...it’s fantastic for the students to have the time to really think about a problem and stretch themselves like this."
Elaine Wilson
“It’s coming up to ten seconds and nothing’s happened yet…” said Babawale Oguntoye , commentating for the benefit of those who couldn’t see. “…eleven…twelve…thirteen…”
At 15 seconds a cheer goes up as the contents of the first flask flash from colourless to dark blue.
At the Salters’ Chemistry Camp, hosted by Dr James Keeler, Director of Teaching in the University of Cambridge Department of Chemistry, six teams of students are competing to make the most accurate chemical clock.
They must mix two chemicals in the correct proportions so that the contents of each of four beakers, placed around a clock face, will change colour at 15 second intervals.
“Some teams have worked out the theory before mixing their solutions, while others are using trial and error,” explains Elaine Wilson from the Faculty of Education, Lead Teacher at the Salters Chemistry Camp. “Lessons at school have to be wrapped up in less than an hour so it’s fantastic for the students to have the time to really think about a problem and stretch themselves like this.”
120 students from schools across the UK have been selected to take part in two residential Chemistry Camps for young scientists at the collegiate University.
“The camps give the students a taste of the kind of intellectually challenging, practical activities they could enjoy studying chemistry at A-level and at university,” says Elaine.
Read what else they got up to here
The Salters’ Chemistry Camps at The University of Cambridge are sponsored by: The Salters’ Institute; The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry (ABPI); Institution of Chemical Engineers (ICHemE); The Royal Society; The Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and the University of Cambridge.
Image: Students making anaesthetic in the Stingcurb exercise
Credit: Elaine Wilson, Faculty of Education