Five teams of promising young scientists competed in the national finals of the Australian Chemical Analysis Competition throughout Central Queensland this week.

North Rockhampton High School, Rockhampton Girls’ Grammar School and Rockhampton Grammar School competed on-campus at CQU Rockhampton, while Bundaberg State High School and Gladstone State High School competed on their own turf.

The teams were chosen as finalists due to their performances at the State Competition held earlier in the year.

The competition saw students use titration techniques to determine the exact concentration of an amount of a chemical (KHP - potassium hydrogen phthalate). Gold medallions will be awarded to team members who achieve an answer within 1% of the correct value.

Results are still pending.

CQU Chemistry lecturer Desirae Kirby said through participating in the competition students gained valuable experience in laboratory techniques which they will later use at university and in the workplace.

The event was sponsored by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and is organised in this region by CQU.