Chem Students – Future Miners

Chemistry students at Eastern Goldfields College received real-world insight into theories learnt in class during a trip to the WA School of Mines yesterday.

Students put their skills and knowledge to the test in four experiments at the metallurgy instrument laboratory, under the guidance of WASM lecturers.

The experiments involved gold extraction using flotation, atomic absorption spectroscopy, emission spectroscopy, and a metallurgy experiment using metal replacement reaction.

In the atomic absorption spectroscopy experiment students used an analytical machine to test a sample of an unknown solution using calibration curves of known samples.

The metallurgy experiment had students try to extract copper from ore using sulphuric acid, a magnetic stirrer, and wire mesh to collect copper through metal replacement reaction. The students were accompanied by EGC science teachers Emma Roberts and Patrick Elliott.

Miss Roberts said the excursion gave students the opportunity for real-world application of classroom theories.

“It also gives them a chance to use equipment we don’t have at school and in a professional environment,” she said. “It is great we have this partnership with the university to use their facilities and access their lecturers.

“These are ATAR students, so it gives them an idea of what university would be like and what to expect if they go into mining and metall-urgy.”