LancerGirl Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Alright, so I'm back to the EE (after my IOP and french SL oral), and I've got a new list of possible EE topics! So, I really want to do an EE in chemistry, but right now I'm having quite a but of trouble with finding a good quality question to expand on. I have to do a presentation of my (tentative) essay on May 7, and my (very rough) essay draft is due around June 17. Right now, I'm just having trouble with my question (after switching topics 3 times), and I'm sure once I get it down, making an experiment/writing the essay won't be so terrible. As my school is doing its first year of IB, and I am the only student doing my essay in chemistry, I'm running in the dark right now. Any comments, suggestions, or tips are appriciated. And, especially, if you see that any of these ideas are 1) too vague, 2) won't work; please tell me. We haven't done the acid-base chemistry or equallibrium section yet, so I'm learning it all by myself, and I'm finding certain aspects very confusing. Thanks for any help in advance, and thankyou to the two people who have already helped me! How does the acidity or basicity (pH level) of water affect the rate at which it freezes and boils? How does acidity/basicity affect phase changes in water? What factors affect the rate at which _____ (an acid) reacts with _____ (a base)? How does _____ (temperature, concentration, catalysts, surface area, etc.) affect neutralization (acid-base) reactions? (seems too simple) Does the pH of a solution cause faster corrosion of _____ (a metal)? Will a metal corrode faster in an acid solution, neutral solution, or basic solution? How does metal corrosion while in a neutral/acid/basic solution affect the pH level of the solution? Does light affect the pH level of a solution/water? Does temperature affect the pH level of a solution/water? What is the acidity of different soft drinks, and how does that affect _____? (too vague) How does the acidity of fruits affect their decomposition? How does the pH level of wine change during fermentation? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancerGirl Posted April 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 (edited) Okay, so after 2 days, I've decided that I would go with measuring pH of wine. I am going to make a batch of white (and maybe also red) wine, measuring the pH level at different intervals. If anyone has any suggestions on 1) how I may best do this, 2) making wine (lol, my grandparents are avid wine makers, but any extra help is welcome) 3) titrations (I REALLY need help on that). Short one this time. Back to Chemistry homework and Extended Essay! Edited April 29, 2008 by LancerGirl Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
IBMan9000 Posted April 29, 2008 Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 [url="http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chemlab/techniques/titration.html"]http://www.dartmouth.edu/~chemlab/techniques/titration.html[/url] This is a simple procedure for titrations. I can find a more detailed explanation later, but basically its adding a component of a reaction to another component until that reaction is completed. You can determine when it's completed by adding an indicator and the excess component added will react with the indicator rather than the sought preliminary component since its already reacted fully. I'm sorry if that doesn't make sense, its late at night and I'm still procrastinating this homework for chemistry. As for the topic, it sounds good, but you might want to word it in a way that leaves room for analysis in the essay itself. IB likes to see different approaches to things, it's even one of the criteria: [quote]Criterion E: reasoned argument Students should be aware of the need to give their essays the backbone of a developing argument. A good argument in chemistry will almost certainly include consideration and comparison of different approaches and methods directly relevant to the research question. Straightforward descriptive or narrative accounts that lack analysis do not usually advance an argument and should be avoided.[/quote] The rest can be found here: [url="http://production-app2.ibo.org/publication/19/part/4/chapter/5"]http://production-app2.ibo.org/publication...art/4/chapter/5[/url] Maybe something along the lines of "Does the continued time of fermentation of wine affect the pH level significantly after basic fermentation is achieved?" As I said, I don't know much about wine, but i do know that 'basic fermentation' wasn't the phrase I was looking for. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
LancerGirl Posted May 1, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 1, 2008 Thanks for the help! It *mostly* makes sense now, that I've read up on titrations. It's a relatively easy procedure to follow, and my supervisor said that she'll give me a demo tomorrow, so it'll all work out. Oh, and the "poke" about the criterion E really helped me out. Got me thinking. I have a couple ideas, and I'll see which one makes the best arguement. Thanks again, and good luck with your chemistry! Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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