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Y12 Lancaster Uni Chemistry Masterclass - A Body in the Lab!
Mr Blue was lying still on the lab floor, bottles of chemicals around him. He had been working in the lab with various substances, had these killed him, was it his medication that was also next to him or something else?
This is the scene that 25 Year 12 Chemistry Students saw when they travelled to Lancaster University for a Chemistry Masterclass with Mr Gannon and Mrs Frost. They had to determine which substances had caused the ‘fictitious death’. This was established by using infrared, ultraviolet and mass spectrometry along with thin layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which the university provided.
UVHS covers the theory of these analytical techniques, but students had a hands on experience to help solve this hypothetical crime. Students were challenged to complete practical techniques and make conclusions using secondary data to identify compounds in the bottles and identify the culprit.
Chemistry came through and we solved the crime!
