Monmouth Science Initiative
The Monmouth Science Initiative involves the close interaction of pupils from schools based in the Monmouth area with science schools located in Cardiff University. The School of Chemistry hosts a group of these gifted sixth formers three times per academic year.
Students will undertake a chemistry “challenge” and then be able to run chemical samples, such as limonene, beta carotene and aspirin, prepared by themselves on the spectroscopic equipment in the department. This allows students to gain a feel of how spectroscopic techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance and infrared spectroscopies and mass spectrometry play a vital role in chemical analysis….it also allows them to see if they have isolated the compounds they think they have made!!! This is aimed to provide students with theory and experience for the higher level of A-Level Chemistry
This scheme has been run since September 2008 and to date over 150 students from 6 schools have been able to gain an insight into what a chemical laboratory in an academic environment is really like.
For more information please visit: http://www.monmouthscience.org.uk/default.htm