Chemistry Essay Writing Guide
- Outline example
- Tips on introduction writing
- Tips on body paragraph writing
- Tips on conclusion writing
Science has helped the world to decipher and answer some of the hardest questions about the universe and our bodies as well. Currently, researchers are conducting different studies on various scientific topics, and the expectation is that more knowledge will be generated. However, when asked to write analytical reports, research papers, or lab reports, some scientists find themselves struggling to express their ideas on paper. Chemistry students, for example, help to solve some of the most difficult problems that the world faces today. However, when asked to write a chemistry essay, some students find it difficult to express their thoughts and ideas clearly and in a coherent manner. Chemistry papers need to have a main point or argument or simply be specific in what it is trying to discuss or decipher. Students should hence ensure that their essay is specific and narrow, not as general as some of the others.
Chemistry papers are written for different reasons. Some are written to help explain or expound on a concept, others are written to communicate some results while there are some that are solely written for purposes of explaining the processes involved in research. If written as a research paper, a chemistry essay should articulate and make use of the basic scientific structures and formats of writing chemistry essays. Students should hence be conversant with different scientific formats like APA, MLA, and Harvard mainly for referencing purposes. Scientific papers such as chemistry essays follow specific formats and must be cited unless otherwise stated by the instructor.
Outline for a chemistry essay
Writing a chemistry essay outline is essential because it gifts one with a focused guide to completing the paper. In an outline, writers are expected to include their main point as well as some of the supporting arguments that they will include in the body of their essay. Chemistry essay outlining is similar to what is done in other essays and should hence be an easy task. If, for example, students have been asked to write an essay about the element silicon, the outline for such an essay would be as shown below:
Silicon
Introduction
- Background information about silicon.
- Briefly, mention its importance in the mainstream world.
Body
- The basic structure of silicon as an element. Some of its attributes should also be included.
- The role of silicon in construction and architecture.
- The use of silicon in the automobile industry.
Conclusion
- Reiterate the role of silicon in society today.
- Provide a summary of the main points, for example, the main uses of silicon.
- Finalize by mentioning how much silicon is a part of people’s lives today.
Writing an Introduction
Writing a chemistry essay introduction can be challenging regardless of how much research one has done.
Below are some introduction writing tips:
- Include factual information in the introduction.
- Provide background data regarding the topic under study. Include information that will make the essay comprehensible.
- Always look for an angle and be consistent in addressing it.
- Have a non-ambiguous thesis statement that is direct and clearly outlines the author’s stance.
Writing a Body
The body of a chemistry paper or essay needs to support the writer’s arguments or provide details of an experiment or an investigation.
Below are some tips to help writers deliver quality papers:
- Ensure that each paragraph has a topic sentence. A topic sentence bears the main point or argument presented in a paragraph.
- The other sentences should offer support to the topic sentence. Writers should not drift away from the main argument that a paragraph presents.
- Consistency throughout the paragraph should be enhanced.
- Writers should sufficiently reference their work. In-text citations should always be included throughout the article.
- Each paragraph should have five to six sentences like other essays and in these, students should ensure that they exhaustively explain their topic.
- Transition words, for example, firstly, secondly, additionally, subsequently, etc. should be used to indicate to the readers that the writer is on a different point.
Writing a Conclusion
How to conclude a chemistry essay is a challenge mainly because chemistry essays do not abide by the same rules for writing conclusions. On many occasions, students are expected to assess their hypothesis and determine its accuracy or draw any conclusions from the data that they gathered. However, if the essay did not involve any investigation or study, one can just include a summary of the main points and then relate the topic to what is happening in society today.
Sources for Essay Choice
Online sources are often preferred by students because they are easily accessible and offer simple and straightforward choices. While it is not against any law or rule to source essays online, teachers often advise students to situate what they learn in class to the activities in society. The latter offers one with choices that are audience friendly and that directly resonate with daily life. It also helps people to apply the knowledge they acquired from class to society’s day-to-day problems. However, if one wants to use online sources, below is a good example of a website that can offer one some credible essay choices.
Finalizing Essay
Students are often advised always to begin with a draft before they write a final copy. Having a draft is important and gifts one with the chance of making changes to their essay whenever they feel the need to. The chemistry essay draft will indeed come in handy and gift students with the chance of revising their work. Revisions are important. Once the essay is completed or the draft is completed, it is always necessary to review it and make any changes or corrections before submitting it. Revision and proofreading are necessary and help to ensure that an essay is consistent in focus and is free of any grammatical errors.
