Molecules & Fuel Cell Technology
Contents
1. End of Molecule Exploration Activity TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 7 Molecule Building Activity FOR A MOLECULE TO BE COMPLETE ALL THE HOLES OF AN ATOM MUST BE FILLED OR ELSE THERE ARE LOOSE ELECTRONS AND THE MOLECULE IS UNSTABLE O Oxygen Red C Carbon Black N Nitrogen Orange Build the following molecules Lewis Structure each dash represents a bond Molecule Chemical Formula Hydrogen Carbon Dioxide Water Oxygen Nitrogen Ethanol Electrolysis breaks molecules of H20 apart When energy is applied to water the water molecules break apart and form something else Experiment and see what molecules other than water you can form from two H20 molecules Hint you should find that you can make two molecules from the chart above The following molecules contain only hydrogen and carbon They are called hydrocarbons Common hydrocarbons include coal petroleum and natural gas which are better known as fossil fuels Lewis Structure Molecul Chemical F l olecule emicat rormuta each dash represents a bond Methane a natural gas Propane used as a fuel to cook with a grill TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 8 Molecules Concluding Discussion Electrolysis breaks molecules of water apart into hydrogen and oxygen gas Why would you want to do this e You could then use the hydrogen and oxygen separatel2. User Manual Expected Results The car should be able to drive the length of the room after hydrolysis This will demonstrate to the students how power can be generated from an environmentally safe chemical reaction Discuss how this is another method for producing electricity that should be considered in the future End of Fuel Cell Car Activity TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 11 Working in teams is really important in engineering Each member has their own critical part to do 1 Industrial Engineer IE Your main task is to supervise each process and alert an instructor if there is a problem or if your team has questions You are to make sure all the parts are handled carefully and correctly 2 Mechanical Engineer ME Your main task is to assemble and disassemble the fuel cell car While the car is running your job is to make sure it does not fall off a table get stepped on etc 3 Electrical Engineer EE Your main task is to carefully connect wires If something is not connected correctly it will damage the fuel cell Also you need to make sure the metal ends of the battery pack to not touch when it is turned on 4 Chemical Engineer CE Your main task is to help with any step that involves the water You will be getting your fingers wet Before we take out the kit there are some things we need to go over 1 the parts are fragile so please be careful when handling them We
3. total amount of energy stays the same it only changes from one form to another Look around Everything you see has something in common What do you think it is e Everything is made up of atoms e Atoms are the smallest particle of matter e The subatomic particles atoms are made up of are just tiny pieces of energy Do you know what is an electron is e It is the negatively charged subatomic particle of energy that is found in a cloud around the center of an atom How do atoms combine e Atoms combine by sharing or lending electrons e This is called a chemical bond What is Chemical Energy e It is the energy stored in the bonds of atoms and molecules e A chemical reaction takes place when these bonds are broken or formed which releases the stored energy What are some ways you can tell a chemical reaction is occurring e Gives off heat exothermic e A solid is produced e Becomes colder endothermic e There is a color change e A gasis produced e Light is produced Where is chemical energy found in your life e Batteries e Digestion e Rust e Gasoline e Burning TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 5 In order to get a sense of how big an atom is how long do you think it would be if you lined up 50 million atoms in a single line e It would only be about 1 centimeter in length What is it called when several different kinds of atoms are bonded together e A molecule e For example a water molecul
4. want other schools to be able to use them too 2 we are going to go through these steps together so after each step IEs raise your hands so we know your team is ready to move on Let s get started Assembling the Car E Open the kit Take a note on how everything is put in the box because you will be responsible for putting the parts back Take out the body wheels and cylinders Give them to the ME ME Attach the wheels to the base make sure you hear a click Carefully push the cylinders in the round holes on the base Place the fuel cell in the rectangular slot so the short tubes are coming off the top and the H2 and O sides match the H and O cylinders H Make sure the small slots in the bottom of the storage tanks car are not blocked by anything Then carefully fill the cylinders with distilled water until the top of the inner cylinder is underwater The inner cylinders should fill up with water Next connect the long tubes coming from the fuel cell to the correct storage tanks Facilitators go around to each group and push water ONLY through the O side Make sure that the fuel cell car is set up correctly and the storage tanks are not blocked Electrolysis EE take out the battery pack but don t turn it on This next step is important if done wrong the fuel cell will be damaged and your car will not work Plug the black end of the battery to the black H2 side of the fuel cell and the red end of the battery pack to
