Help with Chemistry RQ

[behaaa]

Hello! I am in IB1 this year, we have been given the guidelines to the EE, so I am currently brainstorming on research questions for my chosen topic, Chemistry. I want to do my EE on something food related, so far i have come up with: How does oleic acid concentration in different types of (e.g virgin, etc.) olive oil affect its electrical conductivity?

I am not too sure about my dependent variable, as i don't think i can relate it to anything useful in chemistry, and i feel as though it would be more physics oriented rather than chemistry.

Any suggestions for this question or possible areas i can do a research question in?

[Guest Sonia]

No, electrical conductivity works well for chemistry too Sorry I can't help you with anything else, never done an IA like that. 

[CriCri]

Hello! I am in IB1 this year, we have been given the guidelines to the EE, so I am currently brainstorming on research questions for my chosen topic, Chemistry. I want to do my EE on something food related, so far i have come up with: How does oleic acid concentration in different types of (e.g virgin, etc.) olive oil affect its electrical conductivity?

I am not too sure about my dependent variable, as i don't think i can relate it to anything useful in chemistry, and i feel as though it would be more physics oriented rather than chemistry.

Any suggestions for this question or possible areas i can do a research question in?

If it feels to you that its more physics than chemistry, change your EE to physics. It will be much more helpful. This happened to me. I wanted to do a chemistry EE but then i realised it was more related to biology than to anything else so i changed the subject. To be honest with you, it will be much easier to change the subject than to change the orientation of the EE because you will find that maybe the subject you chose isnt the one you feel passionate about.

[behaaa]

Ok Thanks! But its too late for that because my subject has been decided But I have changed the research question a little into something like this: What do you think? "How does oleic acid concentration (acidity) differ in different olive oils, derived from various local species of olives"

[CriCri]

But if you are taking your exams in May 2016, surely you can change the subject.... But anyway if you're fixed in chemistry... You really need to go through the acids and bases units in the syllabus, and I would look also into the molecular structure of it, because that might give you a clue. You need to do a lot of investigation into the different species of olives and, if you could, I would personally interview someone specialised in the production of olive oil before you finalise your research question. Are you confident in chemistry? Also, do you take chemistry HL or SL? because depending on the level you take, it might be, or not, more challenging to understand the acids and bases unit. I hope this helps!

[behaaa]

But if you are taking your exams in May 2016, surely you can change the subject.... But anyway if you're fixed in chemistry... You really need to go through the acids and bases units in the syllabus, and I would look also into the molecular structure of it, because that might give you a clue. You need to do a lot of investigation into the different species of olives and, if you could, I would personally interview someone specialised in the production of olive oil before you finalise your research question. Are you confident in chemistry? Also, do you take chemistry HL or SL? because depending on the level you take, it might be, or not, more challenging to understand the acids and bases unit. I hope this helps!

 

No, because our school has strict deadlines, and the one for subject has already passed I can probably interview somebody in the olive oil business, and I am planning to take HL chemistry (we do HLs in IB2) But what I am asking for is clarification on the research question, whether its doable, applicable to chemistry, valid, etc. Also if anybody has any other suggestions for something to research that is food related.  

[Sandwich]

I think your topic sounds good, it seems quite relevant to Chemistry to me in terms of quantifying an acid within different olive oils, and the most important element for a science EE is there - an experiment! As for whether it's do-able, that's what YOU have to figure out. Do you have a method for quantifying the oleic acid? Do you have the right equipment? That's what you've got to research.

 

It would also help a lot to have a 'justification' for your EE, if you can find out anything about oleic acid - good, bad, literally anything - to write into your introduction to justify why this research might be of relevance or interest to someone, that will really help your essay. Interviewing somebody with regards to that is a nice thought but it isn't necessary and you can write a perfectly good introduction without that sort of thing, provided the information is out there. It also looks considerably better to cite research than it does to cite a personal opinion from somebody, so if you do talk to somebody, make sure you don't just use that.

[CriCri]

 

But if you are taking your exams in May 2016, surely you can change the subject.... But anyway if you're fixed in chemistry... You really need to go through the acids and bases units in the syllabus, and I would look also into the molecular structure of it, because that might give you a clue. You need to do a lot of investigation into the different species of olives and, if you could, I would personally interview someone specialised in the production of olive oil before you finalise your research question. Are you confident in chemistry? Also, do you take chemistry HL or SL? because depending on the level you take, it might be, or not, more challenging to understand the acids and bases unit. I hope this helps!

 

No, because our school has strict deadlines, and the one for subject has already passed I can probably interview somebody in the olive oil business, and I am planning to take HL chemistry (we do HLs in IB2) But what I am asking for is clarification on the research question, whether its doable, applicable to chemistry, valid, etc. Also if anybody has any other suggestions for something to research that is food related.  

 

Alright so to find out if is valid, you would have to do further research because I'm not sure many of us have a lot of knowledge on this topic. However I do believe that it is a valid topic. Related to the chemistry of food, there is a lot of things that you can look into emulsion for example, which is when two liquids are spread out but not dissolved into each other (like water and oil). Or you could also study the chemistry behind the ripening of fruit. You could also research and do some experiments into how scientists find out how many calories there is in food sources (which is related to a topic called energetics).

[behaaa]

I think your topic sounds good, it seems quite relevant to Chemistry to me in terms of quantifying an acid within different olive oils, and the most important element for a science EE is there - an experiment! As for whether it's do-able, that's what YOU have to figure out. Do you have a method for quantifying the oleic acid? Do you have the right equipment? That's what you've got to research.

 

It would also help a lot to have a 'justification' for your EE, if you can find out anything about oleic acid - good, bad, literally anything - to write into your introduction to justify why this research might be of relevance or interest to someone, that will really help your essay. Interviewing somebody with regards to that is a nice thought but it isn't necessary and you can write a perfectly good introduction without that sort of thing, provided the information is out there. It also looks considerably better to cite research than it does to cite a personal opinion from somebody, so if you do talk to somebody, make sure you don't just use that.

Yes I am planning to use base-acid titration to quantify the acid, my school should probably have the necessary equipment I will look into the introduction too, thank you. 

 

 

But if you are taking your exams in May 2016, surely you can change the subject.... But anyway if you're fixed in chemistry... You really need to go through the acids and bases units in the syllabus, and I would look also into the molecular structure of it, because that might give you a clue. You need to do a lot of investigation into the different species of olives and, if you could, I would personally interview someone specialised in the production of olive oil before you finalise your research question. Are you confident in chemistry? Also, do you take chemistry HL or SL? because depending on the level you take, it might be, or not, more challenging to understand the acids and bases unit. I hope this helps!

 

No, because our school has strict deadlines, and the one for subject has already passed I can probably interview somebody in the olive oil business, and I am planning to take HL chemistry (we do HLs in IB2) But what I am asking for is clarification on the research question, whether its doable, applicable to chemistry, valid, etc. Also if anybody has any other suggestions for something to research that is food related.  

 

Alright so to find out if is valid, you would have to do further research because I'm not sure many of us have a lot of knowledge on this topic. However I do believe that it is a valid topic. Related to the chemistry of food, there is a lot of things that you can look into emulsion for example, which is when two liquids are spread out but not dissolved into each other (like water and oil). Or you could also study the chemistry behind the ripening of fruit. You could also research and do some experiments into how scientists find out how many calories there is in food sources (which is related to a topic called energetics).

 

Emulsion and energetics sound like a good plan B, thank you