VCE Chemical Pathways

Paul Bolitho

Teacher - VCE Chemistry

Recently the Year 11 and  Year12 VCE Chemistry students went on excursions to the Department of Chemistry at the University of Melbourne.  

The students engaged in different chemistry outreach programs where they could put theory into practice in a laboratory setting. 

All students began the day bright and early in the chemistry lecture theatre where they were exposed to different career pathways in chemistry. They had the opportunity to discuss how the chemistry they were studying now could be useful across a whole range of subjects that are studied as part of a wider science degree, and then began to examine the theory and safety principles that they would need for their day in the lab.

Year 11 students engaged in some wet bench chemistryto assess the levels of nitrates, phosphates, copper and iron contamination in creek water. They learned how to use pipettes and volumetric flasks, prepare standards and use a UV/Vis spectrophotometer to analyse their samples. The budding chemists then graphed out a calibration curve and used it do determine the concentration of contaminants in the creek water.

Year 12 students were stretched to the limit by becoming chemical detectives - tasked to solve the chemical structure and identify of a range of mystery molecules! They put together existing and totally new knowledge and skills to solve their structures, using state of the art analytical machinery including infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. These machines can cost millions of dollars and are not usually made available for high school student use!

Many thanks to all the students who attended these excursions, and to the staff (Michelle O’Brien and Amber Stroh) and parents who supported them to participate. 

Special thanks to Mick Moylan of the Chemistry Education Association for organising this extraordinary outreach program, giving students the opportunity to engage with chemistry in a fun, hands-on way and see science come to life beyond the classroom. 

This experience may just inspire them to consider future pathways in science, technology, and innovation!