Litvínov, October 26, 2011 – Many Czechs do not have basic knowledge when it comes to chemistry. This statement is based on the survey that the Unipetrol Group conducted at the Chemical Fair in Prague, organized within the frame of the International Year of Chemistry 2011. Only about 55% of the survey respondents knew Jaroslav Heyrovský, the only Czech Nobel Prize winner for chemistry. One quarter of the respondents had no idea how to extinguish fire caused by burning fuel. When it came to the Mendeleev’s periodic table, men showed more knowledge than women. Overall, 588 respondents participated in the Unipetrol survey.
The survey, which was supposed to map basic knowledge of the fair visitors in the area of chemistry at the Vítězné Square in Prague, was organized by Unipetrol within the frame of activities that support the International Year of Chemistry. “Even though an overwhelming majority of the Czech population considers chemistry a lucrative field, when it comes to teaching it in schools, chemistry belongs among the less popular subjects. That is why this year we have supported a project of the International Year of Chemistry, objective of which was to popularize chemistry among students as well as general public,”said the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Unipetrol, Piotr Chełmiński.
Almost half of the Czech population does not know who Jaroslav Heyrovský was
45% of the Unipetrol survey respondents could not remember the most famous Czech chemist, the Nobel Prize winner for chemistry Jaroslav Heyrovský. Instead of the correct answer, some people stated names like Alfred Nobel, Otto Wichterle or Jaroslava Seifert.
The survey also demonstrated deficiencies in practical knowledge related to chemistry, which could help in critical situations. For example, one quarter of the respondents had no idea how to proceed when extinguish fire caused by burning fuel. Instead of a powder, foam or halon fire extinguisher, these respondents stated they would use a water extinguisher or they would not differentiate among individual types of the fire extinguishers at all. In some cases, they would even try to trample down the fire, which would, most probably, resulted in very unpleasant burns.
Men are more knowledgeable than women
Although it has been said that Czechs are a nation of beer drinkers, they are no strangers to water composition either. Almost all survey respondents demonstrated correct knowledge of the chemical composition of water. Only 4% of respondents did not know the elements, of which water is composed.
Shall there be a competition between men and women with regard to knowledge of the Mendeleev's periodic table of chemical elements, men proved to be more knowledgeable than women. Over 70 % of them knew the element symbols for potassium (K), sodium (Na) and gold (Au), while only 57% of women knew the correct answer.
UNIPETROL, a.s. is a group of companies operating in the petrochemical industry in the Czech Republic. In 2005 UNIPETROL became a part of the PKN ORLEN Group, the largest oil processor in Central Europe. The UNIPETROL Group is oriented mostly towards oil processing, fuel distribution and petrochemical production. In all of these business areas the UNIPETROL Group is among the key players both in the Czech Republic and on the Central European market. The Group ranks among the leading firms in the Czech Republic in terms of its revenues, and employs almost 4,000 people.
Contact:
Mikuláš Duda
Press Department Manager
Telephone: +420 225 001 407, +420 736 502 520
E-mail: mikulas.duda@unipetrol.cz