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Violent explosions happened in AQA AS ISA

One of the Chemistry ISAs. Don't worry, I won't provide any cheaty information. Apparently this is a new ISA that's not been done before, so I guess that means there could be teething problems like eye damage and accidental digestion lolz.

Did this happen to anyone else? Do my details match yours? How much solution X were you given? Ours filled up I think about half or a third of a boiling tube.

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It happens when compound X has been mixed with a solution and is being "gently heated" by bunsen burners. Note you're told you have to put in THE sample of compound X, not A sample, so it doesn't seem to be a student mistake. A few people's exploded with a force that knocked its beaker over and fired the solution up in the air.

One person hadn't even begun heating it yet.

I was confident I could get away with not heating it, because pouring compound X made the solution very hot anyway. I won't say whether I was right or not in case that counts as cheating, even if it might save someone's face.

(edited 10 years ago)

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Guys.

GUYS.

An answer telling me there were no explosions is as equally valid as one telling me there was.

Reply 4

ozzyoscy

Has no one else done the Chemistry ISAs?

Reply 5

SS_Ldn

Are you talking about the titration?

Reply 6

ozzyoscy

Original post by SS_Ldn

Are you talking about the titration?

Well was there boiling tubes and a compound X in the titrations? :holmes:

Reply 7

smozsolution

Similar thing happened in part 1 of the practical when my class did it. It happened to most of us too.

Reply 8

smozsolution

Original post by em123xxx

Yes! My teacher was trialling it and I exploded! What do you think we'll do?

I honestly don't know. I suppose it's down to the school to decide the procedure they'll follow. My chemistry department are going to trial it without a Bunsen burner and see if that makes a difference.

Reply 9

ozzyoscy

Original post by smozsolution

Although I didn't reveal it in the opening post in case it counted as cheating, I think these exceptional circumstances allow me to inform everyone that it seems to work fine without heating with a bunsen. It gets hot enough just putting the bloody compound X in. I'm not sure what the process is supposed to be though and what the point of boiling is, it could be that I'm wrong and you get a different yet clear substance. Given that the teacher is supposed to make a replacement Solution Y available (e.g. for any failures whose face is burning off from the explosions), it doesn't matter.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 10

BIOCHEMNinja

Has anyone figured out what solution y and solution z is?

Reply 11

ozzyoscy

Original post by BIOCHEMNinja

Has anyone figured out what solution y and solution z is?

If they have, they can't say because I think that's one or two of the exam questions.

Reply 12

BIOCHEMNinja

OK, just wondering if anyone has come to an assumption of what the solutions could be. We know its got to do with group two, but we also need to know how these tests are linked to what the exam questions will be on.

Reply 13

yeastoftheocean

I'm doing the whole isa in one day (practical and written), so If someone could shed a little light on what I might want to revise in anticipation please...

Reply 14

ozzyoscy

Original post by yeastoftheocean

I'm doing the whole isa in one day (practical and written), so If someone could shed a little light on what I might want to revise in anticipation please...

This is the information you should've been given:

The aim of this task is to investigate Group 2 metal compounds by a series of observation exercises. - The main areas of the specification in the Written Test include Section 3.1.2 (Amount of Substance), Section 3.2.5 (Group 7 (17), the Halogens) and Section 3.2.6 (Group 2, the Alkaline Earth Metals).