MODELS OF HYDROCARBONS






Sklodowski, William                        Gage Park High
4069 Western Ave.
Western Springs, IL 60558

Objectives 

Determine and Construct models of Hydrocarbons

Equipment and  Materials

Gum Drops, toothpicks

Recommended Strategies

     Have students determine the hydrocarbon types by the three dimensional shapes of 
building models from molecular formulas. Get students in groups of four. Hand out 
sheet with molecular formulas of a number of hydrocarbons  on it. Give students gum 
drops and toothpicks, make sure you designate carbon with a dark color and hydrogen 
with a light color. Set down the rules that:  1. Carbon has 4 bonds, 2. hydrogen has 
1 bond, and 3.  the hydrogens must be as far apart as possible from the other 
hydrogens.  Let students work on building models, making sure they represent the 
different molecular formulas assigned to them.   Make sure you incorporate the 
tetrahedral bond angle on the model to really be correct.