Masterclasses
A state-of-the-art experience.
Our range of masterclasses offers students in Years 12 and 13 the chance to experience first-hand what learning in our multi-million-pound facilities is really like.
As well as working on some exciting and engaging areas of chemistry, your group can meet some of our students, learn from our academics and get their first taste of life on campus at Lancaster University.
Note – for full-day classes, students should bring their own lunch or buy lunch on campus.
Nanoparticles
If you want to get your students excited about chemistry, start small! This masterclass offers a look into materials science, with an introduction to nanoparticles. Throughout the session, we’ll guide your students through the process of synthesizing gold nanoparticles and working with ferro-fluids. With the chance to experience and investigate these particles’ unique physical properties, it’s a session that’s bound to capture your students’ imagination.
This session can be run as a half-day activity or a full day activity with The Chemistry of Fingerprint Visualisation.
Fingerprints
With an introduction to the physical and chemical nature of forensic science, this is a masterclass that truly leaves a lasting impression. Your students will discover how to visualise latent fingerprints – understanding the residues our fingers leave behind, and how commercial powders can make them visible. The session delves into the polymerisation reaction of the fingerprint residue, looking at the initiation, propagation and termination steps.
This session can be run as a full-day activity or as a half-day activity with Nanoparticles.
Aspirin
By taking a closer look at something so ordinary as aspirin, we can show your students just how fundamental chemistry is to the everyday world around us – discovering where physical chemistry meets analytical and organic chemistry.
The session introduces students to a variety of different techniques and tasks. First, we use a pH meter to follow the titration of a weak acid with a strong base, graphically determining the pKa. They then study the titration of an Alka-Seltzer solution with HCl, before isolating and analysing the resulting Aspirin precipitate. Through using the spectroscopic and physical methods, your students will have packed in TLC, melting point, IR, HPLC & NMR analyses – a busy day full of chemistry.
Body in the Lab
Fancy being the next Sherlock Holmes? Then let your students attempt this masterclass challenge to find out what happened to cause the body in the lab. Tackling this challenge in groups of 4 - 6, this session will use UV spectroscopy to determine the concentration of aspirin in the body and ascertain if the amount present was enough to be the cause of death. This is a full on session where your students will have to use TLC, melting point, IR, HPLC & NMR analyses.
Contact
If you would like more information or would like to arrange an event for your school, please contact: