Chemical Mystery #11: Too hot to boil?!
Tom Kuntzleman | Fri, 03/02/2018 - 11:04
What happens if you place metal that is glowing orange-hot into some water? Watch this video and find out!
first-year undergraduate
Temperature Experiments with the Scrub Daddy Sponge
Tom Kuntzleman | Wed, 02/21/2018 - 10:59
What happens if you cool a Scrub Daddy sponge in liquid nitrogen (or dry ice) and subsequently strike it with a hammer? Let's find out!
Connections to the 2018 Winter Olympics
Dan Meyers | Mon, 02/19/2018 - 14:28
Have you been watching the Winter Olympics? I have been able to draw many similarities and relevance to what I am teaching in the classroom. How about you?
Bringing a Radio Program in to Chemistry Class
Kaleb Underwood | Tue, 02/13/2018 - 22:08
As I drive home from work every day in Houston, TX I am greeted by the entrancing voice of Dr. John Lienhard, now an Emeritus Professor of Mechanical Engineering and History at the University of Houston.
A simple method to measure the wavelength of light
Tom Kuntzleman | Sun, 02/04/2018 - 10:02
A simple laboratory experiment in which students simply measure the wavelength of light is described. An LED light, diffraction glasses, and a meterstick are the only required materials.
Disappearing X Lab
Dan Meyers | Sat, 01/13/2018 - 14:19
In the embedded video, I will walk you through a kinetics experiment we use in our Chemistry 2 (and Honors Chemistry 2) courses. The lab is called Disappearing X.
Scrub Daddy Science
Tom Kuntzleman | Wed, 01/03/2018 - 18:20
The science behind the incredibly popular Scrub Daddy sponge is investigated. Part of the appeal of the Scrub Daddy sponge is that it changes from soft to hard depending upon temperature. This allows a single sponge to be transformed into a hard scrubber or soft sponge, depending upon the temperature of water into which it is placed.
JCE 94.12 December 2017 Issue Highlights
Mary Saecker | Mon, 12/18/2017 - 16:35
The December 2017 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. Topics featured in this issue include: functional nanomaterials and chemical detection; improving student performance; peer-led instruction; simulations and computer-based learning; engaging and interactive instruction; synthesis laboratories; NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry; innovative physical chemistry investigations; ConfChem Conference on select 2016 BCCE presentations; from the archives: music and chemistry.
The Density Bottle Strikes Again
Tom Kuntzleman | Fri, 12/01/2017 - 07:48
Density Bottles can be used to teach a variety of chemical concepts such as density, solubility, and polarity. In this post it is shown that Density Bottles can also be used to differentiate between heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures, and to explore light scattering.
JCE 94.11 November 2017 Issue Highlights
Mary Saecker | Tue, 11/21/2017 - 11:07
The November 2017 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education is now available online to subscribers. The entire issue is focused on polymer concepts across the curriculum. This special issue provides useful ideas and tools for chemistry instructors of all levels.