The chemistry at work day involved students aged 14 and 15. The day allowed us to showcase the sorts of chemistry we perform at the university to help inspire the new generation of chemists.
Each session was used to show how reaction samples can be diluted to help make a calibration graph. The students had to calculate usable concentrations for 4-samples, make up each sample and then run them on a portable UV-Vis spectrophotometer. From these, a calibration graph could be created to help determine the concentration of an unknown sample.
This procedure was then repeated, only by using the Lego serial dilutor robot to show how much quicker, easier and more reliable the results were. The allowed a general appreciation of chemistry, and the new robotics which are being used in the field and of course, to have fun and ply with Lego robotics.
Below are responses from some of the students involved in the Chemistry and Work day 2019.
What did you most enjoy about the day?
“I enjoyed learning about the different applications of chemistry such as using robotics”
” The Lego robot experiments with the dye concentrations”
“controlling the robots”
“Doing experiments/being in the lab/hands on practicals”
What will you remember for the Chemistry at Work day?
“We used a Lego robot to pour liquids”
“The Lego robots”
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