The Chemistry of Lightning
Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 09/20/2022 - 09:42
Learn a bit about the chemical reactions that occur during a lightning strike, and how you can demonstrate these reactions in your classroom.
second-year undergraduate
Effect of Temperature on the Whoosh Bottle
Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 07/05/2022 - 13:45
Why does the "Whoosh Bottle" experiment behave differently at different temperatures?
Exploring The “Two-Faced” Thionin Reaction
Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 04/19/2022 - 11:44
The "Two-Faced" thionin reaction involves causing a purple solution to fade to colorless by shining light on the solution. I wondered if it could be demonstrated the color of light that caused this transition.
Paper Snowflakes to Model Flat Symmetrical Molecules
Dean Campbell | Wed, 04/06/2022 - 13:39
Flat, symmetrical molecules can be modeled by folding a sheet of paper, cutting patterns into the folded structure, and unfolding to produce the flat paper models. The finished models resemble paper snowflakes, but have a variety of rotational symmetries. Template patterns for several molecules are available for download in the Supporting Information.
An Education Communication About Cation-Containing Words
Dean Campbell | Mon, 03/21/2022 - 20:54
For your enjoyment, we present lists of chemically-related words that end in the letters “-cation” but do not actually refer to the positively-charged chemical species. The lists are available for download in the Supporting Information.
My Heart Beats for Chemistry
Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 02/22/2022 - 18:21
Tom Kuntzleman conducts a safer "mercury-like" beating heart experiment with an added splash of gratefulness.
Generating explosive gases from sand
Tom Kuntzleman | Fri, 01/07/2022 - 12:16
Did you know that sand can be converted into a mixture of gases that spontaneously ignites in air? The procedures involved are relatively simple to perform, spectacular to observe, and relate to a rich assortment of chemical principles.
A Polystyrene Model of Polystyrene Tacticity
Dean Campbell | Sun, 11/21/2021 - 10:55
Thin sheets of polystyrene can be patterned with permanent markers to represent repeating units of the polymer and then shrunk down in size using heat. The shrunken models of the repeating units can be connected with a string and then flipped into positions to demonstrate different types of polymer tacticity.
Lithium Battery Flame
Tom Kuntzleman | Mon, 09/27/2021 - 16:42
Inspired by a recent article in the Journal of Chemical Education, Tom Kuntzleman attempted to extract lithium from a coin battery, and to use the extracted lithium to produce a pink flame.
Free Climate Science Workbook for Teachers
Stephanie O'Brien | Mon, 08/30/2021 - 16:08
The Wisconsin initiative for Science Literacy has published Science Climate Concepts Fit Your Classroom - A Workbook for Teachers. This is a free online Workbook, readily available for secondary teachers and college faculty. This workbook includes many hands on activities that incorporate traditional science classroom concepts within the context of climate science.