Managing+Impulsivity

//Sometimes we blurt out the first thing that comes to mind. Sometimes we lack an organized strategy for approaching a problem; sometimes we make immediate value judgements about an idea before fully understanding it.//

Since our chemistry block is only 80 minutes long, we do not usually have time to fully run plan, edit, test, and conduct an experiment, especially if that experiment requires careful measurements or multiple trials. Impulsivity, then, is something that I need to manage when we need to do something quickly but carefully.

One recent example of something we need to do quickly but carefully is when we conducted our titrations. We needed three full trials of titrations to get an accurate enough number for our calculations, yet the precise and careful nature of a titration discourages rushing. We must slowly and carefully drip each and every painstaking drop of base into the acid to find the exact amount we need to neutralize the acid, something that requires a well planned and well executed strategy.

For example, our first test trial when we tried neutralizing vinegar (an acid) and sodium hydroxide (a base) is a simple, quick run where we find the relative amount of base needed to neutralize the acid (for example, around 50 ml). The next two to three trials takes advantage of the test trial by initially pouring in a set amount (40 ml, for example, 10 ml under the test trial) and then starting the slow drip method for both efficiency and accuracy. If we were to impulsively open the tap and simply pour out base, we would be rewarded with a beaker that turns purple much too soon.

Our second and third trials were extremely successful. Because we had a test trial, we were able to quickly come near the amount of sodium hydroxide needed to neutralize the vinegar and start dripping the base slowly, rather than wasting time with failing multiple trials because we were not careful.