Summary: This "lab" was to use our knowledge of the nomenclature of ions, acids, and covalently-bonded molecules to match their names to their formulas. This was done as a puzzle; we had to match a total of 180 sides-- 90 names, 90 formulas-- into the shape of a large square. Our finished puzzle is shown below.
Challenge: The biggest challenge my partner Nina and I faced while doing this lab was finding each corresponding piece. Sodium, Barium, Iron, and Potassium showed up often on pieces of the puzzle, and to find the correct piece took a lot of time and patience, especially as sometimes we would look for one and find it 10 minutes later, and realize as we look for the first piece that we had somehow lost it. This happened 5-6 times for me. Sometimes, a name would come up that we just could not find the formula for in the reference packet. This problem also was an obstacle when we had formed two large parts of the puzzle and could not figure out where to put them together; it was only with the assistance of Saloni that we could figure this out, in the last two minutes of class.
Contribution: One of my biggest contributions was finding the corresponding names and formulas. I was able to find the
names and chemical formulas in the reference packet pretty often, and was able to use this to finally complete the puzzle by putting our two separate big solved parts of the puzzle together. This was greatly helped by my ability to "strategize," meaning choose priorities; I first went after the ions with uncommon atoms, such as the Palladium (II) Iodide; Palladium showed up only once, and Iodide around 2-3 times; this meant it would stand out. I ended up finding this piece almost immediately after I looked for it. This worked a few times, but definitely helped in finishing the puzzle in the 45 minutes left in class.
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