My Notes
Categories
Topics Covered
Subdiscipline
Description
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- Determining the oxidation state of atoms is foundational in chemistry. For inorganic chemistry, students must be able to accurately calculate oxidation numbers of transition metals, which can differ depending on the ligands attached. Using the familiar tool of arrow pushing, this POGIL worksheet teaches students how to find the oxidation state of transition metals by examining the ligands involved in the complex.
- This worksheet can be completed as homework or during class time as an in-class activity. This POGIL sheet contains a systematic approach that demonstrates the basic rules for determining ligand charges and oxidation states of transition metal species. The problems gradually increase in their difficulty, and students are guided through easier examples before they tackle harder oxidation state problems (e.g., multiple metal systems). The worksheet provides a way for students to practice their previous knowledge, ask specific questions about the topic, and challenge themselves to understand the “why” behind determining oxidation states.
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
| Worksheet Word Document | 244.87 KB |
| Worksheet PDF | 187.22 KB |
Learning Goals
1) Students will be able to determine charges on ligands.
2) Students will be able to predict metal oxidation states based on ligand charges.
Equipment needs
Access to a printer or the ability to annotate electronically (i.e., a tablet with a stylus).
Related activities
Implementation Notes
Although this has not been implemented in class, we believe this worksheet is ideal for group work. For instance, students could be paired in groups of two or three to work together to complete this activity (think-pair-share). The instructor could stop after each set of questions to ensure the class is understanding the worksheet.
Time Required
50 minutes
Web Resources
Evaluation
Evaluation Methods
Graded as a problem set (either in class, or as a take home assignment).
Evaluation Results
No current results from evaluation.
Creative Commons License
Attribution, Non-Commercial, Share Alike CC BY-NC-SA