Level 8: Chemistry
Chemistry investigation unit
Focus questions
- When you investigate the amount of a substance, what are the key steps for ensuring that the data you collect are reliable?
- How can you demonstrate to your peers that the procedure that you have used in an investigation is valid?
Possible investigations
- How do chemists distinguish between the levels of alcohol in beer, wine, and spirits?
- How do we determine the amount of dissolved oxygen in the stream water on a lifestyle block, and how it changes with location?
- What happens to the concentration of vitamins in food when we cook or store it?
- How does the chloride ion concentration of the water in an estuary vary with the tide?
- How does the vitamin C content of a range of fruit juices relate to the stated concentration?
Possible assessment
Learning could be assessed using a variety of standards – for example:
- Chemistry 3.1 Carry out an investigation in chemistry involving quantitative analysis
TOP
Analytical techniques unit
Focus questions
- How do the spectroscopic datacollected from mass, infrared (IR), and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy differ?
- How can spectroscopic data be used to identify aspects of the structure of an organic compound?
Possible investigations
- Analyse spectroscopic data (supplied by the teacher) to identify the functional groups present in an unknown organic compound.
- Relate experimental observations to spectroscopic data.
- Research how NMR spectroscopy is used in analysis.
- Investigate the links between data and given spectroscopic techniques.
- Demonstrate how molar mass, length of carbon chain, functional groups, and structural isomers can be identified from spectroscopic data.
Possible assessment
Learning could be assessed using a variety of standards – for example:
- Chemistry 3.2: Demonstrate understanding of analytical techniques in chemistry
TOP
Chemical processes unit
Focus questions
- How are chemical processes involved in the natural world? How are they related to environmental issues or in the development of technologies that meet the needs of society?
- How do CFCs interact with atmospheric ozone levels and what is the effect of this interaction on the environment?
- What are the potential benefits for consumers from nanotechnology? Where could it take us in the future and what are some of the issues that need to be considered?
- Are all natural compounds good for you?
- What are the differences between “natural” and “synthetic” compounds in terms of their usefulness to society and potential effect on the environment?
Possible investigations
- Compare the chemistry of some traditional medicines (for example, Māori and Chinese medicines and old English cures) with the chemistry of some modern pharmaceuticals used to treat similar illnesses (for example, eucalyptus ointment or a mustard poultice versus use of Strepsils to treat a sore throat).
- What are the potential problems from using a sunscreen with SPF 100 compared with a sunscreen with SPF 15?
- Investigate the action of chemicals used to limit the environmental damage of an oil spill.
- Why are alpha-hydroxy acids used as the active ingredients in some anti-ageing creams?
- Examine and evaluate the validity of claims made about the effect of a group of chemicals on the environment, people, or animals. Show your understanding of the scientific concepts, make connections to current scientific theories, and use appropriate scientific language and conventions.
- Explain why scientists must relate discoveries or developments to current scientific knowledge and must present their research for peer review and debate.
Possible assessments
Learning could be assessed using a variety of standards – for example:
- Chemistry 3.1: Carry out an investigation in chemistry involving quantitative analysis
- Chemistry 3.2: Demonstrate understanding of analytical techniques in chemistry
- Chemistry 3.3: Demonstrate understanding of chemical processes in the world around us
Last updated December 14, 2012
TOP
