Practical investigations
Read our general notes on Risk Assessment
I chose to investigate whether the order changes depending on whether a weak (ethanoic acid) or strong acid (hydrochloric) is used. My method is to time how long it takess for the magnesium to react with the acid. I've read the article provided by this website but still don't know what points to include in my Background research section. I would appreciate it if you gave me a list of points to include within my background research.
Reading the tutorial on this web site and the article that you can download from that web page both count as background research. So in the background section you could list:
Then in the evaluation section you can compare you results with the results reported in the various sources. You can comment on whether or not the differences between your findings and the findings of others lie within the range of measurement uncertainty or not.
Risk assessment
Before attempting any practical work based on the advice and suggestions on this website, you must do the following. Identify any hazards, assess the risks from these hazards, and then decide appropriate control measures to reduce the risks. You must have these approved by those in authority in your school or college laboratory. Do not rely on what is said on this website.
For further guidance see our tutorial on Risk Assessment.
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updated: 17 February 2005
