Lesson Five:

Inquiry Lesson on Moles

Lesson Information:
Subject
Unit of Study
Grade/Level
Summary of
Inquiry Activity
Measurable Lesson
Objective
Lesson Title

Chemistry
Unit: Chemical quantities
Lesson: Understanding Mole Calculations
11th and 12th grade
To quantitatively determine the number of moles for three given compounds used to
make Millimoles cake and confirm if she has enough of each ingredient for the
supplied recipe.
Students accurately determine if the given quantity of three compounds is adequate
for a given recipe by weighing the quantities of each compound and calculating the
equivalent number of moles.
Does Millimole have enough moles?

Materials Needed:
1 electronic balance per group
4 glass vials (or containers) per group
Sucrose
Sodium bicarbonate

All-purpose flour
1 calculator per group
Paper towels for any spills

Safety Concerns: Currently there are no safety concerns associated with this laboratory exploration, but
students should wear safety googles to practice sound laboratory behaviors.
General Outline of Lesson Plan:

The 5Es

Engage

Explore

Teacher
Action/Direct
Instruction
Use Millimoles story
starter to introduce
inquiry lesson
Instruct students to
complete chemical
quantity exploration of
baking ingredients.

Explain

Elaborate

Evaluate

Demonstrate one mole

of the three substances
Do they all look the
same?

Student
Action/Activity

Anticipated
Student
Responses

Time for Each

(minutes)

Students can make

predictions about the
quantity of ingredients

10 minutes

Quantity exploration of
baking ingredients

20 minutes

Groups report if
Millimole would have
enough of the
ingredients based on
their assigned amounts
of sucrose, sodium,
bicarbonate, and flour
to make the cake
Jot down observations
during demo about the
appearance of the
three compounds
(amount, volume, etc.)
Students will calculate
the number of particles

Students would
discuss their results
with the class

5 minutes

8 minutes

Students will use

Avogadros number

7 minutes
(+cleaning time)


in their supplied
amounts of baking
ingredients.

Further
Explorations

Summarize the
concepts introduced in
the current inquiry
lesson plan and prepare
students for the massto-volume relationship

to calculate the
number of particles

4 minutes
(if allotted
appropriately)

Implementation of Lesson Plan:

Learning Context

Procedure

Introductory exercise to measuring quantities of provided compounds and using unit

conversions (previously covered in week two) to calculate the number of moles in a
given sample.
Chemical Quantities Inquiry Activity
Engage (10 minutes)
Story starter (page 6)
Tell the story of Millimole and her preparations for her mole day celebration
party. Explain how Millimole wants to try a new chocolate cake recipe to share
with her friends however; when she was downloading the recipe three of the
ingredients were converted to grams. Millimole needs to determine if she has
enough sucrose, sodium bicarbonate, and flour to make the cake.
Pose the questions/ideas: Can the moles of each ingredient be calculated if the
mass is determined? If so, how can Millimole know if she has enough sucrose,
sodium bicarbonate, or flour for the recipe? Have the students develop
predictions about whether there is enough of each ingredient based on visual
inspection.
In groups the students would determine a method which could be used to
calculate the number of moles needed for the recipe and how many Millimole has
in each canister.
Explore (20 minutes)
Exploration Question: Does Millimole have enough ingredients to make her cake
for the mole day celebration? Students should develop a hypothesis combining
their prediction and think what they
Develop an if ___________ then ___________ because statement
Sample: If the calculated mole numbers are larger than needed in the
recipe then she will be able to bake the cake because she has adequate
amounts of sucrose, flour, and sodium bicarbonate to complete the
recipe.
Have the students complete the exploration of the quantity of matter by weighing
the supplied amount of each compound and calculate the number of moles to
determine if Millimole has enough to bake her cake.
During the gathering of their data the students will fill-out the corresponding
worksheet on pages 7-9.
The students need to record all of their acquired masses and show work for any
calculations required to determine the number of moles.
Explain (5 minutes)
Have the students report their mole quantities to the entire class using the
Promethean board and document camera.

Topics could include:

Which of the three ingredients did Millimole have enough of and which
ones didnt she have enough of
If Millimole doesnt have enough of one ingredient, how much more of
that ingredient does she need?

Elaborate (8 minutes)
Demo to the students one mole of each of the three substances and ask them to
make observations about the quantities.
Are they all the same? What is different about the quantity of the three
compounds?
Have the students write down their observations on the corresponding
worksheet.
Evaluate (13 minutes)
Assessment Breakdown (30 points total)
Have the students weigh and calculate the corresponding mole number:
Weight of sucrose and calculation of moles (5 points)
Weight of sodium bicarbonate and calculation of moles (5 points)
Weight of flour and calculation of moles (5 points)
If Millimole does not have enough of any ingredient determine how much more
she needs for the recipe (2 points)
Presentation of group data (3 points)
Observational notes during demo and Avogadros number calculations (2 points)
Answer the supplemental questions at the end of the worksheet (8 points)
Leave a clean and tidy lab bench and return all equipment to the designated
areas (-2 points for the whole group if not completed before students leave the
classroom)

Differentiated
Instruction
Sample Student
Products
Collaboration
Time Allotment
Authors
Comments &
Reflections

Further Explorations (4 minutes time permitting)

Now that the students have an understanding of quantities of chemical
compounds, converting between mass/moles, and a basic introductions of
Avogadros number (further notes and instruction will be provided in the next
lesson plan for the unit).
Prepare the students for the mole-to-volume calculations that will be reviewed in
the next portion of the unit lesson plan
ELL students will be supplied with the laboratory worksheet the day before to give
them to read and translate any portions they may need for the next day.

