Chemistry Projects

[Damien]

Hi !

This year I studied the CSYS Chemistry course which, some of you may know, requires the student to complete a project. This may sound a little daunting at first but it realy is not that bad. IN fact, it only constitutes to a small percentage of your overall mark but that does not mean to say you should waste it! You may have heard your gran saying "Every little helps" - well, she probably done CSYS Chemistry :lol

From 2001 onwards, the new Advanced Higher will come into play but it still requires you to do a project. I done a project on copper pyridine complexes - this project is unique to Columba Highschool so if you are doing the course there I can provide some help. I also have friends I can get information on the projects involving Aspirin and Salicylic Acid. There was one pupil in my class that went crazy with their project - that was doing a very posh one in Strathclyde University - but I don't think that this is entirely necessary but if you have a strong interest then by all means do so. All I'm saying is that all the 'big' marks are to be made in the written paper.

Aberdeen asked me for a B in CSYS Chemistry so be prepared for that - it is a lot of work, especially if you leave it until the conditional letter comes in.

[elliottsimpson]

Be very careful about choosing a brand new (to you school) idea for your project. Make certain your teaching staff are agreed that it is chemistry (or biology) before you start. We helped 2 NextGen-s in different years from different schools with an SYS chemistry project involving measuring protein and albumin (chemical methods), separating proteins by electrophoresis (physical chemistry), measuring immunoglobulins (by immuno-chemistry) and typing a myeloma band (immuno-electrophoresis - again physical chemistry). Both projects were then criticised as being too much biology - but I think the examiners had difficulty understanding them.

Then another year a NextGen-er who had better remain nameless from a school which had also better remain nameless did a marvelous biology project. One of our medical staff (Derek on one occasion and Claire, a tattoed a junior house officer now doing psychiatry on two occasions) fitted her arm with a venflon and showed her how to take blood specimens from herself and back flush the line with heparinised saline. At weekly intervals she took a single aspirin tablet (3 different types of aspirin) and took serial blood specimens. She then measured the speed her platelets aggregated and studied the effect of aspirin on the rate of clumping.

The school was assured that she did all the practical work herself (which she did). However, another NextGen-er was at that school a year or so later and the biology teacher (allegedly) was telling the class about this person who watched some doctor doing his project and wrote it all up claiming to have done it herself. She got an A anyway, so I guess it doesn't really matter, but be warned, check the school staff can understand your project before you spend too much time on it.

[DScollon]

Hope they didn't mean me, since I never actually got round to finding out how the machine worked (which I'd always intended to do).

[elliottsimpson]

What are you doing answering this at 2 in the morning - get a life (Thinks: why am I answering this at 11.45 at night?)

:lol :lol

[DScollon]

:lol Ah, that's easy, I only finished work at about 1.30am and had a quick look at the board when I got home.

[nicolacurrie]

aaaaahah!! heard ALL about that!! was just flicking through the message board there&the name *********** came to mind (was readin about the nameless person&the nameless school on the subject of CSYS projects) her project did sound really great & i'd love to do something like that for my CSYS(well-now advanced higher) but being at *********** (the nameless school) i'm afraid i cant-new policy...hospital projects BANNED!! :lol

do you have any other suggestions on a medical related project?
one that can be done in school-without any teachers getting uptight?? :confused:

thanks

nicola (upcoming monklands experiencer [october] )

Edit: Sorry, but we felt that for the privacy of those involved, it would be better if the person and school remained nameless.

[relliott]

I don't really think it matters all that much what you do so long as it fills the quota and you enjoy it. Most people I know doing medicine did simple projects on aspirin, vitamin C and acid-alkali reactions. There will be no point to doing some big fancy project that takes up a lot of time and that will confuse your markers and bring doubt over the validity of your work all to try and impress a university panel who probably (and I am serious) don't care what you did for the project, so long as you did SYS or Advanced Higher and passed it

[elliottsimpson]

A nice twist to the Vit C projects is the vitamin C saturation test.

Take 1g fizzy Vit C tablet at 10 am. Empty bladder at 2pm and discard the urine. Collect all urine passed between 2pm and 4pm and empty bladder again at 4pm - adding this to the collection.

Estimate vit C content of urine by 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol titration. Repeat daily until at least 50mg found in the urine collection.

In normal person with good nutrition, this should be found on the first or second day. Someone with mild deficiency it takes 6 to 10 days. In a good going case of scurvy (and who knows, there could be a scurvy knave in one of the Airdrie schools) it could take 2 to 3 weeks.

