Unit 2 assignment D
During the year, I have developed and learned many scientific and interpersonal/personal
skills and techniques that were required in my practicals. The skills I have learned in this unit
will be useful for my university applications as well as laboratory work because they made
me more independent and confident in doing practical work. I completed practical tasks
involving titration, chromatography, colorimetry and calorimetry while learning practical
scientific procedures and techniques. In this unit I had to apply other skills and techniques
I've already learnt in sixth form/secondary school, but there were still many skills I needed to
learn in order to do the experiments on my own and get accurate results. When I look at how
well I did and what I learned, I realised that I learned a lot of new things that will help me with
other parts of this course and in the future. Here are the main interpersonal skills and
personal skills I have learned during this unit:
Interpersonal skills learned in this unit:
● Teamwork: Working in groups or pairs was required to carry out these practicals.
Working well with lab partners or group members has helped me strengthen my
teamwork skills, which include organising tasks, allocating duties, and seeking
opinions from others. I gained knowledge on how to cooperate, communicate,
complete tasks, and work towards a common goal.
● Communication: In scientific procedures, excellent communication is important. I
experienced giving directions, talking about observations, asking questions, and
presenting findings to my peers during the experiments. These encounters improve
my ability for active listening and idea sharing.
● Problem-solving: Even when experiments go according to plan, mistakes can still
happen, requiring the use of problem-solving techniques. I developed my
problem-solving abilities through titrations, colorimetry, calorimetry, and
chromatography by finding problems, assessing data, coming up with solutions, and
making choices to solve the difficulties.
● Leadership: In some experiments I have been able to take leadership roles.
Coordinating tasks, providing guidance, encouraging discussion, and ensuring that
everyone is contributing and understanding are all part of leading a team during
experiments. These encounters help me grow as a leader and improve my
organisational, decision-making, and motivating abilities.
● Adaptability: Adaptability is frequently needed in lab studies to deal with different
situations or unexpected outcomes. I have developed my flexibility through titrations,
colorimetry, calorimetry, and chromatography, changing processes or procedures as
necessary and responding to new changes.
● Time management: In experiments, effective time management is essential to
completing tasks and meeting deadlines. I learned time management techniques
such as allocating time for different steps and prioritising work to ensure the
completion of experiments that would be useful in academic and professional
contexts by efficiently planning and setting priorities.
Titration, calorimetry, colorimetry, and chromatography practicals helped me develop these
interpersonal skills, which prepare me for future collaborative work, improve my ability to
communicate effectively, sharpen my problem-solving skills, and create a supportive attitude
, towards working together. These abilities are useful in a variety of contexts, including social
interactions, group projects, and collaborative work, in addition to scientific situations.
Personal skills learned in the practicals
● Attention to detail: To achieve accuracy and precision in laboratory studies, careful
attention to detail is necessary. I have gained a strong eye for spotting minor
changes, developing the ability to measure quantities precisely, and taking notes of
subtle changes in the laboratory through the performance of titrations, colorimetry,
calorimetry, and chromatography.
● Analytical thinking: Analysing data, interpreting findings, and reaching conclusions
are all steps involved in laboratory studies. I have improved my analytical thinking
abilities throughout the trials by analysing experimental results, spotting trends, and
drawing logical conclusions from observations and theoretical ideas.
● Organisation: Planning and organising are essential for productive lab work. My
ability to organise materials, make reagents, and maintain precise findings has grown
as a result of my work with titrations, colorimetry, calorimetry, and chromatography.
These abilities aid in creating productive and effective experimental processes.
● Patience: Because certain processes may take some time to produce results,
experiments frequently require patience. I learned to be patient through titrations,
colorimetry, calorimetry, and chromatography, which will come in useful during long
practicals or while waiting for reactions or separations to take place.
● Independence: I've gained confidence in doing experiments on my own as I get
more practice with the practicals in this course. This involves using the initiative,
following the procedures precisely, and displaying independence when doing the
research.
● Critical thinking: Participating in scientific experiments improves analytical thinking
skills. I have improved my ability to analyse information, assess evidence, and think
critically in order to draw conclusions and make judgements based on experimental
findings by completing titrations, colorimetry, calorimetry, and chromatography.
The interpersonal skills I've gained as a result of these practicals contribute to my overall
development as a student and potential professional. These abilities are transferable and
may be used in a variety of academic, scientific, and professional situations, assisting me in
succeeding in my future aspirations outside of the laboratory.
There are many scientific skills that I have developed in this unit, all of which I was able to
learn from and improve for the future. I have applied all these skills so that I can have a
general understanding of what is expected from me for the practicals and how I can
incorporate them in other practical-based units. These scientific skills in experiments
collectively contribute to the rigour, accuracy, and reliability of scientific investigations. By
developing and improving these skills, I can conduct experiments effectively, analyse data
critically, and contribute to the advancement of scientific knowledge. Here are some of the
scientific skills I have learnt in each experiment:
Scientific skills learned in titrations:
● Health and safety: titration uses chemicals and glassware in the practicals, before
carrying out the practicals I learned how to identify the hazards involved in the
