Carbon: Transformations in Matter and Energy Environmental Literacy Project Michigan State University Systems and Scale Unit Activity 5.1 Molecular Models for Methane Burning

2 The bottom of flame at atomic-molecular scale Oxygen Carbon Dioxide Water Methane Nitrogen

3 The top of flame at atomic-molecular scale Oxygen Carbon Dioxide Water Methane Nitrogen

4 What happened between the bottom and the top of the flame? Bottom of the flame Top of the flame Oxygen Carbon Dioxide Water Methane Nitrogen

5 Oxygen Carbon Dioxide Water Methane What’s the hidden chemical change when methane burns? ?

Three Questions Poster 6 QuestionRules to FollowConnecting Atoms to Evidence The Movement Question: Where are atoms moving? Where are atoms moving from? Where are atoms going to? Atoms last forever in combustion and living systems. All materials (solids, liquids, and gases) are made of atoms. When materials change mass, atoms are moving. When materials move, atoms are moving. The Carbon Question: What is happening to carbon atoms? What molecules are carbon atoms in before the process? How are the atoms rearranged into new molecules? Carbon atoms are bound to other atoms in molecules. Atoms can be rearranged to make new molecules. The air has carbon atoms in CO 2. Organic materials are made of molecules with carbon atoms: foods fuels living and dead plants and animals. The Energy Question: What is happening to chemical energy? What forms of energy are involved? How is energy changing from one form to another? Energy lasts forever in combustion and living systems. C-C and C-H bonds have more stored chemical energy than C-O and H-O bonds. We can observe indicators of different forms of energy: organic materials with chemical energy light heat energy motion.

Making the Reactant Molecules: Methane and Oxygen The flame of burning methane comes when ethanol (CH 4 ) reacts with oxygen (O 2 ). Make a molecules of methane and oxygen on the reactant side of your Process Tool for Molecular Models 11 x 17 Poster: 1.Get the atoms you will need to make your molecules. Can you figure out from the formula for methane how many C, H, and O atoms you will need? 2.Use the bonds to make models of an ethanol molecule (CH 4 ) and at least 2 oxygen molecules (O 2, with a double bond) 3.Identify the high-energy bonds (C-C and C-H) by putting twist ties on them. How many high energy bonds does a molecule of methane have? 4.Compare your molecules to the pictures on the next slide. Are they the same? 7

8 Photo of reactant molecules: CH 4 (methane) and O 2 (oxygen) Start by making the molecules and energy units of the reactants and putting them on the reactants side, then rearrange the atoms and energy units to show the products. Remember: Atoms last forever (so you can rearrange atoms into new molecules, but can’t add or subtract atoms). Energy lasts forever (so you can change forms of energy, but energy units can’t appear or go away) ReactantsProducts Chemical change Oxygen Methane

Important: When you are finished constructing the reactants, put all extra pieces away. 9

Rearranging the Atoms to Make Product Molecules: Carbon Dioxide and Water The flame of burning methane comes when methane (CH 4 ) reacts with oxygen (O 2 ) to produce carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water (H 2 O). Show how this can happen: 1.The heat of the flame breaks the bonds in the molecules, so their bonds can break. Now they can recombine into carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water vapor (H 2 O). Make as many of these molecules as you can from one methane molecule and oxygen. 2.Figure out numbers of molecules: a)How many O 2 molecules do you need to combine with one methane molecule? b)How many CO 2 and H 2 O molecules are produced by burning one molecule? 3.Remember, atoms last forever. So you can make and break bonds, but you still need the same atoms. 4.Remember, energy lasts forever. What forms of energy do the twist ties represent now? 5.Compare your molecules to the pictures on the next slide. Are they the same? 10

11 Photo of product molecules: H 2 O (water) and CO 2 (carbon dioxide) Start by making the molecules and energy units of the reactants and putting them on the reactants side, then rearrange the atoms and energy units to show the products. Remember: Atoms last forever (so you can rearrange atoms into new molecules, but can’t add or subtract atoms). Energy lasts forever (so you can change forms of energy, but energy units can’t appear or go away) ReactantsProducts Chemical change Water Carbon dioxide

12 Comparing photos of reactant and product molecules Start by making the molecules and energy units of the reactants and putting them on the reactants side, then rearrange the atoms and energy units to show the products. Remember: Atoms last forever (so you can rearrange atoms into new molecules, but can’t add or subtract atoms). Energy lasts forever (so you can change forms of energy, but energy units can’t appear or go away) ReactantsProducts Chemical change Water Carbon dioxide Oxygen Methane

Reactants Products Chemical change What happens to atoms and energy when methane burns? Methane Oxygen Water Heat and light energy Carbon Dioxide 13

Reactants Products Chemical change Oxygen Water Heat and light energy Carbon Dioxide What happens to carbon atoms when methane burns? Methane Carbon atoms in methane become part of carbon dioxide molecules. 14

Reactants Products Chemical change Oxygen Water Heat and light energy Carbon Dioxide Methane What happens to oxygen atoms when methane burns? Oxygen atoms become part of carbon dioxide and water molecules. 15

Reactants Products Chemical change Oxygen Water Heat and light energy Carbon Dioxide Methane What happens to hydrogen atoms when methane burns? Hydrogen atoms become part of water molecules. 16

Reactants Products Chemical change Oxygen Water Heat and light energy Carbon Dioxide Methane What happens to chemical energy when methane burns? Chemical energy is transformed into heat and light energy. 17

Reactants Products Chemical change What happens to atoms and energy when methane burns? Methane Oxygen Water Heat and light energy Carbon Dioxide 18

Writing a Chemical Equation Chemists use chemical equations to show how atoms of reactant molecules are rearranged to make product molecules Writing the equation in symbols: Chemists use an arrow to show how reactants change into products: [reactant molecule formulas]  product molecule formulas] Saying it in words: Chemists read the arrow as “yield” or “yields:” [reactant molecule names] yield [product molecule names] Equations must be balanced: Atoms last forever, so reactant and product molecules must have the same number of each kind of atom Try it: can you write a balanced chemical equation to show the chemical change when methane burns? 19

20 Chemical equation for methane burning CH 4 + 2O 2  CO H 2 O (in words: methane reacts with oxygen to yield carbon dioxide and water)