The Nature of Chemistry
  • Home
  • Recent news
  • NOC
    • The scientific method
    • Observation and inference
    • Evidence, modelling and prediction
    • Theories and paradigm shifts
    • Cause and effect
    • Accuracy, validity and reliability
    • Reason and imagination
    • Bias and the role of humans in science
    • Communication of science
    • Contrasting with other areas of knowledge
    • (IB TOK outline)
  • Topics
    • Stoichiometry
    • Atomic structure
    • Periodicity
    • Chemical bonding and structure
    • Energetics
    • Chemical kinetics
    • Equilibrium
    • Acids and bases
    • Redox processes
    • Organic chemistry
    • Measurement and data processing
  • IB Options
    • A - Materials
    • B - Biochemistry
    • C - Energy
    • D - Medicinal chemistry
  • People
  • Answers
    • NOC answers
    • Topics answers

Topic 10 and 20 - Organic chemistry


​Activity 1: Cause vs correlation

Subtopic 10.1 - Fundamentals of organic chemistry
NOS statement 2.8 -The ideas of correlation and cause are very important in science
Time​: 20 mins.
Task​: Crude oil contains many of the crucial compounds used in transport fuel. American dependence on foreign crude oil has reduced due to an increase in collection of natural gas in its own borders. This has had many knock-on effects. Look at the graphs (Tylervigen.com, 2016) and answer the questions below them:
Picture
1. ​Is there a correlation between the two factors?
2. Try to think of a mechanism to explain the correlation (you may have to be a little creative).
3. Is your suggested "mechanism" enough to establish a causal relationship?
Picture
4. Can you explain the correlation in this graph?
5. Is this mechanism sufficient to support a causal relationship?
6. Do things that correlate always have a causal relationship?

​Activity 2 (TOK) - Ways of knowing in chemistry

Topic 10.1 - Fundamentals of organic chemistry
​Time​: 3 min.
Task: Watch the short video about August Kekule's proposal for the structure of benzene.
  • What ways of knowing might he have used?
  • Which ways of knowing might be most important in chemistry?

References:
​Tylervigen.com,. (2016). 15 Insane Things That Correlate With Each Other. Retrieved 20 January 2016, from http://tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations
Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home
  • Recent news
  • NOC
    • The scientific method
    • Observation and inference
    • Evidence, modelling and prediction
    • Theories and paradigm shifts
    • Cause and effect
    • Accuracy, validity and reliability
    • Reason and imagination
    • Bias and the role of humans in science
    • Communication of science
    • Contrasting with other areas of knowledge
    • (IB TOK outline)
  • Topics
    • Stoichiometry
    • Atomic structure
    • Periodicity
    • Chemical bonding and structure
    • Energetics
    • Chemical kinetics
    • Equilibrium
    • Acids and bases
    • Redox processes
    • Organic chemistry
    • Measurement and data processing
  • IB Options
    • A - Materials
    • B - Biochemistry
    • C - Energy
    • D - Medicinal chemistry
  • People
  • Answers
    • NOC answers
    • Topics answers