Chemistry: Webercise

Name:____________________________

Date:_____________________

Argument Guide: Vinegar & Baking Soda

Phase 1: Development
Video Introduction:
Watch this Youtube video on the mixing of vinegar & baking soda.

The Question:
Formulate a question about the heat flow (exothermic/endothermic nature of the reaction) when
vinegar and baking soda are mixed together. Be sure to tie in material about heats of formation
of the reactants and products into your question.
(Examples: (1) When vinegar and baking soda are mixed together, is the potential energy of the reactants greater
than that of the products? (2) Is the mixing of vinegar and baking soda an endothermic reaction; do the reactants
have less potential energy than the products?)

The Investigation:
Reactants: Vinegar, Baking Soda
Materials: (Go to NIST Chemistry Webbook to find the chemical formulas of sodium
bicarbonate and acetic acid. Insert each formula in the appropriate spot below. Then get the
following materials.)
Baking Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate: _______________) 100mL graduated cylinder
Vinegar (Acetic Acid in H2O: _______________)
50mL beaker
1 Plastic Ziploc Bag
Procedure:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Place one spoonful of sodium bicarbonate in a plastic bag.

Measure 10mL of acetic acid using the graduated cylinder.
Next pour the acetic acid into a 50mL beaker.
Place the beaker into the Ziploc bag but do not dump the acetic acid!!
Seal the plastic bag.
Without opening the bag, pour the acetic acid in the beaker onto the sodium bicarbonate.
Record your observations under What I observed down below. Be sure to write down
what you see occurring inside the bag during the reaction. Also feel the bag with your
hands, to measure any relative temperature change that might be occurring and record
this information.
8. When the reaction appears to have finished, discard the contents of the bag into the large
beaker labeled Discard in the fume hood; throw away the plastic bag.
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What I observed:

My Claim:
Make a claim either about (1) the heat flow (the energy change that took place during the
reaction), (2) the heats of formation of the products relative to that of the reactants, or (3) a
possible product, using your just completed observations, the knowledge you may already have
about this specific reaction, including likely products, and information that you learned in this
Unit about reaction enthalpies relevant to this reaction.
Remember that a claim, or argument, is a statement (or a series of statements) that connects
observable evidence to a reasonable conclusion.

The Evidence:
List (using bullet points) all relevant evidence that supports your claim, including any not
mentioned in the claim.

My Explanation
Summarize the reasoning you used to connect the claim to the evidence and tie in new evidence
you just listed. Dont just restate the claim: expound on how all the evidence you listed supports
it.

Chemistry: Webercise

Phase 2: Layman and Expert Input

Student feedback:
What do other students have to say about your claim (share it with at least two other students and
insert their input here)? You will also scroll through this online Prezi and see what this chemistry
student, who conducted a similar investigation, has to say about the thermodynamic nature of
this reaction. How does her input impact your claim?

Expert Input about Claim:

Consult expert/useful sources on the internet to conduct background information about your
claim (suggested websites: (1) Chemistry.about.com: chemical reactions, (2) Montesorri
Muddle, (3) Antoine Frostburg.edu). From one of these websites get the chemical equation of
the overall reaction, then consult the online heat of formation table here to calculate this
reactions enthalpy to see if your argument is supported (if this is required to support your
claim). What do these additional resources, including your calculations, have to say that impacts
your claim, either to confirm it or undo it? Cite these sources in your explanation.

Chemistry: Webercise

Phase 3: Revision
Expert Input about Question
What do expert sources have to say that impacts or answers the question you formulated in
Phase 1: Development? Cite these sources in your explanation

Revise Claim
Here you will revise the claim so that it aligns with what youve learned. Remember that the
claim is a statement (or a series of statements) that connects evidence to a reasonable conclusion.
Be sure to summarize how the evidence (including any new evidence from expert input)
connects to the conclusion.

Chemistry: Webercise

Big Idea
What is the big idea in the question you formulated? Explain with a minimum of two sentences.

Previous Knowledge
What did you already know, coming into this lesson, about the reaction between baking soda and
vinegar that you found useful? What did you already know about heat flow and reaction
enthalpies/thermodynamics that you found useful?