Course: Science 09

GRADE 9 LAB SKILLS EXPLORATION

Objective:
• Students will familiarize themselves with some of the laboratory equipment available to them and
conduct an experiment that demonstrates the use of that equipment effectively.

Learning Goals
• Practice valuable lab skills going into grade 10
• Become familiar with specific lab equipment and materials
• Present scientific findings to a group of peers

Task Description
• Research scientific equipment
• Demonstrate the use of some scientific equipment in an experimental setting
• Keep a process journal of your progress

Further information:

Knowing what equipment and resources are available to you will be essential in higher grades as you do more
and more independent work. As you design more complex and elaborate experiments, you need a good
understanding of the materials that can support this, and you need knowledge how the equipment is used in a
lab setting.

You will first have to research a variety of scientific equipment. This includes identifying the equipment,
researching how it is used safely, and researching possible uses for the equipment.
You will then focus on one piece of equipment and create a presentation to demonstrate the ability and
possible uses of that equipment.

Your presentation should include data that allows others to see the full range of possibilities of your chosen
equipment. This should include various trials and variables to show how it could relate to scientific
investigations. Collecting data is essential in investigating the uses of your equipment.
Throughout the process, you will keep a process journal of your progress. This will include whether you are
meeting your objectives, what plans you have, how well you are working towards your goals, and any other
reflections you have along the way.

Process journal
You can edit your own objectives based on your progress and your work. The objectives here are just a suggestion
of how you could organize your time. You should add extra details to the process journal.

The reflection could be personal, content-based, or any questions or thoughts you have along the way.
- Did you meet your objective?
- Did you change anything about your objective? Why?
- What did you learn specifically about the equipment / data? Generally, about the topic / science?
- How well did you work independently? As a group member?

You should spend 5~10 minutes at the end of each class to work on your process journal
Process Journal and possible timeline

Day Objective Reflection

1 Research

2 Planning

3 Planning

4 Planning

5 Collecting data

6 Collecting data

7 Collecting data

8 Preparing
presentation

9 Preparing
presentation

10 Preparing
presentation

11 Presentations

12 Presentations
Part 1: Research:

Below is a list of scientific equipment available for use. Complete the table using any research resources available
to you. Your experiment may use more than one piece of equipment. Similar equipment are listed in the same
box. You may use these separately or combine them in a novel way.
You may add extra equipment if you wish.

Equipment Research

Name of Picture or diagram The science behind the Possible uses (what
equipment equipment (how does it experiments or
work?) investigations could this
be used for?)
Gas sensor/ Measuring carbon dioxide is light hits an optical filter
Oxygen sensor/ important in monitoring that absorbs every
CO2 sensor indoor air quality wavelength of light except
the exact wavelength
absorbed by CO2. This is
used for experiments like
infrared gas sensors

Emission and absorption lines are where spectrophotometer is an

Absorbance light has been absorbed by the machine that measures the
Spectrophotometer atom thus you see a dip in the amount of photons (the
spectrum whereas emission intensity of light) absorbed
spectra have spikes in the after it passes through sample
spectra due to atoms releasing solution UV-visible
photons at those wavelengths. spectrophotometer: uses light
over the ultraviolet range (185
- 400 nm) and visible range
(400 - 700 nm) of
electromagnetic radiation
spectrum

Motion Sensor Detects body heat (infrared Most widely used

energy). motion in home security
systems.

Light sensor detect the current ambient Uses to check the light how
UVB sensor light level bright something is for
how bright/dark it is. example light bulb

Quadrats A quadrat is a frame, Used in ecology to test the

traditionally square, used distribution
in ecology and geography
to isolate a standard unit of
area for study of the
distribution of an item
Force Sensor/ are a polymer thick film Used to find what force is
Hand Dynamometer (PTF) device which placed on something
exhibits a decrease in
resistance with an increase
in the force applied to the
active surface.

pH sensor A pH meter takes

advantage of this and
works like a voltmeter: it
measures the voltage
(electrical potential)
produced by the solution
whose acidity we're
interested in

Spirometer/ Measures volume of air

Chestbelt inspired and expired by the
Transmitter lungs

Calorimeter device used to measure

either specific heat
capacity or the amount of
energy produced or
absorbed in a chemical
reaction

Bacterial Colony Biological procedures

counter often rely on an accurate
count of bacterial colonies
and cells

Spectrophotometer used to measure the

concentration of solutes in
solution by measuring the
amount of the light that is
absorbed by the solution in
a cuvette placed in the
spectrophotometer

Sound level meter used for acoustic (sound

that travels through air)
 measurements

Additional equipment?

Part 2: Choosing your equipment and planning your presentation

- Choose which equipment you will demonstrate

- Start to think about how you can show the whole range of possibilities of this equipment
- You may use other materials to help showcase your chosen scientific equipment

Part 3: Collecting data for the presentation

- You should collect relevant data to showcase the potential of the equipment you have chosen
- You can focus on one type of experiment, to show the depth of use
- You can focus on multiple experiments, to show the range of use
- You will need to request any materials / other equipment you need

Part 4: Presentation

This is where you demonstrate your equipment to the class. Your entire presentation should be no longer than
10 minutes. You can create a final video by recording short segments throughout your research process.
- Things to include:
o A brief introduction of your scientific equipment. What is it, how it works, why you chose it etc.
o A demonstration of how to use your equipment. You can use any materials available to you for
this.
o A way to show the data you collected: This may be graphs, tables, or any other clear way to show
your data. You may also include videos of your experiments in your presentation.
o Any other important information you discovered during your Lab Skills Exploration
- NOTE: These videos will be put on DragonNet for future students to view. Your videos will help students
choose their Internal Assessment and Extended Essay topics.