ACT Science › How to find experimental design in chemistry
During digestion, the energy in food is converted to energy the body can use. Scientists use calorimetry experiments to measure the calories, or energy, provided by food when it is digested or burned.
The relationship used to find the heat transferred energy is given by
, where
is the mass of the material,
is the given specific heat capacity, and
is the change in temperature of the material.
In this experiment, food was burned over a Bunsen burner under a can of 200 ml of water. The temperature change of the water and mass change of the food can be used to determine the calories in four different food items.
Table 1 shows the values of the change of mass of the food items, the change in temperature of the water and the energy. Table 2 shows the energy to mass ratio of three of those food items.
Table 1
Roasted Peanut Peanut Cracker Cheese Puff
Water Temp. Initial 23.9 °C 33.2 °C 40.3 °C 53.9 °C
Water Temp. Final 30.0 °C 40.9 °C 55.9 °C 62.8 °C
Food Mass Initial 0.69 g 0.61 g 3.21 g 1.22 g
Food Mass Final 0.38 g 0.21 g 0.91 g 0.48 g
Energy 1.22 Cal 1.54 Cal 3.12 Cal 1.78 Cal
Table 2
Sample Energy to Mass Ratio (Cal/g)
1 1.36
2 3.93
3 2.40
Based on the information in Table 1, what variables must be measured in order to calculate the energy of the food samples?
Change in mass of the food and change in temperature of the water
Change in mass and temperature of the water
Change in temperature of the water alone
Change in mass of the food sample alone
Based on the given equation for calculating heat energy, the heat capacity of the water, change of mass of the material, and change in temperature of the material must be measured. However, because the heat capacity of water is consistent, it does not affect the measure of the different calorie measurements. Additionally, because the change in heat of the food samples must approximately equal the change in temperature of the food item due to their proximity, only the change in temperature of the water and change in mass of the food samples needs to be known. Also, this answer is given in the description of the experiment.
During digestion, the energy in food is converted to energy the body can use. Scientists use calorimetry experiments to measure the calories, or energy, provided by food when it is digested or burned.
The relationship used to find the heat transferred energy is given by
, where
is the mass of the material,
is the given specific heat capacity, and
is the change in temperature of the material.
In this experiment, food was burned over a Bunsen burner under a can of 200 ml of water. The temperature change of the water and mass change of the food can be used to determine the calories in four different food items.
Table 1 shows the values of the change of mass of the food items, the change in temperature of the water and the energy. Table 2 shows the energy to mass ratio of three of those food items.
Table 1
Roasted Peanut Peanut Cracker Cheese Puff
Water Temp. Initial 23.9 °C 33.2 °C 40.3 °C 53.9 °C
Water Temp. Final 30.0 °C 40.9 °C 55.9 °C 62.8 °C
Food Mass Initial 0.69 g 0.61 g 3.21 g 1.22 g
Food Mass Final 0.38 g 0.21 g 0.91 g 0.48 g
Energy 1.22 Cal 1.54 Cal 3.12 Cal 1.78 Cal
Table 2
Sample Energy to Mass Ratio (Cal/g)
1 1.36
2 3.93
3 2.40
Based on the information in Table 1, what variables must be measured in order to calculate the energy of the food samples?
Change in mass of the food and change in temperature of the water
Change in mass and temperature of the water
Change in temperature of the water alone
Change in mass of the food sample alone
Based on the given equation for calculating heat energy, the heat capacity of the water, change of mass of the material, and change in temperature of the material must be measured. However, because the heat capacity of water is consistent, it does not affect the measure of the different calorie measurements. Additionally, because the change in heat of the food samples must approximately equal the change in temperature of the food item due to their proximity, only the change in temperature of the water and change in mass of the food samples needs to be known. Also, this answer is given in the description of the experiment.
There are two types of forces that occur with all substances on Earth. Intramolecular forces occur between atoms in a molecule, while intermolecular forces occur between neighboring molecules. Intermolecular forces can be dipole-dipole forces, hydrogen bonding, or London dispersion forces.
Professor 1:
Water molecules represent an example of hydrogen bonding due to the attraction between the hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atoms in the molecule. This strong dipole-dipole occurs due to lone pairs present on such atoms as Fluorine, Nitrogen, and Oxygen, which are able to pair more closely to the hydrogen atom in another nearby molecule. Water can be present in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state on Earth depending on the competition between the strength of intermolecular bonds and the thermal energy of the system. In 1873, a Dutch scientist, Van der Waals derived an equation that included both the force of attraction between the particles of a gas and the volume of the particles at high pressures. This equation led to a better fit for experimental data than the Ideal Gas Law.
