Suggestions for Research Assignments
- Several important metals such as lead and copper are obtained through the process of smelting. What is smelting? What substances are often used as reducing agents? What are the chemical reactions involved in, for example, the production of copper from copper ore?
- Make a lemon or grapefruit battery and explain how it operates.
- Investigate industrial and other uses of electroplating
- The prevention of corrosion has extreme economic importance. Report on various techniques and methods commonly used to reduce this problem. Be sure to investigate the two major categories of protection: surface protection and electrochemical protection.
- Food spoils for a number of reasons, such as the growth of micro-organisms (bacteria and molds, for example) on the food and the loss of moisture. The reaction of foodstuffs with oxygen (oxidation) is another major cause of spoilage. Butter and meats with high fat content turn rancid, for example, because of a process known as lipid oxidation. Fruits turn brown due to oxidation. Investigate methods used to limit unwanted oxidation of foodstuffs.
- There are many different types of batteries available to power your electronic toys these days - alkaline, nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH), lithium cells, mercury cells, etc. Prepare a presentation on these and other types of "household" batteries. What makes them different? Compare pros and cons of the various types. Use diagrams to display the inner workings of a typical battery.
- Prepare a presentation showing the similarities and differences between these three major types of batteries - dry cells, storage batteries, and fuel cells.
- What are fuel cells? Describe their basic operation - how do they work? Why is there so much interest in fuel cells today?
- Who was Michael Faraday? Prepare a bibliography of his life and contributions to science.
- Many more ideas can be found in the Evergreen Curriculum
Quick Research
- Locate pictures of these pieces of equipment, commonly used for the electrolysis of water: Hoffman Apparatus; Brownlee Apparatus
This page provides a list of research topics mentioned in the notes, as well as providing some additional ideas for research projects.
Some suggestions for presenting your research findings:
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Always be sure to provide the source of your information. This link shows you how to cite resources you get from the Internet