For my coursework for AS Science, I have to do a piece of chemistry coursework, and for that I need to discover the order of the iodine clock reaction. I have planned the rest of my experiment, but I need to do a section on what other factors, like temperature, I need to take into consideration and how I will stop them from affecting my experiment. All I could think of was temperature. Are there any others?

Exposure of the experiment to sunlight, due to the light-induced evaporation factor? Relative proportions of iodine to the other reactant? Surface area of each of the reactants? Concentration of each of the reactants? Atmospheric conditions such as pressure, and gravitational field strength of the area in which the experiment is taking place? Volume and shape of containers? Extra unnecessary kinetic and heat energy? Even the position of the moon would probably gain you some credit! Well, it should, anyway.

I'm not exactly sure of the details of your experiment, but these are factors that I would normally throw in for the sake of being pedantic - I even put in my coursework once that people in the room were not permitted to talk, as this would cause an unnecessary further amount of heat energy as the sound changes to heat.

~Wobby~

I know it is for GCSE, but http://www.8886.co.uk/ might help

Thankyou for your help. I've had a look at that website and bookmarked it for later use. I'm going to give up this for now; I need some sleep!

Oh dear. With a degree in Chemistry , and having worked in the industry all my life, I ought to be able to help!
But I have never ever heard of the Iodine Clock reaction ! Shame on me, I feel utterly guilty of ignorance !

Well I have a PhD in Organic Chemistry and I've never heard of it either !


other factors you may want to consider

Agitation of the reaction

Grades of reagents used