Elements in Products

1. Focus Question: What are the
most common elements?
Elements and Atoms 4-3
Mixtures and Solutions

2. Review Metals
• There are more metals than nonmetals on
Earth.
• Does the food we eat and the other home
products we use have metals in them?
• What are the most common elements in
the things we buy?
• How many different elements are in the
things we buy?

3. The Element Search
• Many consumer products have lists of
ingredients
• Ingredient names often suggest the
elements that are in the ingredient
• Sodium chloride - Sodium & Chlorine
• Common ingredient - Sugar
• Chemical formula - C6H12O6
• Carbon, Hydrogen, Oxygen

4. Elements in Products
• Search product packages for listings of
elements or ingredients you know
include certain elements.
• Record your findings on notebook
sheet
• List product name in the first column
• Write the chemical symbol for each
element present in the second column
• Analyze at least 10 products

5. Analysis
• Complete Part 2 of worksheet
• Tally elements on scratch paper
• Write symbol for first element in product #1
• Put a tally mark next to it
• Repeat for each element in product #1
• Product #2, 3… - if element is new, add to bottom of list
and put tally mark next to it. If element is the same as
one already on the list, add a tally mark next to the
element symbol
• Put a code next to the metal elements

6. Analysis Results
• Which products produced the greatest
number of identifiable elements?
• What was the largest number of elements
listed?
• What was the largest number of metals
listed?
• Where did all the elements in the products
come from?
• What elements do you think are most
abundant in the Earth? In the Earth’s crust?
• What elements do you think are the most
abundant in you?

7. Homework, Etc…
• Read Earth Elements, pg 59-63 + Qs
• New Technologies, pg 64-67 + Qs
• Ask a Chemist, pg 68-71 (no Qs)
• Summary: Elements, pg 72-74 + Qs
• I-check 4 on Friday, 11/21
• Unit test on Wednesday, 12/1