Chemistry Assessment: Equilibrium investigation

Assessment introduction:
Stage 6 Module 5: Equilibrium and Acid Reactions
Date for given the task: Monday 10th October
DUE DAY: Friday 12th October
Weighting: Experiment logbook 20%
Task rationale:
In this task, students need to design and conduct their own experiment to investigate
what factors, such as temperature, concentration, volume and pressure, affect
equilibrium. During this assessment, students need to conduct and record their own
scientific chemistry experiment based on their previous chemistry knowledge, which is a
way to assess their working scientific skills as well as understanding and knowledge skills.

Outcomes assessed:
A student:
 selects and processes appropriate qualitative and quantitative data and
information using range of appropriate media CH11/12-4
 analyses and evaluates primary and secondary data and information CH11/12-5
 solves scientific problems using primary and secondary data, critical thinking skills
and scientific
 processes CH11/12-6
 communicates scientific understanding using suitable language and terminology
for a specific audience or purpose CH11/12-7
 explains the characteristics of equilibrium systems, and the factors that affect
these systems CH12-12

Assessment details:
Experiment logbook 20%
You are a chemist at a chemistry laboratory. You have been given a project called how
temperature and concentration affect equilibrium. Using the previous chemistry
knowledge to design and conduct a scientific experiment to investigate how the provided
factors affect equilibrium on the reaction: [Fe(H2O)6]3+ + 3SCN–⇌ [Fe(H2O)3(SCN)3] +3H2O.
Keep record your experimental procedure.

Marking criteria 1: Present a scientific experiment logbook

Description Mark allocation
Present a scientific and logical experiment 5
logbook with appropriate sections
including experiment title, aims,
hypothesis, materials used, methods,
experimental results and conclusion.
Demonstrate a critical using scientific
language with appropriate scientific
metalanguage using in logbook.
Present a high-quality experiment logbook 4
with appropriate sections including
experiment title, aims, hypothesis,
materials used, methods, experimental
results and conclusion. Demonstrate a
high level of using scientific language with
rarely inappropriate scientific
metalanguage using in logbook.
Present a high-quality experiment logbook 3
with appropriate sections including
experiment title, aims, hypothesis,
materials used, methods, experimental
results and conclusion. Demonstrate a
satisfactory level of using scientific
language with a few of inappropriate
scientific metalanguage using in logbook.
Present a quality experiment logbook lack 2
of some sections. Demonstrate a poor
level of using scientific language with most
inappropriate scientific metalanguage
using in logbook
Present an experiment logbook 1
Fail to present an experiment logbook 0

Marking criteria 2: Demonstrate a scientific experiment design

Description Marking allocation
Demonstrate a scientific and logical 5
experiment design including following
aspects:
 control group and experimental
group
 independent and dependent
variables
 duplicate experiment
 replicate experiment
Demonstrate a quality experiment design 4
that lack of one above aspect.
Demonstrate a satisfactory experiment 3
design that lack of two above aspects.
Demonstrate a poor experiment design 2
that contains one above aspects.
Present an experiment design 1
Fail to design an experiment 0

Marking criteria 3: Demonstrate a critical experiment analysis

Description Marking allocation
 Provide a scientific experimental result 9-10
supported with a scientific display of
primary and secondary experimental data
and a critical description of the results.
Demonstrate a critical understanding of
how temperature and concentration
affect the equilibrium coherent with
collision theory and other theories.
Provide a high-quality experimental result 7-8
supported with a clear and logical display
of primary and secondary experimental
data and a detailed description of results.
Demonstrate a deep understanding of
how temperature and concentration
affect the equilibrium with the support of
collision theory.
Provide a satisfactory experimental result 5-6
supported with the primary and secondary
experimental data with a brief description
of the results. Demonstrate a satisfactory
understanding of how temperature and
concentration affect the equilibrium
including collision theory.
Provide an experimental result lack of 3-4
above evidence. Demonstrate an
understanding of how temperature and
concentration affect the equilibrium
without collision theory or with mistakes.
Present an experimental data with an 1-2
explanation
Fail to present an experimental data 0

