We are four year 12 students currently carrying

out a CREST award project. Our current aim is

to be able to determine the iron content in

iron supplements by means of a method called

redox titrations. A redox titration is a chemical

reaction whereby elements are reduced (gains

electrons) and oxidised (loses electrons) at the

same time. Iron, Fe2+, although considered a

trace mineral (one that is needed in relatively

small quantities) is a fundamental part of our

diets as it is involved in so many metabolic

reactions that take place on a molecular level

within human beings: the most obvious

example being in the sustaining of human life.

Iron is necessary for the production of red

blood cells, or erythrocytes. The most common

nutritional disorder in the world is the lack of

iron in an individual’s diet; this is otherwise

known as iron deficiency anaemia.

Gold CREST Award Project 1

Sacred Heart Year 12 CREST Award

Chemistry 2016

Key chemistry skills used in this CREST Award.

Redox Titrations

Making standard solutions

Communicating complex ideas

Advanced calculations

Precision measurements

Research

Evaluative skills

Page 1

Iron standard solutions

Page 2

Chemistry 2016

Iron can be lost through various ways, including

urination, sweat and excretion. Moreover, bleeding

can cause a further loss of iron, and this is why there is

a greater demand for iron in women compared to men

due to a woman’s menstrual cycle.

Up to 6% of the general population suffer from iron

deficiency anaemia and in 2013, iron-deficiency

anaemia affected 1.2 billion people. To battle this, iron

can be naturally consumed through heme foods,

which derive from animals that had the haemoglobin

protein in their blood, or from non-heme foods which

come from plant sources. Alternatively, iron

supplements are available for intake in order to boost

the body’s iron levels to a sufficient amount.

This project so far has truly been an incredible experience. It has led to us

being able to delve deeper in our understanding of chemistry, escape the

parameters of the AS syllabus, and also build rapports with Cambridge PhD

graduates. Our next step is to titrate with more iron supplements in order to

gain more evidence and are currently considering experimenting with vitamin

C. After the project comes to completion, we hope to have achieved the Gold

CREST award.

Preparing standard

solutions

Vacuum filtration

Chemistry 2016

To test the toothpaste I used a standard paste which consisted of only coconut oil as the coconut oil removes the toxins from the mouth. The chemicals and ingredients that will be used are Baking Soda, Lemon juice, Strawberry and Hydrogen peroxide.

There are currently 2 Crest Awards being undertaken by a collective of 5, Year 12 Chemistry students. The second of the two projects is to do with investigating the different household products that can be used in toothpaste to cleanse and maintain healthy strong teeth.

Everyone involved in the CREST projects has gained an experience like no other. Students have gained knowledge in areas of chemistry which are not taught at A Level. CREST gives pupils the chance to participate in hands-on science through investigations and enquiry-based learning. Students are given the opportunity to conduct real research. The different projects have contributed to the scientific community.

Gold CREST Award Project 2

To model the stained teeth, chicken eggshell is used as it contains a similar composition of calcium. The eggshell is stained using red food colouring and white vinegar. The vinegar allows the egg shell to absorb the food colouring and this represents the plaque on teeth. The toothpaste works by removing the red food colouring and remaining acidic vinegar residues from the egg shell, just as toothpaste removes plaque from teeth.

This article was written by the following Year 12 Chemistry students: - John Vu, Edison Roamn, Simeon Akinwale, Thien Nguyen and Olusola Adeyemi