Thursday 20 February 2014

Chemistry Fun

Today we presented our organic chemistry projects, in which we explored an organic molecule of our choice. We were to investigate its chemistry, properties, history, and impacts on society. Aromatics, TNT, Testosterone, and Morphine- these were just a few of the many molecules that were presented. As expected, it was quite an interesting class (thanks to my charismatic peers). This is what I love about Science Academy- in Chemistry last semester, we learned about the different parts of simple organic molecules and this was our chance to  apply our knowledge to molecules we come across everyday. We had the opportunity to inquire about our own curiosities, and curiosity is the best way to learn!

Thursday 13 February 2014

A glimpse of the future...

Yesterday we visited our future ... literally. We went to SFU Burnaby Campus, where we got to meet two amazing profs and take part in a few labs. With state of the art equipment and an immense amount of space, it was both exciting yet overwhelming! We conducted two labs, first a "Reduction of Silver" lab, followed by an "Endo/Exothermic Reactions" lab. The concepts of the experiments tied in with what we were learning in school, and this was a great way to get a feel for the university lab setting. Cheers to the future!

The product of the first lab. And yes- that is real silver.