See how many of your class mates you can con into helping you with the test and see if the veggies among you have a better diet than the meat eaters. (Don't knock the veggies - some of the best meals I've had were once vegitarians!)

Advantage of this test is that you are treating the condition as you investigate it. Note to any medics reading this - just give them the tablets - don't bother sending the urine to the labs - it comes to the same thing in the end.

Above all, for a successful project - have fun.

Elliott

[nicolacurrie]

oh sorry, i understand.

nicola :)

[jojo]

hi

im doing advanced chem at columba and i was just wondering if i could maybe use that projedt unique to columba? Is it hard im useless at experimental work!!!!

well

cya joanna:)

[elliottsimpson]

Make certain your school can get the 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol - should be in the BDH catalogue - not certain if we still have any at Monklands.

Taking vitamin C and collecting urine has a very low hazard rating in your risk assessment - need to check the COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations for the 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol.

The glucose tolerance test - you see in the thread entitled "AH Biology Project" - requires that you prick your fingers regularly - OK as long as you're more of a masochist than a sleeping beauty!

Elliott

[relliott]

isn't that lovely purple DCPIP by any other name? I did the vit C titration stuff and making up the DCPIP was the worst bit coz it goes off quite quickly, so you need to make a new batch every time

[elliottsimpson]

Is that where you got the idea for the background colour? Suddenly it all makes sense - the NextGeneration is vit C deficient - i.e. a bunch of scurvy knaves!

:lol

[jojo]

Hi im doing the vit c project ad i was just wondering if any one knew where i could get quite a lot of info on it and scurvy?

Waht is the chemical formula for ascorbic acid?My teacher said i should know it but i cant remember it !

Thanks

Jo xx

[relliott]

try the school library for books on chemistry and biology to get info on formala and stuff

try www.medicalstudent.com and see if one of the textbooks there is of any use

[Adam]

any info on the aspirin project AT ALL?? (making aspirin). Ill need to do some more stuff in it, cos just making the aspirin isnt enough!!

adam

[jojo]

Tahnks Ruth that website was a great help!!

Jo xx

[relliott]

get a hold of a pharmacology textbooks and see i there are any interesting reactions you can investigate. We just had a coursework essay on how is causes it's analgesic effect, but I don't think there's much from that that would be much use to you

[elliottsimpson]

Real D found a paper about copper and aspirin complexes - the association being that, for centuries, people have found copper bangles etc. have helped relieve arthritis. Not certain that this has anything to do with the mechanism of the anti-inflammatory properties of aspirin, but it can lead to that sort of speculation, I guess.

She made a lovely colour (green) complex - can't remember what else, but that might be worth following up, too.

When aspirin gets damp, it hydrolyses back to salicylic acid and acetic acid and you can use damp pH papers to pick up the acetic acid fumes. Can form a crude experiment on storage conditions, etc. for aspirin.

Elliott

[Devlinator]

probably not much help, but you could investigate the asprin content of different over the counter drugs, which has been done before.

Or one that i may do is investigating caffiene, you extract the caffiene from different drinks, to find the conc. of it you take known conc and run it through spectrometer (cant remeber what type though) that gives a callibration curve, then you can find the conc. in different drinks. also i think that it does form other complexes that you can also investigate.

There i managed to bring it back to caffiene so elliot will be happy!!

[Real D]

One lad in my CSYS class did a vit C project using an assay that Dad and a collegue wrote and then spent a year measuring the vit C content of different brands of orange juice!!!


Aspirin - wonderful stuff - I still have a copy of my project if any of the info my be considered useful. As well as an aspirn-copper chelate I did try a pH test for storage of aspirin and lo and behold the worst place to keep aspirin etc is a bathroom medical cabinet!!!!!!!

Another idea - apart from the very good idea of actual aspirin level in different products - would be to test for release from aspirn product claiming to be speedy. Not all soluble aspirin dissolves and aspirin is very difficult to get into a syrup form so formulation scientists among you could have a nice little project - also I could 'obtain' so different products for you - ibuprofen would be a good one at the mo as everyone seems to be bringing out new forms.

Anyway!
Passed my bedtime - especially since I've been asked to work an extra 11 hours this week as a collegue has shattered his elbow in a motorbike accident - silly boy!!!

bye 4 now
Les

[nicolacurrie]

I'm doing Asprin too. Wouldn't worry though Adam, because it's now AH and not CSYS, projects have only to be 10 hours max anyway. They don't need as much detail as they used to and you have only to alter one variable. No point in slaving over it for ages if ur just gonna waste time. They're not worth as much as they used to be.

