Compounds and formulas matching pairs game

This fun, card matching game asks learners to match common compound names with their formulas and vice versa.

Learning objectives

1. Name compounds from their formulas and vice versa.
2. Recall the names and formulas of common compounds.

How to use

Download the teacher notes to get the cards. Photocopy the cards, cut them up and make them into packs. You could laminate the cards to make them last longer. You can also add the optional card backs if you wish.

Ask learners to work in pairs or small groups in one of the following ways:

• Learners lay all the cards face down and take it in turns to turn over two cards. If a player selects a matching name and formula card, then they keep the pair. They can have another turn. If they do not pick up a matching pair, they must put the cards back. The winner is the player with the most pairs at the end.
• Learners can start with all the cards face up and simply match each compound name with its formula.

Learners can also play on their own.

Scaffolding

• There are twenty pairs in the full set. Scaffold up or down by removing or adding pairs of compounds and formulas from the set.
• You can use the blank cards to add different compounds and formulas.
• To reduce the memory demand of the matching game, split the cards into two sets – compounds and formulas – so that learners choose one card from each set during each turn. Use the optional card backs to differentiate between the compound and formula cards when they are face down.

Challenge opportunities

• Ask learners to use the blank cards to write their own pairs of compounds and formulas to test themselves or their peers.
• Ask learners to sort the pairs into categories. How many different categories can they think of? For example: ionic and covalent; acid, alkali or neutral; small molecule or giant molecule; salts.

 Answers

The matched pairs can be found in the teacher notes.