The Department of Chemistry hosted the grade 10 UP with Science learners on 28 June. They first had a lecture by Prof Rohwer on ―The Challenge of Chemistry‖ where he introduced the concept of chemistry as a science and career opportunity. The students then came down to the first year laboratories where the theme for the day was to solve a murder mystery. Chemistry techniques were used to identify a murderer from a list of three suspects. They employed TLC to identify whose pen had been used to write a threatening note to the victim, ester synthesis to identify the components of a smell which was reported to have lingered at the scene by the first witness, flame emission of chloride salts to determine whether KCl was the unknown substance in a syringe which the victim had been stabbed with and electroplating copper onto a paper clip to demonstrate electroplating is possible with only basic materials – the victim had been passing off cheap copper plated imitations as rare copper ornaments.

Students also had a chance to tie dye cloths, observe the colour changes which occur as zinc reduces vanadium through oxidation states +5 to +2. They were also able to determine whether common household materials such as milk, bleach, soap and lemon juice are acidic or basic using red cabbage as an indicator. The Tollens test was demonstrated to them and they observed the reduction of Ag⁺ to Ag(0) by the deposition of silver on the inside of a test tube. We also demonstrated the exothermic reduction of H₂O₂ to water and oxygen in an experiment known as ―elephant toothpaste‖ Fun was had all round by the students and demonstrators on the day.

A very special thank you to Pascaline and Harold for assisting with organising all the chemicals and apparatus required for the day as well as the demonstrators Frances, Betty, Tshego and Zama for not only assisting with the experiments but sparking the students‘ interest in Chemistry.