Girls’ Day 2025 at DWI

On April 3, 2025, the nationwide Girls’ Day (Mädchen-Zukunftstag) took place. Once again, DWI opened its laboratories to schoolgirls interested in science and technology, offering them insights into the work carried out at a chemical-technical research institute. Claudia Formen, chemical laboratory technician, welcomed the participants and guided them through a varied day-long program. The focus was on hands-on experiments, allowing the girls to actively engage in laboratory work. In the so-called “chemical magic garden” experiment, colorful crystal structures formed from different metal salt solutions. This visually engaging experiment illustrates how reactions take place in solutions.

Afterwards, the participants created a borax bead – a glass-like bead used in analytical chemistry to help identify unknown substances. During the oxidation melt experiment, it was demonstrated how substances react with oxygen when heated in a melt. This served as a classic example of a redox reaction. The final experiment, flame coloring, brought a particularly colorful highlight: various metal salts were used to show how they change the color of the visible flame.

The students showed great interest and approached the experiments with curiosity and enthusiasm. In addition to gaining technical knowledge, they were also able to collect valuable hands-on experience in the lab. The day concluded with pizza and an opportunity to exchange impressions and reflect on what they had learned.