Choosing the right Internal Assessment (IA) topic is crucial for success in IB Chemistry. Organic chemistry offers a wealth of possibilities, allowing you to explore fascinating reactions and mechanisms. This guide provides a selection of compelling IA ideas, focusing on practicality, feasibility within the IB timeframe, and the potential for high-scoring investigations. Remember to always consult your teacher for approval before commencing your experiment.
Focusing Your Research: Key Considerations
Before diving into specific ideas, consider these crucial aspects:
- Feasibility: Can you realistically complete the experiment within the allotted time and with available resources?
- Data Collection: Will you be able to collect sufficient, reliable, and quantifiable data to support your analysis?
- Safety: Are the chemicals and procedures safe to handle in a school laboratory setting? Always prioritize safety!
- Originality: While you don't need a completely novel experiment, strive for a unique approach or angle to an existing topic. A focused investigation is better than a broad, superficial one.
- Analysis & Evaluation: Can you analyze the data meaningfully and evaluate the limitations of your methodology?
High-Impact IB Chemistry IA Organic Chemistry Ideas
Here are some promising areas for your investigation, categorized for clarity:
1. Kinetics of Organic Reactions
- Investigating the effect of temperature on the rate of esterification: This classic experiment allows you to explore reaction kinetics and the Arrhenius equation. You can vary the temperature and monitor the reaction rate using titration or spectroscopy.
- Comparing the rates of hydrolysis of different esters: Choose esters with varying alkyl groups or functional groups and investigate how these structural differences impact the reaction rate. This explores the concept of steric hindrance and electronic effects.
- Studying the kinetics of a nucleophilic substitution reaction: SN1 and SN2 reactions offer rich opportunities to explore reaction mechanisms and the influence of substrate structure and nucleophile strength.
2. Synthesis and Characterization
- Synthesis of Aspirin: A well-trodden path, but you can add originality by investigating different synthesis methods, optimizing reaction conditions, or focusing on the purification and characterization of the product using techniques like melting point determination and thin-layer chromatography (TLC).
- Synthesis of a specific dye: Explore the synthesis of a particular dye and investigate its properties, such as color intensity and stability under different conditions.
- Green synthesis of organic compounds: Focus on environmentally friendly methods, perhaps using a biocatalyst or solvent-free conditions. This demonstrates a commitment to sustainable chemistry.
3. Investigating Reaction Mechanisms
- Investigating the mechanism of a specific reaction: Choose a reaction with a well-established mechanism (e.g., SN1, SN2, electrophilic aromatic substitution) and design an experiment to provide evidence supporting the proposed mechanism. This could involve comparing reaction rates under different conditions or using spectroscopic techniques to identify intermediates.
- Analyzing the stereochemistry of a reaction: Explore a reaction that involves stereochemical changes, such as the addition of bromine to an alkene. This requires careful analysis of the products using techniques like polarimetry or NMR spectroscopy (if available).
4. Applications of Organic Chemistry
- The synthesis and analysis of biodiesel: Investigate the production of biodiesel from vegetable oils and analyze its properties compared to petroleum diesel. This has significant real-world relevance.
- Investigating the effectiveness of different preservatives in food: This could involve testing the antimicrobial properties of various organic compounds on bacterial cultures. (Ensure proper safety protocols are followed).
Choosing Your Specific IA Topic
Remember to refine these broad ideas into a focused, manageable investigation. Clearly define your research question, hypothesis, and methodology. Your IA should demonstrate your understanding of experimental design, data analysis, and the ability to draw meaningful conclusions. Good luck!
