Ib Extended Essay Chemistry Guide Text

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These subject guidelines should be read in conjunction with the ib extended essay general guidelines. Introduction an extended essay in chemistry provides a candidate with an opportunity to investigate personally a particular aspect of the materials of our environment. Such extended essays must be characterized by a particular chemical emphasis within a more general set of scientific criteria. Choice of topic it is important that the extended essay has a clear chemical emphasis and is not more closely related to another subject.

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Chemistry is the science that deals with the composition, characterization, and transformation of substances. A chemistry extended essay should therefore incorporate chemical principles and theory, and emphasize the essential nature of chemistry, relating to the study of matter and of the changes it undergoes. Although similar criteria apply to all extended essays in the experimental sciences, for an extended essay submitted in chemistry the topic chosen must allow an approach which distinctly involves chemistry.

Where a topic might be approached from different viewpoints, the treatment of the material must be approached from a chemical perspective. An extended essay in an interdisciplinary area such as biochemistry will, if registered as a chemistry extended essay, be judged on its chemical content, not its biological content. The scope of the topic and the research associated with it should enable all the criteria, particularly the subject specific criteria, to be addressed. A good topic is one where the single research question is sharply focused and is susceptible to effective treatment within the word limit.

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Perhaps the most important factor is the depth of treatment that can be given to the topic by the candidate. For example, experiments involving toxic or dangerous chemicals, carcinogenic substances or radioactive materials should be avoided unless adequate safety apparatus and qualified supervision is available. Other topics may be unsuitable because the outcome is already well known and documented in standard text books and the candidate may not be able to show any personal input. An example might be a study of the reactions of the alkali metals with water as this is already covered by the syllabus. However some care does need to be exercised in deciding whether a topic is suitable or not for example, a few years ago the study of the allotropes of carbon may have been thought to be trivial but this would not be the case today. The following examples of titles for chemistry extended essays are intended for guidance only. The pairings illustrate that focused topics indicated by the first title should be encouraged rather than broad topics indicated by the second title.

Spectrophotometric determination of trace amounts of lead in drinking water is better than water analysis. The kinetics of oxidation of iodine ions with hydrogen peroxide in acidic solutions is better than chemical kinetics. The analysis of the red dyes present in different brands of tomato ketchup by thin layer chromatography is better than the use of chromatography to separate materials. Is it better to use dried animal manure as a fertilizer or as a fuel? is better than combustion and nitrogen analysis. The effects of sugar free chewing gum on the ph in the mouth after a meal is better than acid base chemistry.

Treatment of the topic an extended essay in chemistry may be based on literature, theoretical models or experimental data. Whichever category is chosen the candidate should ensure that sufficient data will be available for evaluation and that the topic can be researched accurately using locally available resources. Candidates who choose to write an extended essay based on literature and/or surveys should ensure that their extended essay clearly shows its chemical basis. Essays written at the level of a newspaper or news magazine article are unlikely to achieve a high mark.

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