This timely post is a perfect fit for the theme of Chemists Celebrate Earth Week 2023! Algae is a rich topic with many possible connections to the chemistry classroom. Algae needs to take in light, carbon dioxide, and various simple nutrients and, though it can sometimes get out of control, can produce oxygen, diatomaceous earth, and other products. It can even fluoresce pink!
The AP with WE Service program is one way to incorporate service-learning into your AP course to improve student understanding of content and help develop the leaders of tomorrow.
Congratulations on becoming a PAEMST finalist. Now what? After the grueling application process, you realize that you now have to write an addendum. Here are some tidbits to help you navigate this hectic week.
Laser cutters can be used to cut and engrave a variety of thin materials. Compact discs, composed of layers of polycarbonate plastic and aluminum metal, were explored for their ability to be shaped with a laser cutter. The laser can successfully cut and engrave the compact discs into the shape of snowflake. However, each disc must first be coated with a material like glue in order to protect the plastic from discoloration and the byproducts from cutting the plastic that can accumulate on the disc surface.
As an advanced language model trained by OpenAI, ChatGPT has the potential to revolutionize the way you teach chemistry. In this blog post, Josh Kenney and Ben Meacham explore 10 ways that ChatGPT can make teaching chemistry easier and more engaging for both you and your students.
Diffusion of HCl(g) from concentrated solutions of HCl can be used to illustrate some chemistry related to the train accident in Ohio.
In a classic demonstration of energy conservation, smashing two large steel ball bearings generates sufficient heat to burn a hole through a piece of paper. Josh Kenney found this demonstration underwhelming because the paper doesn't look burned. So, he upgraded the experiment by covering the paper in Elmer's Color Changing Glue. Now, a spectacular color change reveals the increase in heat!
Michael Jansen offers one of his favorite demos - producing liquid CO2 from dry ice.
