Calculus Project Ideas: Chemistry Applications

In summary: you could study the rate of a reaction in an organism, like how enzymes affect the metabolism of ethanol in humans. you could also look at the relationship between chemical kinetics and enzyme kinetics since they are related. using calculus, you could also model the populations of different species in a biological system, taking into account factors like death, diseases, food, and environment. another option would be to use titration and take first and second derivatives to determine end-points for weak acid/base reactions. there are many possibilities, so choose something that interests you and have fun with it.
  • #1
lifesciencesam
1
0
Hello I am in a life science calculus two class and in lieu of a final we can do a project. The problem I am having is coming up with a project. I was just wondering if anyone had any good ideas for applying calculus to chemisty. I have attempted to do something with titrations but the function I came up only worked under one circumstance. Any suggestions are welcomed.
Thanks,
Sam
 
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  • #2
do some rate laws.

given a reaction say aA+bB----> cC

the rate of the reaction r=-1/a*d[A]/dT=-1/b d/dT=1/c*d[C]/dT

where d[]/dT is the rate of change in the concentration of the starting materials or the products.



since you are in the biological sciences, you could easily relate this to the study of enzymes which are extremely important in living organisms. You could study a chemical reaction that occurs in a biological organism, like what happens to ethanol when humans consume it, try to come up with a rate law, and talk about how things like how liver enzymes affect the rate of the metabolism of ethanol into vinegar. enzyme kinetics are related to chemical kinetics and have been studied a lot so you shouldn't have that much trouble trying to find info on it.
 
  • #3
lifesciencesam said:
Hello I am in a life science calculus two class and in lieu of a final we can do a project. The problem I am having is coming up with a project. I was just wondering if anyone had any good ideas for applying calculus to chemisty. I have attempted to do something with titrations but the function I came up only worked under one circumstance. Any suggestions are welcomed.
Thanks,
Sam

What "kind" of math (calculus) you want to use in your project?
PDE is often used in biology to solve the problem about spcies vs species, predator vs. prey ... That's pretty cool when you can add some factors like death, diseases, food, environment into the equation and observe what's going on, how the populations of species change ...
Titration is also intersting. You can titrate a weak acid/base, then draw the graph. The take first derivatives/2nd derivatives to find end-points? That what's the sophomore/junior students usually do in quatitative lab.

Hope that there is some ideas that you are interested.
 
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  • #4
enzyme kinetics is always a fun project.
 

Related to Calculus Project Ideas: Chemistry Applications

1. What are some applications of calculus in chemistry?

Calculus is used in chemistry to study rates of reactions, equilibrium, and thermodynamics. It is also used to understand the behavior of molecules and atoms, and to analyze data from experiments.

2. How can calculus be used to predict chemical reactions?

Calculus is used to calculate reaction rates and determine the rate law of a chemical reaction. By analyzing these rates, scientists can predict the outcome of a chemical reaction and understand the factors that affect it.

3. Can calculus be used to study the behavior of molecules?

Yes, calculus is used in molecular dynamics simulations to study the motion and behavior of molecules. It is also used to analyze data from spectroscopy experiments, which can provide information about the structure and dynamics of molecules.

4. How does calculus play a role in understanding thermodynamics?

Calculus is used to calculate thermodynamic properties such as entropy, enthalpy, and free energy. These properties are essential for understanding the behavior of chemical systems and predicting the direction of a reaction.

5. Are there any real-world applications of calculus in chemistry?

Yes, there are many real-world applications of calculus in chemistry, such as in pharmaceutical drug design, environmental studies, and materials science. Calculus is also used to optimize industrial processes and design new products.

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