MANSFIELD, PA— Mansfield University Chemistry students and faculty members Michele Conrad, Chemistry, and Michele Whitecraft, Education, took part in two National Chemistry Week (NCW) events during the week of October 20.
Chemistry Club members Elizabeth Clifford, Bryan McCullough, Marty Holdren, Joe Mandeville and Education student Ashley Baker, along with Conrad and Whitecraft, visited sixth grade science classes at Warren L. Miller Elementary School in Mansfield on October 20.
They lead discussions in various applications of science and powers of observation and inference and followed up with a forensic chemistry demonstration. Students were tasked to determine the identity of the writer of a mystery note. The students used a method called chromatography to separate dyes and pigments in black markers. The way the pigments and dyes separated allowed the students to make comparisons and identify the author of the note, whether a bully, a best friend or a crush.
“Students left the event excited to try the experiment at home,” Conrad said.
On October 23, Chemistry Club students Angie Kilyan, Joe Mandeville and Bryan McCullough, along with Assistant Professor Conrad, visited seventh grade classes at Corning-Painted Post Middle School in Painted Post.
Students collected their fingerprints and understood the different features to look for. They used these skills to identify a mystery superhero’s fingerprints.
“Students were excited to use their powers of observation to solve a mystery,” Conrad said.
The NCW events included several different demonstrations from scientists in the region. NCW is a community-based annual event that unites American Chemical Society local sections, businesses, schools and individuals in communicating the importance of chemistry to our quality of life.