Question 14
Planning and carrying out an investigation into the reaction between acid and magnesium
Method
1. Choose one of the scientific questions to be investigated from question 8 (or write one of your own) and write a plan for your investigation.
- Before you write your plan, try out the reaction between magnesium and an acid. In this preliminary work you should practise measuring the temperature change.
- Decide what equipment you will need and make a list.
- You also need to find out how big a change in the variable (for example, the length of the magnesium ribbon) is needed to make a change in the temperature that you can measure.
- When the reaction takes place and chemical energy is changed to thermal energy, the thermal energy dissipates (spreads out) into the environment.
- Are you sure that you are measuring the temperature change accurately?
- What could you do to reduce this heat loss?
- Decide how you will record and present your results.
- Carry out a risk assessment.
2. Ask your teacher to check your plan.
3. Carry out your plan. You may find that you want to make changes to it once you begin doing the investigation. If so, write down the changes that you have made and explain why you made them.
Method
1. Choose one of the scientific questions to be investigated from question 8 (or write one of your own) and write a plan for your investigation.
- Before you write your plan, try out the reaction between magnesium and an acid. In this preliminary work you should practise measuring the temperature change.
- Decide what equipment you will need and make a list.
- You also need to find out how big a change in the variable (for example, the length of the magnesium ribbon) is needed to make a change in the temperature that you can measure.
- When the reaction takes place and chemical energy is changed to thermal energy, the thermal energy dissipates (spreads out) into the environment.
- Are you sure that you are measuring the temperature change accurately?
- What could you do to reduce this heat loss?
- Decide how you will record and present your results.
- Carry out a risk assessment.
2. Ask your teacher to check your plan.
3. Carry out your plan. You may find that you want to make changes to it once you begin doing the investigation. If so, write down the changes that you have made and explain why you made them.
