On Monday, Oct. 2, Mr. Nielsen’s Advanced Chemistry class experimented with ionic compounds by executing single and double replacement reactions. The class finished pre-lab assignments where they predicted the results of the reactions before forming groups. Students then adorned safety goggles and gathered reactants to see the chemical reactions transpire.

“I enjoy lab experiments a lot more than regular classwork because we actually get to see the stuff that we’ve been practicing in real time,” Nishi Mukkara ‘26 said. “It’s nice to see when a reaction has occurred instead of hearing that it should or shouldn’t.”

While the lab helped solidify the knowledge of students familiar with the material, it also helped other students get their questions answered. 

“Part of chemistry is learning that two aqueous solutions can mix and make a solid and an aqueous [solution], and I didn’t know that before, but now I’ve learned that through this lab,” Ronit Singh ‘26 said. “In this lab I was able to actually see what happened and what resulted as of putting these two reactants together.”

Each student was expected to follow behavioral expectations and proper lab safety procedures, such as wearing safety goggles. Depending on the experiment, the students may also be required to wear an apron and gloves.

“The lab expectations are to understand what is happening,” Mr. Nielsen said. “It’s also important that everyone is making sure that they’re wearing their safety equipment to avoid anyone getting hurt and ensuring a fun and safe lab experience.”

Mr. Nielsen’s goal is to ensure that all his students feel confident in understanding the material through lab experiments. 

“These labs are designed to go over the concepts of the unit and reinforce what we’re studying this unit to further understand what we’re doing and get ready for the test,” Nielsen said. “It gives the opportunity to see what’s happening and hopefully it adds understanding to what’s going on rather than just on a piece of paper.”