On 26th June 2014, Reuben Mason, Cecily Cook (Year 7), Rose Hancock and Niall Herlihy (Year 8) represented Wallingford School at the Salters' Festivals of Chemistry. The event was in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry and held within Oxford University's prestigious Dyson Perrins Building.
Teams of four pupils from thirteen other schools across local counties were also in attendance and competing in The Salters' Challenge. The students from each school were tasked with a forensic chemistry challenge to solve which of five suspects was responsible for the appearance of gnomes in front gardens in houses across Salterstown. The students carried out practical investigations, using a range of challenging techniques, to provide Salterstown Police CID with evidence. Thin layer chromatography was used to investigate whose pen may have been used to write the notes attached to the gnomes. A series of test tube reactions were also used to test the components of salts, to add further support as to which of the suspects might also have left behind the white powder found at the scenes. The teams then had to present their results and interpretations in the form of a forensic report.
Wallingford School's students took to the challenge like true forensic scientists. They worked carefully and professionally through the experiments and accurately recorded and interpreted their findings. The team was judged on how safely they carried out the experiments, as well as for the content of their forensic report.
In the afternoon we moved to the grand lecture theatre. Here, Reuben and Cecily volunteered and assisted with captivating chemistry demonstrations, which included making giant bubbles, chemiluminescent solutions and setting fire to hydrogen filled balloons! Finally there followed the awards for The Salters' Challenge, which were read out in third, second and finally first place. Wallingford's Niall, Rose, Cecily and Reuben were extremely proud to be awarded first prize. They were presented with first prize Salters Chemistry Challenge certificates and chemistry kits by Professor T.P. Softley, the Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University and Dr The Hon Alexander Todd, a member of The Salters' Company. The chemistry kits will be used to enhance the learning of all students at Wallingford School, although Niall, Rose, Cecily and Reuben have excitedly volunteered to demonstrate them!
Mrs Sherwood
