Reflections for Term 3

This term was quite hectic, with alot of topics to be covered. Self-study topic was carbon and nitrogen cycle, and ecology and reflection of light was part of the curriculum.

Ecology

Ecology was taught in Term 2, but since the test is in Term 3, I'll put it under this term reflections. Ecology was mainly a repeat of what we learnt in primary school, but with more scientific terms. It was a recap, so the content did not require too much time to master. However, there were some new things too. Like the relationship between two organisms, commensalism, predatory, mutualism and other types. This has helped to broaden my knowledge on the interaction of organisms in their habitat.

Light

Reflection of light was a totally new subject unlike ecology, so there were many things to learn. I did not know that the angle of incidence changes when light enters a medium of different density. Then it finally made sense why pools look shallower than they actually. There were lab lessons which helped us to apply the theory which we learnt in class. Worksheets were provided for this topic, and it has aided me in my revision by a lot.

Carbon and Nitrogen cycle

Carbon and nitrogen cycle was a self-study subject, so we had to be independent learners and study ourselves. It was difficult for nitrogen cycle as there was no notes on it provided by the teacher, and we had to search the internet and exchange information with each other so that we improve as a whole. Well, luckily, there was low wattage for this topic in the exams, so my results are better than my goal for this term.

Test reflections

This term was labour intensive, having to revise for more subjects compared to the other terms. My goal for this term was actually a B3, but the test was unexpectedly easy, so I achieved an A1. I know that this result is only because of the easy paper, or else I would not haven gotten anywhere near this score. With the EOY exams coming, I will put in more effort, and at the same time hope that the paper is easy.

Reflections on term 2

This term was mainly about sexual reproduction and acids & alkalies.

Sexual Reproduction

In sexual reproduction, we learnt about the male and female reproductive systems, parts of it and the functions of each part. Besides these, we also learnt about the menstrual cycle and what happens to the body when it undergoes menstrual cycle. Sexually transmitted diseases(STD) and ways for birth control.

One of the problems faced when doing this topic was that the class was rowdy since it has relation to sexual interactions. It was difficult to hear what the teacher said when the class is being noisy. Also, I myself is embarassed to ask questions, so there were some questions which I was afraid to raise up.

Other than that, I learnt many interesting facts about human body, like how the sperm that the penis produce is actually alkaline, and fluid of the vagina is acidic.

Acids and Alkalis

In Acids and Alkalis, we learnt about how to test for Acid and Alkalis.Before the lesson, I always thought that the only way to determine the acidity of a substance was by a natural indicator. However, some substances when mixed with another substance changes colour in accordance to its acidity. Even though this test is not accurate in the exact pH value, it can provide us with a general idea of the substance's acidity.

This topic was the most troublesome one for me, because I absolutely do not understand what kind of chemical reactions when two chemicals are combined together. Whether foams will form, there will be a 'pop' or no reaction at all, I totally do not get the grasp of it. The only thing that went well for this topic would be chemical equation.

Test Reflections

My score for this term was quite unexpected, because I did not understand more than half of the concept, and I was expecting a fail. So getting a C5 was actually better than my expected score. This term was a tough one, so I will put in more effort in Chemistry now that I know that it is my weakest areas in Science, and strive for better results in the EOY exams.

Reflections on term 1

This term was mainly about atoms . For the lesson on atoms, we learnt about chemical bonding, the covalent bond and ionic bond. Atoms bond in order to acquire stability.

Covalent bond is normally used for atoms of non-metal, and can be formed between atoms of same or different elements. Compounds that has covalent bond are known as covalent compounds. Covalent bonding is further split into 3 different categories,Single covalent, double covalent and triple covalent bond. These represent the number of pairs of shared electrons shared among the atoms.

Ionic bonding, on the other hand, is usually used for atoms of non-metals and metals. In an ionic bond,atoms(cation and anion) are lost and gained in order to achieve a duplet or octet structure.

Through chemical bonding, elements are combined and new uses for them are being invented. One very special thing is that chemical bonding might even be able to turn dangerous chemicals into compounds which is safe for us to use, and vice-versa .

Next, there is the electronic configuration and valency which was taught. The electronic configuration is a set of numbers given to an element in accordance to its periodic value, and the valency is the last digit from the electronic configuration

This term, my results were quite satisfactory, as science is always my weakest subject, so obtaining a B3 was very good for me. I could understand most of the concept taught but my careless mistakes prevented me from getting a better score. I would put in more effect in science, by doing more revisions and asking questions when in doubt. I hope to attain a better result in the end of year exams.