Have the students work in groups of 3 or 4 based on their pre-assigned laboratory

groups
60-minute
If more time was permitted in a period, have the students explore the question:
What does a mole look like?
Have them each weigh out 1 mole of different types of compounds to help
students gain a visual representation of what a mole is beyond the demo
in which they are shown 1 mole of the three compounds being measured.


Standards & Assessment:
Standards

Common Core

Assessment & Rubric

Performance
Criteria
Students
demonstrate
knowledge of
mass-to-mole
conversions for
sucrose, flour, and
sodium carbonate
5
points/compound
If Millimole does
not have enough
moles, the
students
determine how
many more moles
and the equivalent
grams she needs
for the recipe.
Students are able
to determine the
number of
particles

S3c. Students know one mole equals 6.02x1023 particles (atoms or molecules).
S3d. Students know how to determine the molar mass of a molecule from its
chemical formula and a table of atomic masses and how to convert the mass of
a molecular substance to moles, number of particles, or volume of gas at
standard temperature and pressure.
Communication students address the whole class by presenting their results
with their lab groups
Collaboration students work in groups on the laboratory assignment
Critical thinking students need to use their acquired laboratory skills to develop
a procedure for the determination of the number of moles.
See attached rubric for the point break down and how the students will be
assessed and the corresponding point values.

Evidence

0 points

Half Points

Students are
able to weigh
the given
samples and
convert to moles
by showing their
work

No attempt is
made to
calculate the
number of moles
in each
compound

An attempt is
made to
calculate the
number of moles
but minor errors
are evidenced in
the provided
work

Moles are
calculated for
the three
ingredients
without any
errors

Student
identifies the
ingredient

Student
identifies the
ingredient and
attempts to
calculate the
number of moles
and equivalent
grams she needs

Student is able
to determine the
number of moles
needed and the
equivalent
number of
grams

No attempt is
made

An attempt is
made to
calculate but
some errors are
made

Student is able
to correctly
calculate the
number of
particles

Students are
able to
determine the
number of moles
needed to
complete the
recipe for the
missing
ingredient.
Students are
able to convert
the number of
moles into
particles

Full Points

Story Starter:
Millimole is excited to celebrate mole day with her friends and has decided to bake a
chocolate cake for the special day. As she is searching online she finds the perfect recipe to try
called Nanomoles Chocolate Cake however, when she was downloading the ingredients list three of
the amounts were converted into a number of moles and some of the ingredients names were
missing. Now Millimole needs to determine if she has enough of her ingredients in the pantry to
make the cake in time for the party. Since she is unsure how to determine if she has enough moles,
Millimole decides to call you for some help since she knows you are currently enrolled in a chemistry
class and thinks you might be able to help her. She emails you the list of ingredients and asks you
how she can figure out if she has enough moles.

How can we help Millimole determine if she has enough moles based on the
information she has given us?

Ingredient
All-purpose Flour
Sucrose (Sugar)
Cocoa Powder
Sodium Bicarbonate
Baking Powder
Salt
Buttermilk
Vegetable Oil
Eggs
Vanilla
Coffee

Molecular Formula
C4H8O4
?
C7H8N4O2
?
NaHCO3
NaCl
C54H100O7
C6H12O3N2
C8H8O3
C8H10N4O2

Amount Needed to Bake

Nanomoles Cake
2.07 moles
1.16 moles
177.4 grams
0.068 moles
2.84 grams
4.16 grams
236.6 milliliters
118.3 milliliters
100 grams
4.73 grams
236.6 milliliters

Name: _________________________________
Date: _______________
Period: _____________

Record all of your data on the provided data worksheet

Devise appropriate procedural steps to determine the number of moles for the supplied ingredients
from the recipe. If more space is needed to write your procedure, continue writing the steps on the
back of the paper.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Students Prediction:

Students Hypothesis:

Data Collection:
Data Table Title:
All-purpose Flour
Mass of Ingredient
+ Container (g)
Mass of Ingredient
(g)

Sucrose

Sodium Bicarbonate

Calculation Table Title:

Flour

Sucrose

Sodium Bicarbonate

Molecular Formula
of Ingredient
Molar Mass of
Ingredient (g/mol)
Moles of Ingredient
(mol)
Amount Needed for
the Recipe (mol)

Question Time
Does Millimole have enough moles of each ingredient for the recipe?

If she doesnt have enough moles, how much more does she need?

How many more grams does she need to make the cake?

Discussion: Once you have collected all of your data with your group members, you need to discuss
your results with the class using the document camera and the Promethean board.

Observation and Avogadros number notes:

Avogadros Number:

Notes on Avogadros Number:

Demo Observations: What is in a Mole?

Q: Did one mole of each substance look the same? Be specific.

Answer ALL questions below

1. How many particles are in the molar amounts for each ingredient provided in the recipe?
a. 2.07 moles flour
b. 1.16 moles sucrose
c. 0.068 moles sodium bicarbonate
2. In your own words what is a mole? (Be specific and include Avogadros number into your
answer.)

3. How many grams are 2.17x1023 particles of salt (NaCl)?

Be sure to clean up your lab bench and return ALL equipment back to the
designated area before you leave. If benches are left messy all members in
the lab groups will lose 2 points.