Professor 2:
Water is the only substance on Earth that we routinely encounter as a solid, liquid, and gas. At low temperatures, the water molecules lock into a rigid structure, but as the temperature increases, the average kinetic energy of the water molecules increases and the molecules are able to move more creating its other natural states of matter. The higher the temperature, the more likely water is to be a gas. Water is proof of the kinetic theory, which assumes that there is no force of attraction between the particles of the gas state. The best fit for experimental data involving water in a gaseous form is found by using the Ideal Gas Law, since there is no interaction between the gaseous molecules. This law accounts for all of the forces that occur with gases on Earth.
Which of the following experiments could solve the debate between the two professors?
An experiment involving one or more gases where the actual experimental results found are compared with the results found by both equations.
An experiment that measures the kinetic energy in various samples of water.
An experiment that tests various gases against the values found in the Ideal Gas Law.
An experiment testing how strong the hydrogen bonding present in various samples of water in different states of matter are and comparing that to the kinetic energy present.
The main argument between the two professors is regarding which equation- Van der Waals' or the Ideal Gas Law- is the most appropriate way to estimate experimental data.
An experiment that would resolve the conflict would be one that sets up a scenario involving one or more gases and compares the actual experimental results found with the results found by both equations. This way the equation that found results that were closer to the actual results measured in the experiment would be considered the "best fit" to use.
Clock reactions are chemical interactions that exhibit a physical change periodically over a given time interval. Many of these reactions involve iodine, the most famous being the Chlorine Dioxide-Iodine-Malonic Acid reaction. These reactions can be quite startling as flasks of colorless liquid periodically turn dark blue and then resolve back to their original colorless state. Even more striking, they seem to alternate between being colorless and blue several times. The term "clock reaction" is derived from the fact that the time at which these sudden changes occur can be predicted.
Beyond performing these reactions in a well stirred beaker, there are two other notable ways to conduct experiments with clock reactions that demonstrate interesting properties of these reactions. The first is in a continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CSTR). In a CSTR, the reactants are introduced at a continuous rate while the volume of liquid in the reactor is kept constant by siphoning off excess fluid. The result of this process is that one can maintain the ideal conditions in which the reaction may occur over time and restricts the buildup of excess product or reactant that would otherwise make the oscillations of the reactions decay. In a CSTR, clock reactions can be maintained switching predictably from colorless to blue, for example, for far longer than in a simple beaker.
The second way to conduct a clock reaction experiment is in a tank with no stirring at all. This allows the reactants to interact heterogeneously, or without being thoroughly mixed. When this occurs, we can get some parts of the tank that are one color and other parts that are another color. This means that we can observe two different stages of the reaction in one vessel. The patterns that this makes are called Turing patterns, named by the great computer scientist Alan Turing. Turing predicted that the heterogeneous mixing of chemicals called morphogens in complex organisms were responsible for biological pattern formation like spots on a leopard, stripes on a zebra, or patterns on a tropical fish. The existence of such patterns and chemicals has since been confirmed and clock reactions are often used to study these types of Turing patterns.
Given that different patterns happen when different concentrations of the reactants interact with each other, which of the following would NOT be a useful experimental variable in an experiment designed to explore the mechanism and dynamics of different patterns of chemicals in clock reactions?
Time
The size of the reaction tank
The initial concentration of reactants
The volume of water in the tank before adding reactants
The depth of the tank
Since concentration is important to the pattern formation and the reactions happen over and over again in time, it seems that any answer that involves changing either the concentration of reactants directly or indirectly (via the volume of the reaction vessel into which the reactants are placed) is a valid experimental variable. The answer that would not be the most helpful is time because we know these reactions proceed over and over again in time.
Kevin wants to know if a particular kind of chemical fertilizer will help or hinder the growth of his tomato plants. He decides to conduct an experiment in which he grows three plants, one left untreated, one treated with the chemical fertilizer RapidGro and one treated with an organic compost. He records his findings in the charts below, measuring plant height and number of tomatoes over a period of time.
Height of plant (inches):
Day | No Fertilizer | RapidGro | Compost |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
2 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
3 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
4 | 9 | 12 | 8 |
7 | 15 | 21 | 14 |
10 | 16 | 21 | 19 |
14 | 18 | 18 | 21 |
Number of tomatoes:
Day | No fertilizer | RapidGro | Compost |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
4 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
7 | 4 | 7 | 5 |
10 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
14 | 6 | 4 | 7 |
On the fourteenth day Kevin picks the biggest tomato from each plant and record its dimensions, as well as other information, which is found below.
Tomato 1 (no fertilizer): in diameter, dull red, lumpy in shape, wormholes, flavorful.
Tomato 2 (RapidGro): in diameter, shiny red, round, somewhat tasteless.
Tomato 3 (compost): in diameter, deep red, lumpy shape, very flavorful.
Which plant is the control?
