On Thursday 17th May, Year 10 and 12 Chemistry students were set a challenge: to make the world’s most accurate chemical clock.
On Thursday 17th May, Year 10 and 12 Chemistry students were set a challenge: to make the world’s most accurate chemical clock.
They were given limited supplies of chemicals and very basic instructions that described how to produce the colour change used to time the reaction. During the reaction, the iodine produced reacts with thiosulfate ions, delaying the colour change. Once the thiosulfate ions are used up, the iodine reacts with starch in the solution to produce a distinctive blue-black colour very quickly.
The students needed to time 20 seconds, which they attempted to do by varying the mass of sodium thiosulfate. After a series of trials, they were ready to compete. To accurately measure their clocks, SeoYoung used a mass balance and light sensor connected to a data logger to record the entries. Tension grew as students mixed their solutions together, hoping their colour change would coincide with the final notes of the countdown music. Abhishek, in Year 12, enjoyed the competitive nature of the activity: “It was fun, and the fact we had to use the reaction as a timer made it more competitive. I had to concentrate when I was measuring the chemicals to make sure everything was perfect.” Head of Hue House Ms Gallagher struggled to contain her excitement as Hue participants and members of her form, 10V, competed.
The winners of the competition will be announced during assembly later in the term. For Chemistry Ambassador Tom Lee and Seo Young Jung, preparation for the Chemistry competition began weeks earlier, with careful trialing of the methodology and equipment.
Jodie Westwood, Head of Chemistry
At BIS HCMC, leadership is more than just a title — it’s about inspiring others, fostering a sense of community, and embracing personal growth. This year’s Head Students, in Year 13, — Atom, JaeYeon, Tim, and Serena — embody these values with authenticity and dedication, each bringing their unique strengths, creativity, and passion to their roles.
We are thrilled to announce that a record three students from the BIS HCMC Class of 2025 have received offers from the University of Oxford, ranked number 3 in the world, and the University of Cambridge, ranked number 5 in the world. A huge congratulations to Quynh An, YeongSeo (Judy) and JaeYeon on their extraordinary achievement that sets a new benchmark for BIS students.
These achievements come as BIS students begin to secure outstanding offers from top universities around the world, including USA, UK, Australia and Asia and these numbers will only continue to rise as more decisions will be made over the coming weeks.
We are incredibly proud of our Year 11 class of 2024, for their impressive IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) results. This incredible cohort of 155 students, our largest IGCSE class in the history of the school, have significantly surpassed UK and international averages and were awarded 97% of all grades at A*-C. An incredible 62% of all grades awarded were at A*-A.