Sample scaffold
Equilibrium investigation
Aims:
This experiment aims at identifying the effect of temperature and concentration on the
reaction, Fe(H2O)6]3+ + 3SCN–⇌ [Fe(H2O)3(SCN)3] +3H2O.
Hypothesis:
As the reaction is exothermic, the increased temperature would shift reaction towards
products and the decreased temperature would shift the reaction towards reactants.
Increased concentration of reactants would shift the reaction towards products and
decreased concentration of reactants would shift the reaction towards reactants.
Materials:
Test tubes, glass rods, iron (III) nitrate solution, ammonium thiocyanate solution & deionized
water
Methods:
Set up control group:
1. Calculate the original concentration of iron in iron(III) nitrate solution
2. Add a same amount of ammonium thiocyanate solution
3. Make a series of 1 in 2 dilution to get the mix solution in a range of concentration
4. Compare the colour of solution and record the data
Investigation of the effect of temperature on equilibrium:
1. Pour 0.1M iron(III) nitrate solution with 0.1M ammonium thiocyanate solution into
6 test tubes with clear label
2. Place the 6 test tubes into water bath at their corresponded temperature
3. Compare the colour of solution with control group
4. Repeat the process
Investigation of the effect of concentration on equilibrium:
1. Pour 0.1M iron(III) nitrate solution with 0.1M ammonium thiocyanate solution into
a test tube with the label of tube 1
2. Make a 1 in 2 dilution of the tube 1 and pour the new solution into tube 2
3. Make a series of dilution in total of 5 different concentration
4. Compare the colour of solution with control group
5. Repeat the process
Results:
Table 1. The relationship between the concentration of iron and the colour the solution
Temperature (°C) Concentration of iron (M) Description
20 0.01 Yellow colour
20 0.05 Light blood-red colour
20 0.1 Blood-red colour
20 0.2 Dark blood-red colour
20 0.4 Dark blood-red colour

Table 2. The effect of temperature on equilibrium

Temperature (°C) Concentration of Description 1 Description 2
Iron (M)
5 0.1 Dark blood-red colour Dark blood-red colour
10 0.1 Dark blood-red colour Dark blood-red colour
20 0.1 Blood-red colour Blood-red colour
 50 0.1 Light blood-red colour Light blood-red colour
75 0.1 Yellow colour Yellow colour
100 0.1 Yellow colour Yellow colour

Table 3. The effect of concentration on equilibrium

Temperature (°C) Concentration of Description 1 Description 2
iron (M)
20 0.01 Yellow colour Yellow colour
20 0.05 Light blood-red colour Light blood-red colour
20 0.1 Blood-red colour Blood-red colour
20 0.2 Dark blood-red colour Dark blood-red colour
20 0.4 Dark blood-red colour Dark blood-red colour
The results demonstrate that the increased temperature alters the equilibrium towards
reactants and the decreased temperature changes towards products. For the
concentration experiment, the decreased concentration alters the equilibrium towards
reactants and the increased concentration towards products. The results prove the
hypothesis.
Conclusion:
Based on this knowledge, the results illustrate that the reaction is exothermic reaction.
Exothermic reaction means the reaction is going to release energy. When dilute the
products solution, the colour of the solution would change from blood-red colour to a
yellow colour, or in other words a reduced iron concentration. The increased temperature
pushes the reaction towards reactants. Based on collision theory, a chemical reaction
occurs only if the internal energy equals to the activation energy. In this case, the
increased concentration of iron in solution provides a larger chance of collision to occur,
or in other words, a lighter internal energy. With the consideration of activation energy,
as the environmental factors, such as temperature and catalyst condition, are same, the
activation energy is unchanged. As a result, the reaction is supposed to occur towards the
product.

