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Drop it straight into the free Chemistry IA frame. Research Design is free; unlock the full step-by-step IA — data tables with uncertainty, graphs with error bars, conclusion and evaluation — to take it to the top band.
Start this IA in the Chemistry frame →ENERGETICS & THERMOCHEMISTRY
Calorimetry investigations are reliable, data-rich and easy to compare against literature values.
1 · How does the carbon-chain length of an alcohol affect its enthalpy of combustion?
A classic for a reason: a clean linear trend, a clear comparison to data-book ΔHc values (the gap drives your evaluation: incomplete combustion, heat loss), and rich uncertainty work.
2 · How does the concentration of a salt affect its enthalpy change of solution?
Lets you discuss lattice enthalpy vs hydration enthalpy in the conclusion — strong syllabus links and a clear endothermic/exothermic story.
3 · How does the strength of an acid–base pair affect the enthalpy of neutralisation?
The weak-acid dip (energy used to dissociate) gives a genuinely interesting result to explain — well above a generic "does it get hot" study.
KINETICS — RATES OF REACTION
Rate studies give you a gradient, an order or an activation energy — perfect for graphical analysis and error bars.
4 · How does temperature affect the rate of the sodium thiosulfate–HCl reaction, and the activation energy?
An Arrhenius treatment lets you extract an activation energy and compare it to literature — sophisticated processing that reaches the top of Data Analysis.
5 · How does acid concentration affect the rate of reaction of calcium carbonate with HCl?
Determine the order with respect to acid from a rate–concentration graph — a stronger analysis than a single rate comparison.
6 · How does catalyst concentration affect the rate of decomposition of hydrogen peroxide?
Clean gas-collection data and a clear catalysis story; with a biological catalyst it links to enzyme kinetics for the evaluation.
7 · How does the surface area of calcium carbonate affect reaction rate with acid?
Feasible and reliable; push it above the basics by quantifying surface area rather than just "small vs large".
ACIDS, BASES & TITRATION
Titrations are precise, repeatable and produce small percentage uncertainties — examiner gold.
8 · How does storage time (or temperature) affect the vitamin C content of fruit juice?
A real-world hook, a clear degradation trend, and titration precision — consistently a high scorer.
9 · Determining and comparing the calcium content of milk brands by EDTA titration.
Complexometric titration is a step up in sophistication and gives tight, comparable data with labelled-value comparison.
10 · How does brewing time or temperature affect the acid content of tea or coffee?
Everyday context with a clean trend; pair with a colour/colourimeter measure for a richer dataset.
11 · Determining the percentage of acetylsalicylic acid in aspirin brands by back-titration.
Back-titration shows real technique, and comparing to the stated dose gives a built-in accuracy check for the conclusion.
12 · How does cooking method affect the vitamin C retained in a vegetable?
Strong personal-interest angle and a clear, explainable trend (heat and water-solubility losses).
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The Chemistry IA frame walks you through every criterion — and the paid unlock builds your data tables, graphs and evaluation into one export-ready document.
Open the Chemistry IA frame →REDOX & ELECTROCHEMISTRY
13 · How does temperature affect the EMF of a Daniell (zinc–copper) voltaic cell?
Links to the Nernst equation for a sophisticated conclusion; data-logging gives precise, repeatable readings.
14 · How does electrolyte concentration affect the mass of copper deposited during electrolysis?
A direct Faraday's-law test with a clean linear relationship and small mass uncertainties.
15 · How do salt concentration and pH affect the rate of corrosion (rusting) of iron?
Real-world relevance and a redox story; control the time and surface area carefully for a clean trend.
EQUILIBRIUM
16 · How does temperature affect the position of the Fe³⁺/SCN⁻ equilibrium?
A quantitative Le Chatelier study (not just "it goes darker") using a calibration curve — high-level processing.
17 · Determining the equilibrium constant of an esterification and how temperature shifts it.
Ambitious and rewarding — a genuine Kc determination demonstrates command of equilibrium for the top band.
ORGANIC, ANALYTICAL & APPLIED
18 · How does the degree of unsaturation of cooking oils affect their iodine number?
Connects structure (C=C bonds) to a measurable quantity — a clear, explainable comparison across brands.
19 · How does temperature affect the rate of esterification (or hydrolysis of an ester)?
Combines organic chemistry and kinetics; gives an activation-energy extension if you take several temperatures.
20 · Comparing the energy content of biodiesel and vegetable oil by calorimetry.
Topical sustainability angle with a measurable, comparable result and a strong evaluation about heat loss.
21 · How effectively do different antacid brands neutralise stomach acid?
Consumer-chemistry hook with a fair, quantitative comparison and clear method control.
22 · Determining water hardness across sources by EDTA titration.
Precise complexometric data with an environmental angle and easy comparison to published values.
23 · How does pH affect the rate of enzymatic browning (or vitamin degradation) in fruit?
A colourimetric kinetics study with a clear optimum to find and explain — visually engaging, quantitatively solid.
24 · Determining and comparing the sugar content of soft drinks.
Accessible data with a strong consumer hook; choose a quantitative method (not just Benedict's colour) to reach the higher bands.
From a topic to a top-band IA
An idea is the easy part — the marks are in how you build it. The Chemistry IA is scored out of 24 across four equal criteria: Research Design, Data Analysis, Conclusion and Evaluation. Whichever topic you pick, the same moves win: a focused research question with named variables, a method developed through trials, data processed with absolute and percentage uncertainty, a graph with error bars and a gradient, a conclusion justified against literature, and an evaluation that weighs your errors and proposes realistic improvements and extensions.
Build your chosen idea into a full IA
The examiner-written Chemistry IA writing frame takes you through every section with the rubric, worked examples and the traps that cost marks. Research Design is free — unlock Data Analysis, Conclusion & Evaluation to finish the whole investigation and export it to Word or PDF.
Open the Chemistry IA frame →Chemistry IA ideas — FAQ
What makes a good IB Chemistry IA topic?
A genuine chemical reaction at its heart (not a purely physical change), a clearly named independent variable with range and units, a dependent variable with how it's measured, feasibility with school apparatus, and enough quantitative data to process with uncertainty and graph. Phrase it as "How does … affect …?".
How many data points and repeats do I need?
At least five values of the independent variable across a sensible range, each repeated at least three times so you can take a mean, show error bars and judge reliability. A wide enough range to reveal a clear trend matters more than sheer quantity.
Can I just copy one of these ideas?
Use them as a launchpad, but make the investigation your own: narrow the research question, choose your own variable ranges, and develop the method through your own trials. That ownership is exactly what the Research Design and Evaluation criteria reward.
How do I turn the idea into a top-band IA?
Build it section by section in the free Chemistry IA writing frame — research question, variables, method, data with uncertainty, graphs with error bars, conclusion against literature, and an evaluation with realistic improvements and extensions.
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