Team Wybar vs Team Purcell

This morning two of our Year 7 classes had a competition over which type of indigestion medicine was the best - tablets/powder or liquids. They have been learning about neutralisation in their recent Science lessons and looking at how these medicines would neutralise excess stomach acid.

First a team captain was chosen from each class. The captains had to pick which type of medicine they would be testing. 

Team Purcell got liquid medicines:

With Team Wybar selecting tablets/powders:

Then the teams separated to get down to work.

Each group carefully measured one maximum adult dose of thier medicine using a number of techniques such as measuring cylinders, teaspoons, scales and those who had large tablets crushed the medicine in a pestle and mortar before dissolving it in warm water. 

Then they started to add acid to the medicine, checking the pH at regular intervals. 

The medicine which would neutralise the most acid was the most effective. We also compared the price of the different medicines. 

The two teams met again at the end of the lesson to reveal their results. The atmosphere was tense.....

The medicine that could neutralise the most acid was also the cheapest medicine that we tested. It was the Sodium bicarbonate powder. Well done to both classes for some great scientific skills and congratulations to Team Wybar for their victory.