The event, taking place in the School of Chemistry’s state-of-the-art teaching laboratories, will involve the students exploring chemistry and tackling a variety of competitive and hands-on activities.

Each of the schools will be represented by a team of four 11- to 13-year-old students who will be competing for prizes for their schools. During the morning the teams will take part in a practical activity entitled ‘Murder at Saltmarsh Farm’ in which they will use their analytical chemistry skills. In the afternoon, they will compete in ‘University Challenge’, another practical activity, in which they will be required to determine the concentration of sugar in a soft drink.

This will be followed by a fun lecture demonstration given by University chemists, Dr Steve Henshaw and Mr Marcus Medley, entitled ‘A Chemical Delight’, whereby students will learn about chemical reactions, atmospheric gases and combustion chemistry.

The day will end with a prize-giving ceremony at which all participants will be given individual prizes and participation certificates, with the winning teams awarded prizes for their schools.

The Salters' Festivals of Chemistry are an initiative of The Salters' Institute (in partnership with the Royal Society of Chemistry) whose aim is to promote the appreciation of chemistry and related sciences among the young. The Festival is one of fifty-five taking place at universities throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland between March and June 2009.

The Festival at the University of Bristol is sponsored by the University’s Bristol ChemLabS [Bristol Chemical Laboratory Sciences] project.