interesting look at the chemistry behind the process. Needless to say, there was no shortage of staff for this trip!’ Mr Willetts, Chemistry teacher
Chemistry Olympiad. In the past five years, the boys have won an impressive 16 gold, 29 silver and 24 bronze awards. Frequently, at least one boy has qualified to proceed to Round 2. Remove boys tackle the demanding C3L6 Challenge (organised by the University of Cambridge). Since 2012 they have accrued: 3 roentgenium, 17 gold, 15 silver and 22 copper awards. This year, Minghao Zhang was placed in the top 0.76% nationally. Middle School boys will once again participate in the RSC Chemistry Challenge, and hope to emulate the success of previous years in which we won the Kent Section Final. ChemSoc meets weekly and provides opportunities for boys to try sensational practical experiments, and to attend presentations (mainly given by Upper School boys) on cutting-edge topics which aim to promote the importance and relevance of the subject. ‘I find Chemistry Society very engaging; requiring only foundation level chemistry to participate in enjoyable hands-on practicals, but also being educational and informative through listening to presentations on a range of fascinating topic areas.’ Alex Notley, Year 13 Every year, we run a residential trip to either Leeds or Bristol University. This gives boys a flavour for undergraduate study, and allows them to use some of the spectroscopic analytical techniques that they have learnt about at school. In a very popular outing to the London Beer Factory in Gypsy Hill, 15 Remove chemists learnt about the chemistry behind the beer brewing process, such as how the type of hops, barley, and yeast and the pH of the water can be manipulated to change both the flavour and the alcohol content. Another treat for 10 Remove boys, was a Practical Workshop on Esters at Oxford University – a great opportunity to preview some of the organic chemistry that they study in Year 13, whilst getting the chance to use sophisticated analytical techniques.
Investigating the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction in ChemSoc.
‘On the first day of this two-day residential trip, the boys used spectrometers to determine the emission spectrum of a hydrogen atom, and learned the fundamental chemistry behind this fascinating technique which can be used to determine the composition of stars. On the second day, they were able to synthesise paracetamol in a wet laboratory and determine its purity using the latest equipment. Finally, the boys got to experience two nights in one of the halls of residence, giving the trip a more rounded feel of what university life is like.’ Miss Webber and Mr Willetts, Chemistry teachers Beyond the confines of the specifications, boys participate in a variety of intellectually demanding Chemistry competitions. Upper School chemists are encouraged to enter the prestigious International
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