Our task:

For this project, we were asked to develop and build a board game that included a single replacement rxn, double, displacement rxn, production of gas, lighting of LED, chemical & physical changes of energy, to be shown on Project Exhibition Night for STEM parents and other to play.

                                Description of project:

The concept for our project was to merge science with fun by designing a board game that combined chemistry and soccer. Drawing inspiration from, Candy land we redesigned the game to include actual chemical reactions and an athletic twist. The board consists of two interactive sections that work together to keep players involved while showcasing scientific principles in action.

The first part, the Chemistry Section, includes spaces linked to specific chemical reactions. For example, there’s the "yellow card reaction" that sends players backward, and an LED reaction represeted scoring an early. The highlight of this section occurs at the final chemistry square, where players activate a balloon inflation reaction, offering an eye-catching demonstration of chemical science.

After completing the chemistry portion, players transition to the Soccer Section. The balloon reaction kicks off the action as players use a small wooden boot to launch a soccer ball into the goal. This segment adds a lively and competitive aspect, ensuring the game stays engaging until the very end.

Our goal for this project was to make chemistry both entertaining and understandable. By integrating real reactions into gameplay, we turned scientific concepts into tangible, hands-on experiences. The blend of fun and learning means players enjoy themselves while picking up valuable chemistry knowledge along the way. Chem Soccer shows how science can be exciting and interactive!

                                   Evideince of work:

                           Stem Chemistry soccer board: 

                                                          Led:

                                                Ballon inflated:

Written Chemical Equations

Double Displacement Reaction (Potassium Chromate and Aluminum Nitrate):

Reaction: K₂CrO₄ (aq) + 2Al(NO₃)₃ (aq) → 3KNO₃ (aq) + Al₂(CrO₄)₃ (s)

Single Displacement Reaction (Aluminum and Copper Chloride):

Reaction: 2Al (s) + 3CuCl₂ (aq) → 2AlCl₃ (aq) + 3Cu (s)

Acid-Base Reaction (Sodium Bicarbonate and Acetic Acid):

Reaction: NaHCO₃ (aq) + CH₃COOH (aq) → CH₃COONa (aq) + CO₂ (g) + H₂O (l)

Key Chemistry Concepts

Products
Products are what you get after a chemical reaction happens. In our project, we ended up with things like potassium nitrate, aluminum chromate, aluminum chloride, solid copper, sodium acetate, water, and carbon dioxide gas. 

Reactants
Reactants are the ingredients that kick off a chemical reaction. For our project, we used potassium chromate, aluminum nitrate, aluminum, copper chloride, sodium bicarbonate, and acetic acid. 

Balancing
Balancing chemical equations is super important because it makes sure the same amount of atoms are on both sides of the equation. This helped us predict what would happen in our reactions and kept everything accurate according to the conservation of mass.

Coefficients and Subscripts
Coefficients are the big numbers in front of formulas that tell you how many molecules are involved. Subscripts are the tiny numbers after elements in a formula that show how many atoms are in each molecule.

Single Displacement Reaction
This reaction happens when one element takes the place of another in a compound. In our project, aluminum swapped out copper in copper chloride, giving us aluminum chloride and solid copper.

Double Displacement Reaction
In double displacement reactions, two compounds switch their ions to make two new compounds. We saw this in our experiment when potassium chromate and aluminum nitrate reacted, creating aluminum chromate (a solid) and potassium nitrate (a liquid).

Acid Base Reactions
Acid-base reactions happen when an acid and a base cancel each other out, forming water and a salt. In our project, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) reacted with acetic acid (vinegar) to produce sodium acetate, water, and carbon dioxide gas, which made bubbles.

Aqueous Solution
An aqueous solution is when a substance is dissolved in water. Most of our reactions, like mixing potassium chromate and aluminum nitrate, happened in water to help everything mix and react better.

Solubility
Solubility rules help figure out if something will dissolve in water or form a solid. We used these rules to see which products were solids, like aluminum chromate, and which stayed dissolved, like potassium nitrate.

Looking back on our Chem Soccer project, I had a great time, it was a very enjoyable project. Everyone on the team pitched in and was very helpful, Edison especially. Looking back on our Chem Soccer project, it was a mix of fun and challenges. Everyone on the team pitched in, but not everything went smoothly. Edison was the go-to for all the chemistry stuff—he was great at balancing the equations and figuring out how to make the reactions look cool and work consistently. Andrew was more into the hands-on building side of things, like setting up the soccer boot and designing the game board. He also made sure the balloon reaction worked the way we needed it to. Aidan focused on connecting the chemistry and soccer ideas to make the game fun and easy to play. He worked on the rules and ensured the game stayed engaging for anyone who tried it. I’ll admit, that there were moments when some of us, including me, could have done a better job staying on top of things or communicating with the group about what still needed to get done.

