Students brave elements in chemistry master class

The origins of forensic science in an 1840 Paris murder case, and rap songs on the Periodic Table, provided an entertaining link to serious science for Year 13 pupils at Massey University’s Albany campus recently.

About 70 pupils attended the two-hour master class focused on chemistry scholarship and NCEA level 3 curriculum topics chosen by the students and teachers, as well as other chemistry themes of general interest.

Three Massey scientists gave presentations, including international award-winning theoretical chemist and physicist Professor Peter Schwerdtfeger,

The session began with organic chemist Associate Professor Al Nielson on exam revision, followed by physical chemist Dr John Harrison’s presentation on the history of famous arsenic poisonings, from artist Vincent van Gogh to the race horse Phar Lap. Dr Harrison explained how forensic science was born during a Paris court case, with the creation of the Marsh test to detect arsenic in liquid.

Professor Schwerdtfeger, from Massey’s New Zealand Institute for Advanced Study, discussed the discovery of the Periodic Table of elements in Beyond the Periodic Table – Going for the Superheavy Elements, a talk he gave at Te Papa museum in Wellington this year to mark International Year of Chemistry. He explained the properties of five new super heavy elements recently added to the table, as well as the chemistry of the Big Bang origins of the Universe 13.7 billion years ago. He touched on recent physics and chemistry experiments at the Large Hadron Collider in Europe – also the theme of a YouTube rap song (Large Hadron Collider Rap by Kate McAlpin) he played to the group.

Students were each given a copy of a new Periodic Table poster produced by the University, one of three science posters designed for secondary school science classrooms. The new Periodic Table includes Maori names for 33 of the 118 elements, which can be translated, and the five new super heavy elements.

Professor Schwerdtfeger, who last year won the Fukui Medal for outstanding theoretical/computational chemists in the Asia-Pacific region, and prestigious international science prize, the Humboldt Research Award, showed hip, humorous versions of the Periodic Table in design, art and music. These included a car, bus, shoes and cup cakes decorated in the Periodic Table, as well as The Element Rap by Mi$$ Cellaneous and N.A.C.L, and The Chemical Elements to the tune of Gilbert and Sullivan's "Major-General's Song" by Tom Lehrer.

Students attended from high schools across Auckland, including Botany Downs College, Long Bay College, Whangaparaoa College, Birkenhead College, Rutherford College, Albany Senior High School, Westlake Girls’ High School, St Cuthbert’s College, Parnell College, Alfriston College, Espom Girls’ Grammar and One Tree Hill College.

Master classes on physics, biology, accountancy and economics will be held at the Albany campus for Auckland secondary schools in early October.