Hope this helps,

Nic xx :p

[Adam]

yeah but, my chem teacher told me that the aspirin thing is done everywhere, so i should figure out an additional thingy to do so mine is better and so i dont get less marks cos the project assessor has seen it b4

adam

[jo.kane]

Hey,

When I did CSYS Chemistry one of the girls did a project on the effect of pain relief on the enzyme action of liver. The liver can break down hydrogen peroxide into hydrogen gas and water by enzyme action. What she did was get a piece of lambs liver, mashed it and separated it into equal ten gram portions. She then added hydrogen peroxide and tested how much hydrogen was given off. This was done by measuring the loss in weight by a computer balance interface.

She did a control and then added normal over- the - counter painkillers such as paracetamol, asprin and ibuprofen. She then compared the mass lost as an indicationg of the loss in enzyme activity. I cant remember the exact concentrations of anything. I think it was 0.1mol hydrogen peroxide with 100ml added each time and equal dosages of 500mg of painkiller.

Hope this is some help
Joxxoo

[lindsmcvicar]

How far are people into their investigations?

I'm getting worried, I've not started yet.:eek:

[nicolacurrie]

Dont worry, neither have we.

[Adam]

i havent started yet either!!!

Does it seem to any1 else that these projects all sound REALLY REALLY compicated??

adam

[hugbug3000]

At least you people have started thinking about your projects... I'm kinda just covering my ears and hoping that if I ignore it long enough, then it'll go away and I won't have to do it....

When do we have to start by??

[Devlinator]

im starting my project next week but i still dont know what i will do it on. But my chem teacher said that we ahve to spend 20 hours doing it, not the 10 that you have been quoted, does anyone know the truth of the matter?

[nicolacurrie]

Thats wierd cos was ur chem teacher that told ours!!!

[jojo]

Our Chem teacher said its 10 hours experimental and then ten hours writing which means 20 hours i guess!!!Nope havent started it yet either teacher wanted to do it nxt wk but hten again he wants to finish unit 2 b4 our prelims!!

Jo xx

[Adam]

we've done a bit of unit 3, cos its in our prelim. but we finished unit 2 a while ago.

adam

[lindsmcvicar]

I'm sitting the Unit 2 assessment tomorrow! :eek:

[Devlinator]

We are only up to gibbs free energy diagrams, so are we very far behind? i feel that we should be worried as we are in serious danger of NOT finishing the course!

[lindsmcvicar]

No, you're not too far behind.

I passed Unit 2.... but only just! Maybe I should work an eensy bit harder.

But I'm working on my project for the next few weeks, so just revision of Unit 1 and 2 for prelims to do.:)

[hugbug3000]

GAAAAAAAH!!!!!

SOMEONE HELP ME..... anyone!!

See, all the projects mentioned here sound really great, but the ones (the interesting ones) on asprin are sadly ruled out as some bright spark in my chemistry class (no names mentioned - Adam) has hogged THAT idea....

I liked the sound of the effect of pain relief on liver enzyme, but wouldn't that be more of a Biology project...........?????

ARGH! :(

[relliott]

honestly, something simple is all that's needed

don't stress being original and witty

most people I know did vitamin C or enzyme rate stuff

[Adam]

excuse me geri. I decided on the aspirin one ages ago, and f u look back through previous posts u will see that I ASKED any1 if they had anystuff on it cos its what i was planning to do. so dont start on me, im not in the mood.

adam:mad:

[hugbug3000]

yeah..... thanks Ruth! I'll have a look into it.......

[elliottsimpson]

I remember seeing something about enzyme activity being demonatrated on a TV Chrustmas Science series lecture using the hydrolysis of hydrogen peroxide - gives of loads of oxygen. If you add an iron solution, you get lots of fizzy bubbles. If the iron is chelated (as it is in the enzyme peroxidase) the gas evolves so fast it froths up the whole solution. The guy used a small piece of homogenised liver which was mega-spectacular.

Might be worth following that through.

Elliott

[hugbug3000]

That actually sounds really good! I think I'll follow that one up!

[elliottsimpson]

and try scrapping the plague off your teeth and testing it with H2O2 - some bacteria are peroxidase positive and some are not - which is why it sometimes fizzes if you gargle with dilute peroxide solutions. Could see if the bacteria in live yoghart works, too.

E

[jo.kane]

The enzyme action project was a really good chemistry project. The woman who came to examine our projects loved it. Plus its really easy to do. Just concentrate on the chemical reactions occuring in the liver rather than the liver as a whole. Plus it might give you something to talk about when your in your interview because its medically based. My friend is now doing \medicine in Aberdeen and I remember her telling us that she did talk about it in her interview.

joxxoo

[hugbug3000]

FANTASTIC!!!

