The Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) in conjunction with CQU's College of Sciences has this week (Thursday) conducted the Central Queensland Regional Schools titration competition at 3 campuses (Rockhampton, Gladstone and Bundaberg), as well as at a number of schools remote from these venues (holding it in their own schools at the same time).

The winners, who will be invited to participate in the National Finals Competition to be held on October 18, were from Bundaberg State High, North Rockhampton State High, St Ursula's College (Yeppoon) and Rockhampton Grammar.

The CQ titration competition has been running for nearly 20 years.

Rachel Handebo from Bundaberg High School concentrates on the task

This year there are 15 schools participating with a total of 28 teams.  Each school may send 2 teams, where each team consists of 3 students (usually from years 11-12).

The competition involves the performance of 2 chemical volumetric analyses: the determination of the concentration of a strong base (sodium hydroxide) and  the determination of the concentration of a weak acid (acetic acid).

Students must be trained carefully to develop the skills needed to handle precise volumetric apparatus (i.e. pipette and burette) and deliver the correct volumes for the reaction.

This analytical skill is very important in for analysts working in industrial, chemical and clinical laboratories.

The members of the winning team receive individual plaques and their school gets to keep the perennial competition trophy (donated by Queensland Alumina Ltd). 

The top 3 to 5 teams of the regional competition are also able to participate in the National Finals of the Australian Chemical Analysis Competition, which requires a slightly more involved titration procedure.

Action from the Rockhampton campus leg

The members of the teams participating in the finals receive a gold or silver medallion depending on the accuracy of their results.  Last year, a team of Toolooa State High School won the CQ competition.

More from the Rockhampton leg of the competition

Dr Vicky Vicente-Beckett (Senior Lecturer of the Faculty of Sciences, Engineering & Health) coordinates the CQ regional competition and also serves as the competition's adjudicator and Official Analyst.  The technical staff of the College of Sciences prepares all the solutions needed for the competition.

Teams involved at the campuses this week were: Chanel College from Gladstone; North Bundaberg High, Kepnock High (Bundaberg) and Bundaberg State High; and, from Rockhampton, Emmaus College, North Rockhampton High, Rockhampton Girls Grammar, Rockhampton Grammar and Rockhampton State High.

Warm reception for icy topic at Bundaberg

More from the Rockhampton labs
Kepnock High's Emma Wright and teacher Patrick Babin
A team from Gladstone's Chanel College