Malaysia Graduation 2009

19 May 2008

Over 70 pupils from 18 schools in the North West enjoyed an interesting fun-filled day of Chemistry at the School of Pharmacy and Chemistry’s Salters' Festival of Chemistry event.

Each school was represented by a team of four pupils, aged between 11 and 13 years old. During the morning, teams took part in a competitive practical exercise, entitled 'Who Pinched the Salt', designed to test laboratory skills. 

The mystery was based around the theft of an expensive silver salt dish and the pupils had to examine the forensic evidence taken from the imaginary crime scene to help identify the culprit. 

In the afternoon, the pupils completed 'University Challenge', where their knowledge of chemical reactions was put to the test as they had to mix two colourless chemicals together to produce a dramatic colour change in the exact time of 30 seconds.

The day ended with a prizegiving at which all participants were given individual prizes and certificates. In addition, the winning teams were awarded cash prizes for their schools. The winning school for the 'Who Pinched the Salt' experiment was The Belvedere School, Liverpool, with the Birkenhead High School team winning 'University Challenge'.

LJMU's Dr Ian Bradshaw, who organised the event said: "This event was a great success, with pupils thoroughly enjoying the day and realising that Chemistry can be fun and enjoyable. They also got the chance to experience working in a University science laboratory. The pupils showed great enthusiasm for the carrying out experiments in the laboratory and they were all a credit to their schools. The event also helped raise the profile of LJMU in North West Schools."

A panel of 4 judges were also involved with the event: Dr Linda Seton (School ogfPharmacy and Chemistry, LJMU), Dr Neil Rosenburgh (Salt Union Ltd), Dr Ghazala Sadiq (University of Manchester) and Mrs Kay Monaghan (ex-Salt Union Ltd).

The Salters' Institute runs the Salters' Festivals of Chemistry to promote an appreciation of chemistry and related sciences among young people.