Oh, ok now I'm not panicking QUITE so much... I'll research it and hope my chemistry teacher says it's ok....!!!

[nicolacurrie]

Hellooo! started my project today on asprin, is cooool! Best bit isthe lab coat, even brought it home to wash it! LOL! good luck with everone's projects

luv Nic xx

[ehart]

I'm doing my project on aspirin and i'm trying to work out the percentsges of aspirin in different pain relievers, but i'm not sure how to remove the aspirin without getting it mixed up with the other substances in the pain relivers.

Slightly stuck

EMMAXX

[elliottsimpson]

I think you need to hydrolyse the aspirin before it colours with ferric chloride (or other reagents based on this test) - aspirin doesn't give a colour with ferric salts until you remove the acetyl group.

Elliott

[ehart]

O.K. But how do you know that nothing else has hydrolysed with it?

[nicolacurrie]

I'm testing different brands of soluble aspirin to see how effective they are for their price. Am investigating their solubility, asprin content and pH at the moment since it is only a short project.

Good Luck

Nic xx

[Real D]

Hope your all going to ebjoy these projects as well as stun the pants of everyone by showing just how wonderfully brainy you are!!!

If you're looking for the best aspirin then I'd like to think that the cheapy one comes out top, as I have a feeling that all the posh anadin and advil and the rest have added to much extra junk and that they aren't that speedy. Another thing you could do would be to see if the amount stated on the bottle is the amount that you get in solution at the end. Does 300mg really mean 300mg?!

Anyone who still wants a chemistry project but doesn't like the smell of salicylic acid might like to try playing with different type of agar. Can't remember the exact details but the chap who got the highest mark in my project group did an agar experiment.

Anyway - I'm sure you'll get sorted and get fab results. Just shout if you need more pain killers - I'm sure some kind drug rep would love to help you out with little samples - also I could send any rep samples I get to Elliott - he's used to getting strange things from me in the post so some drugs won't phase him!!!!

Have fun
Les:cool:

[nicolacurrie]

How can i research the different ingredients in different aspirin tablets? Y r such ingredients added? Lactose? citric acid? I know strch is a binder, chalk is to raise pH.

Nic xx

[ehart]

aren't some added just to bulk up the tablet a bit?

[ehart]

almost forgot- a girl at my school a few years ago did that and i've got her project.

I could have a look if u like

[nicolacurrie]

What did she do? Ok, so found out that lactose and citric acid are nothin but flavourings! Fancy that!! Here was me getting all technical too! How is your project coming along Emma? I had a bad day with mine 2day. Used he wrong filter paper (didn't even know there were specific thicknesses!) so the insoluble bits escaped! EEEK! waste of WHOLE day! oh, things keep going wrong. This is never going to work out at 10 hours!

Nic xx

[ehart]

not started, but no one in my class has but i think i know what i'm doing though so its ok and my biology one is just about finished

ok- this girl tested her aspirin for starch, caffeine, coedeine phosphate and was going to test for calcium carbonate and paracetamol but ran out of time.

STARCH- easy enough, she just added iodine to the crushed tablets

CAFFEINE- 1g crushed tablets (anadin extra and askit tested) added to 4ml water with 2mlHCl and 10ml Bromine solution. Heated till no colour left. 5ml resting(?) solution placed in beaker with 2drops 5%iron sulphate and 3/4 drop ammonia solution. Colour noted. If there is cafeine present solution should go blue

COEDIENE PHOSPHATE- 1g crushed tablets (aspirin and coedine tablets tested). Added to HCl. iron sulphate crystals added. Coloure noted. If present solution should go blue

Hope ANY one of this helps. If not,blame Karen Campbell whose project it was from!

LUV

EMMAXX:D

[Devlinator]

Is anyone else doing their project on the ethanol content of white wine, cause i could use some pointers.

[ria]

im doing ma project on white wines too (cept on the effect of time on sulphur dioxide conc) I can't get started there is always something wrong!!!!!!! :cry:
to sum up "one step forward, two steps back!"
it almost sends me to tears every time I think about it!
:cry:
Also,it might be just me, but hav u noticed how everyone has good, enthusiastic ideas 'bout what they are going to do in the beginning, but as time goes on experimental technique nears zilch! (mite b just me!)
:lol
any ways good luck on all your projects everyone(I hope I can start mine b4 the chemistry exam!):up:

[Devlinator]

I think that im doing a back titration, and the premise is that too much alcohol has a toxic effect, and to government uses uniits to measure the amount of alcohol, so im going to see the number of units in a glass of wine. But i need something else to test, but i a cant do the acidity (so2 conc) cos its a project in its own right.

