8.+Applying+Past+Knowledge+to+New+Situations

One can assume a healthy background in Chemistry would help a student in their labs and studies within a classroom, as I was taught myself. Therefore, my past knowledge on the characteristic of metals in reactions of acids could have been applied to more relevant situations. Fortunately, through the self-made lab we had to do during first quarter, I was able to apply my past knowledge of the characteristic of silver, and concentrations of acids, to better predict changes in chemical procedures. Attached is a picture of my lab setup, as I imagined it (Figure 8).



Figure 8

When metal was actually put in nitric acid, however, the silver we had used refused to melt. Because I already knew about ionization energies, this was an application of applying past knowledge to new situations. We replaced the silver with magnesium, a relatively high reactant material in terms of ionization energy. The application of past knowledges in chemistry, to new solutions, helped me as a scientist reach more accurate and precise conclusions. Therefore, I believe I have shown relative progress in a habit of mind.