5. Questions about fruit batteries http www bluffton edu bergerd chem food batteries html MadSci Network http www madsci org experiments archive 889917606 Ch html Science with Dr T http www dmturner org Teacher Library SthText ChemTOC html Hydrogen Tomorrow s Energy Source General Motors Hydrogen Tomorrow s Energy Source Brochure Lifetime Learning Systems Inc 2005 Note Many of these resources were used in assisting the creation of the following lessons plans and we would like to thank and reference them for their valuable instruction TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 3 Molecules and Fuel Cell Technology Approximately 1 hour Concepts covered Chemical Reactions Chemical Bonds Alternative Fuel Fuel Cell Car TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 4 Molecules Group discussion Pose the following questions to the group and let discussion flow naturally try to give positive feedback to each child that contributes to the conversation Note to facilitator start building fuel cell car while co facilitator leads first discussion and activity If they have already done Chem Reactions amp Electricity use this page as review Can you help me think of some forms of energy e Kinetic e Chemical e Electromagnetic e Potential e Mechanical e Nuclear e Electrical e Heat What happens to energy when we use it e Energy is neither created nor destroyed e The
6. TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 1 Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Overview This kit contains activities for the students to gain a better understanding about chemical energy and its use in creating electrical energy Basic concepts of chemical energy including chemical bonds and chemical reactions will be presented Students will model and observe electrolysis They will be exposed to current research into alternative fuel sources mainly hydrogen and the use of fuel cells Additional Materials Required e Distilled water e Paper towels e AA Batteries e Small Screw Driver e Syringe with small tube coffee stirrer e Bowl if there is no sink available Learning Outcomes e How to Recognize a Chemical Reaction e Chemical Bonds and Molecular Structures e How Energy can be Transformed Engineering Connection Certain types of engineers work on the molecular level to improve and study structures They know how molecules are bonded together can determine the physical and structural properties of substances They are also working on ways to harness the power of chemical reactions to produce new alternative fuel sources Activity Descriptions Molecule Building Activity 15 minutes Using standard molecule building ball and stick models the students will be guided through an activity allowing them to put together a few common molecules and then extend this knowledge to a basic understanding of hydrocarbon fuels an
7. d electrolysis Fuel Cell Car 30 minutes This fuel cell car kit allows students to see a real fuel cell in action that is powering a small car around the room Students will be able to observe electrolysis and interact with an operating fuel cell Partial support for the TEAK Project was provided by the National Science Foundation s Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement CCLI program under Award No 0737462 Any opinions findings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author s and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 2 Resources NMSEA Curriculum Listing http www nmsea org Curriculum Listing htm From Oil Wells to Solar Cells http www nmsea org Curriculum Primer from_oil wells to solar cells htm Running Oil http www2 nsta org energy find runnin Live Green Go Yellow http www gm com company onlygm livegreengoyellow index html Enviro Literacy Teacher s References http www enviroliteracy org teachers index ph Environmental Literacy Council http www enviroliteracy or Timeline of Energy History http www eia doe gov kids history timelines index html Renewable Energy Lesson Plans http www infinitepower org lessonplans htm Energy Changes Makes Things Happen http www ftexploring com EIA Energy Kid s Page http www eia doe gov kids glossar Frequently Asked
8. e is formed when one oxygen atom and two hydrogen atoms are bonded together When energy is used to separate bonded elements or compounds it is called electrolysis e When a chemical charge is applied to water the charge breaks the chemical bond between hydrogen and oxygen TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 6 Molecule Exploration Activity Objectives e Explore of the design of molecules based on electron bonding structures e Obtain an understanding of the basic form of substances in chemical energy e Obtain an understanding of the process by which molecules react Materials e 1 Molecule Kit per Group Procedure Handout the Molecule Activity Worksheet Using one of the Molecule Kits demonstrate what the sheet means by showing them hydrogen Emphasize a molecule is only stable when all the holes are filled Handout a Molecule Kit for each group Allow student to experiment with the kits and build the molecules described on the worksheet CRW Ne Expected Results The students should experiment with a variety of different molecules combining smaller molecules to make larger more complex chains of hydrocarbons They should model electrolysis so they have a better understanding of what they are going to see with the fuel cell car This activity is meant to give them a deeper understanding of the structures that exist in their natural world Notes to facilitator CHECK THE FLOOR FOR MOLECULE BALLS
9. ed to springs Solution Twist balls slightly when attaching to springs Problem Students are having difficulty using two springs to double bond two atoms Solution Try using longer springs Fuel Cell Car Problem Unable to perform electrolysis Solution e Ensure the rear tank is filled with distilled water and the hydrogen and oxygen tanks are submerged e Ensure only the oxygen side of fuel cell has been filled with distilled water e Ensure the red wire of the battery is connected to the red side of the fuel cell and the black wire of the battery is connected to the black side of the fuel cell e Try replacing the batteries Problem Car will not run Solution e Ensure that the black wire from the motor is plugged into the black hydrogen side of the fuel cell and the red wire from the motor is plugged into the red oxygen side of the fuel cell e Ensure that there are no wires obstructing the movement of the wheels e Ensure that there is a supply of hydrogen and oxygen If there is not perform electrolysis e Ensure the fuel cell is connected to the hydrogen and oxygen tanks properly