[elliottsimpson]

The traditional way to measure alcohol was by the specific gravity - might be worth comparing the SG with the results you obtain for the ethanol.

I think I have a hydrometer which was built for the purpose - got it in a junk shop in Kingussie.

[Devlinator]

Whats the specific gravity?????

[elliottsimpson]

It's a measure of how dense the fluid is - measured by floating a hydrometer in the liquid - simple device, really.

[Devlinator]

Is a hydrometer the thing that floats at different dpths depending on the density of the fluid that it is in?

[DScollon]

It measures the pull of gravity on alcohol, which is the main determinant of how much you can drink before it goes to your head.

[elliottsimpson]

does that mean that you get drunk quicker lying down than if you are standing?

[DScollon]

Of course. Or at least, if you get drunk to the point of having to lie down, it then takes a considerable length of time to sober up. We have observed this often in A&E.

It also explains why the recommended limit for men is slightly higher than for women. On average, men's heads are slightly higher than women's.

[hugbug3000]

*ahem*

and you did that with a straight face too Derek......

[elliottsimpson]

I do recall a (late) west of Scotland folk musician who said he was allergic to leather because every time he slept in bed with his boots on, he woke up with a headache.

Evidence based medicine!

;) ;)

[Hayley]

So, the shorter u r, the more drunk u get?
Hey, that must be why I can't take any alcohol!:lol

[MartinC]

no wonder us tall folks are always skint!!!!!!

[Hayley]

Tall peeps skinned? By who? Don't look at us, we can't reach.

#kicks step out of view#:evil

[MartinC]

yup - gets specially cold in the winter *shivers*

[jojo]

uh Martin stop your whining!

anyway im finally going to start my chem project either tomorrow or Tues!Depends if i can get out of my bed tomorow!First day without an exam!!!!

How is everyone else doing with their projects??

Jo xx

[Adam]

hee hee. well c 2moro martini!

adaxm
(i have added an x into my name. it makes me feel exciting)

[hugbug3000]

oi! you've been reading terry pratchett again haven't you adam???

don't lie........ perdita X

[Adam]

no, i havent!! but i remembered vaguely reading a book when i was just leetle. and the maincharacter had a friend called jill. and jill had replaced the secong l in her name with an exclamation mark to add excitment 2 her life: jil!

adaxm

[Hayley]

My life is so exciting I've no time to change my name. (Yeah right)

Actually, I'm so busy pulling my hair out bout my project!
(nice link back!)
I can do the chromatography but it's trying to find suitable solvents for my Amino Acids that's the problem. If i could do that, then I might be getting somewhere.

And then I get 2 do IR spectroscopy at Bell College!:D

[Adam]

well, i dont ave a scooby! our teacher said 2 us 2day- does anyone not have a scooby? i didnt! i mean, i dont know if i have some sorta end goal 2 reach wif the experiment!!

adam

[jojo]

I picked the easiest experiment the teacher had so im doing Vit c!!

Jo xx

[Devlinator]

Well i get to use lots of lovely white wine, so methinks this is good!!

:lol :lol :lol

[ria]

I get to use lots of lovely wine 2!
I keep getting funny looks and I walk about the school tho'..........
Think its the smell!!!
I'll be getting guidance reports put in soon enough expression concern of the faint wift of alcohol from me every day........... it's for experiment HONEST!!!!!

:evil

[ria]

hey all, just wanted to see how the projects were coming on. So?
I've finished my experimental work now to the report.................:eek:

[Hayley]

Well, nobodies experiments are working, although we're supposed to have finished them already - and we've to hand in our reports two weeks on Friday!!!

Aargh!!!:confused:

[jojo]

yeah im haveing the same problem my experimant wont worlk!!!

Jo xx

[ria]

Well my experiment worked fine, cept one day I went in and forgot to add the wine to analyse, but I noticed after bout five strange results wot the problem was.....
You have experiemental problems I have mental problem!:lol

[jo.kane]

Never mind! When I did CSYS Chemistry my project had to be handed in the day after prom and my computer broke. So I had to sit and type it on an old manual typewritter. As the examiner felt wordprocessing was God's most essential technological advance she marked me down. So just make it colourful with lots of pretty pictures!

