BTEC Assignment Brief
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Applied
Qualification
Science
Unit number and title Unit 2: Practical Scientific Procedures and
Techniques
Learning aim(s) (For NQF B: Undertake calorimetry to study cooling curves.
only)
Keeping up the standards
Assignment title
Assessor
10th October 2022
Issue date
21st October 2022
Hand in deadline
You are a newly appointed technical assistant at a large
chemical plant, Chemcalequip. As part of your induction
period and to progress in your role, you must demonstrate
skills in a range of practical procedures and techniques. Part
of your role is to ensure equipment is calibrated and
Vocational Scenario or equipment and chemicals are safety checked.
Context You need to demonstrate your ability to use a calorimeter
and associated equipment to obtain data to determine,
analyse and evaluate the rate of cooling of substances. You
will need to present evidence of your practical skills analysis
and evaluation in a report.
Task 1 Produce a report to evaluate the accuracy of your
practical work in calorimetry.
Ensure you have checked the calibration of a digital and
liquid thermometer before use. Draw conclusions about any
thermometer that may not be properly calibrated.
You will need to demonstrate that you can correctly
select appropriate equipment and set it up.
Use the equipment safely to heat the solid
substance(s) to above the melting point, measure
temperature, at appropriate intervals as it cools and
record the data in a table of your own design.
Use the data to construct cooling curves for two
substances (stearic acid and paraffin wax.)
When planning your data collection, you may wish to
consider the following factors:
o amount of substance used (mass/volume)
o how cooling will occur (in air, water)
o surface area of the container(s)
o type of thermometer
o lid/no lid
Use the graphs you have constructed to accurately
determine the rate of cooling near the start and
demonstrate the ability to draw a tangent to the curve and
find its gradient. Draw valid conclusions about the rate of
cooling near the start, end and where the rate appears to
, have changed dramatically in between.
Evaluate the accuracy of your practical work in relation to
the analysis of the cooling curves and the equipment and
methods you used. This should include
a description of the patterns and trends seen
a comparison of your results to published data and
class values.
an analysis of how the rate of cooling is related to
intermolecular forces and the state of the
substances.
an explanation of why it may be necessary to make
changes to procedures in order to reduce levels of
uncertainty.
Checklist of evidence A report, evaluating the accuracy of the cooling curve
required experiment to include:
A set of results from checking the calibration of
thermometers.
A table of time/temperature data and graphs of temperature
against time for two substances cooling.
Calculations and analysis of the rate of cooling at points on
the graphs.
An observation report of the investigation including
calibration of thermometers completed by the tutor.
Criteria covered by this task:
Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Evaluate the accuracy of practical work in calorimetry in relation to the
B.D2
analysis of the cooling curve.
Analyse the rate of cooling of substances from your
B.M2
data using cooling curves to draw valid conclusions.
Correctly obtain data using different equipment to construct cooling
B.P3
curves.
Correctly determine the rate of cooling of substances using cooling
B.P4
curves.
Sources of information http://www.chemteam.info/Thermochem/Determine-
to support you with Specific-Heat.html
this Assignment
http://www.virtlab.com/main.aspx
http://www.chem.illinois.edu/CLCTutorials/104/Calorimetry/
SeeIt.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZuU8BGj3uY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAgbknIDKNo
http://www.rsc.org/
Above are some examples of websites. Further
useful resources may be found at:
http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/
published-resources.html#step1
2
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Applied
Qualification
Science
Unit number and title Unit 2: Practical Scientific Procedures and
Techniques
Learning aim(s) (For NQF B: Undertake calorimetry to study cooling curves.
only)
Keeping up the standards
Assignment title
Assessor
10th October 2022
Issue date
21st October 2022
Hand in deadline
You are a newly appointed technical assistant at a large
chemical plant, Chemcalequip. As part of your induction
period and to progress in your role, you must demonstrate
skills in a range of practical procedures and techniques. Part
of your role is to ensure equipment is calibrated and
Vocational Scenario or equipment and chemicals are safety checked.
Context You need to demonstrate your ability to use a calorimeter
and associated equipment to obtain data to determine,
analyse and evaluate the rate of cooling of substances. You
will need to present evidence of your practical skills analysis
and evaluation in a report.
Task 1 Produce a report to evaluate the accuracy of your
practical work in calorimetry.
Ensure you have checked the calibration of a digital and
liquid thermometer before use. Draw conclusions about any
thermometer that may not be properly calibrated.
You will need to demonstrate that you can correctly
select appropriate equipment and set it up.
Use the equipment safely to heat the solid
substance(s) to above the melting point, measure
temperature, at appropriate intervals as it cools and
record the data in a table of your own design.
Use the data to construct cooling curves for two
substances (stearic acid and paraffin wax.)
When planning your data collection, you may wish to
consider the following factors:
o amount of substance used (mass/volume)
o how cooling will occur (in air, water)
o surface area of the container(s)
o type of thermometer
o lid/no lid
Use the graphs you have constructed to accurately
determine the rate of cooling near the start and
demonstrate the ability to draw a tangent to the curve and
find its gradient. Draw valid conclusions about the rate of
cooling near the start, end and where the rate appears to
, have changed dramatically in between.
Evaluate the accuracy of your practical work in relation to
the analysis of the cooling curves and the equipment and
methods you used. This should include
a description of the patterns and trends seen
a comparison of your results to published data and
class values.
an analysis of how the rate of cooling is related to
intermolecular forces and the state of the
substances.
an explanation of why it may be necessary to make
changes to procedures in order to reduce levels of
uncertainty.
Checklist of evidence A report, evaluating the accuracy of the cooling curve
required experiment to include:
A set of results from checking the calibration of
thermometers.
A table of time/temperature data and graphs of temperature
against time for two substances cooling.
Calculations and analysis of the rate of cooling at points on
the graphs.
An observation report of the investigation including
calibration of thermometers completed by the tutor.
Criteria covered by this task:
Unit/Criteria
To achieve the criteria you must show that you are able to:
reference
Evaluate the accuracy of practical work in calorimetry in relation to the
B.D2
analysis of the cooling curve.
Analyse the rate of cooling of substances from your
B.M2
data using cooling curves to draw valid conclusions.
Correctly obtain data using different equipment to construct cooling
B.P3
curves.
Correctly determine the rate of cooling of substances using cooling
B.P4
curves.
Sources of information http://www.chemteam.info/Thermochem/Determine-
to support you with Specific-Heat.html
this Assignment
http://www.virtlab.com/main.aspx
http://www.chem.illinois.edu/CLCTutorials/104/Calorimetry/
SeeIt.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZuU8BGj3uY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAgbknIDKNo
http://www.rsc.org/
Above are some examples of websites. Further
useful resources may be found at:
http://qualifications.pearson.com/en/support/
published-resources.html#step1
2
