The IB Chemistry Objectives (3)

The third set of Chemistry objectives are the hardest.

They involve applying Chemical principals and ideas. Here students must construct, analysis and evaluate scientific hypotheses, research questions, predictions, methods, and explanations.

The third objectives are:

” Construct, analyse and evaluate:

• hypotheses, research questions and predictions

• scientific methods and techniques

• scientific explanations”¹

As with objectives 1 & 2 the third objectives are clearly outlined in the syllabus statements in the subject guide.

An exam question testing a student on objective 3 will be something along the lines of:

“A mass spectrometer analysed a sample of Neon. Predict the formula of the ion responsible for the peak with an m/z value of 10”.

As with the previous post, you will see that i am no question writer but I am trying to get the student to draw on the fact that a peak at m/z = 10 could be due to the formation of a +2 ion. I would expect an answer of Ne²⁺

Tomorrow, we will start considering some of the many command terms.

1 www.chemistry-inthinking.co.uk/essential-facts/objectives-and-command-terms.htm