Practical investigations
You will also find advice about planning as well as the interpretation and evaluation of data.
Please use the Search button on this site (or the FAQ link above) to check what's here already before asking new questions.
You must acknowledge assistance from Re:act when listing references in the write-up of your investigation. See Writing reports on investigations
Always carry out a risk assessment and check with your teacher before starting any practical work. Do not rely on what is said on this website. See our general notes on Risk Assessment.
Tutorials
- Sorted FAQs on Investigations
- Risk assessment in chemistry: general guidelines
- Investigations involving rates of reaction
- Reactions and analysis involving iron(II) and iron(III) compounds
- Vitamin C investigations
- Investigating the rate of the reaction of metals with acids
- Metal-acid reactions: a second tutorial
- Writing reports on investigations
- Aspirin investigations (revised February 2007)
- Planning experiments: audio tutorial
- Investigating vinegars
- Planning an investigation to find the relative atomic mass of lithium
- Investigating wines (revised)
- Planning your investigation
- Investigating the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide
- Investigating the decomposition of copper carbonate
- How accurate are your experiments?
- Activation energy: what answer did you get?
Webguides
- Investigating SO2 in wine
- Visual indicators
- Significant figures
- Experimental errors and how to combine them
Recently Asked Questions
- I am starting my vinegar investigation and am confused about the distillation. Firstly, I started with a round-bottomed flask and attached a stillhead and inserted a screwcap adaptor into this and then a thermometer. I added the Leibig condenser with rubber tubing. Then it became difficult at the final stage. As I need to collect the distillate over ice, I’m not sure what to use. Should I add a receiver adaptor leading into another round bottomed flask with this flas submerged in the ice bath? Or is there something else I could use so I do not lose the distillate to evaporation? Once I have this set up, do I titrate the distilled vinegar straight away or do I need to dilute this with distilled water? Could I do exactly the same with malt vinegar or do I need to decolourize this first? Is there a precise amount of vinegar I should add to the flask to begin with or should I just guess how much will give me enough product and also leave me with enough non-volatile liquid to titrate? What temperature should I be aware of on the thermometer and is it possible for me to seal both the products and reactants for titration on a different day? 210208
- What is the main advantage of 2-dimensional paper chromatography over a 1-dimensional one? What are the considerations in choosing a chromatographic solvent?
- I have investigated the sulphur dioxide content in the white wine. I use an iodine titration to determine the SO2 content, but I don't know why it is necessary to add sodium hydroxide solution to the wine before adding sulphuric acid. Can you tell me the purpose?
updated: 27 January 2008
