Core Practicals for Year 11 Science
Experimental results
Students: use these results if you were absent or failed to get all the results of a practical done in class.
Teachers: give these results to your class if you don't have time to do the whole experiment, or if you
need results to analyse for a test or examination question.
1 Precipitation reactions
SO42-
OH-
CO32-
K+
Clear
Clear
Clear
Clear
Cu2+
Clear
Clear
Cloudy
Cloudy
Mg2+ Clear
Clear
Cloudy
Cloudy
Ca2+
Clear
Cloudy
Cloudy
Cloudy
Pb2+
Cloudy
Cloudy
Cloudy
Cloudy
Fe2+
Clear
Clear
Cloudy
Cloudy
When magnesium chloride and
copper sulfate solutions are
mixed no precipitate forms.
Cl-
When iron(II) sulfate and
potassium carbonate solutions are
mixed a precipitate forms.
5 Make your prediction then look below to
see what happens.
When magnesium chloride and
potassium hydroxide solutions
are mixed a precipitate forms.
1 Results table
2 Neutralisation reactions
3 Results table
First sample
Second sample
Acid
neutralised?
Gas formed?
Acid
neutralised?
Gas formed?
Chloride
No
No
No
No
Carbonate
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
Hydroxide
Yes
No
Yes
No
Nitrate
No
No
No
No
Oxide
Yes
No
Yes
No
Sulfate
No
No
No
No
5 A positive result is obtained with the limewater test.
3 The reactivity of metals
Results table
Oxygen with powder or foil
Water (hot or cold)
Acid
Aluminium
Foil shrivels, turns grey, UI
unchanged
No change
Reacts after sitting in
acid and salt for 10
minutes
Calcium
Granules glow, turn black, UI
blue
Metal fizzes, test tube
hot, UI turns purple
________________
Copper
Foil changes from brown to
black, UI unchanged
No reaction
No reaction
Iron
Wool glows, crumbles, UI
unchanged
No reaction
After 10 minutes a few
bubbles seen on wool
Lead
Foil shrivels, turns yellow. UI
unchanged
No reaction
No reaction
Lithium
_______________
Metal fizzes, test tube
hot, soln turns UI blue
________________
Magnesium
Grey ribbon and powder turn
white, UI blue/green
Very slow reaction in
hot water.
Many bubbles
immediately
Sodium
_____________
Vigorous reaction,
metal melts, UI turns
blue
_____________
4 Magnesium and steam
5 The litmus paper turns blue.
5 Metal and non-metal oxides
2 The product is a white powder (solid).
4 Red litmus turns blue.
5 Universal indicator solution turns blue/green.
7 The product is a colourless gas.
9 As the gas dissolves in water the indicator turns red.
6 Copper compounds
1 Cu2O brick-red, CuO black CuCO3 green CuCl2 blue CuSO4 blue
3 Black
5 The black powder slowly reacts to form a clear blue solution.
7 Particle size and reaction rate
3 The marble chips slowly react, releasing a steady stream of gas bubbles. The powdered limestone reacts
rapidly, releasing a lot of gas until all the powder has disappeared.
8 Concentration and reaction rate
Results
Volume of acid added
Relative concentration
Reaction time
6 mL
1
1 min 55 s
4 mL
0.67
5 min 48 s
2 mL
0.33
27 min
9 Testing catalysts
Results
Catalyst
Reaction time (s)
None
26 s
Fe2+
27 s
Ni2+
25 s
Co2+
26 s
Cu2+
2s
10 Experimental design: temperature and reaction rate
1 The magnesium ribbon disappears, a gas is given off, the test tube gets hot, the magnesium ribbon
changes from dull grey to bright and shiny, the gas is colourless with no smell.
Results
Temperature
0 oC
20 oC
40 oC
60 oC
Time (s)
4 min 9 s
4 min 32 s
1 min 50 s
2 min 18 s
1 min 30 s
1 min 0 s
42 s
52 s
Average time
4 min 21 s
1 min 59 s
1 min 15 s
47 s
11 Model manipulation
If you do not have a model kit you can do this experiment with plasticine or play dough and matches -- or
simply draw the structures on a piece of paper.
12 Properties of alkanes
Results
The properties of alkanes
Name
pentane
hexane
octane
diesel
candle wax
State at 20 oC
liquid
liquid
liquid
liquid
solid
Soluble in water?
no
no
no
no
no
Compare density
to water
less dense
less dense
less dense
less dense
less dense
Conducts
electricity?
