How am I doing?
Learning Aim D: Review personal development of scientific skills for laboratory work
Introduction
In this report I will be reviewing and evaluating the skills I learnt in all the practicals I did so
far. I will also be going over the mistakes I made, and I will be explaining how I feel I
performed in all the practicals.
Skills
Skills I knew
Skills I learnt whilst doing
before these Skills I need to develop on
the practicals
practicals
- I knew how to - Being able to measure
measure liquids solutions from the meniscus - I need to develop my attention to
correctly in ml detail skills because in my
- I learnt how to calibrate a calorimetry practical I did not control
- I knew how to burette the room temperature and that
measure the mass effected my results
of powders - I learn how to calibrate a
correctly to the pipette - I need to develop my time
correct decimal management skills because I rush
place and in - I learnt how to calibrate a pH some parts during a practical and that
grams probe effects my results
- I knew how to - I need to develop my safety skills
correctly - I learnt how to calibrate a because in titration I spilt
measure colorimeter hydrochloric acid which is hazardous
distances using a
ruler - I learnt how to calibrate a - I need to develop my accuracy
burette because in titration and Colorimetry I
- I knew how to was not able to measure solutions
measure the - I learn how to calibrate a accurately
temperature of pipette
solutions using a
liquid - I learnt how to create a
thermometer colorimetry graph with the
absorbance on the Y – axis and
- I knew why we the concentration on the X –
use personal axis
protective
equipment (PPE) - I learnt how to calibrate a
during practicals liquid thermometer
and its safety
- I learnt how to calibrate a
- I was always digital thermometer
, - I learnt how to create a
cooling curve of Stearic acid
aware of my and Paraffin wax
surroundings - Learnt how to carry out TLC
practical
- I knew basic
paper - Learnt how to carry out paper
chromatography chromatography of amino
acids practical
How am I doing?
In this unit, I completed the following practicals: Titration, Colorimetry, Calorimetry and
Chromatography. I have learnt many skills by completing these practicals as seen in the table
above. These skills will help me in future practicals and improve the accuracy of the overall
practical.
Some general skills I obtained were: Attention to detail - because to get accurate results I
should carefully control the practical conditions, such as the room temperature, the time, the
equipment, the variables, safety and more. This skill requires a high level of accuracy and
attention to detail.
Another important general skill I learnt is problem-solving - Whilst doing practicals I often
come across problems or results that required effective solutions. By applying critical
thinking and analytical skills, I was able to overcome these challenges successfully.
These practicals also developed my data analysis skills – because by collecting and analysing
data I had obtained from these practicals I was able to plot graphs, make tables and come to
conclusions for each of my practicals.
These practicals also developed my communication skills – this is needed as I was working in
a pair, so having good communication skills allowed me to be able to work effectively with
my peers, like sharing ideas, helping each other and allocating tasks for each of us to do.
Titration and Colorimetry Practical: Strengths and Weaknesses
Whilst doing the Titration practical, some skills I used were: Communication, data analysis,
attention to detail (accuracy), observation, mathematical skills, and more.
Some skills which I was strong in is: Communication skills – this is because me and my
partner were always interacting and allocating tasks for us both to do. For example, for rough
titration my peer was using the pipette to contain the standard solution, and I was filling the
burette till 0cm3 with hydrochloric acid. Then for fine titration, I was using the pipette to
contain the standard solution whilst my peer was filling the burette with hydrochloric acid till
0cm3.
Another skill which I used confidently was my mathematical skills – this is because I am
good at maths, and by using the data I had recovered from my graphs and my tables I was
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