Chemathon

Overview

Program

Registration & Emergency Contact Info

Remember To Bring & FAQ's

Maps and Parking

Chemathon 2025

Friday, April 25th, 2025

A ONE DAY PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

The University of Florida Department of Chemistry is pleased to invite you and your chemistry students to our annual Chemathon program.

The UF Department of Chemistry Chemathon holds an annual Chemathon each year. The program will run from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM. This event will include a short written test, tours of research labs, a quiz bowl team event, a hands-on lab activity, and a chemistry show. Prizes will be awarded to individuals and teams based on performance in these competitive events. Morning refreshments and pizza lunch will be provided.

All Florida high schools, public and private, are invited to participate by sending up to three teams (4 students per team). Teams should be registered by level. Level I teams consist of students taking a first year chemistry course only. Level II teams may include students taking up to and including AP chemistry. Level III teams are unrestricted and may include students dual-enrolled in a college chemistry course.

Program

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

9:00 AM
- Registration and refreshments in Scott Family Hall (SFH) atrium (1st floor)
9:30 – 10:15 AM
- Competitive written test in CLB C130 (main Chemistry auditorium)
- Concurrent teacher “buzz session” in SFH 221 (2nd floor)

10:25 – 11:00 AM
- Hands on laboratory activity in SFH (1st floor general lab)

11:00 – 11:10 AM
- Meet up with lab tour guide in SFH (1st floor atrium)

11:10 AM – 12:10 PM
- Tours of chemistry research labs
  - 2 sessions at 30 minutes each

12:15 PM
- Lunch in SFH atrium (1st floor)
- Concurrent undergraduate research poster session in CLB (available during lunch)

1:15 – 1:45 PM & 2:00 – 2:30 PM
- Chemathon “Quiz Bowls” in FLI 105 & FLI 111 and LEI 104, 142, 207, & 242
  - See map on this site
  - Guides will be available to escort teams to their rooms
  - A quiz bowl schedule will be provided separately
- Concurrent undergraduate panel discussion for students in SFH 221 (2^nd floor)
  - ~1:15 PM and ~2:00 PM

2:45 PM
- Chemistry demonstration show in CLB C130

3:15 PM
- Student surveys

3:30 PM
- Chemathon awards

3:50 PM
- Chemathon photo

4:00 PM
- Departure

Registration & Emergency Contact Info

Registration & Emergency Contact Information

This event requires teachers and/or chaperones to be responsible for the care, custody, and control of the minor participants, the University of Florida will not provide supervision. More information can be located at: YOUTH COMPLIANCE - UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA.

Deadlines:

March 21st 2025, Registration deadline*
April 18th 2025, Emergency Contact and Parental Consent submission deadline

Registration

Completion of three forms below are required for registration.

Registration form for each student, teacher, and chaperone.

Emergency contact information for your students who will attend; must be received prior to the day of the event.

Parental Consent Waiver for each student. The completed waiver forms can be sent to: chemathon@chem.ufl.edu

*Please note, refunds must be requested by April 7th. Details on how to pay the $10 registration fee per participant (teachers/chaperones and students) are provided in the registration link.

Remember To Bring & FAQ's

Students should bring:

Non-graphing calculators and #2 pencils
Lab glasses or goggles (if available we prefer students to bring their own; they will be provided where necessary in the event you forget your personal pair)
Long pants and closed-toed shoes

Please remember:

Proper lab safety should always be observed. Chewing gum is not permitted in labs. Please refrain from eating or drinking while in any lab setting.

FAQs:

What activities will students experience throughout the day?

A Q&A panel led by undergraduates, a hands-on lab activity (part of the competition), a chemistry demonstration show, tours of chemistry research laboratories, written exams and team quizzing (part of the competition), and an award ceremony.

Can you provide samples of past written exam or quiz bowl questions?

We do not make old questions available.

How long has Chemathon been running?

Chemathon at UF has been running annually since 1981. We try to improve the event each year.

What kind of topics are included in the competition?

Level 1 is similar to our Intro to Chemistry course (CHM1025) which covers:

Measurements and units
Components of matter
Naming compounds
Stoichiometry of compounds
Stoichiometry of reactions
Three major aqueous reactions
Calorimetry
Atomic and electronic structure
Chemical bonding

Level 2 covers Level 1 and all of General Chemistry 1 (CHM2045) course:

Compounds
Stoichiometry
Aqueous reactions
Gases
Thermochemistry
Quantum theory
Electron configuration and periodicity
Chemical bonding
Shapes of molecules
Molecular orbitals (VB, hybridization, MO theory)
Intermolecular forces
Solids, liquids, and phase changes
Mixtures and solutions

Level 3 covers Level 1 and 2, plus the following topics (part General Chemistry 2 (CHM2046)):

Chemical kinetics
Equilibrium
Thermodynamics
Electrochemistry
Organic chemistry

Can I bring students/siblings as spectators?

Hosting minors on campus requires significantly planning/training on our part, so currently Chemathon is limited to those students competing (those who are part of teams).

Will vegetarian/vegan food be provided?

Yes!

Has it ever rained on the Chemathon day?

The event is held rain or shine, but as far as we know it hardly ever rains on the day of the event!

Send inquiries to:

Dr. Ashlyn Hale
Chemistry Department – University of Florida
P. O. Box 117200
Gainesville, FL 32611
352-294-3661
chemathon@chem.ufl.edu

We hope that you will come join us at our Chemathon in April!

Maps and Parking

Maps

Map of the Chemistry Complex
Map of the UF campus

Parking

Chemathon visitors are welcome to park (for free) in any of the “Green” decal spaces on campus (see TAPS Parking Map), but most conveniently in the "Green" section of Garage 7, next to the Stephen C. O’Connell Center parking center, located just west of the Chemistry buildings on campus (a short 8-10 minute walk to the Chemathon staging area).

The address for the O’Connell Center:

University of Florida
250 Gale Lemerand Dr.
Gainesville, FL 32611.