Year 6s reflect on their first-ever science experiment as Senior School students

Following the resumption of in-person learning at the Aga Khan Academy Mombasa, Year 6 students carried out their first-ever science investigation as new members of Senior School. They performed a redox reaction experiment under the supervision of science teacher, Mr. Erick Agira, where they investigated the effect of Hydrochloric acid on Magnesium metal. The Year 6 students tell us more about their experience.

In my first experiment, I learnt many new things and many cool reactions. We made a plan and asked, ‘How does the concentration of Hydrochloric acid affect the rate of reaction with Magnesium metal?’. For our hypothesis, we wrote that we think when we add the metal to the acid, the metal will start bubbling. After two lessons, we started our experiment. I was so scared when I held the test tubes and the acid because we had to be careful not to burn ourselves. After the Magnesium metal dissolved, we touched the test tube and noticed it was hot on the bottom, and there were water bubbles around the top. We also noted down the timing of our experiment. This experiment was so cool and fun! This was the best thing I have done in my life. Thank you!

- Harvi Vekariya

It was a very well-thought-out investigation, and before we were allowed to do the experiment and touch a test tube, our teacher made sure we knew exactly what we were doing. It was a very exciting experiment because it was my first, even though some of the trials would take a long time. Overall, the investigation went smoothly on my end.

- Daniel Kidde

We did a scientific investigation as a group and worked as a team. It was fun! We laughed at each other when doing the experiment. It may not have been an explosion, but it was an experiment where we had to be patient. Mr. Erick also made us keep repeating, editing, and re-checking our work. Overall, the experience was fun, and I think it would be fun if we get to conduct another experiment as a group.

- Hussain Abdurrahman

The rate of reaction will increase as the acid concentration increases because the collision between the Magnesium and acid particles will become more frequent, so at the end of this lab report, my partner and I noticed that our results were just as we predicted. I enjoyed this experiment learning more about Hydrochloric reaction along with the effect on Magnesium metal. I also learnt that there could be different numbers of particles in each concentration of acid. This experiment gave us a better understanding of what happens as soon as we mix the acid with Magnesium metal instead of only knowing that a reaction would take place.

- Zeinab Mahmood

When I first thought of the experiment that we were doing, which was, ‘How does the concentration of Hydrochloric acid affect the rate of reaction between Hydrochloric acid and Magnesium metal?’, I thought that it was going to be hard because I did not know what some of the materials like the Magnesium metal were, and I was not wrong, it was hard. I tried thinking and seeing what the question required us to do. Eventually, I gave up and wanted to change my question and when the teacher asked why I said my brain hurts. After laughing, he told me that my brain has to hurt because I was thinking outside my limit. So after thinking a bit more, I finally understood and was able to do the work properly. This has been a learning experience not in just science, but life too.

- Melissa Mulindwa

During the scientific investigation, I learnt a lot about how to collect and organise data in a presentable manner. I enjoyed doing the experiments because I could see one chemical reacting to another which was interesting to watch and to record the results. Also, listening to other students present their data was interesting because they had investigated different sizes of Magnesium and amounts of time taken for their Magnesium to dissolve.

- Adam Owuor