Lenape High School students have taken part in a global chemistry experiment.
Kim Murray teaches honors and Advanced Placement chemistry at Lenape. She said the global water experiment was undertaken because 2011 was the international year of chemistry, as designated by the United Nations.
The experiment — the largest chemistry experiment to take place in history — focused on pH levels in water across the planet.
Anyone could upload data about water (lakes, rivers, streams) from local sites and see results alongside those of others. Students brought in about eight water samples.
The Cooper River sample was chosen to be uploaded because it is better known than other sites students chose, such as backyard creeks or ponds.
Cooper River had a 7.2 pH level, which was neutral and standard for a river.
Having a pH level of 7 is perfectly neutral. Lower numbers mean acidic pH while higher numbers are base.
“They did a fantastic job,” Murray said. “Typically, students don’t think that what they do makes a difference — and here’s an example where they saw firsthand how their contributions played a part in something global.”
Now that their results have been uploaded, Mt. Laurel is now on the worldwide map.
Murray said it was a fairly basic experiment, which was no problem for her advanced chemistry students.
Anybody with pH sampling equipment from a pool shop could do it, she said.
“It wasn’t something that was terribly hard to pull off,” Murray said. “It was neat.”
The most rewarding part is taking part in something historic.
“To say that we’ve done that is a pretty cool thing I think,” Murray said.
Lenape senior Sonal Gagrani, of Mount Laurel, wants to study neuroscience.
“I thought it was really great just being a part of something that’s not just school wide, but global,” the 17-year-old said. “Just knowing that there are tons of other schools out there doing this also is really, really interesting.
“It was a really easy process, just using pH papers and chemicals. It wasn’t difficult at all.”
She said comparing results with those from other schools is the most fun.
“I think it’s great doing it for the international year of chemistry — that they are going globally doing something that integrates all different schools for a common cause,” Gagrani said.
Christine Ziegler, also a senior from Mount Laurel, wants to study biochemistry.
“I thought it was a great experience for everyone in our school,” the 17-year-old said.
Ziegler is impressed that the experiment was worldwide.
“We just had a blast doing this together,” she said, noting the results were pretty close to what was expected. “I think it was fun for everybody.”
