It is about carrying out a Harry Potter-themed activity. In it, the children will be sorted in one of the four Hogwarts houses (adapted with a scientific theme) according to the colour they obtain in a test with salts on the flame.

It is about carrying out a Harry Potter-themed activity. In it, the children will be sorted in one of the four Hogwarts houses (adapted with a scientific theme) according to the colour they obtain in a test with salts on the flame.

A crucible will be prepared with an EtOH:H2O (1:1) mixture and at least four salt shakers containing the following salts: BaCO3, CuCl, Li2CO3 and KCl. First, the history of each of the four houses of science will be briefly introduced: Lithindor, Cupritherin, Kaliumclaw or Bariumpuff. Each of these is closely related to a chemical element and its properties.

Participants will then line up, ignite the EtOH:H2O solution, and one by one select one of the four salt shakers and add a pinch of the salt they contain to the fire. The addition of salt will change the colour of the fire indicating to which “house” the participant belongs (between each participant and the next the salt shakers will rotate so that the colour that will come out in the flame is not known in advance).

Finally, the children are given a trading card of the house in which they have been selected, in which there is an image of the corresponding chemical element, as well as information or fun facts about it.

• Lithindor House welcomes energetic, daring and motivating scientists. The representative colours are gold and scarlet and its symbol is a lithium battery.
• Cupperin House is characterised primarily by ambition, cleverness and generosity. Its representative symbol is a copper coin, its colours are green and bronze.
• The colours of Kaliumclaw House are blue and silver. The house is looking for sensitive, empathetic and intelligent students. The symbol of the house is a hydrangea.
• Bariumpuff was looking for fun, loud and artistic students. The symbol of the house is a firecracker and its representative colours are yellow and carbon black.

The text behind the trading cards:

• Lithium is a light element that oxidises easily, which makes it an ideal anode for the manufacture of batteries for electronic devices and vehicles.
• Copper is an abundant, cheap metal and a good conductor of electricity. For this reason, it is used in the manufacture of electrical cables, coins or pipes.
• Potassium is a fundamental element in the growth of plants and other living beings. You can find it in fruits and vegetables such as bananas, broccoli, and avocados, among others.
• Barium can form compounds that have a wide variety of applications, such as components of pyrotechnic articles, poisons or even as a coating in X-ray rooms.

Coordinated by: Natalia Muñoz Padial

Date and time:
September 29, 2022, from 10 am to 14 pm and from 16:30 pm to 20 pm

Place: Dock shed number 2 of the Valencia port.