Chemistry Olympiad competition approaches

    Students hold samples if lithium chloride over a Bunsen burner causing fuchsia flames to develop.

    The school is holding the Chemistry Olympiad competition in room 3-106 on March 12 through March 13 at 1:45 p.m.  The Chemistry Olympiad is headed by the American Chemical Society at a national level.

    The competition will last 110 minutes for the in school competition and will test students on their Chemistry abilities. The winners of the competition will advance to the next stage and will compete in the national competition. Two students from each school are able to compete.

    The test, at a national level, has three parts, multiple choice, written responses, and ends with a laboratory practical, which deals with problem solving. The problem solving section is 90 minutes long. The written section is 105 minutes. The lab section is also 90 minutes.

    In order to compete in the Chemistry Olympiad, a student needs to attend the competition at school and place.

    The competition is nationwide and, in some cases, is even international. The best chemistry students are found and are given an opportunity to gain new skills and get their name out in the field of chemistry. The four winners of the national competition are sent to an international competition that is held in a different country each year.

    The goal of the Chemistry Olympiad is to encourage the development of chemistry skills in students and help to guide students if they are planning on a science-based careers. If a student is interested and has taken a chemistry class before, the Chemistry Olympiad would be a competition for them to consider participating in.