chem project class XII

[wicked_angel]

Hi,
can anyone please suggest which of the following will be a good project?? (i have thought of few)..new suggestions are also welcomed........

to study different types of viscometers. or how to study stereo chemistry modelling. or to detect the presence of sodium bicarbonate in bread..

Do give suggestions..
Thanks

[deleted-71447]

Hi,
Welcome to the Ask an Expert forums.
For questions about which topic to choose, we refer students to the Science Buddies Project Ideas pages: http://www.sciencebuddies.com/science-f ... deas.shtml
The "best" project is often the one that interests you the most (as long as there are no major technical obstacles).
If you have more specific questions or concerns about a particular topic, we will be glad to help with that.
Looking forward to hearing more,
Chris

[wicked_angel]

Sir, Thanks for replying.

Can you please what all i should include in this project like all the important stereo chem isomers and other relevant information that i should add. Please do reply.

[deleted-71712]

Hi wicked_angel,

I'd like to help, but we still don't know what project you're doing!

If you chose a Science Buddies project idea, please (1) list a link to it, and (2) explain what part you have questions about.

If you came up with your own project idea (or have focused on one of the three you listed before), please tell us what it is. What are your hypothesis and project question? How are you going to test your hypothesis? If you've already done all or part of the experiment, how did it go? (More info about some of these terms as well as experimental design: https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... ndex.shtml)

Also looking forward to hearing more,
Amanda

[wicked_angel]

Hi Amanda,

Thanks for replying.

Yes I have decided the project topic. Its stereo chem modelling. I am sorry for not being clear about it in my previous post. I would like to know what all topics I should include my project report (since stereo chem is a vast topic,i guess). Can you please also mention some lab experiments related to this topic so that in addition to writing a good report, I can do something in the lab as well.

Do reply...
Shreya

[deleted-71712]

Shreya,

OK, just to be clear: We are mainly focused on science experiments, with reports that provide background particular to that experiment: key concepts, previous experiments, the basis of the hypothesis, often practical relevance. (https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... aper.shtml) The bulk of the paper in this case would be spent describing how the experiment was performed, what the results were, and how those results can be explained or understood. (https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... port.shtml)

It sounds like your teacher has assigned a general research paper on an area of chemistry, and the lab experiment is a small part, maybe even optional. If that's the case, we aren't going to be able to tell you how broad or narrow your report should be. If you really need to write an overview of all of stereochemistry, and not just the parts relevant to your experiment, my best suggestion is to look at tutorials and course syllabi to see what the topics you need to cover are and how you might organize your paper. For example:

http://www.chem.uic.edu/web1/OCOL-II/WIN/STEREO.HTM
http://users.ox.ac.uk/~mwalter/web_05/y ... sics.shtml
http://pirate.shu.edu/~sowajohn/shortco ... part3.html
http://www.chem.uky.edu/research/grossman/stereo/
http://www.colby.edu/chemistry/OChem/ST ... index.html

It seems like your best bet for a lab experiment related to stereochemistry might focus on the optical properties of chiral molecules. We have a project idea about that here:

https://www.sciencebuddies.org/science- ... p073.shtml

and there's some background info here:

http://www.chem.uic.edu/web1/OCOL-II/WIN/STEREO/F14.HTM

Also, when you say "modeling", I'm not sure whether you're referring to building models of compounds with a kit like this (http://www.indigo.com/images/product/137.jpg), or to computational modeling of large molecules. The latter would be a difficult topic to cover at the high-school level...

Amanda

[wicked_angel]

Hi Amanda,

Thanks for mentioning all those very useful pages.

Well, its like in my school before finalizing a project we have to get it approved by our teacher first. We need to show him a file which contains all the necessary information about our topic including what we are going to do in the laboratory. Now actually Stereo Chem Modeling is an advanced level project (done by first year college students). I found this topic interesting and that's why decided to follow it . Now theory is not a big problem . My basic concern is what to do in the lab. The web page you mentioned regarding optical properties of chiral molecules shows a home made project. Can't we do something in the lab using all those chemicals and compounds? We can definitely include the study of chiral molecules, that will have an added effect but I want to do something in the lab as well. Please give some suggestions and ideas regarding this. I shall be highly obliged.

Thanks again.
Shreya

[deleted-71712]

Shreya,

1. Can you be more specific about what will satisfy your criterion of "doing something in the lab"? For example, perhaps you mean carrying out chemical reactions or separating multiple species from solution.

The chirality experiment could be performed with a special laboratory source of polarized light, a filter mounted on an optics bench, and different chiral molecules ordered from a laboratory supplier, but the results would be the same. It just so happens that it can be performed with commonly available objects and inexpensive, safe (edible!) chemicals -- and the experiment is written using these in order to make it accessible to the largest number of students. Also, you might be surprised by how often things in a "real" research lab are cobbled together from whatever is available; when you're trying to do something new, there isn't always specialized equipment available.

2. The usual way that an experiment is developed is to do background research, come up with an interesting hypothesis, and then figure out what needs to be done "in the lab" in order to test that hypothesis. So, what interests you the most about stereochemistry? What unanswered questions do you have from the reading you've been doing?

3. Because time and resources are often quite limited for high-school experiments, I usually recommend generating as many hypotheses and questions as possible while you're learning about your topic. Then you can evaluate what's feasible (and most interesting to you). Whatever you do "in the lab", you're going to need some method of measuring a stereochemical property -- it's very possible that you could have two stereoisomers that look the same, have the same viscosity in solution, etc, and you'll need some way to evaluate the results of your lab work. The rotation of polarized light by chiral molecules is one method for distinguishing enantiomers that seems like it should be accessible to you. Thus, you could do something like starting with a racemic mixture and trying to separate it, or trying to synthesize a chiral molecule in such a way that you end up with only one enantiomer. Resources to start with:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiral_resolution
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asymmetric_synthesis

(Wikipedia is great for finding key words and getting the gist of a topic, but before you go doing an experiment, you'll want to find more primary sources, especially with regard to safety.)

There are likely properties other than optical activity that differ between certain pairs of stereoisomers, but it's important to keep in mind whether or not it will be possible for you to measure those properties.

Amanda