P5.5—Conclusions from experimental evidence

A conclusion should state the observed relationship with quantitative detail, explain it using chemistry, and judge whether the evidence supports the prediction or only a limited claim.

Use the range, scatter, anomalies and uncertainty to qualify the conclusion. A further prediction should follow from the proposed mechanism, and an improvement should target the largest limitation.

“Rate increased as concentration rose over 0.10–0.50 mol dm⁻³; the larger collision frequency explains the trend, but the scatter at 0.50 means a wider claim needs repeats.”

Repeating the hypothesis is not a conclusion; the data and its quality must appear explicitly.