2016-03-14

BSc students grab silver in Hong Kong Chemistry Olympiad
A
team of three Chemistry students of HKBU won the silver medal in the
27th Hong Kong Chemistry Olympiad (for tertiary institutions) on 27
February. This year, the competition revolved around the theme
“Chemistry and Justice”. Each of the teams from six local universities
had to find the solution to a given chemistry problem within two days
and present it within a set time limit in an open seminar. The HKBU team
included Year 4 student Yang Min and Year 3 students Fok Wan-yiu and
Chau Ho-fai. They were assigned the topic “crime fighting”.
For their assigned topic, the HKBU team showed the use of chemistry in
forensic science. They simulated a murder scene with a knife on which
the blood was possibly removed by the suspect, a threatening letter and a
dusty floor covered with paint powder. The team used knowledge from
across disciplines, from Chemistry, Biology to Physics, to collect
evidence and solve the crime. They explained that the presence of iron
in blood catalysed the fluoresce reaction of chemical luminol.
In addition, the team used chemical methods to visualise fingerprints on
the threatening letter and to prove that the paint powder at the scene
was identical to that found on the suspect’s shoes. The students said
that they mainly learnt theories in lessons and the competition enabled
them to apply what they had learnt to real life. The team produced a
short film to illustrate the forensic applications to make their
presentation more interesting.
Dr Sam Hau, the team supervisor and Lecturer of the Department of
Chemistry praised the team for their efforts. He was impressed by the
creative way they presented their topic and their overall performance in
the competition. Dr Hau also expressed his gratitude to the students
for forming a support team to provide assistance to the competing team.
To see how the team collects forensic evidence using chemistry, please visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vWNCejPBjA&feature=youtu.be
from HKBU eNews
https://bunews.hkbu.edu.hk/news/people/hkbu-chemistry-students-grab-silver-in-hong-kong-chemistry-olympiad