UNIT 2 ASSIGNMENT D
Throughout the whole of unit 2, I carried out extensive research and
conducted a variety of experiments which made me successfully conclude
unit 2 practical scientific procedures and techniques. The newly gained
skills and knowledge which I have acquired from unit 2 will be beneficial
when I apply for universities in year 13, as it demonstrates and enhances
my ability to do coursework and practical work such as scientific
experiments and be a more confident person in my scientific skills.
I completed practical experiments such as titration, chromatography, and
calorimetry, which require a prior knowledge of safety protocol while also
acquiring new skills to execute the experiments accurately and
independently. Upon reflexion, I have recognised progression in my
performance in my assignments and in my skills in applied science in
general. These new skills include:
- Communication skills: through collaborative work with my peers and
teachers during experiments such as titration, calorimetry, and
chromatography, I acquired this skill which enabled me to
accurately complete the experiments and obtain precise results and
readings. I gained this communication skill by collaborating with my
peers during the experiment. We compared each other’s’ results,
and assisted each other during the experiment, and reviewed and
evaluated our results together.
- Observation skills: By closely observing my teachers’
demonstrations of how the various experiments were carried out,
and how the equipment worked, I learnt a new skill which allowed
me to understand how to use the equipment and carry out the
experiments effectively. In the future, this newly acquired skill will
be beneficial for me in completing assignments as I will have a
better concentration during the practicals.
- Scientific skills: Through the completion of these assignments, I
have gained knowledge on how to calibrate the various equipment,
while also becoming aware of the potential hazards they pose to our
well-being.
- Time management: By successfully completing all of the
assignments in unit 2 I acquired the skill to effectively manage my
time as I had to plan the assignment, carry out research and finally
write the assignment, all while having to do other work my other
subjects.
The new skills which I have gained from unit 2 will be transferred to future
units, such as knowing how to use and calibrate the different equipment,
understanding the potential hazards chemicals and pieces of equipment
have for our well-being, identifying what I have done wrong and well in
, different experiments, knowing how to collect different types of data with
different equipment (e.g. thermometers, colorimeter, etc). my knowledge
of health and safety is critical skill that I have developed in detail, and this
has been crucial throughout all of unit 2. This has proven critical in all the
experiments, as well as when handling chemicals that are different and
stronger than anything I’ve done before. An example is in the cooling
curve experiment, if the boiling water spilled it could result in a serious
skin burn, thus learning about the possible hazards in an experiment is
very important. Knowing these dangerous and how to prevent them from
happening will help me in future units.
Titration
Skills gained
In the course of studying unit 2 learning aim A which focuses on titration, I
acquired the skill of calibrating different kinds of equipment, including a burette.
Although I had prior knowledge of how a burette worked, I wasn’t very familiar
with how to calibrate one.
Another essential skill I acquired was following the experiment step-by-step to
ensure that my final results were as precise as possible. To achieve this, I
repeated the experiment another time to confirm my findings were accurate.
In addition, I also gained the knowledge on how to use a pH meter to conduct a
titration, a piece of equipment that I had no prior experience using.
Previous experience
- I already knew how to use a burette and set it up on a burette stand
- Knowing how to calibrate a balance to give our accurate results
- Handling the different apparatus
- Before doing this course I already knew how to accurately draw graphs, this
was because I had done it during my GCSEs.
- I was familiar with the risk assessment for this experiment
- Knowing how to calculate the mean results
Comparison to my peers
In this experiment, I felt more confident than many of my peers because I had
acquired some prior knowledge on titration by watching a few videos online. This
allowed me to confidently set up the necessary equipment. On the other hand,
some of my peers who lacked any prior knowledge on the experiment found it
challenging and were less confident.
Feedback given
I received feedback from my teacher regarding this assignment. According to
him, I demonstrated safe working habits and effectively cleaned up the
workspace. However, he also noted that I required strong guidance and failed to
keep the area organised, and that I did not stay focused during the investigation.
In my opinion, I need to work on keeping the workspace organised. To achieve
this, I plan to ensure that all my equipment is properly arranged and that I have