2022 School Magazine

CHEMISTRY OLYMPIAD

D uring Terms 2 and 3, a selection of nine Year 11 Chemistry enthusiasts prepared for the annual Australian Chemistry Olympiad Exam, which was held online on 5 August. The two-hour exam provided an excellent opportunity to implement strategies and knowledge we acquired during our training sessions, especially honing our problem-solving skills and our ability to decipher challenging stimuli. We are tremendously grateful to Ms Ross, who organised the weekly training sessions and worked through practice papers with us, providing invaluable advice and feedback along the way. The consistent study habits and discerning analytical skills we have developed are certain to place us in good stead for senior Chemistry and beyond. Jacqueline Hii (11R) and Natasha Miric (11O)

Back row left to right—Sherry Jiang (11M), Kaitlyn Le (11M), Natasha Miric (11O), Jacqueline Hii (11R), Grace Paschkewitz (11O) Front row left to right—Emma Murphy (11M), Tung-Hi Ma (11H), Lucy Williamson (11W), Vicki Chuang (11E)

CHEMISTRY TITRATION COMPETITION

T he Royal Australian Chemical Institute Titration Competition is a competition designed to provide Year 11 and 12 Chemistry students with an excellent opportunity to develop their scientific and practical skills in a laboratory environment. The experiment involves two acid-base titrations, with the aim of determining the concentration of potassium hydrogen phthalate, a weak acid. A solution of strong base sodium hydroxide is standardised against the standard acid provided, resulting in a neutral solution. A colour change of the solution from colourless to a pale pink hue indicates that the base has completely neutralised the acid, a stage in which the volume of base can be utilised to determine concentration.

100 | BRISBANE GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL 2022

The process at first proved to be challenging for many of the girls, and required significant precision and care, from the rinsing of glassware to the addition of more base in the titration. Indeed, even one drop of base could be the difference between the desired pale pink hue and bright magenta! However, with the attentive guidance and advice of Ms Magee, the wonderful coordinator of the competition, as well as the girls’ perseverance and dedication, there was great success in the results. In particular, four students admirably received High Distinctions: Jacqueline Hii (11R); Kiara Packard (12G); Tiena Packard (11G); and Lauren Hirst (11W). Special congratulations must go to Jacqueline Hii and Kiara Packard who were only 0.001 and 0.002 moles from the actual answer, respectively. Their meticulous approach throughout the competition was highly commendable. Overall, we loved extending our chemistry and practical knowledge beyond the classroom, and highly recommend any interested senior students to try it out! Natasha Miric (11O) and Grace Paschkewitz (11O)