Need Guidance in a Chemistry Related Project

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a high school student's search for guidance on a chemistry project. The student expresses uncertainty about potential topics and seeks suggestions that align with the project requirements, which include using scientific publications and focusing on chemistry. Areas of interest mentioned include biochemical, nuclear, and energy-related fields.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • The student is considering researching chemical reactions in the brain but finds it challenging due to a lack of resources and knowledge.
  • One participant suggests a computational project if the student has access to Gaussian software, which is deemed approachable.
  • Another participant proposes discussing the different phases of water, mentioning ongoing research into water bonding and the water hexamer structure.
  • The student expresses interest in nanotechnology and its connection to chemistry, seeking additional resources on the topic.
  • A later reply highlights recent work by Dan Nocera at MIT on generating hydrogen by splitting water as a potential project idea.
  • The student ultimately decides to focus on nuclear fusion, intending to explore its connection to the sun and future energy applications.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants provide various suggestions and ideas, but there is no consensus on a single project topic. Multiple competing views and suggestions remain throughout the discussion.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects the student's need for clarity on project requirements and the types of publications expected. There are also uncertainties regarding the depth of research needed for the chosen topic.

Who May Find This Useful

High school students seeking project ideas in chemistry, educators looking for examples of student inquiries, and individuals interested in the intersection of chemistry with other scientific fields such as nanotechnology and energy.

roym6
Messages
11
Reaction score
0
Hello,
I am a student with a chemistry project. However, I am not quite sure what I would like to do the project on. I am fairly ignorant when it comes the recent findings and happenings of the chemistry world. Some of my areas of interest would be biochemical, nuclear, and energy related fields. However, I should probably tell you my prompt :D

-The project should use science publications/journals
-The project must focus on chemistry, deviation will result in loss of points
-Presentation should be 15 minutes long and have an introduction as well as a discussion of the specifics

Basically, what I'm asking for are some suggestions for a project and a nudge in the general direction(links to journals and publishings).

One of my first ideas was to research chemical reactions that occur in the brain, but I wasn't able to find many articles that went into detail as well as my lack of in-depth knowledge on the workings of the brain. So I'm looking for something a bit simpler, unless someone can point me to some articles and help clear up the questions that I have.

If you need me to clear up questions surrounding the project please feel free to ask.

PS I didn't know if this could be posted in the Chemistry forum so I posted in the HW help section. If a moderator could please move it to the correct location if this is not it, it would be greatly appreciated.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
This is for a college class, yes? If so, your school has access to, say, Gaussian? If so, you could do a computational project. Those are very approachable.
 
No, I probably should have specified, forgive me. I am a junior in High school. My resources are the internet, the library, and my Thomson 8th Edition Chemistry book.
 
roym6 said:
No, I probably should have specified, forgive me. I am a junior in High school. My resources are the internet, the library, and my Thomson 8th Edition Chemistry book.
I just figured if they wanted you to use publications/journals it meant college. Did your teacher give an example of the journals she expects you to use?

You could look through 'Science' for topics that interest you. Those are nontechnical journals.

Another project idea is to discuss water and its different forms. Water is known to have about (dont quote me on the exact number) 17 different phases and there is currently a lot of research into figuring out more about how water bonds in bulk. One interesting example is the water hexamer (H2O)6 - it's the smallest water network that has a cage structure as a stable state.
 
Jorriss said:
I just figured if they wanted you to use publications/journals it meant college. Did your teacher give an example of the journals she expects you to use?

You could look through 'Science' for topics that interest you. Those are nontechnical journals.

Another project idea is to discuss water and its different forms. Water is known to have about (dont quote me on the exact number) 17 different phases and there is currently a lot of research into figuring out more about how water bonds in bulk. One interesting example is the water hexamer (H2O)6 - it's the smallest water network that has a cage structure as a stable state.

Well, it is an AP class so that might be the reason why.

Well, he asks for original journal article references, I'm not 100% sure on what that might mean.

Thanks for the suggestion, I will definitely look into it. However, if you have another suggestion then please post it, the more the merrier :D
 
As I was researching I came across an article that mentioned nano-techonology, and I wanted to know if there is a link between chemistry and nanotechnology. Any input would be appreciated, especially links to journals or articles.

Thank you.Edit: I have finally decided on a subject-Nuclear Fusion. I will ask my teacher how in-depth my project will have to be, but i want to tie in the sun and future use of nuclear fusion for energy.
 
Last edited:
Last edited by a moderator:
That looks very interesting! Although your second link doesn't work.
 
Link corrected.
 

Similar threads

Chemistry projects that I can create at home
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
4K
Graduate Need guidance for using and understanding NuShellX
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Chemistry How Much Baking Soda Is Needed for a Perfect Reaction with Vinegar?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
4K
Programs What is an appropriate way of asking a professor for a project?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Seeking Guidance on Internal Floating Roof Tank Construction with Dome Roof
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
Python Looking for guidance on my final project
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
Recommendation for project related to thermodynamics
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
Schools What are some good science fair project ideas or resources?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
5K
Chemistry Finding the molecular formula of an unknown hydrocarbon
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
MHB Choosing a Project: My Criteria and Friends' Examples
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K