Science News
HSC Science Extension Panel Discussion
Our five Year 12 Science Extension students presented their research at a panel discussion in the Senior Library last Tuesday. Sitting in front of their conference-style posters, the students described the challenges they faced, their results, and the implications for future research. It was standing room only with an audience full of students and staff. Milla Brown described her first-hand investigation of the nicotine content of e-cigarettes. Alice Martin explored the possibility of using chelation as a treatment for the buildup of iron in the brain that is associated with Parkinson’s disease. Sally Webster discussed the use of waste coffee grounds as a source of activated carbon for the purpose of filtering heavy metals from water. Emma Talbot treated genetically modified organisms as invasive species when investigating their impact on ecosystems. Annie Furness sought correlations between the metallicity of stars and the properties of their exoplanets. In responding to questions from the audience, the panelists mused on the increasingly-serious battle against pseudoscience, the need for blue skies research, and the responsibility of scientists to report their findings without bias. Milla, Alice, Sally, Emma and Annie are to be congratulated on their efforts in carrying out independent research over the past year.
Joseph Guss
Science Teacher
Year 12 Chemists Excel in the Finals of the NSW Titration Competition
Each member of our SCEGGS Finalist team were awarded medals for their accuracy in the Finals of the NSW Titration Competition.
The NSW Schools Titration Competition is an analytical chemistry competition open to NSW students enrolled in Senior Chemistry. The Competition attracts over 1200 students from over 100 NSW schools from across the state.
Students compete in teams of three to complete a first-hand analytical experiment to determine the unknown concentration of an acid. Each team’s overall score depends on the accuracy of the estimates measured by each member.
Based on their results in the Qualifying round of the Competition, one of our teams was selected to take part in the Final round, which took place on Saturday 9 September at UNSW. This team consisted of Jessica Millen, Isabella Morgan, and Josephine Robson.
In the competition, Isabella achieved a gold medal for excellence in accuracy, while Jessica and Josephine both achieved silver medals for commendation. This was a terrific result and we were very proud of the students’ commitment to training prior to the day, and for their excellent performance in the final round.
A huge thank you to our wonderful laboratory technician, Selena Browne, who supported the students in each round of the competition, and ensured they were well-equipped to compete and achieve such pleasing results.
The Senior Chemistry Team
Luke Hanson, Alison Johnson, and Nicola Kidston
