Everybody who has a chemistry class knows that they have an experiment to do for homework once in a while. Today, I will discuss the preparations of a chemistry experiment, how to do it, and how to write it up!
Preparation for experiment
Supplies
Every experiment has a list of supplies you need to complete your assignment. Supplies are beakers, bunsen burners, spoons, test tubes, and so on. Make sure to take them out of your chemistry kit or buy them in advance.
Substances
Substances are chemicals or everyday ingredients. Get them out of your pantry or kitchen, your chemistry kit, or buy them in the store in advance.
Safety measures
Whether actually dangerous or not, it is always a good idea to be protected in any chemistry experiment. Necessary safety measures are:
- wear a lab coat,
- wear protective glasses and gloves.
A lab coat prevents cuts and chemicals from getting to your skin. Ordinary latex gloves will do the trick of keeping your hands clean plus not burned from acidic chemicals. You don’t have to have professional lab glasses. Glasses for bicycle riding will also protect you from chemicals and possible explosions.
A girls’ note is to wear a hair bun or a ponytail (I prefer the hair bun). This way, your hair doesn’t get in the way, and bunsen burner experiments.
The experiment
Here is an example of an experiment you can do at home. So perform with caution, and don’t forget to have fun!
Soda bicarbonate and vinegar
The supplies will need a plastic bottle, a balloon, a spoon, and a 25 ml beaker. The substances you will need are soda bicarbonate and vinegar.
First, measure 10 ml of vinegar in a beaker. Next, pour the vinegar into the plastic bottle. Then, measure a spoon of soda bicarbonate. Empty the contents into the plastic bottle and quickly put the balloon over the opening of the bottle. Can you guess what will happen?
The vinegar and soda bicarbonate form a chemical reaction that produces bubbles of carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide fills in the ballon, which makes it stand upright. Remember, any gas can fill up a balloon! The reaction lasts for 14 seconds, and then the balloon cannot grow any bigger because the vinegar and soda bicarbonate is not producing carbon dioxide.
Writing the experiment results
Writing the results of a chemistry experiment isn’t hard!
Introduction
First, you need a title. After the title, you write all of the supplies you used. Underneath, you write all of the substances you used. Then you have to write down the exact steps you took to experiment.
Steps of project and observations
Note: don’t skip seemingly unimportant steps. In science, every step is of utmost importance. Then you either take a picture of your successful experiment, draw it, or better, record a video.
Then you have to write what you observed in the experiment. Observations are all of the differences in the substances before and after the experiment.
In our example, soda bicarbonate and vinegar created bubbles of carbon dioxide. That is an observation.
Conclusion
And, finally, you need to write your conclusion. A conclusion is something that will happen every time you experiment. In our example, the conclusion is that vinegar and soda bicarbonate form bubbles of carbon dioxide. Sounds very similar to our observations? It does. Conclusions are also shorter and more official versions of our observations. After that last piece, the experiment puzzle is complete!
Out of curiosity
Just for fun, try adding more vinegar and soda bicarbonate? Maybe 20 ml? Or 30 ml? Experiment! You can send me pictures of your results in the comment section below! I would love to see your results!
