A plant with 80 available ATP could produce 10 molecules of NH3.

Question

Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)

Answer 1

True

Clarify Question
• What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o This question is asking about the number of NH3 molecules that can be made with a designated amount of energy.
• What type of thinking is required?
        o You are being asked to take what you already know and apply it to the number of NH3 molecules that can be made with a given amount of energy.
• What key words does the question contain and what do they mean?
        o ATP, which is adenosine triphosphate, a usable form of cellular energy.
        o NH3, which is ammonia, a molecule that is made from atmospheric nitrogen.

Gather Content
• What do you already know about the energy required to produce NH3 molecules? How does it relate to the question?
        o 16 ATP molecules are required to split one N2 molecule.
        o Splitting one N2 molecule would yield two nitrogen atoms, each of which could be converted into NH3.

Consider Possibilities
• What other information is related to the question? Which information is most useful?
        o The relationship of 16 ATP to split one molecule N2 must be used to determine the number of NH3 that can be made with 80 ATP.

Choose Answer
• Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
       o Since 16 ATP molecules are required to split every N2, the number of N2 that can be split can be obtained by dividing the total number of ATP available, which is 80 ATP, by the number required to split one N2, which is 16 ATP.
       o 80 divided by 16 equals 5.
       o Each N2 molecule that is split yield two N atoms, each of which can be converted into NH3.
       o 5 N2 molecules multiplied by 2 N atoms from each yields 10 N atoms, each of which can be built into a NH3 molecule.

Reflect on Process
• Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
• Apply level:
       o This question asked you to calculate the number of NH3 that can be made using 80 ATP molecules. Answering this question correctly depended on your ability to use the known amount of energy required to split N2 in a new situation. If you got the correct answer, great job! If you got an incorrect answer, where did the process break down? Did you remember that 16 ATP are required to split every N2, and every N2 when split gives rise to two NH3? Did you have trouble extending this standard measure of energy to determine the correct answer?