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Ions or Molecules? Polymer Gels Can Tell
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Abstract
Principles of chemical bonding are fundamental to the content of any introductory chemistry course. Part of the discussion of these principles normally entails making the distinctions between ionic and covalent compounds. Often students are shown the macroscopic manifestations of these distinctions in the form of an investigation of conductivity differences between these two classes of compounds. This activity offers another way to allow students to see the impact that these differences have on the properties of materials representing the two classes. Students prepare a gel by combining the superabsorbent polymer sodium polyacrylate and water, then split the gel into several piles. Samples of chemicals representing the two piles are then sprinkled onto each pile. If the chemicals are ionic in nature (or ionizable in water), they cause the gel to break down; if they are covalent in nature, they have no effect on the gel.
Keywords (Audience):
High School / Introductory ChemistryKeywords (Domain):
Inorganic ChemistryKeywords (Feature):
JCE Classroom ActivityKeywords (Pedagogy):
Hands-On Learning / ManipulativesKeywords (Subject):
Ionic BondingCiting Articles
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This article has been cited by 3 ACS Journal articles (3 most recent appear below).
JCE Classroom Activity Connections: NaCl or CaCl2, Smart Polymer Gel Tells More
Yueh-Huey Chen, Jia-Ying Lin, and Yu-Chen Wang, Jing-Fun YaungJournal of Chemical Education2010 87 (12), 1329-1331JCE Classroom Activity Connections: NaCl or CaCl2, Smart Polymer Gel Tells More
Yueh-Huey Chen, Jia-Ying Lin, and Yu-Chen Wang, Jing-Fun YaungJournal of Chemical Education2010 87 (12), 1329-1331This classroom activity connection demonstrates the differences between the effects of NaCl (a salt of monovalent metal ions) and CaCl2 (a salt of polyvalent metal ions) on swollen superabsorbent polymer gels. Being ionic compounds, NaCl and CaCl2 both ...
JCE Classroom Activity #106. Sequestration of Divalent Metal Ion by Superabsorbent Polymer in Diapers
Yueh-Huey Chen, Jia-Ying Lin, Li-Pin Lin and Han Liang, Jing-Fun YaungJournal of Chemical Education2010 87 (9), 920-921JCE Classroom Activity #106. Sequestration of Divalent Metal Ion by Superabsorbent Polymer in Diapers
Yueh-Huey Chen, Jia-Ying Lin, Li-Pin Lin and Han Liang, Jing-Fun YaungJournal of Chemical Education2010 87 (9), 920-921This activity explores an alternative use of a superabsorbent polymer known as a water absorbing material. A dilute solution of CuCl2 is treated with a small piece of unused disposable diaper containing superabsorbent sodium polyacrylates. The polymer is ...
Coloring a Superabsorbent Polymer with Metal Ions. An Undergraduate Chemistry Experiment
Yueh-Huey Chen , Jing-Fun YaungJournal of Chemical Education2009 86 (3), 347Coloring a Superabsorbent Polymer with Metal Ions. An Undergraduate Chemistry Experiment
Yueh-Huey Chen , Jing-Fun YaungJournal of Chemical Education2009 86 (3), 347A novel undergraduate chemistry experiment involving superabsorbent polymers commonly used in diapers and other personal care products is described. Students observe the removal of divalent transition-metal ions from aqueous solutions by the polymers. ...
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- Received: August 03, 2009
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