--
no
--
no
no
Ease of burning
ignites easily
ignites easily
will ignite
needs a wick
needs a wick
6 Condensation
7 Blue cobalt chloride paper turns pink.
8 Limewater turns cloudy.
10 Soot coats the tile.
13 Experimental design: combustion
No results required—this is a planning exercise.
14 Combustion of alcohol
1 diagram:
2 A colourless liquid collects at the bottom of the tube.
3 The limewater turns cloudy.
4 Blue cobalt chloride paper turns pink.
15 Fractional distillation
1 Cold water goes in at the bottom (right hand) opening of the condenser and comes out the top (left
hand) opening.
3
Test
Mixture
Distillate
Flammability
Doesn't burn
Burns
Cobalt chloride paper
Turns pink
Stays blue
16 Revolutionary revision
No extra results needed.
17 Moon-watching
1
3
18 The expanding universe
No extra results needed.
19 Seasons in the Sun
No extra results needed. If you don't know your latitude, just choose the one for the main city closest to
where you are.
20 Mineral identification
1 Streak
Mineral code
Colour
Streak
1
yellow
dark green
2
grey
red
3
grey
grey
4
pink
white
Other factors
Name
cubic crystals
2 Hardness
Mineral code
Estimated hardness
Other factors
Name
5
above 5.5
white
6
about 2.5
pale yellow
7
below 2.5
white and crumbles
8
3-5
white
3 Form
Mineral code
Number and angle of Other factors
cleavage planes
9
3 planes at right
angles (cubes)
yellow, faces
scratched
10
5-sided faces
pale yellow
11
3 planes at right
angles (cubes)
dark grey
12
Very thin sheets like a
book
Name
4 Chemical tests
Mineral code
Properties
13
Much heavier than rest
14
Fizzes in acid
15
Forms white ppt with AgNO3
16
Very soft and crumbly
Name
21 Rock identification
Rock label
Name
Identifying characteristics
A
Dark-grey rock, a few fine white 'cracks' through it.
B
White, crystalline mass, easily scratched, fizzes with
HCl.
C
Made of grains of sand, cemented together. Doesn't fizz.
D
Very light, pale-coloured rock with lots of holes in it.
E
Layered rock with very thin bands.
F
Pale, made of fragments, soft, crumbles, fizzes in acid.
G
Black, very rough and porous, quite hard and heavy.
H
Black, smooth, glass-like, glass-like fracture.
22 Clean water
2 Pale blue-green solution.
3 Mixture turns cloudy and dark green-blue.
6 The green-blue sludge is on the bottom, with clear, colourless liquid on top.
7 Liquid stays colourless.
23 Growing microbes
7 Bacterial colonies look like small greasy or shiny spots (like drops of paint).
8 White, pink and yellow colonies were seen.
9 Fungal colonies look fuzzy.
10 One fungal colony has no other microbes growing closer than 1.5 cm from the fungi.
24 Attacking bacteria
Results
Antiseptic solutions
W = sterile water; D = Dettol; C = Cetrimide; L = Listerine; S = Savlon
Antibiotics:
W = sterile water; T = Tetracycline; P = Penicillin G; G = Gentamicin; C = Chloramphenicol
25 Fermentation trials
3 Flask 1: no change in flask or test tube.
Flask 2: flask contains foam, limewater in test tube has turned cloudy.
Flask 3: no change in flask or test tube.
7 Filtered solution does not burn; distillate burns.
26 Continuous variation
2
Height (cm)
165–
170–
175–
180–
185–
190–
Number of students
3
3
7
6
1
1
27 Human genetics
Why not survey the members of your household and add their characteristics to these?
Characteristic
Allele
Number Allele
Number
Dimple (dent) in chin
Dimple
0
No dimple
21
Earlobes
Attached
7
Free
13
Eyebrows-texture
Bushy
9
Fine
12
Eyebrows-length
Connected
10
Not connected
11
Freckles on face
Freckles
10
No freckles
11
Lip thickness
Thick
5
Thin
16
Cheek dimples
No dimples
13
At least one
8
Hair on middle segment of fingers
No hair
12
Hair
8
Hairline
Straight
13
V-shaped
8
Little finger
Straight
8
Bends inwards
13
Tongue rolling
Can roll tongue
15
Can't roll
tongue
6
Thumb
Curved
12
Straight
9
28 The principles of genetics
8 24 out of 42 offspring were susceptible.
