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Spectroscopy Day at QE: (An annual event for our 2nd year students)
Dr Peter Hoare, a STEM Outreach Officer at Newcastle University, spends the day at QE every year. Arriving with £75,000 pounds worth of spectroscopy equipment, Peter is able to give our second year chemistry A level students the opportunity to see the application of this important analytical technique, commonly used in the chemical industry
James Garlick and Jake King used the apparatus to run an infra-red spectrum of the aspirin sample they has prepared in an earlier lesson to check on the % purity. James said, ‘We were delighted to discover that our sample was 99.2% aspirin.’ The students went on to use NMR spectroscopy to identify four esters, important chemicals for making artificial flavours and essences. The NMR machine used to produce the spectra of the esters is a small scale version of the apparatus used in hospital MRI scanners.
Northumbria University Work Experience Day:
Our A level students have the opportunity to develop some of the skills that are valued by the chemical industry in Britain today, at Northumbria University, Newcastle. Last year their first practical activity was to synthesise a UV luminescent substance called coumarin. Graeme Turnbull, the lecturer, was impressed by the practical skills of the chemists from QE, as all of the samples fluoresced under UV light.
Cambridge Chemistry Race :
Adam Bell, Max Earl and Oliver Christie – Second Year chemists – took part in the Cambridge Chemistry Race. This two hour competition, hosted by the Chemistry Department of the University of Cambridge, involved answering chemistry question on concepts outside the A level specification.
Adam Bell explained ‘After a strong start, we got stuck on a few questions meaning once the competition had finished, and the points were added up, we came 11th out of 25 teams.’
Oliver Christie added ‘The competition was a great experience for us to attempt difficult chemistry questions in a competitive environment.’
Year 6 Chemistry Day:
QE Science department invited the year 6 pupils from Abbey and Mowden Junior Schools to come along to a chemistry event before they move on to secondary school in September 2019.
Throughout the day, each year 6 attended an exciting demonstration by Joe McGinnis from the Royal Society of Chemistry where they were treated to screaming jelly daleks or bunnies, monster foam, the three witches from Macbeth creating a potion, and sometimes a rocket launch! Several discovered they had magic powers, turning a blue liquid yellow when they shook it.
The year 6 pupils then worked in the labs with the support and guidance of some of our inspiring A level students, learning how to create fizzing rainbows, identify oxygen and hydrogen using glowing and burning splints and producing artistic masterpieces with a little magic, milk, food colouring and detergent.
RSC Schools' Analyst Competition:
The Analytical Division of the Royal Society of Chemistry host the North East Schools’ Analyst Event annually and QE always enter a team of three top students who have to complete a series of practical determinations based on chemistry problems relevant to industrial and social needs. The students are judged on their safety, teamwork, understanding and accuracy.
chemistryolympiadstudentpostera4_72872.pdfChemistry Competitions:
Each year our students have the option of taking part in two prestigious competitions
the Chemistry Olympiad
and the
Cambridge Chemistry Challenge
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