Descriptions Question Length

[Tess_Fleser_1D]

In questions that ask you to describe something, such as G7 (You need to prepare 510. g of an aqueous solution containing 5.45% KNO3 by mass. Describe how you would prepare the solution and what mass of each component you would use.), how long and detailed should our responses be?

Should it be a couple of sentences or a paragraph? Should we write it like it is a lab procedure or just a short answer? If a question like this was on a test, how detailed should the response be?

[Barbara Soliman 1G]

I think a paragraph suffices. You could also write it out in steps order. Also, maybe seeing the format from previous questions could be helpful.

[Allison Peng 1D]

I wrote it out as a paragraph of steps, but I didn't include step numbers. Not sure if this is the best way to do it but it's what felt most intuitive! Perhaps a list would be better for more complex procedures so it's easier to read...

[SarahOMalley1D]

Hi! I wrote a sentence for each step of the process, describing the basic equipment I would use and the actions I would take to prepare the solution. I used bullet points to distinguish between steps, but they could also be read in paragraph form.

[Vy Le 1G]

When I was taught this in high school, my teacher usually told us to keep it concise and only write one detailed sentence. When it says to describe what you would do, she taught us to assume it wasn't asking for every step but one summary of steps. For that problem, after getting the answer, I simply wrote, "measure 482.2g of water (H2O) and add 27.795g KNO3 into a large beaker. Stir/Mix the solution well." This shows to first prepare the water, then add the solution, and finally stir-- like what you would do in a lab once you figured out how much of each component you needed. It's short yet holds all the information needed! Make sure to show your work before all of this though!

[SuryaDham 3E]

I wrote a few sentences, each one describing the step being taken in medium detail.

[Maggie Messer 1A]

I would write a few sentences to a paragraph! Each step can be explained better that way.

[Maeve Settle 2B]

Hi! I always explain my steps in bullet points. This helps me organize each step chronologically and keeps everything concise enough for others to follow. I usually go into a moderate amount of detail. I explain what equipment I would use (like a 250 mL flask), but I don't go into so much detail that I'm explaining the safety measures needed, like wearing goggles. Hope this helps!