Contact point School - University

We eat them every day - food. But what is actually in the different foods? And how can individual components and ingredients actually be analysed? In this course, students will use various chemical analysis methods to quantitatively determine the main ingredients of food.

Course content
The aim of the course is for students to learn how to derive analysis results from the measurement data in order to make a statement about the composition and quality of the analysed food and to create nutritional labelling. Qualitative detection methods for individual food ingredients complement these laboratory exercises. The practical exercises are accompanied by an explanation of the principles of analysis and the underlying reaction processes.

The course covers the following topics in detail:

• Protein determination by sulphuric acid digestion and subsequent steam distillation and titrimetric determination of protein nitrogen (Kjeldahl method)
• Total fat determination (free and bound fats) by oxidative digestion and subsequent extraction with lipophilic solvent (Weibull-Stoldt method)
• Saline determination by titration of the dissolved chloride ions via back titration (Volhard method) or direct titration (Mohr method).
• Dry substance determination by thermal drying and backweighing
• Carbohydrate determination after hydrolysis of the carbohydrates and subsequent oxidative conversion of the reducing sugars with Luff's solution (copper(II)-containing, carbonate-alkaline solution)
• Detection reactions for peptide bonds, amino acids, saccharides, double bonds in fats; saponification, iodine number determination, peroxide number determination, determination of the rotation value of sugars by polarimetry

The terms ‘nanotechnology’ and ‘nanoparticles’ have become buzzwords in public discourse since the turn of the millennium at the latest. However, there is often something mystical about both terms, which is certainly related to the fact that nanoscale structures in general and nanoparticles in particular are below the resolution of conventional optical instruments and are therefore not easily visible. At the same time, however, the size of metallic nanoparticles can be easily estimated via their optical absorption behaviour. Spectrometers for measuring absorption are based on very fundamental properties of (light) waves, so this course bridges the gap between fundamental physics (diffraction and interference of waves) and a current and interdisciplinary topic (nanoparticles).

Course modules

• Nanotechnology: Synthesis of metallic nanoparticles (gold or silver) via a colloidal route
• Spectroscopic basics: diffraction and interference of light, decomposition of the spectrum of different light sources
• Setting up a spectrometer: setting up a Lego spectrometer in small groups
• Spectroscopy: Measurement of the absorption behaviour of self-produced and/or commercial nanoparticles
• Comparison with commercial analytics

• How many colours does red cabbage juice have?
• What happens to the sea level when the earth starts to sweat?
• And: Can you stack water?

• Solubility
• Density
• Water as a solvent or
•  Acids and bases.

We encounter acids and bases every day. But what are acids and bases and can we detect whether a liquid is more acidic or more alkaline? Is it possible to detect this with a natural indicator? Pupils find this out in the ‘Acids and bases’ course using various experimental stations.

Course content
During the laboratory exercises, pupils from year 8 onwards learn about different reaction mechanisms of acids and bases. To do this, they first prepare a sodium hydroxide solution and determine the concentration both by potentiometric titration and by titration with a pH indicator. The sodium hydroxide solution is then required to determine the acetic acid content in a household vinegar and the fruit acid content in a fruit juice.
In addition, the following questions are posed in the laboratory exercises:

• What is the difference between acids and alkalis?
•  Comparison of universal indicators and natural indicators.
• What does the pH value indicate?
• Measuring the pH value in different concentrations of strong and weak acids
• What happens during neutralisation?
• Amino acid detection by ninhydrin reaction
• Production of a fruit ester by saponification
• Production of a soap by saponification

What does the gas carbon dioxide have to do with climate change? And, if it is so harmful, why do we find this gas in our food? Can we visualise carbon dioxide?
We try to answer these questions through a variety of experiments.

Course content
For one school day (at least four hours), the pupils experiment at various stations in the school laboratory at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. The central topic here is carbon dioxide.
Here is an extract of the experiments:

• Carbon dioxide as a greenhouse gas
• Carbon dioxide as a fire extinguisher
• Carbon dioxide in food

When children observe the bubbles of effervescent gas in water, they often talk about air bubbles that rise to the top. The experiments in this course make it clear that bubble gas is different from air. Effervescent gas can be used to extinguish a fire, but when filled into a balloon it behaves very differently to air and sinks to the ground more quickly.

