By Department of Chemistry
In May 2025, the Department of Chemistry continued its longstanding tradition of engaging high school students and teachers through our annual chemistry contests.
This year, the Avogadro Exam for Grade 11 students saw 4,981 participants, including 1,573 students from outside North America.
The CHEM 13 News Exam for Grade 12 students welcomed 1,962 participants, with 1,629 students from Canada and the US and 333 international participants.
Both contests are designed to reflect key components of the high school curriculum while challenging students with creative, thought-provoking questions that encourage deeper scientific thinking.
Below is an example of a question posed to Grade 11 students this year, testing their understanding of stoichiometry:
Carmine (C₂₂H₂₀O13) is a carbon-based pigment that gives many cosmetic products, such as red nail polish, their bright red colour. A 25.0 mL bottle of red nail polish contains 0.120 g of carmine. What is the molar concentration of carmine in the bottle?
(Answer: 9.74x10-3 mol/L)
Students who participate in the contests and go on to study science at Waterloo may also be eligible for the Faculty of Science Contest Award, valued at $1,000, for first-year students entering a full-time undergraduate program in the Faculty of Science.