It's Our Air - 1-2 Combustion & Combustion Equations
COMBUSTION EQUATIONS ACTIVITY
In the hands-on activity, students use molecular model sets to become familiar with some simple chemical equations describing combustion, and to see how the burning of fossil fuels produces carbon dioxide.
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
What is combustion?
What molecules does combustion produce?
What are some of the benefits of combustion for humans?
TIME NEEDED: 45 minutes
Video: Combustion (included)
Molecule sets
Worksheet (included))
TOPICS: combustion, combustion equations, conservation of mass, combustion’s relationship to air pollution, our dependence on combustion.
TYPES: hands-on demonstration, video
NC ESSENTIAL STANDARDS for Earth/Environmental Science:
EEn.2.5.1. Summarize the structure and composition of our atmosphere
EEn.2.5.5 Explain how human activities affect air quality
[video:https://vimeo.com/95327936]
DOWNLOAD VIDEO FILE
COMBUSTION VIDEO
A video introduces to the concept of combustion as a chemical reaction and illustrates how combustion causes the rearrangement of atoms from one set of molecules to another set of molecules, and how air pollution can result when other gases in our atmosphere and other substances in fuel are added into the combustion mix.
Video downloads are able to display subtitles. We recommend using VLC media player for optimal playback of subtitles.
COMBUSTION & COMBUSTION EQUATIONS - TEACHER TO TEACHER TIPS
The quick video below has tips for doing this activity from Mark Townley, an award-winning, North Carolina high school teacher. Mark helped develop It’s Our Air and has used each of these activities with his students.
[video:https://vimeo.com/185546489]
OTHER MODULE 1 (AIR POLLUTANTS & THEIR SOURCES) ACTIVITIES AND VIDEOS
1-2 Combustion and Combustion Equations (this activity)
1-4 The Criteria Pollutants and a Closer Look at Ozone
1-5 NC & Local Sources of Air Pollution