The plant without fertilizer or compost
The plant with chemical fertilizer
The plant with compost
There is no control
In an experiment, the control is what does not change or remains untreated by the variables being tested, in this case the fertilizer or compost.
There are two types of forces that occur with all substances on Earth. Intramolecular forces occur between atoms in a molecule, while intermolecular forces occur between neighboring molecules. Intermolecular forces can be dipole-dipole forces, hydrogen bonding, or London dispersion forces.
Professor 1:
Water molecules represent an example of hydrogen bonding due to the attraction between the hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atoms in the molecule. This strong dipole-dipole occurs due to lone pairs present on such atoms as Fluorine, Nitrogen, and Oxygen, which are able to pair more closely to the hydrogen atom in another nearby molecule. Water can be present in a solid, liquid, or gaseous state on Earth depending on the competition between the strength of intermolecular bonds and the thermal energy of the system. In 1873, a Dutch scientist, Van der Waals derived an equation that included both the force of attraction between the particles of a gas and the volume of the particles at high pressures. This equation led to a better fit for experimental data than the Ideal Gas Law.
Professor 2:
Water is the only substance on Earth that we routinely encounter as a solid, liquid, and gas. At low temperatures, the water molecules lock into a rigid structure, but as the temperature increases, the average kinetic energy of the water molecules increases and the molecules are able to move more creating its other natural states of matter. The higher the temperature, the more likely water is to be a gas. Water is proof of the kinetic theory, which assumes that there is no force of attraction between the particles of the gas state. The best fit for experimental data involving water in a gaseous form is found by using the Ideal Gas Law, since there is no interaction between the gaseous molecules. This law accounts for all of the forces that occur with gases on Earth.
Which of the following experiments could solve the debate between the two professors?
An experiment involving one or more gases where the actual experimental results found are compared with the results found by both equations.
An experiment that measures the kinetic energy in various samples of water.
An experiment that tests various gases against the values found in the Ideal Gas Law.
An experiment testing how strong the hydrogen bonding present in various samples of water in different states of matter are and comparing that to the kinetic energy present.
The main argument between the two professors is regarding which equation- Van der Waals' or the Ideal Gas Law- is the most appropriate way to estimate experimental data.
An experiment that would resolve the conflict would be one that sets up a scenario involving one or more gases and compares the actual experimental results found with the results found by both equations. This way the equation that found results that were closer to the actual results measured in the experiment would be considered the "best fit" to use.
Naturally occurring water in lakes and reservoirs used as sources for drinking water feature a variety of dissolved minerals such as magnesium, sodium, and calcium. Water treatment plants must closely monitor the levels of these minerals to ensure they do not exceed unsafe levels. An experiment carried out by a scientist at a water treatment plant are described below.
Experiment 1:
A common way to determine the concentration of a particular chemical is by titration. In this titration, 10mL of the treated water sample was placed in a flask as shown below in Figure 1. A buret, (a special funnel with volume markings on the side and a knob on the bottom to control how much of the substance in the buret is dispensed) was placed above the flask as shown in Figure 1. It was filled with 50mL of a 20ppm (parts per million) solution of EDTA, a chemical that can react with magnesium to chemically remove it from the water. An indicator (a substance that changes color to indicate a chemical change) was also placed into the flask; this indicator appears purple in water solutions containing magnesium, and blue in water solutions without magnesium. The buret was used to dispense EDTA solution until enough EDTA had been added to the purple magnesium-containing water solutions to remove all the magnesium and turn the solution blue. The volume, in milliliters, of EDTA solution added to each of five water samples is recorded in Table 1.
Figure 1
Why does the researcher use the buret?
This is the best way to control exactly the amount of EDTA solution added to be able to calculate an accurate concentration of magnesium
This way the researcher doesn't have to add the EDTA titrant manually
This is a good way to provide a control for the experiment
The EDTA solution must be kept separate from the water solution
It states in the introduction that a buret is a good way to control the exact amount of EDTA titrant added, and as we saw in other questions, the amount of titrant added is how we calculate magnesium concentrations.
Kevin wants to know if a particular kind of chemical fertilizer will help or hinder the growth of his tomato plants. He decides to conduct an experiment in which he grows three plants, one left untreated, one treated with the chemical fertilizer RapidGro and one treated with an organic compost. He records his findings in the charts below, measuring plant height and number of tomatoes over a period of time.
Height of plant (inches):
Day | No Fertilizer | RapidGro | Compost |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
2 | 5 | 6 | 4 |
3 | 7 | 9 | 6 |
4 | 9 | 12 | 8 |
7 | 15 | 21 | 14 |
10 | 16 | 21 | 19 |
14 | 18 | 18 | 21 |
Number of tomatoes:
Day | No fertilizer | RapidGro | Compost |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
3 | 1 | 3 | 2 |
4 | 2 | 4 | 3 |
7 | 4 | 7 | 5 |
10 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
14 | 6 | 4 | 7 |
On the fourteenth day Kevin picks the biggest tomato from each plant and record its dimensions, as well as other information, which is found below.