Joxxoo

P.s. Good luck.:up:

[MartinC]

is any1 else investigationg the sulpite concs in wines? if so, could u PM me, coz l want to quiz u!

[ria]

I really need to start my research soon and figure out how to do graphs on the computer!

[Devlinator]

Well iv not started the practical yet, cos my teacher wouldnt by the white wine, but now that im 18 And determined to mention it as much as possible) im going to buy it tonight and do the practical stuff over the next couple of days! Hopefully it should work!

[ria]

really........?
well least it's underway now!

[Devlinator]

Didnt have a chance to go out last nite, as i am now struck down with a sore throat, headache, my whole body is tired and doesnt want to cooperate, and i feel yucky, diagnosis please doctors, me thinks it may be the start of the flu, that or a bad cold!

[ria]

ok, i thought i'd revive this thread as i have discovered a hitch on the system!;)
man, we have to do a big, long, stupid report after we have done the investigation!
I thought the experimental work was hard enuff! (coz im crap @ practical-can u believe that?!)
man, i handed in a draft report and i have made soo many stupid mistakes.
i have ONE website as a resource, i couldn't find anything to take background from! half of my report is just off the top of my head!

man, i is gonna fail!

k, many of u may not find this v important as u r super smart and are great at writing reports, but please take a moment and think of lil' old me, struggling to keep up!
plz!!!!:D ;) :cry:

[jojo]

i understand where u are cuming from my report is to be handed in tomoro!!
heehee i think im gonna miss the orals!! cos my teacher said they wnt start til the end of June but im away!!

anyone go to Caldervale high?? its ur chem teacher thats marking my project - put in a god wrod for me i m gonna need it!! heeheee

jo xx

[Adam]

K. i admit it. im clumsy. no really REALLY clumsy. not a good trait in a doctor me finks, but i am nonetheless. as marc said 2 me the other day there "for gods sdake adam EVERYTHING U TOUCH BREAKS!!" its troo. i admit it. we figure ive knocked up a cupla hundred £'s in chemistry this year (in damages). i dont mean 2do it! i dont want 2 break the expensive chemistry equipment! i just knock it over, or drop it, or pick it up while its still roasting hot and go "aroweehghghghg" and lob it! poor alec the science technitian. gee, that man must hate me. no really, but he doesnt show it, what a cheerie chappy! amongst the chaos that i produce! my chem teacher is going crazeee tho. its me i fink. ah, ill b gone in a month and she'll regain her sanity im sure!
so, where were we? breakin stuff? yeah, clumsy. u fink UR bad at practicals! i dont fink ive ever done an experiment that worked. so far i have done 2 experiments for chemistry. i only have next wek to finish it completely. im supposed 2 do a minimum of 4. yuhuh. the first one.. failed, i redid it and it eventually worked. not superbly, but a letle bit. then i went on2 my 2nd one. it failed........ miserably. so i did it again 2day (TLC- thin layer chrmoatography, NUFFIN ELSE HAYLEY! b4 u start). all ent according 2 plan. smooth even. i had suspended my paper in the tank wif a weight at the bottom- to keep it straight, cos i didnt want my paper leaning against the side of the tank! so, i lifted it out carefull y by the thread i was using to suspend it. but... the thread slipped. and the paper nded up covered in solvent u know how the papr aint supposed 2 b dipped in further than the line u drraw? well, COVERED! damnit! another 1 bites the dust!
either i breal the expensive apparatus were uing, or i get my final proodcut and i drop it, or i spill it, or i breathe it in and almost kill myself, or i explode it and cover myself in it (u should seriously see the state of my lab coat. u wouldnt believe). in fact, a coupla days ago i set myself on fire. im sooooooo inept! u wouldnt believe!.
me and itoh went 2 strathclyde uni wif our AH bio class 2 do 2 experiments using the expensive equipment there. i DIDNT break any of it. but in my first experiment (gel electrophoresis) we made an agar jellything with bits of DNA fragments along it. anyways, we were told 2 b careful and not 2 drop the agar.... u guesssed it. i dropped the agar jelly.... down the sink. i fished out some fragmenst that got caught.... with a brush... a scouring brush. yeah. that was a iaster. no one even pretended to b surprised.
oh! actually, the other experiment we did, my results were the best there! the first 9and only i feqar) time a lab would work well 4 me! wayhay!
im soo clumsy. heehee

adam

[Damien]

[This is an excerpt of voice patterns picked up by a passing spy-plane ten years in the future sent back in time for this thread]

"OH MY GOD! Not the MRI scanner!!!"