10. ter and heat e No combustion e Reliable e Efficient e Operates cleanly environmentally friendly e Quiet e No pollution What do you think are some disadvantages to this fuel cell car e Hydrogen and Oxygen need to be split before the energy generation can start so we need to find an economic and clean way to split H2O before we can really take advantage of fuel cell cars TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 14 Further Exploration What is an ion e Anion is an atom or molecule that has lost or gained an electron making it positively or negatively charged More about electrolysis e Positive hydrogen ions and negative ions are formed e An electrolyzer has 2 electrodes where ions form e The anode is negatively charged and attracts the negatively charged ions e The cathode is positively charged and attracts the positively charged hydrogen ions TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 15 Molecule Activity Extension Have the students create different molecules Molecule Chemical Formula Structure Ethanol Caffeine CsH12N403 Hydrogen Peroxide Glucose CsH1206 Vanillin Vitamin C Diamond vs Graphite both are made of carbon the structures are different More Hydrocarbons Butane Octane TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 16 Trouble Shooting Guide Molecular Ball Building Problem Balls do not stay attach
11. the red O side of the fuel cell Make sure everyone can see the storage tanks and then turn on the battery pack You should see gasses filling up the storage tanks The O side is collecting oxygen gas and the H side is collecting hydrogen gas This is the process of electrolysis splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 12 Starting the Car E when the hydrogen storage tank is at least half full turn off the battery pack and disconnect it from the fuel cell ME carefully pick up the fuel cell car When the EE connects the motor wires the car will automatically start EE Connect the red wire coming from the motor to the red O2 side of the fuel cell and the black wire to the black H2 side of the fuel cell The second wire you plug in will start the fuel cell ME put the car down and watch it go Clean up H Disconnect the fuel cell from the motor Pull out the storage tanks and disconnect them from the fuel cell Carefully take off the cylinders and go dump them out EE Dry anything that needs it the storage tanks the cylinders the floor etc ME Finish disassembling the car and help dry anything that needs it E Put the parts back into the box like you found them TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 13 Fuel Cell Concluding Discussion What are some advantages of fuel cell cars e The only by products are pure wa
12. ugh an external circuit This movement of electrons is what causes electrical energy The hydrogen protons and electrons combine with oxygen molecules and form water H30 So what is the difference between electrolysis and a fuel cell e Electrolysis spits water into hydrogen and oxygen e Fuel cells combine hydrogen and oxygen into water e Ideally you can use electrolysis and a fuel cell to continually split and form water over and over again which would mean a continuous amount of electricity However the technology isn t perfect yet TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 10 Fuel Cell Car Activity Objectives e Understand electrolysis and see it occur e Understand how gases can be created from the splitting of water e Show that energy can be created safely and in an environmentally sound way through alternative chemical sources Group Materials 1 Fuel Cell Car Kit Distilled Water Container Procedure 1 Have each member in a team count off from 1 4 Be creative if there are more or less kids in a group 2 Explain that they will be going through the activity as a whole class step by step and there will be a signal clapping raising hands flashing the lights etc to alert them when we will go to the next step 3 One facilitator will read off the steps on the following sheets 4 Use different group kits as an example for steps if needed For a troubleshooting guide or more detailed instructions see the
13. y for other things Do you think it is important how atoms are bonded together e It is important e For example diamonds and graphite are both made of only carbon The only difference is how they are bonded together Diamonds are so strong they are used in machining things like metals and you use graphite to write with TEAK Molecules amp Fuel Cell Technology Lesson Plan Page 9 Fuel Cell Group Discussion Do you know the source of power in our cars today e Fuel or gasoline e The common fuels we use are made from petroleum and can have several different forms besides just gasoline like diesel Now scientists are trying to develop cars that run on just liquid hydrogen But why hydrogen e Hydrogen is the most plentiful gas in the universe and the most abundant element on earth e Itis the simplest lightest element e It has the highest energy content of any known fuel e It cannot be found as a gas on earth it can only be found when combined with other elements like water sugar ammonia and hydrogen peroxide e This means it must be extracted from other sources before it can be used which requires energy e Hydrogen is also cleaner than gasoline or diesel What is a fuel cell Have you ever heard of one e A fuel cell is similar to a battery e When hydrogen enters a fuel cell it splits into protons and electrons The protons are free to move however they want through the fuel cell and the electrons are forced to move thro
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