Year 12 Chemistry

Over the past three weeks, our Year 12 Chemistry students have been working on their own student-designed investigations for one part of their course (AOS 3). Each student chose a topic from Unit 3, planned their own experiment, carried it out in the lab, collected and analysed their results, explained what happened using chemical ideas they have learned, and wrote up a formal report.

Their investigations covered a range of important chemistry concepts. Some students looked at how fast reactions happen (rates of reaction), and tested how this changes when they use more or less of one chemical, or when a solid is broken into smaller pieces so it has more surface area. Others built simple batteries (galvanic cells) and measured how the electrical voltage changes when the concentration of one of the solutions in the cell is increased. 

Several groups investigated electrolysis, where electricity is used to make a chemical change, and explored how the amount of metal plated onto an object depends on either the voltage used or the concentration of the solution. One student tested different fuels and measured how much energy is released when they are burnt.

All students put in strong effort at every stage of their investigation, from planning and doing the experiment to writing up their results and explanations. They should feel proud of the work they have produced and the deeper understanding of chemistry they have developed.

Ms Levit – Year 12 Chemistry Teacher