:lol :lol :lol :lol :lol :lol

[ria]

actually, now that u have shared with us, adam, the hell that is experiments, i fell pretty competent!
man, even i aint that bad (no offence)
and y is it that all the hard experiments, or the ones that ain't expected to work (ie the silver mirror test) actually work for me! and all the stopit easy stuff i bum up, always!!!!!
it's sickening...........!

oh yeah, report update. if u hand that in, u will fail.......:(
oh man!

[jojo]

fail?? oops!! i just handed mine in t0oday!!

JO xx

[ria]

yeah, apparently i hadn't done it right!!!!!!
:mad:
i spent ages on it!!!!!

[Hayley]

Soz - couldn't resist! :lol

Ick - TLC! :mad:

It seemed like a good idea - TLC - straightforward - quick results, no calculations.

I got out my solid amino acids - and tried to dissolve them. Simple? No. Some were okay - but most were akward and just would not dissolve - I tried every solvent the technicians could come up with - but no.

Eventually, my chemistry teachet came up with the brilliant idea of giving me amino acids that he KNEW would actually dissolve - in water!

Wonderful - problem solved? Em, no. Now I had to spot all the samples onto the plates - took forever. BUt finally I got the plates set up and ran the TLC. BUt - after I'd finished with them - they hadn't moved - and the colours were all fudgy. Um - ?

Apparently I'd been using the wrong solvent (the other one in the bottom of the jar) - so I had ot go back and use another one!

So - spotting bladdy bladdy blaa again. ANd I got it all set up and it was working! So what did I do? I carried the jar into the technician's room. Em - just think about 4 a minute - so, one of my plates fell into the solution and got absolutely soaked!!!

Ooops!!! BUt hey - I fished it out and left it in the solvent - and hoped noone would notice. Thing is, it still worked! I mean - ur supposed to let the solvent carry the solutions up the plates - but mine fell in - and there was no difference between that and the other plate!

So - it's like I said all along - Chemistry is a pack of lies!!!

But - at least it worked in the end!

:lol :lol :lol

[jojo]

welll since my experiment failed to work regardless wat i done!! my teacher just told me to make up results!!!!
i am kinda Banned from doing practicals cos so far i think ive tallied up £1000 damage!! oops!!
its not my fault i jsut happen to drop things alot!!!

heehee actually today was sooo funny! we were doing one of our ppas and the eteacher said ill do this bit cos he knows ill just kill the experiment!!
anyway we'd bn doing this experiment for 2 hrs and this was us just finishing wen the teacher smashed the beaker with our sltn!! so it another failed experiment!! BUT im soo happy to say it WASNT me this time!!
hehee so far NONE of our PPAS hav wrked due to me!! weve done 9/12 !! eek!!!

Jo xx

[Hayley]

Breakages!

SMASH!!!

Yip - plenty of them in my time! Beakers, test tubes, 3/4 ports (is that right - Tech Studies SG was soooo long ago!)u name it!!!

And Iv also burned - chemicals, potentiometers - what can i say?

I'm accident prone?:confused:

[Adam]

wow. u know i actually set myself on fire in chemistry earlier in the wek.

adam

[Hayley]

Well, well, I set my stuff on fire (bunsen too high).
And smashed a test tube in the one day.
And my hands were yellow for weeks after we used Brady's reagent!

Hee hee - I really pity all our patients!!!

[ria]

erm, i was close to setting a clamp stand on fire.
the melting rubbery smell, yuck, saved it just in time!
i try to keep a low profile during expts, it's safer for everyone in the room that way!
oh and i came home one day with iodide spilled down me blouse, i hadn't noticed and was walking bout like a right spanner!
:rolleyes:

[Adam]

no change there then
(badoom dieesshhhh)

adam

[ria]

(bows)

i deserved that, set meself up for that!
:rolleyes:

[Hayley]

Iv only spilled a little chemicals on me - that's about the only thing I don't do wrong in Chem! I always spill Coke tho!

Apparently yesterday the thermometer blew out and crashed on the lab floor - I missed it too - ugh!

[Boogie Man]

I hated using the acid in chemistry, I was totaly paranoid about being burned after a nasty childhood experience

[Hayley]

Agh - I'm dying, I'm dying!!!

Oh no wait - that's water!

Mark Donnelly - u know that makes it sound like u were traumatised in childhood! I'm telling ur mummy!:lol

[Devlinator]

2 molar NaOH is the scariest thing i used.

