Internal Assessment

The IA investigation allows a student to carry out an inquiry on a topic of their own choice.
The investigation aims to:

Develop research and writing skills

Foster a journey of intellectual discovery

Foster creativity

Provide students with an opportunity to apply their skills and knowledge

Provide students with an opportunity to pursue a topic of personal interest

Reinforce Chemistry concepts and principles

Develop an appreciation for how scientists use of data and models,

Develop an appreciation for the benefits and limitations of science.

Make local and/or global connections

Contents
Internal Assessment................................................................................................... 1
Skills required.......................................................................................................... 1
Methods of collecting data for Chemistry IA............................................................2
Topic & Research question....................................................................................... 2
Part 1: Choosing a topic....................................................................................... 2
Part 2: The research question..............................................................................2
Common errors made by students.......................................................................3
Differences between an extended essay (EE) and an IA......................................4
Feasibility Study- Is your investigation feasible?..................................................4
Structure of Written Report..................................................................................... 5
Introduction.......................................................................................................... 5
Methodology........................................................................................................ 5
Safety/ethical considerations...............................................................................6
Data Collection..................................................................................................... 6
Data Processing.................................................................................................... 8
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Evaluation............................................................................................................ 9
Conclusion.......................................................................................................... 10
Layout................................................................................................................... 10

Skills required
So what skills are required? Remember too that many of these skills will also be required for
Extended Essay (even if it is not in Chemistry) and later at university or other forms of
higher education. The IB is about life-long learning!
General skills including
communication

Identification and use of independent,

dependent and controlled variables

The collection of relevant, reliable and

sufficient data

Accurate and careful note taking

Essay or extended laboratory report

writing

Consistent use of accurate and

scientific terminology (i.e. SI units)

Correct use of labels, units and decimal

points applied to tables of data

Academic honesty, use of citations and

referencing sources

Estimation of total uncertainties in

measurements

Setting out the data processing in a

logical coherent way

Use of conventions in graph plotting

Accurate and appropriate analysis

Justifying a trend or hypothesis from

analysed data

Personal engagement and exploration

Research skills (library, Internet,

journals etc.)
Awareness and adherence to Health
and Safety considerations (risk
assessment)

IB ethical experimentation policy

Stating a sharply focused research

question

Choice of appropriate
apparatus/secondary sources together
with associated uncertainties

Analysis and interpretation

Conclusion and evaluation

Explaining a trend using underlying

scientific concepts

Considering the impact of total

uncertainty in measurements

Relating a trend or experimental result

to the research question

Identifying limitations in recorded data

Identifying limitations of the method

and apparatus

Suggesting realistic improvements

Methods of collecting data for Chemistry IA

A laboratory investigation using a hands-on approach.

Analysis and/or modelling using spreadsheets.
Using a database to extract information leading to graphical analysis.
a hybrid of the above three, i.e. using a spreadsheet or database together with a
more traditional hands-on investigation
The use of an interactive and open-ended simulation.

Note that some of the tasks could consist of appropriate and relevant qualitative chemistry
that is also combined with quantitative chemistry.

Topic & Research question

Part 1: Choosing a topic
Your topic needs to explore Chemistry concepts and principles at a depth that is appropriate
for higher or standard level and allow for a feasible investigation to be carried out. You may
explore an everyday application of chemistry or base your investigation on chemical models
or theories.
To evaluate whether your topic makes Chemistry connections think about the following:
1. Does it relate to a topic you have learned in class or is it an extension of class work?
2. What are the relevant chapters/pages in your IB Chemistry textbook?
3. What techniques / skills are involved?
4. Did the idea come from a Chemistry related blog, website, journal, magazine
If your topic extends beyond what you have learned in class you will need to be prepared to
do some additional learning in order to understand the concepts involved and how to apply
them to your topic.

Part 2: The research question

A topic is focused when it is has a focused and clear research question.
The research question may be phrased as a statement of a question. If the research
question is split into two or more parts this could still be considered focused if the parts are
clearly two parts of the same whole and the aim of the research clearly defined.

For example, consider a student whose favorite desert is ice cream and jelly. He was
interested in the dyes used to color the jelly and wondered whether different brands used
the same dye . The type of thought processes that he went through to arrive first for the
topic of the essay and then a sharply focused research question are shown below. Notice
how it took six attempts to get a focused question.
1. Chemical analysis of jelly far too broad
2. Analysis of red dyes in strawberry jelly still far too broad
3. Analysis of red dyes used in strawberry jelly crystals using chromatography better
but still too broad.
4. Analysis of red dyes in strawberry jelly crystal using Chromatography getting
better; nearly there.
5. Analysis of red dyes in strawberry jelly crystals using paper Chromatography almost
there
6. The analysis of the red dye in different brands of strawberry jelly crystals using paper
chromatography Topic is now focused
The research question may be phrased as a statement or a question. For example,
Determining the best conditions for tooth whitening using hydrogen peroxide is just as
acceptable as What are the best conditions for the whitening of teeth by hydrogen
peroxide?
If the research question is split into two or more parts this could still be considered focused if
the parts are clearly two parts of the same whole and the aim of the research clearly defined

Common errors made by students

Forgetting to include the Research Question in the introduction.