29 Growth trials
Mass of fertilizer used
Mass of 5 plants trial 1
Mass of 5 plants trial 2
0.0 g
3.9 g
4.6 g
0.5 g
10.5 g
8.0 g
1.0 g
5.6 g
15.7 g
1.5 g
11.0 g
15.8 g
2.0 g
13.8 g
16.7 g
2.5 g
18.1 g
17.2 g
Average mass 5 plants
30 Switching on to circuits
5 Neither switch: neither bulb
B only: bulbs 1 and 2
A only: bulb 1
A and B: bulb 1
31 Current in series and parallel circuits
1 Position 1 = 1.5 amps; position 2 = 1.5 amps
2 Position 1 0.75 amps; position 2 = 0.75 amps; position 3 = 0.75 amps
3 The other bulb goes out.
5 Position 1 = 3.0 amps; position 2 = 1.5 amps; position 3 = 1.5 amps; position 4 = 3.0 amps
6 The other bulb stays on.
32 Voltage in series and parallel circuits
1 Position 1 = 12 volts; position 2 = 12 volts
2 Position 3 = 12 volts; position 4 = 6 volts; position 5 = 6 volts.
6 It decreases.
8 Position 6 = 12 volts; position 7 = 12 volts.
9 No change.
10 Voltage across 1 is greater than that across 2 and 3. Voltage across 2 and 3 is equal.
1+2 = 1 + 3 = supply.
33 Ohm's law
2 Results:
Current
(A)
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
Voltage
(V)
1.0
2.0
3.0
4.0
5.0
Current
(A)
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.35
Voltage
(V)
1.0
2.1
3.5
4.5
6 Results:
34 Diodes
3 a Bulb does not go b Bulb goes c Bulb goes d Bulb does not go.
4 Bulb X goes.
35 Graphing a journey
Results
Distance from
start (m)
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Time (s)
Journey 1
0
9.5
19.5 28
38
47
56.5 66.5 76.5 86
Time (s)
Journey 2
0
7.5
14.5 21
28.3 35
41.5 48.5 56
90
100
96
63.2 71
36 Testing ticker-timers
5 The spacing between the dots is greater when the tape moves faster.
6 The spacing is even for constant speed but spacing increases with acceleration.
7 Medium constant speed: all 10 strips are 6.5 cm long.
Slower constant speed: all 10 strips are 2.7 cm long.
Accelerating: strips are (in order), 0.4 cm, 0.8 cm, 1.1 cm, 1.6 cm, 1.9 cm, 2.4 cm, 2.7 cm and 3.0 cm
long.
37 Force and acceleration
6 Results
38 The inclined plane-a simple machine
Results
Slope
Straight up
4 books
3 books
2 books
1 book
Force
3.9 N
1.8 N
1.5 N
1.3 N
1.1 N
39 Personal power
Results
It took 7.1 s to lift a 5 kg stool a height of 1.05 m 10 times.
40 Heat capacity
Object
Mass (g)
Initial
temperature
of water
Maximum
temperature of
water
Glass
32.721
19 oC
24.5 oC
Iron
34.040
19 oC
21.5 oC
Greywacke
18.829
19 oC
22.5 oC
Copper
15.506
19 oC
20.0 oC
Temperature
change
Temperature
change / mass
41 Phase changes of water
2 Results
Time (minutes)
0
0.5
1.0
1.5
2.0
2.5
3.0
3.5
4.0
Temperature (oC)
0
2
2
2
2
2
3
8
14
Time (minutes)
0
0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5
Temperature (oC)
35
38
42
Time (minutes)
5.0
5.5
6.0
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
9.0
Temperature (oC)
95
99
100
100
100
100
100
100
100
5 Results
48
54
61
67
75
82
90
42 Convection
3 The two liquids mix, forming a pale pink solution.
4 The hot, coloured water stays on top: there is no mixing.
8 A purple trail moves straight up from the crystals. When it reaches the top of the liquid it moves across,
then curves down on the far side of the beaker.
43 Conduction
3 First the wax closest to the flame softened, melted and dropped off, then the wax blob in the middle
melted and dropped off, and finally the wax blob on the far end melted.
4 copper, aluminium, iron, glass
7 Even though the water at the top of the tube is boiling, the ice does not melt.
44 Experimental design: radiation
5 Silver flask: start temperature = 83 oC, finish temperature = 60 oC
Black flask: start temperature = 79 oC, finish temperature = 52 oC
10 Silver flask: start temperature = 19 oC, finish temperature = 20 oC
Black flask: start temperature = 19 oC, finish temperature = 27 oC