MICRO-TEACH (LESSON PLAN)

COURSE: Chem242 (Intro to Inorganic Chemistry)

SUBJECT: GCSE Chemistry
LESSON TITLE: Electrolysis (practical).
PLACE IN SCHEME (Week/Date/Lesson no...):
Week: 11 Time: 17.00-21.00 Lenght of session: 20 mins.
Date: 10/06/2016 Room: F23
Aims of the lesson: To understand the processes in an electrolysis. Electrodes. Half equations.
Lesson objectives:
All SWBAT*:
- Identify the materials used in the experiment.
- Comprehend the Health and Safety rules at the laboratory.
MOST SWBAT:
- Understand the general reaction in place.
SOME SWBAT:
- Be able to formulate the semi reactions and the reason why this is happening.
*Students What Be Able To

(Taking an o´clock hour as guideline for the micro-teach session).

6 pm Meet the group, Take register. [FS: Speaking and Listening].
Brief explanation of the session and the reason for it.
6.05 pm Presentation of the material to the students and what it´s expected from them.
Do you know the common use of the Copper (II) Sulphate in agriculture? Health and
Safety rules to manipulate the chemicals. [Bloom´s Taxonomy – Comprehension, FS:
Speaking, Healh & Safety – Hazards].
6.10 pm Activity. Watch for any activity on each of the electrodes, and write down your
observations. Work in pairs or threes (right amount of chemical to prepare a 0.5M
concentration of chemical for 250 cm3.
[FS: Reading, Maths, Bloom´s Taxonomy – Knowledge].
6.15 pm Checking up the results obtained: What did it happen? Why?
6.18 pm Feedback and evaluation of the session.
Recap.
6.20 pm End of session.

Resources needed:
Lesson plan, register.
Apparatus: Eye protection, beaker (250 cm3), 2 graphite electrodes, retort stand and clamp to hold
the electrodes, DC power supply (9 V), 2 cables, 2 crocodile clips.
Chemicals: Aqueous copper (II) sulphate, about 0.5 M, 200 cm3
MICRO-TEACH (LESSON PLAN)

Health & Safety notes

– Wear eye protection. Students must wash their hands at the end of all practical work.
– Copper (II) sulphate solution, CuSO4(aq) at the suggested concentration solution is LOW
HAZARD. This solution is HARMFUL if concentration is equal to or greater than 1M.
– Ways of securing the graphite electrodes:
i) Using a retort stand and clamp is probably the most convenient.
ii) They can also be fixed using Blutac on to a small strip of wood resting on the top of the
beaker.

Teaching notes
Students should see a deposit of copper forming on
the cathode (+). This will often be powdery and
uneven.
If the current used is much lower, then the solid
coating is shiny, impermeable and very difficult to
rub off; this process forms the basis of
electroplating.
Bubbles of gas (oxygen) are formed at the anode (–).

Cathode reaction: Cu2+(aq) + 2e- → Cu (s)

Anode reaction: 2H2O (l) → O2(g) + 4H+(aq) + 4e-

With carbon (graphite) electrodes, the oxygen usually reacts with the anode to form CO2. If copper
is used for the electrodes, the copper anode dissolves. The reaction is the reverse of the cathode
reaction.
The results of this experiment can lead to a discussion about electroplating and the electrolytic
refining of copper.

Reflective notes / Evaluation:

http://www.rsc.org/learn-chemistry/resource/res00000476/electrolysis-of-copper-ii-sulfate-
solution?cmpid=CMP00005019