (CH4)
____4. Propane (C3H8)
____5. Ethanol (C2H5OH)
____6. Oxygen Gas (O2)
____7. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
____8. Acetylene (C2H2)
____9. Octane (gasoline, C8H18)
___10. Glucose (C6H12O6) – See drawing of the stick model of glucose below to help you build it. Stick model of glucose:
Part 2. Draw the electron dot structure and the stick model of each compound modeled in part 1. Be sure your drawings show all the lone and shared pairs. (You do not have to show all four steps). You do not have to do this for glucose. Part 3. Answer the following questions in complete sentences in your lab books. 1. What does each hole in the spheres represent?
2. What does each connecting stick or spring represent?
3. Why do you think the four holes on the black sphere (Carbon) are arranged the way they are?
4. As you can see, carbon has the ability to form single, double, or even triple bonds with itself. Why can’t carbon form a quadruple bond?
5. Why do you think the two holes in the red sphere (Oxygen) are arranged the way they are? Hint: Think about the fact that Oxygen has two lone pairs of electrons that are not shown on the red sphere. 6. All the compounds listed in part 1 are called “covalent compounds”. Why are they called that?
Black = Carbon Yellow = Hydrogen Red = Oxygen
Instructions: Part 1. In your groups, use the colored spheres and connecting sticks or springs, to build the following compounds. For single bonds, use the sticks, for double or triple bonds you will need to use the springs. Show your completed models to me, and I will check them off. After you build each model, you should start drawing the electron dot structure and stick model for each compound (see part 2). ____1. Hydrogen Gas (H2)
____2. Water
____3. Methane (CH4)
____4. Propane (C3H8)
____5. Ethanol (C2H5OH)
____6. Oxygen Gas (O2)
____7. Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
____8. Acetylene (C2H2)
____9. Octane (gasoline, C8H18)
___10. Glucose (C6H12O6) – See drawing of the stick model of glucose below to help you build it. Stick model of glucose:
Part 2. Draw the electron dot structure and the stick model of each compound modeled in part 1. Be sure your drawings show all the lone and shared pairs. (You do not have to show all four steps). You do not have to do this for glucose. Part 3. Answer the following questions in complete sentences in your lab books. 1. What does each hole in the spheres represent?
2. What does each connecting stick or spring represent?
3. Why do you think the four holes on the black sphere (Carbon) are arranged the way they are?
4. As you can see, carbon has the ability to form single, double, or even triple bonds with itself. Why can’t carbon form a quadruple bond?
5. Why do you think the two holes in the red sphere (Oxygen) are arranged the way they are? Hint: Think about the fact that Oxygen has two lone pairs of electrons that are not shown on the red sphere. 6. All the compounds listed in part 1 are called “covalent compounds”. Why are they called that?
