FIZZES, bubbles and slime were in evidence when a scientist held a presentation at Winchcombe School.
Local primary schools’ Year 6 pupils, who will join Winchcombe School in September, attended the presentation given by Dr Alison Rivett of Bristol-based Chemlabs.
Year 7 pupils at Winchcome School, which is a specialist science college, also attended the sessions that saw Dr Rivett demonstrate how to conduct experiments examining rates of reaction. Magnesium strips were dropped into different concentrations of acid, so pupils could time how long the magnesium fizzed and bubbled.
Dr Rivett demonstrated an iodine clock by adding solution A to solution B, resulting in them turning black in seconds. The pupils calculated how much water needed to be added to slow the reaction and delay the colour change for one minute.
They were also shown how to create two types of slime, one of which was a regular version made by mixing a PVA solution and borax.
The other was a polymorph substance that was made by mixing chemical solutions and when warmed became a soft slime that could be moulded but when cold became hard enough to be made into bouncy balls.
The appliance of science: Pupils Marcus Cambray, aged 11, and Emily Morrison, 12, help demonstrator Alison Rivett, far right, conduct an experiment. 04jan09048c. Picture by Linda Butler.
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