For one day only, on Thursday 22nd September 2022, the Downside Science department transformed into Downside School of Alchemy and Pyrotechnics as we welcomed a group of Year Sevens from Exeter Cathedral school to explore the Chemistry behind fireworks.
In their first experiment they initially conjured silver by dipping copper into some “magic water”. They worked brilliantly through a series of experiments changing copper into different compounds and then back again, using a range of techniques which they completed with aplomb, which was extremely impressive as they had only just received their “Bunsen burner licence”. This introduced the concepts of elements, mixtures and compounds. Their rich heritage of musical talent and singing was put to the test when they were challenged to sing the infamous Elements Song by Tom Lehrer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcS3NOQnsQM, but this was well within their capabilities.
After a fortifying lunch (which was the highlight of the day to many, as they couldn’t believe that it was ‘just a normal lunch’), they saw how we made sparklers and then how fireworks get their colour, which led to them answering the question “Why are street lights orange?”. This was then followed by a finale of pyrotechnics resulting in them all graduating as grade 7 apprentice pyrotechnicians.