SACE chemistry students have been building their understanding and laboratory skills through practical experiments.
Teacher Nicole Mentha said a couple of recent SACE Stage 1 practicals included adding together a solute and a solvent to see if they are miscible – that is, whether they will combine to form one solution or whether they will stay as two layers.
Another practical looked at the solubility of alcohols in water.
“As the length of the carbon chain increases the alcohol becomes more insoluble in water and students are trying to find that point where the chain is at a length that they go from soluble to insoluble,” Ms Mentha said.
“If the alcohol is insoluble, they will see two clear layers in their test tubes instead of just one.”
SACE Stage 2 students completed a silver mirror practical, using chemistry to create a reflective metallic silver coating on the inside of a glass container
Ms Mentha said while students would complete a practical summative assessment at the end of the year, these practicals were aimed at providing hands-on learning and developing the skills they would need for tertiary labwork.
“These pracs at the moment are more about consolidating their understanding, developing their skills in working together and working safely,” she said.
“Especially for the Year 12s, they have the automatic pipettes for the silver mirror practical, so it replicates the equipment they will use if they go onto tertiary study.”
