Girls‘ Day 2023 - „Do what you like!"

"Do what you like" was the motto of this year's nationwide day of action to promote stereotype-free career guidance for girls. Claudia Formen and Janko Stoffels, chemical laboratory technicians, welcomed the knowledge-hungry girls to the institute on April 27.

Various demonstrative experiments were carried out throughout the day: Laboratory technician Stefan Hauk demonstrated how one's own hair looks magnified several thousand times under a scanning electron microscope and how healthy hair can be distinguished from damaged hair. In another experiment, the girls learned how to determine the acid concentration of a lemon using an acid-base titration. In addition, the girls produced polyurethane foam, which is found in many everyday products, and a borax bead, which is used in analytical chemistry. Furthermore, they also experimented with liquid nitrogen. In the last experiment of the day, PhD student Anna Jasny explained certain reactions in photochemistry. She illustrated the effects of fluorescence and phosphorescence, which are used, for example, in children's toys to make them glow either during or after exposure to light. In a final feedback session, participants recapped the day over a tasty snack.

"I would be very pleased if I encouraged the girls to pursue what they are interested in and enjoy. Chemistry is nothing to be afraid of," Claudia Formen explains in conclusion with a satisfied smile.