Getting Started with Chemistry (B) A2 Individual Investigation

Key Features
It is an Individual investigation Students need to spend about 18 hours on practical work

Key Features
Students need to plan their investigation before they start practical work Students produce a co prehensive written report

!hings to ensure
Students spend the e"pected 18 hours on practical work !hat the ethod works

!hat the pro#ect can be e"plored to an $% depth

!hings to ensure
!hey spend sufficient ti e on their plan !hey ake at least so e easure ents

!hings to ensure
!hat it can be done in a school or college !hat it can be done safely

!hings to ensure
&e e ber that 'uality counts

!hings to avoid
(hanging it to a biology or physics pro#ect !reating the pro#ect at a )(S* level

&ange of topics within a school or college

+oing their own thing is highly otivating for students Introducing new topics is otivating for teachers It is ,K to have so e students doing si ilar investigations

+e and of the Investigation

-sing unfa iliar e.uip ent or che ical ideas -sing fa iliar procedures in unfa iliar situations -sing fa iliar ideas in unfa iliar situations

+e and of the Investigation

+evising innovative e"peri ental procedures Solving e erging proble s

*"a ples of Investigations

$ny topic of che istry (an be preparative /eed to include observations and0or easure ents

*"a ples of Investigations

1ide range of physical che istry 2not #ust kinetics3 Inorganic preparations ,rganic preparations

So e +ifferent $pproaches to Kinetics

4ero"odisulfate0iodide5
6 *ffect of catalysts 6 Ionic concentration

7ydogen pero"ide0catalase5
6 Inorganic inhibitors 6 ,rganic inhibitors

So e +ifferent $pproaches to Kinetics

8agnesiu acids5
6 $ddition of cations and anions 6 -se of a pressure sensor

4ropanone0iodine
6 -se of e.uilibriu conditions

4hysical (he istry 4ro#ects

+istribution of organic acids Solubility products *.uilibriu (onstant

4hysical (he istry 4ro#ects

Solubility curve of potassiu chloride

!ransition te perature of salt hydrates

,rganic (he istry 4ro#ects

4reparation and deterioration of aspirin *ffect of te p9 o"ygen9 catalyst and inhibitors on vita in ( :oss of vita in ( during cooking ;russels Sprouts

,rganic (he istry 4ro#ects

Se.uence of synthesis reactions5
e<g< 4henyla ine = sulphanilic acid = ethyl orange

Inorganic (he istry 4ro#ects

&e oving hardness fro water 4reparation of double9 iso orphous and co ple" salts 4reparation of d block co ple"es

&isk $ssess ents

Should be relevant to the concentration of solution actually used Should be devised by the student and not #ust be the co plete 7a>card Should include reference to products where appropriate

&eferences
Should include both written sites Should be linked to the te"t Should include appropriate detail aterial and web

$uthentication
$uthentication is designed to prevent students cheating $uthentication eans initialling the work to say that as far as you are aware the work is that of the student

$uthentication
!eacher authenticates draft plan before start of practical work ? returns it to the student<
!ip5 keep an electronic copy of draft plan

!eacher takes in final plan as soon as practical work is co plete

If there any concerns9 check that the final plan builds on draft plan

$uthentication
!eacher takes in a copy of results as soon as practical work is complete and authenticates the
If there are any concerns9 check that the results in the final report are not changed

$uthentication
$fter student has had appropriate ti e teacher takes in analysis9 conclusion and evaluation sections and authenticates the
Si ple .uestion< $s far as you know9 is this the students own work@

,verview of 8arking
$ssess ent is in groups of arks

)roups are independent of each other Aou know what to look for

,verview of 8arking
$ll skill areas arked against descriptors on a ;est Fit basis !otal of to ,(& arks for all sections 2out of BC3 sent

8oderated by post

Skills
6 (he ical ideas 2Skill $3 6 8ethods 2Skill ;3 6 (o unication 2Skill (3 easure ents 2Skill +3

6 ,bservations and

Skills
6 $nalysis and interpretation 2Skill *3 6 *valuation 2Skill F3 6 8anipulation 2Skill )3 6 +e and 2Skill 73

7ow the skills are

&eport Section 1 &eport Section % &eport Section E ;y !eacher ,bservation Skill $9 ;9 ( Skill + Skill *9 F Skill )9 7

arked
8ark of D9D9C 8ark of D 8ark of D9D 8ark of C9 C

Skill $ 6 (he ical Ideas

&ange +epth $ccuracy &elevance

Skill ; 6 *"peri ental 8ethods

$i s (hoices Fine detail

Skill ( ? (o
&isk assess ent &eferences S4$) (larity

unication

Skill + 6 ,bservations and 8easure ents

$ ount &ange 'uality (larity

Skill * 6 $nalysis and Interpretation

+escribe outco es 8ake use of observations and0or easure ents +raw conclusions

Skill F ? *valuation
:i itations of procedures &eliability of observations 4ercentage error calculations *valuation of choices

Skill ) ? 8anipulation
Safe working 8anipulative skills ,rganisation

Skill ) ? 8anipulation
Keep a working docu ent to record useful points about each student as you go along -se as an aide 6 e oire to help decide on the ark you award in Skill ) Send to oderator with students work

Skill 7 ? +e and

-sing unfa iliar e.uip ent and che ical ideas -sing e"peri ental procedures in unfa iliar situations -sing che ical ideas in unfa iliar situations +evising innovative e"peri ental procedures Solving e erging proble s

+e and of the Investigation

Fa iliar clock reaction 6 conc or te p5 10C Fa iliar clock reaction 6 conc and te p5 %0C -nfa iliar clock reaction 6 conc and te p and $rrhenius plot5 E0C

+e and of the Investigation

-nfa iliar clock reaction 6 te p plus catalyst and $rrhenius plots5 B0C $bove plus innovative design or solving proble s5 C0C