National Chemistry Week
in St Louis
... is an event sponsored by the American Chemical Society to promote public awareness of chemistry’s impact on everyday living. It’s a national, even somewhat international, celebration of our Central Science. Though celebrated at different times, chemical societies in many countries recognize a “national chemistry week.”
| Links to national National Chemistry Week sites | |
|---|---|
| Australia | www.raci.org.au/national/events/chemistryweek.html |
| Canada | www.chimiste.ca/ncw |
| Great Britain | www.rsc.org/Chemsoc/Activities/ChemistryWeek |
| Singapore | snic.org.sg/ncw |
| USA | www.chemistryweek.org |
We’ve been fortunate to have science-friendly mayors for several years. Each year as NCW looms, the mayor signs a proclamation recognizing National Chemistry Week in St Louis. Photos of the event are posted here as soon as they are available.
The 2007 proclamation signing by Mayor Francis Slay was celebrated on October 15, attended by (l to r) chair-elect Keith Stine, chair Steve Kinsley, and NCW Coordinator Greg Wall. Photo by Elana Schafer. They were greeted by the Mayor and given a tour of his office.
After several whereases to set the stage, the meat of the proclamation:
NOW THEREFORE, I, Francis Slay, Mayor of the City of St. Louis, do hereby proclaim October 21-27, 2007, as NATIONAL CHEMISTRY WEEK in the City of St. Louis, urging all citizens to recognize the contributions of chemistry and to wish the chemists and chemical engineers of our community the best in their search for new knowledge that will benefit all people.
Hear, hear! This marks the 20th year of NCW and the Section’s participation in this public outreach program. Greg Wall: “NCW is the premier event to bring chemistry to the community and to bring awareness to the importance of chemistry to our everyday life.”
Celebrating science as sport, the Battle of the Burets has been a staple of NCW-STL for many years. The contest is sponsored by the St Louis Section of the American Chemical Society and hosted each year by an area institution of higher learning: this year, SIU–Edwardsville.
Teams of two chemistry students from area high schools compete to determine the concentration of an unknown by acid-base titration. Chemical sportsmen and women don protective goggles like downhill skiers, display uncanny touch as they wield their burets like golf putters, and converge on the accuracy bull’s-eye like Olympic archers. The competition is judged on accuracy, but speed is essential, as the time limit is just 12 minutes for each round.
October 24th at 6 pm. To compete in this year’s tournament, your entry must be received by October 19. Maps and parking directions will be sent after your entry is received. Rules and entry form are in the invitation.
Play-by-play and results will be posted here as soon as they are available. In 2006, 19 teams from 10 schools entered the fray. The 2006 Battle of the Burets champions are ... Ka Suen and Michal Hyrc (l to r in photo) of Clayton High School (coached by Nathan Peck). Their winning performance was a ±0.5% accuracy and a time of slightly greater than 100 sec. In the photo, they proudly display their winning endpoint.
If you're looking for a way to participate in National Chemistry Week in your classroom, there are demonstrations appropriate for all grade levels. Below are just some of the resources that are available on the WWW for chemistry teachers and students. Please follow all appropriate safety precautions.
Have fun!
If you need more information or have problems with this site, please contact the WebMaster.