Brief description of the OER
My resources comprise 10 chemistry outreach practicals, each one typically taking between 2 - 3 hours of lab. time to complete, which were developed by myself whilst on secondment to the School of Chemistry at Newcastle University as an RSC School Teacher Fellow for the 2008-09 academic year.
They are all suitable for students studying A-level Chemistry (and some have also been used successfully with GCSE students too! - see the list of resources below for further information).
1. Esterification practical
Preparation and purification of either 3-methylbutylethanoate (pear) or n-octylethanoate (orange) flavouring esters using the Fischer esterification reaction (carboxylic acid & alcohol with strong sulphuric acid catalyst) - takes "typical" 6th form student ca. 2 - 2.5 hours to complete, but has also been used successfully with both year 10 & 11 GCSE students too!
Student instruction sheet, Technicians apparatus and chemicals list and notices for the two alcohols.
Links to this resource as an OER
eDocs:
Jorum: http://resources.jorum.ac.uk:80/xmlui/handle/123456789/13479
2. Shorter esterification practical
Preparation and purification of a range of ten fruit flavouring esters (all ethanoates) using the Fischer esterification reaction (carboxylic acid & alcohol with strong acid catalyst) - shorter version of no. 1 above, developed to fit into a Year 12 Chemistry "taster" session - takes about 1 hour to complete.
Could be done in schools as no solvent extraction/rotary evaporation and final distillation needed?
Student instruction sheet, Technicians apparatus and chemicals list and Notices for the ten alcohols.
Links to this resource as an OER
eDocs:
Jorum: http://resources.jorum.ac.uk:80/xmlui/handle/123456789/13480
3. Caffeine extraction practical
Extraction and purification of caffeine from teabags - takes "typical" 6th form student ca. 3 - 3.5 hours to complete.
Student instruction sheet and Technicians apparatus and chemicals list.
Links to this resource as an OER
eDocs:
Jorum: http://resources.jorum.ac.uk:80/xmlui/handle/123456789/13481
4. Brass analysis practical
Analysis of the copper content of brass using colorimetry - takes "typical" 6th form student ca. 1.5 - 2 hours to complete.
Student instruction sheet and Technicians apparatus and chemicals list.
Links to this resource as an OER
eDocs:
Jorum: http://resources.jorum.ac.uk:80/xmlui/handle/123456789/13482
5. Spinach analysis practical
A comparison of the "freshness" of spinach using tlc - takes "typical" 6th form student ca. 1 - 1.5 hours to complete.
Student instruction sheet and Technicians apparatus and chemicals list.
Links to this resource as an OER
eDocs:
Jorum: http://resources.jorum.ac.uk:80/xmlui/handle/123456789/13483
6. Nitration of methylbenzoate practical
Preparation and purification of 3-nitromethylbenzoate by nitration of methylbenzoate using mixture of c. nitric/c. sulphuric acids - takes "typical" 6th form student ca. 2 hours to complete.
Student instruction sheet and Technicians apparatus and chemicals list.
Links to this resource as an OER
eDocs:
Jorum: http://resources.jorum.ac.uk:80/xmlui/handle/123456789/13484
7. Determination of molar mass practicals
1. Determination of the molar mass of a volatile liquid using Dumas' method;
2. Determination of the molar mass of a gas using Regnault's method;
- takes "typical" 6th form student ca. 1 - 1.5 hours to complete both experiments.
Student instruction sheets (apparatus is trivial).
Links to this resource as an OER
eDocs:
Jorum: http://resources.jorum.ac.uk:80/xmlui/handle/123456789/13485
8. Aspirin practical
Preparation and purification of aspirin from acetylation of salicylic acid - takes "typical" 6th form student ca. 1.5 - 2 hours to complete.
Student instruction sheet and Technicians apparatus and chemicals list.
Links to this resource as an OER
eDocs:
Jorum: http://resources.jorum.ac.uk:80/xmlui/handle/123456789/13486
9. Trimyristin extraction practical
Extraction and purification of trimyristin from nutmeg - takes "typical" 6th form student ca. 2.5 - 3 hours to complete.
Student instruction sheet and Technicians apparatus and chemicals list.
Links to this resource as an OER
eDocs:
Jorum:
10. Benzocaine practicals
Preparation and purification of the topical local anaesthetic benzocaine, ethyl-4-aminobenzoate, via two alternative routes:
1. via esterification of 4-aminobenzoic acid with ethanol and a strong acid catalyst;
2. via reduction of ethyl-4-nitrobenzoate using zinc dust in strong acid;
- either route takes "typical" 6th form student ca. 2 - 2.5 hours to complete.
Student instruction sheet and Technicians apparatus and chemicals list for each route.
Links to this resource as an OER
eDocs:
Jorum: http://resources.jorum.ac.uk:80/xmlui/handle/123456789/13487
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