Chemistry Experiment Practice

In many schools, students only have a limited opportunity to conduct experiments with chemicals and acquire skills for conducting chemistry practicals. This lack of exposure leaves them unsure about experiment procedures and design.

Chemistry practical work is essential for several reasons:

1. Reinforcement of theoretical concepts: Practical work provides students with a hands-on experience that reinforces theoretical concepts taught in the classroom. It helps students to visualize and understand complex chemical phenomena that they might not fully grasp through theoretical explanations alone.

2. Development of laboratory skills: Practical work enables students to develop essential laboratory skills, such as accurate measurement, observation, recording of data, and analysis. These skills are transferable to other scientific disciplines and are highly valued in the workplace.

3. Safety awareness: Chemistry practical work emphasizes the importance of safety protocols and encourages safe working practices, which are crucial in preventing accidents in the laboratory.

4. Preparation for future studies and careers: Chemistry practical work prepares students for higher education and careers in the sciences, as it allows them to experience scientific research and experimentation first-hand.

5. Assessment of student learning: Practical work is an essential component of chemistry assessments, as it allows students to demonstrate their understanding and application of theoretical concepts in a practical setting. This assessment form also provides teachers with a valuable tool for evaluating students' laboratory skills and ability to work independently.

 

Demonstrating Longitudinal and Transverse waves on a slinky

 Capturing images or video of a slinky on a phone camera while demonstrating longitudinal and transverse waves provides a great opportunity to see the physical phenomena in action. #LongitudinalWaves #TransverseWaves #SlinkyExperiment #ScienceEducation #VisualLearning

Magnetic Stirrer

 According to the students, the magnetic stirrer is considered the most effective piece of chemistry equipment.

Normal Distributions

 

Normal distributions and inverse normal distributions can be tricky concepts for students. Knowing when to use each one and determining which one the question is referencing can be challenging. Using the Casio CG-50 with distribution helps. We're working hard to master it in class! #Maths #NormalDistribution #Education

Crushing bottles

Following crushing some cans with a vacuum, the students were curious to observe the process in action again. Therefore, we crushed an empty fizzy drinks bottle and measured the pressure with the @Pascoscientific pressure sensor. The pressure dropped inside the bottle to almost zero Pascals ( the unit of pressure measurement). A vacuum pump or hand-held vacuum device can be used to remove air from a bottle. The bottle is connected to the vacuum pump or device with a tube, and the air is then pumped out of the bottle, creating a low-pressure environment. As a result, the air pressure inside the bottle decreases, which can cause the bottle to collapse or deform if it is not strong enough to withstand the external air pressure. This process can be used for various purposes, such as preserving food or creating a vacuum-sealed environment for experiments.

Food Tests

During the investigation, the students were surprised by the speed at which starch was converted into sugar by amylase. Recordings taken every 10 seconds showed that the starch had nearly disappeared within a minute.

The test for starch involves placing a small amount of the sample to be tested into a test tube or onto a white tile, and adding a few drops of iodine solution. If starch is present, the solution will turn blue-black.

The test for reducing sugars, such as glucose and fructose, involves mixing the sample with Benedict's reagent and heating it in a water bath. If reducing sugars are present, the solution will change from blue to green, yellow, orange, or red, depending on the amount of reducing sugar present. The greater the amount of reducing sugar, the more intense the colour change.

Assembly Language and Turing Tumbles

 We generated the Fibonacci sequence using Assembly Language using the Little Man Computer and subsequently replicated the process using Turing Tumbles. By examining the methods used, we identified both similarities and differences between the two approaches.