Virginia SOL 6.5.e
The Standard
compounds may be represented by chemical formulas
Virginia Standards of Learning for Science
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students read a chemical formula and name the elements present. They use subscripts to count atoms of each element, including an unwritten subscript of one.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student can explain that H2O contains two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom. They can match a formula to a correct particle model.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may treat two capital letters as one element symbol or overlook lowercase letters. They may think a missing subscript means zero instead of one.
How to Assess It
- Give students CO2, NaCl, and NH3. Ask them to list each element and the number of atoms shown in each formula.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups colored beads and formula cards, then have them build particle models for H2O, CO2, NH3, and CH4.
Ask students to explain in writing how CO differs from Co, using element symbols and capitalization.
Play a matching game with formula cards, element lists, atom counts, and particle diagrams.
Examine labels for water, table salt, and baking soda, then connect H2O, NaCl, and NaHCO3 to familiar materials.
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Printable 6.5.e Worksheet
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