Sodium bicarbonate + Acetic Acid –> Carbon Dioxide + Sodium Acetate + Water

NaHCO3 + CH3COOH –> CO2 + NaCH3COO + H2O = Combustion Reaction (Balanced)

Calcium + Water –> Calcium Hydroxide + Hydrogen Gas

Ca + 2H2O –> Ca(OH)2 + H2 = Single Replacement

Dihydrogen Dioxide –> Oxygen Gas + Water

2H2O2 —> O2 + 2H2O = Decomposition Reaction

Calcium Chloride + Sodium Carbonate –> Calcium Carbonate + Sodium Chloride

CaCl2 + Na2CO3 —> CaCO3 + 2NaCl = Double Replacement

The most powerful learning moments I had were when the students saw all the reactions happening within the classroom. For the experiments, we got to use vinegar and baking soda to make a balloon grow with produced gas, see reactions that popped, “elephant toothpaste,” being created, and a huge fire being produced at the end. It was exciting seeing all the kids reacting to the experiments. As kids get older, they start piling stress into their lives which makes it harder to enjoy the smaller things in life, but the kids made us feel more relaxed and stress-free that day. The most interesting discovery I found while working with the younger students are that they prefer being practical rather than listening and watching what the older kids are doing. My partner wanted to do most of the lab, so I helped her with the steps that were most safe for her to do and finished the steps that were slightly more difficult. She really enjoyed seeing the different reactions being produced and what they formed into at the end of each experiment. One part of the shared learning experience that I enjoyed the most was having all the younger kids come to our class for a day. In high school, the work starts to get more hard and practical because they’re preparing you to head out into the world and be prepared for careers and life in the future. So, when the kids came, it felt more relaxing and less stressful doing the experiments because the kids were excited, carefree and curious. Each kid had an amazing time and learned so many new things that they can take home and share with their family. I really enjoyed this lab, and I hope that we can start doing more activities like this one soon.