Not stating the Research Question clearly.

Stating multiple Research Questions.

Stating a Research Question that is too broad

Stating a Research Question in a subject other than Chemistry.

Stating a Research Question which does not lend itself to a systematic investigation.

Examples of Research Questions

.some bad ones

The history of war gases.

How do different salts affect the freezing point of water?

Does coffee contain more caffeine than tea?

Investigating an aspect of the rate of the reaction between magnesium and

hydrochloric acid.

A comparison of biodiesels with diesel.

and some good ones

How does the concentration of caffeine affect the rate of decomposition of hydrogen
peroxide in liver in the presence of paracetamol.

The use of isotope ratio mass spectrometry to detect whether five specific
commercial types of fruit juices have been adulterated with high fructose corn syrup.

How effective is boric acid as a flame retardant for the brush fences commonly used
around houses in Victoria, Australia?

Is there a difference in the total antioxidant ability between garlic grown organically
and garlic grown commercially?

A comparison between three different methods to determine the amount of Al 3+ ions

in deodorants in order to determine which is the most accurate.

Which is the most effective at reducing apple browning salt, vinegar or lemon juice
and at what concentration?

The effect of pH on the mechanism of the Cu2+ catalysed oxidation of vitamin C.

The IA investigation is flexible and allows students to select their own topic, place their
research in a cultural context, and draw closer connections to the local community or
environment. For example in their internally assessed investigations

A student in Greece wanted to make soap to sell at the schools annual fund raising
fair. After making the soap and evaluating its effectiveness she was able to
recommend the best brand of olive oil for soap making.

A student in China was concerned about water pollution. He chose to investigate how
thermal pollution affects the dissolved oxygen concentration in a canal water near his
home.

A student from Korea investigated the effect of fermentation time on the pH of

kimchi, a fermented cabbage dish that is an important part of Korean culture.

Note: Any investigation that is to be used to assess students should be

specifically designed to match the assessment criteria.

Differences between an extended essay (EE) and an IA

The EE is a formal research paper that involves a literature review and primary data
sources to guide the research. The IA is a practical investigation / inquiry that uses
theoretical and practical skills to investigate a topic of interest.

In the EE students are assessed on the range of sources they use to develop their
argument whereas in the IA the students use background information to show their
understanding of the scientific context for the work.

The EE represents 40 hours and the IA 10 hours of work.

The IA criteria are Science specific. The EE criteria are the same across all disciplines,
but viewed with a subject specific lens.

The IA need only be at the level of the course the student is taking (but going beyond
is OK too), while the EE must go beyond the syllabus.

An EE is 4000 words (excluding tables, graphs, images, calculations). The IA is 6-12

pages (including tables, graphs, images, calculations)

Feasibility Study- Is your investigation feasible?

You might like to use the following check list. If your topic / question does not meet the
criteria then you may need to choose another investigation or find a way to modify so that
it is feasible.
1. Do you understand the scientific context of the investigation?
2. What kind of experiment will you conduct? Experiments can be traditional ones done
in the lab or could involve collecting data from databases, simulations/virtual
experiments.
3. Is the experiment sophisticated enough for IB level (SL or HL)
4. Does the method allow you to generate sufficient relevant data (generate graphs,
and analysis that shows pattern/trends in the data)?
5. Do you know what type of data you will collect?
6. Do you know what measuring device/s you need to collect the data? Are they
available?
7. Do you know chemicals, equipment, and materials you need? Are they available?

8. Do you need to learn any special practical techniques or how to use specialized
equipment?
9. Have you done a risk assessment? What safety precautions are needed? Have you
reviewed the material safety data for any chemicals you plan to use. An unsafe
experiment would be one that uses or produces toxic substances, uses concentrated
solutions (acids and bases) and is highly exothermic.
10. Will the action phase (set-up, preparation and data collection) will take 6-10 hours to
complete.
11. Are there any ethical considerations?
NOTE: An experiment where the outcome is already known and an experiment that is
replicated without any modification is not suitable for investigation

Structure of Written Report

Introduction

Context Why are you interested in this topic?

Thesis What approach/direction is your investigation is going to take. It should make

the intention of the research clear, and relate directly to the research question.

Statement of the Research Question

Prediction
In the prediction knowledge of the concepts and principles relevant to the question are used
to predict the expectation/outcome of the investigation.

The prediction needs to fit existing scientific theories, models, principles, concepts,
ideas.

