A major goal of any chemistry laboratory is to help students connect the molecular concepts introduced in class with macroscopic observations seen through experiments. 1À3 However, research has shown that most students do not visualize the microscopic level when performing laboratory experiments or thinking about their observations unless specifically challenged to do so. 4 An activity is presented that uses small, plastic brick interlocking building blocks to visualize and to demonstrate chemical reaction kinetics and dynamic equilibrium by expanding on an idea initially proposed by Stacy. 5 Other building-block activities have been developed for chemistry classes, 6À8 but there are no published reports of building blocks being used to model chemical reaction kinetics and equilibrium. Stacy suggested that by using building blocks to simulate elementary reactions, the concepts of concentration and collision rates can also be examined. 5 By using small, macroscopic objects to represent atoms and molecules, this activity encourages students to visualize on the molecular level by putting the particles in their hands. 9 This activity goes beyond the static visualization that occurs when model kits are used to represent a single molecular structure. Through hands-on macroscopic experimentation, students can discover the concentration dependence of the reaction rate, observe a reaction system in dynamic equilibrium through competing reaction rates, and dispel some of the common alternate conceptions regarding equilibrium.Equilibrium is a core concept throughout chemistry, and the underlying concept of dynamic equilibrium permeates the discussion of all chemical reactions, as well as phase equilibrium. However, students often have misconceptions about

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