One of the hardest parts was making sure everyone was on the same page. Sometimes people would work on their part without updating the rest of the group, so it got confusing knowing what was finished and what wasn’t. If we did this again, I’d suggest setting clear deadlines and checking in with each other more often. We also spent so much time setting up the reactions that we didn’t leave enough time to test and practice running the game. Next time, I think we’d need to plan better so we’re not rushing at the end. And honestly, the workload could have been divided more evenly. Assigning specific tasks to each person from the start would probably help keep things balanced.

Even with all that, we were really happy with how it turned out. Mixing chemistry and soccer made it unique and fun, and seeing the reactions happen in real time was super cool. Watching people play and get into the chemistry side of the game was satisfying. It was awesome to see how all our ideas came together. Overall, the Chem Soccer project was a great experience. It wasn’t perfect, but we’re proud of what we made, and we’d take what we learned to make our next project even better in all the chemistry stuff. Edison was great at balancing the equations and figuring out how to make the reactions look cool and work consistently. Andrew was more into the hands-on building side of things, like setting up the soccer boot and designing the game board. He also made sure the balloon reaction worked the way we needed it to.

Aidan focused on connecting the chemistry and soccer ideas to make the game fun and easy to play. He worked on the rules and made sure the game stayed engaging for anyone who tried it. I’ll admit, there were moments where some of us, including me, could have done a better job staying on top of things or communicating with the group about what still needed to get done.One of the hardest parts was making sure everyone was on the same page. Sometimes people would work on their part without updating the rest of the group, so it got confusing knowing what was finished and what wasn’t. If we did this again, I’d suggest setting clear deadlines and checking in with each other more often. We also spent so much time setting up the reactions that we didn’t leave enough time actually to test and practice running the game. Next time, I think we’d need to plan better so we’re not rushing at the end. And honestly, the workload could have been divided more evenly. Assigning specific tasks to each person from the start would probably help keep things balanced. Even with all that, we were really happy with how it turned out. Mixing chemistry and soccer made it unique and fun, and seeing the reactions happen in real-time was super cool. Watching people play and get into the chemistry side of the game was really satisfying. It was awesome to see how all our ideas came together. Overall, the Chem Soccer project was a great experience. It wasn’t perfect, but we’re proud of what we made, and we’d take what we learned to make our next project even better.

Aidan focused on connecting the chemistry and soccer ideas to make the game fun and easy to play. He worked on the rules and made sure the game stayed engaging for anyone who tried it. I’ll admit, there were moments where some of us, including me, could have done a better job staying on top of things or communicating with the group about what still needed to get done.One of the hardest parts was making sure everyone was on the same page. Sometimes people would work on their part without updating the rest of the group, so it got confusing knowing what was finished and what wasn’t. If we did this again, I’d suggest setting clear deadlines and checking in with each other more often. We also spent so much time setting up the reactions that we didn’t leave enough time to actually test and practice running the game. Next time, I think we’d need to plan better so we’re not rushing at the end. And honestly, the workload could have been divided more evenly. Assigning specific tasks to each person from the start would probably help keep things balanced. Even with all that, we were really happy with how it turned out. Mixing chemistry and soccer made it unique and fun, and seeing the reactions happen in real-time was super cool. Watching people play and get into the chemistry side of the game was really satisfying. It was awesome to see how all our ideas came together. Overall, the Chem Soccer project was a great experience. It wasn’t perfect, but we’re proud of what we made, and we’d take what we learned to make our next project even better.

Aidan focused on connecting the chemistry and soccer ideas to make the game fun and easy to play. He worked on the rules and made sure the game stayed engaging for anyone who tried it. I’ll admit, there were moments where some of us, including me, could have done a better job staying on top of things or communicating with the group about what still needed to get done.One of the hardest parts was making sure everyone was on the same page. Sometimes people would work on their part without updating the rest of the group, so it got confusing knowing what was finished and what wasn’t. If we did this again, I’d suggest setting clear deadlines and checking in with each other more often. We also spent so much time setting up the reactions that we didn’t leave enough time to actually test and practice running the game. Next time, I think we’d need to plan better so we’re not rushing at the end. And honestly, the workload could have been divided more evenly. Assigning specific tasks to each person from the start would probably help keep things balanced. Even with all that, we were really happy with how it turned out. Mixing chemistry and soccer made it unique and fun, and seeing the reactions happen in real-time was super cool. Watching people play and get into the chemistry side of the game was really satisfying. It was awesome to see how all our ideas came together. Overall, the Chem Soccer project was a great experience. It wasn’t perfect, but we’re proud of what we made, and we’d take what we learned to make our next project even better.