Chemical equations / sketch graphs / equations should be used where relevant to

show the expected results, trends and patterns.

The prediction should be explained (briefly) so as to demonstrate an understanding

of the reason behind it.

Predictions can be written in the form of a proposed relationship

If the _______ increases, then the _______ will decrease, because . . . (explain why)

Methodology
The method is assessed under the exploration criterion. In the method you describe the
procedure you followed to collect the data and explain the reasons why you did what you
did.

A strong method will

Use concepts and techniques appropriate to Diploma level.

Show how you have made the procedure your own.

Be reproducible (successfully repeated by others).

show how the controlled variables will be monitored / controlled

Make it clear the type and frequency of data to be collected.

Plan to collect sufficient relevant data.

Supports a conclusion that is relevant to the research question and supported by the
data collected.

Provide evidence of a clear understanding of the issues involved and any

modification made to the procedure of method of data collection.

Safety/ethical considerations
Safety precautions needed when carrying out the investigation and in handling any of the
chemicals and equipment and disposal of wastes needs to be clearly identified.
Typical considerations of safety, ethical and environmental issues in Chemistry that it is
reasonable to expect a student to consider are:

The safe handling or equipment and chemicals such as caution when working
with exothermic reactions, using heat sources, diluting concentrated acids and bases,
working with flammables.

The correct disposal of wastes.

A judicious consumption of materials.

Data Collection
Data collection is assessed under the analysis criterion. In thinking about the data
collection
consider the extent to which

You have considered how to minimize the type and magnitude of the systematic and
random errors in your measurements.

You have planned to collect sufficient relevant quantitative and qualitative raw data
to support a detailed and valid conclusion to the research question.

The raw data recorded has associated units, uncertainties and is reported with
consistent precision.

The data collected needs to be relevant to the research question

Qualitative data needs to contain sufficient detail of chemical/physical changes

taking place.
o

This would include: color changes, change of state, odor, gas being produced
(and the relative rate at which it is evolved), solid reactant disappears,
temperature change, solid precipitated. In titrations the color change as the
end point is approached and the final end point color is required. Photographs
and labelled diagrams should be used where appropriate to aid interpretation.

If your inquiry involves using secondary data from data bases there would be
no relevant qualitative data to record.

ALL raw quantitative data collected needs to be presented, with units of

measurement (SI units), uncertainty and consistent precision.

Repeat measurements (trials) have been planned.

There should be no variation in the precision of the raw data measured with the same
instrument. The data value(s) must be recorded to the same precision as the random
error.

Presenting tables
There are many ways to present tables and include:

Column headings include units and uncertainties in measurement

Data to be compared is placed next to one another to make interpretation easy

Table caption/heading

there are borders/lines around text and numerical data;

the table does not run over two pages;

the table contains only one data measurement per cell;

Calculations are not shown in the table. Place them under the table;

the text and data is centered and rows and columns evenly distributed;

an appropriate size so that they can be read clearly;

11-12 point font;

consistent font type;

a descriptive caption/heading and numbered consecutively within the report.

Table 1: A table showing

The caption / heading is placed above the graph

The caption/heading should be font size 11 (smaller than the font used in the graph)

Note: Tables can contain both raw and processed data.

Presenting Graphs
There are many ways to present graphs, but some include:

labeled axes;

units of measurement and uncertainty for each variable (in brackets);

an appropriate scale for the data it should reflect the precision in the data being
plotted and where possible the intervals of measurement used;

accurately plotted data points that fill the plot area;

a key/legend if there are two or more sets of data on the same graph is clear (or
series deleted from excel graphs if there is only one set of data);

an appropriate size so that they can be read clearly;

an 11-12 point font;

consistent font type;

a descriptive caption/heading. Graphs are called figures and are numbered

consecutively within the report. Figure 1: A (graph/diagram/picture) showing ;

a caption / heading placed below the graph;

a caption/heading that has a font size of 11 (or one point smaller than the font used
in the graph)

More about graphs

All graphs need an appropriate best-fit straight or curved line connecting the points.
o

For linear relationships plot an x-y scatter graph (without a line joining the
points) and then fit a best fit trend line

For curved relationships plot an x-y scatter graphs (without a line joining the
points) and draw a smooth curved line of best fit through the points.

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For linear relationships the R-squared, R2 (coefficient of determination) can be

calculated. The R-squared value measures of the strength of a linear relationship and
ranges from 0 to 1. An R-squared of 1 can be interpreted to mean that there is a
strong positive linear association between the x and y variable. The line fits 100% of
the variation in the dependent variable. When R-squared value is -1 there is a strong
negative linear association. When the R-squared is 0 there is not a linear association
between the x and y variables. NOTE: An R-squared does not allow one to make
cause and effect judgments because it does not indicate whether a regression model
is adequate. You can have a low R-squared value for a good model, or a high Rsquared value for a model that does not fit the data. Although R-squared is handy
and seemingly intuitive method of showing how well a linear model fits a set of
observations, it doesnt really show the complete picture and so it should be used in
conjunction subject knowledge in order to have a better analysis of the data.

