Perse pupil has formula for success in chemistry competition

Hoi Ching (Year 9) demonstrated her scientific know-how to help her team enjoy success in a major chemistry competition.

She was part of a four-strong group that finished third in the You Be the Chemist national finals at Cambridge University.

To reach the finals, they produced a video about their imaginative answer to prevent flooding in the UK before prevailing in an online chemistry quiz.  

Hoi Ching said: “For our video pitch for a solution to a natural hazard, we did some research and found out that sodium bentonite was a natural material that could absorb water and then expand.

“We decided to adapt it and use it as a barrier to flooding, which is quite common in certain parts of the UK, and to seal gaps. After some further research, we thought it would be able to be used in a powdered form.”

In the finals, Hoi Ching and her team-mates had to give a five-minute presentation about their findings to a panel of judges.

She said: “We originally prepared slides, but last minute we found out we couldn’t use them and so had to just talk it through which was quite nerve-racking and we had to shorten our presentation to be inside the five-minute limit.

“We then had 10 minutes of the judges asking questions, and although we predicted the questions they might ask, they were quite tricky.

“The other teams were very strong as well, so we were definitely surprised, but really happy to get a placing.”