In these scenes, the Year 11 chemistry students performed a problem-solving investigation linked with the topic ‘Separation Techniques’. Before carrying out the investigation, the students had to devise a plan (using previous chemical knowledge) in order to solve the following context-based problem: ‘‘In a road block, a policeman suspects that a man has been smuggling blue gems inside bags of copper (II) sulfate crystals, which are usually sold for agricultural purposes. The policeman seized the smuggled goods and has sent a sample to your laboratory for further investigation.’’ The students’ aim was to investigate whether the sample contained the blue gems or not, and at the same time return the copper(II) sulfate crystals to the owner. Separation techniques such as filtration and crystallisation were used during the investigation.
During this experiment, students also maintained safe laboratory practices and achieved proper experimental skills and scientific writing, as well as the skill of teamwork. Well done to all Year 11 Chemistry students!
Mr J. Borg
Chemistry Teacher