Error bars can be plotted to show the uncertainty associated with the the x or y
axis. Typically they are shown for the measured /calculated value / y axis. Error bars
can be for fixed values and fixed percentages or customized to reflect different
absolute uncertainties for y. Both Excel and Logger Pro can plot error bars.

Show the equation of the line. The y-intercept can be determined and what it tells
you about the reliability of the data analyzed

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Data Processing
Data processing is assessed under the analysis criterion. In thinking about the data
processing
consider the extent to which- you have processed the raw data correctly and completely so
that a conclusion to the research question can be drawn and you have considered the
impact of measurement uncertainty on the analysis.

Have you used an appropriate method(s) for analyzing the data?

Have you analyzed the data fully?

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Is the data analysis sophisticated enough so that a full range of processing skills is
shown (calculations, graphs, and error propagation)?

Is the analysis accompanied by an appropriate consideration of uncertainties?

Are tables, graphs and images presented appropriately?

Have you used the correct scientific conventions, including appreciation of decimal
places, significant figures, and uncertainties where appropriate?

Has the processed data been correctly interpreted so that a completely valid
conclusion to the research question can be deduced?

It is unlikely that the processed data will achieve in 5-6 mark band if the interpretation of the
results is over stated. E.g. making a claim that there is a positive linear relationship when
the data does not necessarily show this.

Evaluation
The evaluation is assessed under the evaluation criteria. It has three parts: the scientific
context, methodological issues and improvements.
Scientific context

Describes how the conclusion relates to relevant literature / theory / accepted values.

Uses the literature / what it known / accepted values to prove / show / account for /
provide support for the conclusion (justification).

Using evidence comments on the accuracy (evidence can include % error, yintercept, equation of the line) and precision (evidence can include % uncertainty,
range of trials).

If there is no literature value available, the findings are connected to what is known
about the topic.

Methodological Issues

Understands the strengths, associated with the methodology, collection or processing

of the data.

Understands the sources of experimental error and other issues associated with the
methodology, data collection and processing of the data.
o

Evidence is used to deduce whether the experimental errors are primarily

systematic or random.

Errors are correctly identified as being systematic or random

Errors identified are consistent with the findings

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Discusses the nature of each error by explaining its impact / effect on the reliability of
the findings and conclusion.

Improvements

Describes realistic improvements / solutions / resolutions. The reason for suggesting

these improvements is supported by appropriate evidence.

The potential implication of these modifications on the findings is discussed. How will
they bring the experimental results closer to what is expected?

Describes a realistic and relevant extension to the investigation. The extension needs
to follow on from the research in a meaningful way.

Discusses how the extension will enhance understanding of the topic / research. It is
clear why knowing this may be important.

Conclusion
The conclusion is assessed under the evaluation criterion. The conclusion needs to sum
up / give a description of what data analysis showed as it relates to the research question.
Needs to be consistent with the findings and/ or evidence. A strong conclusion will:
1. Restate the research question
2. Interpret the result / trends.
3. Be consistent with the evidence provided and respond to the research question. An
alternative conclusion and explanation is offered should a careful examination of the
facts warrant this
4. Compare the expected and actual results and reaches a conclusion as to whether the
results support or refute the initial prediction.
5. Use the processed data to prove / show / provide support for the conclusion
(justification).
6. Use the literature / what it known / accepted values to prove / show / account for /
provide support for the conclusion (justification).
7. Demonstrate an understanding of the implications of the research. What are the
ramifications/a suggestion/a broader idea resulting from what has been learned. The
so what?
8. Not introduce new ideas or ideas that are not consistent with the evidence presented.

Layout

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As a guide, an approximate % of
the word count might be

Section headings and subheadings

o

Main headings need to be bold,

and centered.

Sub headings are aligned to

the left and bold.

Intro and research question 10%

Background 15%

Methodology 20%

12 pt font

Data Collection/Analysis 10%

0.8 or 1 margin (top, bottom, left,

right)

Evaluation 25%

Conclusion 20%

A title page and table of contents is is

not required.

Bibliography of works cited is at the

end of the report

APA formatting is used consistently,

evidenced by the use of in-text
citations, quotation marks and a
reference list. Note: Literature values,
images, and background information,
class notes, textbooks, and other ideas
taken from webpages need to be
acknowledged.

Word count is given under the last line,

but before the reference list.

A well laid out paper will contain:

Name, and date on top right hand

corner of page one.

Pages numbered on the top right hand

side of every page

At the top of page one is the title and

underneath the research question.

1.5 spacing between word-processed

text (not for tables, graphs,
calculations, formulas)

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