Air Pollution Lego Lab
Name: _____________________________
Part One: Elements and Compounds
1. An atom is the smallest unit of an element. Atoms exist alone or in
combination with other atoms. Which color are the following elements
represented by? List the color and the symbol.
a. Nitrogen: ___________________________
b. Oxygen: ____________________________
c. Sulfur: ____________________________
d. Carbon: ___________________________
e. Hydrogen: _________________________
2. A compound is a pure substance made up of 2 or more different kinds of
atoms bonded together.
a. Build the compound carbon dioxide. (CO2). Draw and color the
model you made.
Drawing:
How does CO2 enter the atmosphere?
b. Build the compound water. What is its formula? ____________
Draw and color the model you made.
Drawing:
c. A harmful compound often found in air pollution is sulfur dioxide.
What is it’s formula? ______________ Draw and color the model
you made.
Drawing:
How does sulfur dioxide enter the atmosphere?
Part Two: Complete Combustion Reactions
Combustion reaction is the burning of a fuel to produce carbon dioxide and
water.
3. Use the Burning Fuel Card to build the reaction when propane burns
completely.
Draw and color the reaction:
What are the products? Give names and formulas.
What are the reactants? Give names and formulas.
Write the chemical reaction for this combustion reaction: (Hint: your
coefficients should equal the number of lego models for each
compound.)
How do combustion reactions contribute to climate change?
Is CO2 a greenhouse gas? __________ explain.
Part Three: Incomplete Combustion Reactions
4. Use the Burning Fuel: Incomplete Combustion Card to build the
reaction when propane does not burn completely.
Draw and color the reaction:
Why can’t the propane fuel burn completely?
What are the possible products?
What are the reactants?
Write the chemical reaction for this combustion reaction: (Hint: your
coefficients should equal the number of lego models for each
compound.)
Why are incomplete combustion reactions bad for our health?
Part Four: Air Chemistry and Pollution
Use the Air Chemistry and Pollution card for this section.
5. Smog is a collection of air pollutants. Build, draw, and color the four
common components of smog.
a. Ground ozone:
b: Soot:
c: Nitrogen dioxide:
d: Sulfur dioxide:
Have your teacher initial when all is complete. Teacher’s initials:
6. How do each of these pollutants enter our atmosphere?
a. Ground ozone:
__________________________________________
b. Soot:
__________________________________________
c. Nitrogen dioxide:
___________________________________________
d. Sulfur dioxide:
___________________________________________
7. What are the three pollutants created from incomplete combustion
reactions in our car engines? Give the name and formula.
a. ______________________________
b. ______________________________
c. ______________________________
Part Five: Air Chemistry and Pollution Reactions
Use the Air Chemistry and Pollution Reactions Advanced card for this
section.
In a synthesis reaction, two or more elements or compounds combine together
to create a larger compound.
8. Build an example of a synthesis reaction that occurs when coal is burned.
Draw and color the reaction below:
Write the equation below. Label the reactants and products.
9. Build an example of a synthesis reaction that occurs when sunlight is
present.
Draw and color the reaction below:
Write the equation below. Label the reactants and products.
10. Build an example of a synthesis reaction that occurs when uv light is
present.
Draw and color the reaction below:
Write the equation below. Label the reactants and products.
In a decomposition reaction, a larger compound is broken down into two
or more smaller elements or compounds.
11. Build an example of a decomposition reaction that occurs when sunlight
is present.
Draw and color the reaction below:
Write the equation below. Label the reactants and products.
12. Build an example of a decomposition reaction that occurs when uv light
is present.
Draw and color the reaction below:
Write the equation below. Label the reactants and products.
13. When is ozone helpful?
___________________________________________________________
14. When is ozone harmful?
___________________________________________________________
15. Build a model of sulfuric acid. Have a teacher initial in the box when the
model is built.
Teachers initials:
What elements are present in this compound?
__________________________________________________________
How is this compound formed?
__________________________________________________________
What two reactants are needed to create sulfuric acid in the atmosphere?
__________________________________________________________
16. Build a model of octane. Have a teacher initial in the box when the model
is built.
Teachers initials:
What elements are present in this compound?
__________________________________________________________
What type of reaction could occur if octane is changed into CO 2 and C?
__________________________________________________________
Where is octane found?
__________________________________________________________