School of Chemistry, UNSW

As part of the School of Chemistry's outreach program, a group of science students from Pymble Ladies College visited the School and the Analytical Centre in June this year. The group consisted of forty-one year 10 students and twenty-nine year 11 students, along with three science teachers who led the group of seventy girls. The student performed a number of experiments, including the fatty acid analysis of an oil sample, preparation of biodiesel, analysis of water contamination by ICP-MS (Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry) and NMR (Nuclear Magnetic Resonance) analysis of an unknown white powder. The students were divided into groups and everyone took part in all experiments. Some students also brought along a sample of cooking oil from home which was identified using GC-MS analysis.

The students showed great enthusiasm for chemistry and there were lively discussions with the demonstrators. It was a very successful event and the students and teachers from PLC were very impressed with the new chemistry laboratories and facilities.

The pictures below show (on the left) Dr Kumar demonstrating a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer (GC-MS) to the students, and (on the right) students watching a reaction demonstrated in one of our new state of the art fumecupboards.

Dr Kumar demonstrates GC-MS to students Student watch a demonstration in a fumecupboard

Visits to the School of Chemistry by High Schools