On Tuesday, four Y8 pupils experienced a full day of University life as part of the Salter’s Festival of Chemistry at The University of Birmingham. The day contained two challenges: in the first they had a taste of forensic investigation in order to solve a murder by identifying chemicals left at the scene of the crime and the second involved working out what unknown substances were by thinking about how they reacted together!

The pupils were then given a tour of the Chemistry department, seeing mass spectrometers, NMR, XRF and XRD machines in operation, all used to identify unknown compounds made by Chemists. This led onto what may have been the best part of the day, where pupils watched a Professor perform some incredible demonstrations of frying eggs in liquid nitrogen, colourless liquids that he timed perfectly to change colour on his command, fluorescing chemicals, water that explodes and liquids that spontaneously combust.

Here is what a couple of pupils had to say:

“Spending the day on a University campus really put into perspective what amazing places they are”

“I loved watching the Professor who demonstrated so many amazing reactions, especially the one where the liquid couldn’t make up its mind what colour it wanted to be!”

A big thank you to Chemistry teacher Mrs Flannagan for giving the pupils this opportunity to look round her old University. Some have already expressed an interest in forensic science as a possible career in the future as a result of the day so a very worthwhile event indeed.