IB Chemistry IA Topics That ROCK | 50+ Ideas for SL and HL

One of the major challenges students of International Baccalaureate is finding and selecting a topic for the essay and rightly so. It can be challenging because of the plethora of options students have. Additionally, there are different levels when it comes to doing an essay for Chemistry IA. And all we know is how hard it is when it comes to selecting IB Chemistry IA topics.

With these different levels come different subjects within the discipline. For instance, you can choose between organic Chemistry or acid and bases as the topics. While the choice for the topic is entirely up to you, it is understandable that it may be a lot to deal with. And that’s why you are here reading the article that will guide you 😉

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You can request a custom suggestion of a Chemistry IA topic from our IB IA experts, or you can spend several minutes of your time, read this article and find awesome solutions for your next IA.

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We are aware that getting a great score on the internal assessments is an ideal way that can boost your overall IB grade. It is therefore understandable when students take a lot of pressure when it comes to their essay. If you have selected a Chemistry from the list of subjects in the IB, you should be ready for its specifics. Students often find themselves lost when writing a lab report and choosing the topic they need to go for. Generally, the rule of thumb for Chemistry IA is that you need to measure the changing variable and its effect on another variable. This is something that remains constant in all Chemistry IA essays, despite whatever topic you go for.

Therefore, if you find yourself struggling with selecting a topic, go for the one in which altering the variables makes sense, such as concentration, surface area, temperature and such to explore the effect they may have on a variable which is dependent, something which is easy to measure, such as temperature, gas produced and ph.

Another important thing you need to keep in mind is that the topic needs to be demanding – it needs to meet the diploma-level and not just any high-school level topic. While the topic needs to be relevant to the syllabus of Chemistry, it has to be around something that is not just easily found in textbooks. It needs to be well-researched and essentially a topic you find yourself engaged and connected with. Because an IA essay requires to be well-researched, it needs to be on a topic you are fond of, so you do not feel mundane while doing it.

Now that we have covered some important basis regarding the importance of topic selection, it is time to discuss some of the options. There is no need to feel overwhelmed by this information as in the following article we will help you with whatever you are looking for. Lastly, like with Bio IA topics, make sure you run the topic and a rough idea by the instructor before you begin your work on it.

Depending on what topic you choose, you might have to conduct various experiments in a lab to make sure you have the proper analysis for the essay. On the other hand, most of these topics can be done by yourself, at home given that you do the required amount of study and research.

High scoring Chemistry IA topics

Before any more delays, let’s dig deep into the knowledge and find you the best Chemistry IA ideas for the essay:

• Explore the speed of different chemical reactions by using the spectrometer
• Determine the activation energy of a particular reaction
• Exploring the dissolved oxygen content present in the water body
• Denatured of lipase and the conditions
• Enthalpy of neutralization and enthalpy changes by using calorimetry
• Concentration of drugs in multiple/various tablets
• Content of vitamin in healthy food
• Gas volume and absolute zero
• Exploring local sources and the hardness of water
• Exploring juice brands and Vitamin C percentage
• Exploring milk brands and calcium content/percentage
• Exploring tea and coffee brands and caffeine percentage 
• CaC03 amount in white eggshells and brown eggshells
• Determine the chemical equilibria – Kc for reaction
• Investigating the activation energy of iodine-clock
• Exploring the percentage of chlorine in swimming pool and bleaches
• Electrolysis and factors that affect the process
• Electroplating and factors that affect the process
• Thermal decomposition and salt type present in the compound
• Electroplate metals, optimal conditions on different external factors
• Decomposing hydrogen peroxide and activation energy
• Effect of different temperature on rust on steel
• Effect of temperature on ferromagnet strength and weakness
• Explore the effectiveness of salt (different brands) and snow removal
• Paracetamol and synthesizing Dulcin
• Using UV light, speed of denaturation on animal proteins
• EDTA content in shower cleaners
• Studying the pH of soil
• Soil pH effect on chlorophyll in plants and leaves
• PH change in oxidation of coffee and tea
• Solubility of salts and hardness of water
• Testing and preparing of buffer solutions
• Investigating Cheetos (or any other packaged chips brand) and energy contents
• The effect of ionic salts on the depression of water and its freezing point
• Studying soaps and esterification
• Studying the equivalence point of strong bases/strong and weak acids
• Studying salts and solubility
• Preparing esters
• Studying paper chromatography and the effects of solvents
• Studying catalytic abilities on different metal oxides and transitions
• Studying the factors that affect the rate between propanone and iodine
• Studying the factors that affect the colors and transition on metal compounds
• Investing charcoal and absorption of organic acids
• Studying different sacrificial metals and their effect on iron rusting
• Studying water absorption polymers and their effect on water
• Studying zinc ions as a dietary supplement and its concentration

UPD! Like with Economics IA ideas, we have made another update for all of yall in the year 2023.

Check the new 2023 IB Chem IA topics below.

Temperature, catalase enzyme

1. Effect of Temperature on Activation Energy Produced during the breakdown of H202 while using catalase enzyme and aluminum inhibitor as a catalyst.

Oxygen saturation level

2. Evaluating the impact of different age groups on the oxygen saturation level measured using an oximeter after the 2-Minute Step Test for Athletes participating in the Special Olympics.

Chlorine ions

3. How do various at-home water filter brands affect the concentration of chlorine ions dissolved in the water?

Isomers

4. Effect of isomers on the enthalpy of formation in the homologous series alcohols.

Saturated fat content

5. How does the saturated fat content of sunflower oil, as measured by iodine value, vary with the number of times the oil is used for frying potato chips. ❗ (Simulation based)

Changes in temperature

6. To what extent does the changes in temperature (300 to 400 K) along with the varying concentrations of Zinc and Copper (0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.04 and 0.005 Ml) as an electrolyte solution affect the voltage produced in a voltaic cell? ❗ (Based on Chem Reax simulation)

Nitric acid concentrations, reaction time

7. What is the effect of varying concentration of Nitric Acid (HNO3) on the rate of reaction (moldm-3 s-1) measured as the time taken for the release of 10 dm3 of CO2 gas during reaction with Calcium Carbonate (Ca CO3) chips?

Vitamin C

8. Determining the amount of vitamin c in an orange.

Sodium fluoride

9. Effect of different concentration of Sodium Fluoride on the tooth decay in the presence of Carbonated Drink i.e. Pepsi.

Carbonated drinks

10. Effect of Volume and pH of carbonated drinks on dental erosion or tooth decay

You can also check this video by The IB Scientist to get inspiration and find more ideas for your Chemistry IA.

After doing much research, we have formulated this list and believe that these ideally serve as high-scoring Chemistry IA topics. Again, the same as with Math IA topics, or ESS, for Chemistry IA you would have to do much research on the topic you choose and make sure that you meet all the requirements for the essay. Let’s say that, for instance, you go for Chemistry IA ideas energetics.

Use these Chemistry IA ideas for your IB

Now, that would essentially require a lot of homework and perhaps work at the lab as well. So when it comes to lab work, you need to be in touch with your instructor to help you with the work and be aware of what you are doing.

All the best, you got this!