South West pupils set for 'festival of chemistry'

Pupils from schools right across the South West region will be gathering for a day-long chemistry challenge at the University of Plymouth later this month. From St Just to Torquay, Truro to Taunton, the teams of four will be tackling fun-filled ‘whodunnits’ and competing for prizes in the Salter’s Festival of Chemistry. During the morning the teams will take part in a competitive, hands-on, practical activity called 'The Mysterious Death of Captain Salter', in which the 11-13 year-olds will be asked to use their analytical chemistry skills to solve a conundrum. In the afternoon they will compete in a similar University-set challenge, before the host for the day Roy Lowry, Senior Lecturer in Physical Chemistry, will provide a demonstration of his patented ‘Pyromania’ showpiece. Lowry said: “This is all about enthusing young minds about science and its application in the real world. It will also put what they learn in the classroom into some form of context. The day will end with a prize-giving at which all participants will be given individual fun prizes and participation certificates, and the winning teams will be awarded prizes for their schools.