[Boogie Man]

Hayley, I was traumatised as a child I required intense speech therapy. :D :(

[MartinC]

:D :( - now if THAT aint two faced l dont know what is!:lol

[elliottsimpson]

I mouth pipette liquid bromine when at school. When I started work, we routinely dilute conc sulphuric acid (by pouring it into the water: the correct way) and ended up with a mix which was just off the boil.

[Hayley]

And that's why u have such a wonderful voice now, Mr. Donnelly.

Everybody says it's so. :)

[Boogie Man]

Oh Gods Im blushing!
:o :o :o

[Boogie Man]

ah now that was a conversation killer...:o

[ria]

it was indeed!!!!
hee hee! ;)
ok, so ppl, have u started studying for chemistry yet?
im worrying bout it a bit.

and, i know im very sad,but i want 2 add that i hope that an analysis question question comes up in the exam, coz i like doing them!!!!!!

k, im done!

bye!!

[MartinC]

analysis question? :confused:

[jo.kane]

The best accident I ever created in chemistry was to have suckback when we doing fractional distilation. The test tube took off at great speed, raced past my face and round the classroom before landing on the lino and melting a huge hole. I thought it was an acheivement. The speed the test tube reached should have recommended me to NASA. For some reason the teacher didn't agree.

Joxxoo

[Hayley]

Ooooh!!!

Can I ask - how many PPA write-ups do u have to submit for AH? Cos, we have to do all 12 - I mean - is that what the SQA require us to do?

JUst wondrin...:confused:

[jojo]

we're expected to do all 12 experiemnts but only three - one from each unit - is submitted to the exam board! Hope this helps! my teacher wants us to write them all up as well!!

Jo xx

[ria]

RE:analysis question

im shocked and appalled!!!!
martin wot did u do for ur investigation? sulphur dioxide conc in white wine.
how did u calculate the sulphur dioxide conc?

u did a different method from me, but i think u still had to do volumetric analysis!

remember ANALYSIS of vit c in a vit c tablet last yr?
the calculation that u had to do to find the mass of vit c or % purity is analysis calculation!

I want a q like that in the exam this yr!

there was one in my prelim, and i, and only i got it rite!
the teacher even got it wrong!!!! hahaha
:evil :evil
oh it's soooooo methodical, i luv those sorts of problems!!

[Boogie Man]

mmm... thats a difficult one:lol

[ria]

difficult!?
eh?
on wot planet?
they are the easiest questions in the paper (in my opinion)

i LUV doing them!!!!!!
:)

[Boogie Man]

I bombed higher chemistry...:o

[ria]

i hate chemistry at the moment, is it that i have finally seen sense?
now with all the project stuff out of the way (nearly) we just have the course to do.
:cry:
i don't understand big chunks of the units......
:cry: :cry: :cry:
gettin really worried now....
how many days to the exam....?
:cry: :(

gggggrr, bad word, exam...:mad:

[lindsmcvicar]

I'm there with you Marie! I was trying to do last years paper earlier this afternoon. There's so many things I have forgotten about completely!

Better get my skates on and do some serious revision! :eek:

However I have passed all three units :) so technically I SHOULD be able to get a C at least. Technically.

[ria]

yeah, technically.
i understand nothing in unit 2!
at all!!!

hellllppppp.........!

[Devlinator]

Does anyone know the date of their verbal exam yet, i know its to be between the 12th may and 4th june but thats about it.

Oh and to share, i broke the chem departments most expensive piece of equiptment today, a big 'ol bit of glassware, needless to say i am NOT the most popular person in the department at the mo!

[jojo]

my oral examiner is cuming on 28th May! thats the only time thats convenient! meaning i now have four exams in that one week!!:cry:


btw good luck to everyone with theirs!

Jo xx

[Adam]

weve been told our oral dates, but i prob wasnt paying attention.
u not the most popular person dev? nooo! surely not!

adam

[Devlinator]

adam that hurt, please play nice!

[Hayley]

:D

I'm not sure - it's the day after my Music exam - which is also the day of the Physics exam I think.

So - it's about the 23rd, 24th or sumfin? Em - I wrote it down somewhere...:confused:

[ria]

my oral exam is on the 29th!!!!

so that means, i also have four exams in the one week!!!

:rolleyes:

[jojo]

yeah im the same 28th mine is meaning i hav 4 exams in one weeek too!! good thing tho - u get them all outa the way quicker!!

Jo xx

[ria]

or maybe in my case get them all muddled up...

wot sort of things does the examiner ask u during ur oral exam?
i hope there aint any tricky questions!!

[relliott]

they ask why you did particular things in an experiment, or how you did it and what you expected to/did find

mine was not too bad at all, and nobody I know had a bad oral