Winner: Mr Ron Falder, Lilleshall, Shropshire

The compounds of sodium are great, 
If you can tell the chloride from chlorate. 
The one makes fried chips 
Taste good on your lips 
The other clears weed from your gate. 

Second prize: Dr Denis Cruse, Tonbridge School

Silicon has a role as a semi- 
Conductor in PCs that many 
Enjoy for a game, 
Mail, net, book a plane - 
And these small chips are now ten a penny. 

Runners-up: I Bratt, L Conroy, P Kyle, T H Page, D Peasgood, J Power, J P Poyser, J Samson, C R Seabourne, Y Ridge, H Thompson, A Wilson and S Wise

Winner: Abigail Murcott 

There is a dull metal called zinc 
That can help keep your health in the pink. 
Some say it beats colds 
It can treat burns and scolds 
And will cure a sore throat in a wink! 

Joint second place:  Helen Parsons 

The soil had so much uranium 
It killed my prize geranium. 
It would have won shows 
But now it just glows 
Enough to light up a stadium. 

Joint second place: Grace Howson 

Cobalt is vital to me 
For it's a part of the vitamin B. 
It also makes ink 
That's a very pale pink 
But when dry, it's invisible, tee hee! 

This poem is making you think 
"But how do you turn it back pink?" 
(Silly old you It turns back BLUE) 
To do this you heat up the ink. 

Runners-up: C Birch, K Rowberry, E Lester, T McDougall and M Barnard