Personal reflection
The NSW Department of Education has established a professional standard for all
educators, in which has also included the importance of assessment in learning. In the
standard, assessment is referred as a feedback reflecting students’ learning activities
(Australian Professional Standard for Teachers [AITSL], 2017). In more detail, the standard
states that educators need to use a range of assessment strategies, including diagnose,
formative, summative, informal and formal assessment, in order to provide a fair, timely
and suggestive feedback for students (AITSL, 2017).
Assessment, whether formative or summative assessment, is important for both students
and educators. Essentially, it provides an opportunity to obtain a personalised feedback
on a specific content, which is significant and valuable for both educators and learners
(Lilia, 2016). On one hand, the provided personalised feedback is beneficial for learners as
it helps the students to self-evaluate in previous learning process (Lilia, 2016). Under this
circumstance, such self-evaluation always provides detailed shortcomings towards a
specific academic concept, which continuously pushes students towards learning and
reviewing until deep understanding this concept (Lilia, 2016). It is more beneficial for
students as it has been identified as a way to engage students in not only current learning
activities but also in lifelong learning environment (Lilia, 2016). On the other hand, the
provided personalised feedback is valuable for educators as it is the reflection of students’
specific learning needs. As stated in both governmental and educational institutions,
accurate and precise identification of students’ specific learning needs is the first priority
in contents and teaching pedagogies setting (AITSL, 2017; Lilia, 2016). Based on the
understanding of students’ specific learning needs, educators are more likely to change
the lesson contents or teaching pedagogies into a more student-centred, which
eventually create a positive learning environment suitable for every student in class (Lilia,
2016).
The positive and important effect of assessment in education is irreplaceable,
nevertheless, many researchers have illustrated that in practical, the form of assessments
needs to be updated (Wade, 2014). The current assessments strategies focus more on the
academic knowledge and concepts for they include more sorting and selecting questions,
which is considered as “wasting human talent” in some aspect (Wade, 2014). In science
more precisely, science is a subject that is different from other subjects, as it concerns
more about how to apply an academic concept in real life, rather than only deep
understanding of the topic. This is included as working scientifically contents and
understand and knowledge contents for every stage in science syllabus (Chemistry stage 6
syllabus, 2017). Under this situation, many educators endeavour to create a “three-
dimensional learning environment” (Laverty et al., 2016). In more detail, the three-
dimensional learning refers to a concept that educators need to focus on more about how
to teach students utilise the academic knowledge rather than understand the academic
knowledge itself (Laverty et al., 2016). With this point of view, assessment, especially a
summative assessment, serves as a platform to exam what extent the students have the
abilities to transform the academic knowledge into problem-solving activities or in other
words, to exam the extend of three-dimensional learning process (Laverty et al., 2016).
Besides the problem-solving abilities, assessments are more beneficial to focus more on
human capacity building, such as technical usage, extensive knowledge skills and civic
participation (Wade, 2014). Under this transformation, the education can focus more on
abilities building which might change the current assessment-centred learning
environment (Wade, 2014).
As the rapid development in technology, especially wireless technology, information
communication technology, or ICT for short, is widely discussed on its effect on learning
process. The current situation is that ICT is always used in a mainstreaming classroom, or
terminology of e-learning process (Bogdanovic et al., 2014). Under this circumstance, the
effect of integration of ICT with assessment strategies, such as using online Kahoot quiz
and commenting on Facebook, has also been identified. In more details, many
researchers have identified a positive effect of an ICT assessment on students’ academic
achievement and learning motivation (Bogdanovic et al., 2014). In more details, ICT
provides a platform for students to complete the task at same time regardless of their
physical location, which means it creates a peer-assessment environment (Bogdanovic et
al., 2014). In many researches, the peer-assessment environment, especially game-based
assessment provided by ICT, is efficient for learning process, which results in a higher
academic achievement, a positive motivation and a higher level of problem-solving
abilities (Hwang, Hung & Chen, 2013). Consequently, the NSW department of Education
has included and encouraged educators to use ICT in their lesson, as it listed the inclusive
of ICT in teacher standard 2.6 and 4.5 (AITSL, 2017).
Whether formative assessment or summative assessment is beneficial for every educator
in content design and teaching pedagogy choice. Based on personal experience in
practice, most educators are more likely to start the class with the review of previous
lessons, or in other words a formative assessment. The benefits of using formative
assessment have been identified in many researches, which includes providing
background information for both students and educators. In future practical, using
formative assessment to start a lesson is always being a beneficial option. Based on the
research done by Laverty et al., (2016), the assessment used in practice need to transform
into a three-dimensional assessment, especially in science subject. In more detail, the
traditional essay- or quiz-based assessment serves as a platform to exam the
understanding of a precise topic. Laverty et al (2016) have advocate educators to switch
the traditional assessment into a research-based assessment, which is mimic of real
scientific research environment. Under this point of view, students will be examined not
only the academic knowledge but also how to utilise them. That is to say, in future
practical, educators might have more options on the summative assessment strategies
unless the feedback is provided in time.
In conclusion, whether informal or formal assessment using in learning process is an
efficient way to obtain a personalised feedback towards a precise topic. The importance
of the assessment or the feedback has been clearly demonstrated in both governmental
and researchers’ statement. Even though the current assessment strategies need to be
updated, the benefits of assessment are still notable. That is to say, the feedback is
beneficial for both educators and students in lesson-contents setting and continuous
learning process respectively (Lilia, 2016). Based on the literature review, personal
thinking that in future practical, more options on assessment strategies, such as using ICT
peer assessment and research-based assessment, can be used to engage more students
into the learning process with a higher motivation.
References
Australian Professional Standards for Teachers (2017). Retrieve on 6 October 2018 from
https://www.aitsl.edu.au/teach/standards
Bogdanovic. Z, Barac. D, Jovanic. B, Popvic. S & Radenkovic. B. (2014). Evaluation of
mobile assessment in a learning management system. British journal of Education
technology, 45(2). 231-244. DOI: 10.1111/bjet.12015
Hwang G.J, Hung C.M & Chen N.S. (2013). Improving learning achievements, motivations
and problem-solving skills through a peer-assessment-based game development
approach. Educational Technology Research and Development, 63(2). 129-145
Laverty, J, Underwood. S.M, Rebecca. L, Posey L.A, Carmel J.H. (2016). Characterizing
college science assessment: The three-dimensional learning assessment protocol.
ProQuest, 11(9). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0162333
Lilia, C.B, (2016). Personalized feedback for self-assessment in lifelong learning
environments based on semantic web. Computers in human behaviour, 55, 562-570
New South Wales. Board of Studies (2017). Chemistry stage 6 syllabus: NSW syllabus for
the Australian curriculum. Sydney Board of Studies NSW

Wade B.A. (2014). Human diversity, assessment in education and the achievement of
excellence and equity. Journal of Negro Education, 83(4). 499-521