Chem and Physics labs

[gneissisnice]

Im just wondering, do these events have specific topics again this year? Because they're not on the event list like last year. Last year, the topics were listed under the event name.

[dickyjones]

Physics Lab - energy/alternative energy (really the same as last year)

Chem Lab - 50% Acids/Bases and 50% 'Titration Race' (performing a titration as accurately and quickly as possible)

[gneissisnice]

Gotcha. Thanks.

[adam124218]

"Titration Race"? That sound ridiculous. I guess performing a titration is an important thing to be able to do, but it doesn't really seem worth half the test.

[dickyjones]

Yeah, I agree that it seems a little over-weighted. Maybe 25% would've been better, but what can you do?

The scoring problem is what confuses me. It says teams will be ranked by accuracy and precision of calculated concentration and standard deviation. And ties will broken by time. So I'm not sure whether that means the team that does it best gets full credit on that section and the team that does worse gets no credit at all or what..

[gneissisnice]

And how do they know time? Do they want the kids to put the time they finish it on their paper? because that seems a little risky.

[Aia]

Where would you suggest starting on Chem Lab? I've never done Chem before, but I am taking Chemistry at school. Is it easier to learn by studying or actually completing experiments?

[adam124218]

Studying, definitely. Chem lab is the least "lab" of any of the chemistry events (though I don't know about environ.chem this year). Basically, you just have to understand the concepts behind the labs to be able to do them. Studying and being able to do the chemistry math problems is more important.

[dudeincolorado]

Where would you suggest starting on Chem Lab? I've never done Chem before, but I am taking Chemistry at school. Is it easier to learn by studying or actually completing experiments?

umm form i B div experience chem events always seem to be better if you actually do it, but studying is also needed i mean half of food science was a writen test so yeah

[dickyjones]

I'd say that the best way to practice chem lab would be to learn the science behind it before you start team practices (or just out of team practices) so that you can use your time at school when you have access to lab equipment to practice titrations and other acid/base labs. I think that's pretty much what our team did last year, and they ended up doing pretty well.