Course content
For one school day (at least four hours), the pupils experiment at various stations in the school laboratory at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. The central topic is carbon dioxide.
Here is an extract of the experiments:

• Making carbon dioxide visible
• Make your own fizzy gas
• Bubbling gas moves
• Fizzy gas needs space

You can't see it and yet it's all around us: air. Air is not nothing! It has a weight, moves and sometimes takes up a lot of space, sometimes not.

The experiments in this course deal with the various properties of air and make it clear that it is always there, even though you can't see it.

Course content
For one school day (at least four hours), the pupils experiment at various stations in the school laboratory at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences. The central theme here is air.
Here is an extract from the experiments:

• Cold and warm air
• Air moves
• Air filling station
• Are empty bottles really empty?

• What dissolves in water?
• Why can a water strider walk on water?
• What floats and what sinks?

• Solubility
• surface tension
• Water as a solvent.

• A magnet attracts things through other materials.
• A magnet also attracts magnetic objects at a distance.
• A magnet only attracts things made of certain materials.
• Two magnets can also repel each other.

• Magnets in everyday life
• Which materials are magnetic?
• How can you find out if something is really a magnet?

Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences has been actively involved in the local Children research foundation network since 2007. Together with employees of Phänomenta Bremerhaven e.V., the Alfred Wegener Institute - Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, the Dorum-Neufeld National Park House and the municipal Office for Youth, Family and Women and Dipl.-Ing. Urthe Gebauer from the university support the Bremerhaven training team of the educational initiative. In workshops, they show nursery school teachers how to get children of pre-school age interested in scientific phenomena. Current courses taking place in the school laboratory at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences can be found in the calendar of events.

From the very beginning, the Children research foundation has set itself the goal of awakening enthusiasm for scientific phenomena and technical issues at an early age, thereby helping to secure the next generation of talent in the relevant professions in the long term. In order to master this challenge as a Germany-wide educational initiative, close co-operation is maintained with local network partners on site.

In Bremerhaven, PHÄNOMENTA Bremerhaven e. V. has taken on this partnership and Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences is actively supporting the objectives on site. Further information can be found on the PHÄNOMENTA Bremerhaven e.V. website.

Information on current courses in the school laboratory can be found at the Haus der kleinen Forscher or in the Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences calendar of events.

Contact
Werner Köhler
Hoebelstr. 24
27572 Bremerhaven
Telephone 0471 413081
Fax 03212 5973007
E-mail werner.koehler-bx@web.de
Internet www.phaenomenta-bremerhaven.de

Studying alongside school
Particularly gifted and talented pupils in years 11 to 13 (or 10 to 12) can take part in selected lectures as part of the early study programme and study subjects such as general oceanography, statistics or physics together with the students. They also have the opportunity to take the exam afterwards. Those who successfully pass the exam can even have this certificate credited towards a subsequent degree course at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences.
Who is the early study programme suitable for?
Pupils in the upper secondary school who are talented, interested and motivated to achieve can take part in early studies. They are self-confident and are independent, committed and goal-oriented learners.
 
Which subjects are offered?
At the start of the early study programme, students choose a course (90-minute lecture/week plus preparation and follow-up time) from the courses offered in the first semester of one of our  Bachelor's degree programmes and attend it for 14 weeks (= one semester).
When does it start and how much time is required?
Early studies begin with courses from the respective first semester, which starts in October each year.
The scope of the selected course should not exceed 2 semester hours per week (SWS) (2 SWS corresponds to 90 minutes lecture/week plus preparation and follow-up time; 14 weeks = one semester).
 
How do I register?
To register for early studies at Bremerhaven University of Applied Sciences, you will need
1. a letter of motivation from the student,
2. a letter of recommendation from the school,
3. the completed and signed (by the parent or legal guardian) application for admission as a guest student as part of the early study program.
 
A great insight into studying!