Lab- Ionic & Covalent Compound Models

Name_______________________
Period_______________________
Date________________________

Constructing Compounds
All elements are made of atoms.
Compounds are formed when two or more elements combine to form a different type of matter.
.A chemical formula is a shortcut chemists take to describe a specific compound.
.It tells the numbers and types of atoms that make up a single unit of a compound.
You probably already know that the formula for one common compound—water—is
H2O.The formula for water tells us that a molecule of water has two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
Strategy
You will build models of different compounds.
You will use your models to determine how many atoms of each element are in each molecule.
Materials
modeling clay (red,yellow,and blue)
toothpicks
Procedure
1. Obtain enough clay to make four balls of each color. Each clay ball represents one
atom of an element.
Blue balls represent hydrogen atoms, red balls represent oxygen atoms, and yellow balls
represent carbon atoms.
2. Using toothpicks to connect your clay atoms ,construct a model of each of the following compounds.
a. H2O (water): Connect two hydrogen atoms to one oxygen atom.
b. CO2(carbon dioxide): Connect two oxygen atoms to one carbon atom.
c. CH4(methane): Connect four hydrogen atoms to one carbon atom.

After you construct each model,
-fill in the blanks for that compound in the table in the Data and Observations section.
-After you finish making the molecules for water and carbon dioxide, take them apart.
-Then make the methane molecule.

Data and Observations

Chemical formula Number of atoms in compound

Hydrogen Carbon Oxygen Total
1. H2O(water)

2.CO2 (carbon dioxide)

3. CH4 (methane)


Questions and Conclusions

1. What would the answers in the table be for a molecule of fruit sugar,C6H12O6?
hydrogen atoms in the compound_______________
carbon atoms in the compound_______________
oxygen atoms in the compound_______________
total atoms in the compound_______________

2. From the formulas given, identify each of the following as either an element or a compound:
NaCl______________________
Ag_________________________
CO________________________
SO2________________________
AgBr_______________________

3. Each carbon atom can be attached to up to four other atoms. The compound hexane has six carbon atoms joined together in a chain.
If only carbon and hydrogen make up the hexane molecule,what is the greatest number
of hydrogen atoms that could be in the molecule?
Draw a picture of the molecule to help you.