Tomato 1 (no fertilizer): in diameter, dull red, lumpy in shape, wormholes, flavorful.
Tomato 2 (RapidGro): in diameter, shiny red, round, somewhat tasteless.
Tomato 3 (compost): in diameter, deep red, lumpy shape, very flavorful.
Which plant is the control?
The plant without fertilizer or compost
The plant with chemical fertilizer
The plant with compost
There is no control
In an experiment, the control is what does not change or remains untreated by the variables being tested, in this case the fertilizer or compost.
Clock reactions are chemical interactions that exhibit a physical change periodically over a given time interval. Many of these reactions involve iodine, the most famous being the Chlorine Dioxide-Iodine-Malonic Acid reaction. These reactions can be quite startling as flasks of colorless liquid periodically turn dark blue and then resolve back to their original colorless state. Even more striking, they seem to alternate between being colorless and blue several times. The term "clock reaction" is derived from the fact that the time at which these sudden changes occur can be predicted.
Beyond performing these reactions in a well stirred beaker, there are two other notable ways to conduct experiments with clock reactions that demonstrate interesting properties of these reactions. The first is in a continuous flow stirred tank reactor (CSTR). In a CSTR, the reactants are introduced at a continuous rate while the volume of liquid in the reactor is kept constant by siphoning off excess fluid. The result of this process is that one can maintain the ideal conditions in which the reaction may occur over time and restricts the buildup of excess product or reactant that would otherwise make the oscillations of the reactions decay. In a CSTR, clock reactions can be maintained switching predictably from colorless to blue, for example, for far longer than in a simple beaker.
The second way to conduct a clock reaction experiment is in a tank with no stirring at all. This allows the reactants to interact heterogeneously, or without being thoroughly mixed. When this occurs, we can get some parts of the tank that are one color and other parts that are another color. This means that we can observe two different stages of the reaction in one vessel. The patterns that this makes are called Turing patterns, named by the great computer scientist Alan Turing. Turing predicted that the heterogeneous mixing of chemicals called morphogens in complex organisms were responsible for biological pattern formation like spots on a leopard, stripes on a zebra, or patterns on a tropical fish. The existence of such patterns and chemicals has since been confirmed and clock reactions are often used to study these types of Turing patterns.
Given that different patterns happen when different concentrations of the reactants interact with each other, which of the following would NOT be a useful experimental variable in an experiment designed to explore the mechanism and dynamics of different patterns of chemicals in clock reactions?
Time
The size of the reaction tank
The initial concentration of reactants
The volume of water in the tank before adding reactants
The depth of the tank
Since concentration is important to the pattern formation and the reactions happen over and over again in time, it seems that any answer that involves changing either the concentration of reactants directly or indirectly (via the volume of the reaction vessel into which the reactants are placed) is a valid experimental variable. The answer that would not be the most helpful is time because we know these reactions proceed over and over again in time.
Naturally occurring water in lakes and reservoirs used as sources for drinking water feature a variety of dissolved minerals such as magnesium, sodium, and calcium. Water treatment plants must closely monitor the levels of these minerals to ensure they do not exceed unsafe levels. An experiment carried out by a scientist at a water treatment plant are described below.
Experiment 1:
A common way to determine the concentration of a particular chemical is by titration. In this titration, 10mL of the treated water sample was placed in a flask as shown below in Figure 1. A buret, (a special funnel with volume markings on the side and a knob on the bottom to control how much of the substance in the buret is dispensed) was placed above the flask as shown in Figure 1. It was filled with 50mL of a 20ppm (parts per million) solution of EDTA, a chemical that can react with magnesium to chemically remove it from the water. An indicator (a substance that changes color to indicate a chemical change) was also placed into the flask; this indicator appears purple in water solutions containing magnesium, and blue in water solutions without magnesium. The buret was used to dispense EDTA solution until enough EDTA had been added to the purple magnesium-containing water solutions to remove all the magnesium and turn the solution blue. The volume, in milliliters, of EDTA solution added to each of five water samples is recorded in Table 1.
Figure 1
Why does the researcher use the buret?
This is the best way to control exactly the amount of EDTA solution added to be able to calculate an accurate concentration of magnesium
This way the researcher doesn't have to add the EDTA titrant manually
This is a good way to provide a control for the experiment
The EDTA solution must be kept separate from the water solution
It states in the introduction that a buret is a good way to control the exact amount of EDTA titrant added, and as we saw in other questions, the amount of titrant added is how we calculate magnesium concentrations.