What is a chemistry project?
A chemistry project lets you use what you have learned to answer a real question. You plan an investigation, collect your own results, analyse them and report what you found. Good projects use local materials and solve local problems.
| Project idea | Chemistry used |
|---|---|
| Natural indicators from hibiscus, red cabbage or turmeric | Acids, bases and the pH scale |
| Making soap from local oils and wood-ash lye | Saponification and alkalis |
| Comparing the hardness of water from different wells | Reactions with soap, carbonates and sulphates |
| Preventing rust: paint, oil, galvanising | Corrosion and oxidation |
| Vitamin C content of fresh and stored juice | Titration |
| Making biogas from cow dung or waste | Fermentation and combustion |
| Purifying water with sand, charcoal and alum | Separation and coagulation |
Planning a fair test
The independent variable is the one thing you change. The dependent variable is what you measure. The control variables are everything else, which you keep the same. If you change more than one thing, you cannot tell which caused the result.
| Question | Independent | Dependent | Controlled |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does the type of cloth affect how fast iron rusts? | Coating on the nails | Time for rust to appear | Same nails, same water, same place, same temperature |
| Which indicator is best for strong and weak acids? | Plant extract | Colour change in the test solutions | Same volume of each solution |
Recording and reporting
Write your title, aim, hypothesis, materials, method, results (tables and graphs), discussion (what the results mean, sources of error) and conclusion. Always include units, repeat your measurements and state the safety precautions. Keep a record of where each material came from. Never mix household chemicals without permission.
Enter three repeated readings of the same measurement. See the mean, the range and the percentage by which readings differ from the mean.
Key terms
- Hypothesis
- A testable explanation or prediction.
- Independent variable
- The factor you change in an investigation.
- Dependent variable
- The factor you measure.
- Control variable
- A factor you keep the same.
Summary
- A chemistry project plans, tests and reports an answer to a real question.
- Change one variable at a time and control the rest.
- Repeat measurements, record with units, draw graphs and discuss errors.
- Report with title, aim, method, results, discussion and conclusion; always follow safety rules.