second-year undergraduate

A Visit to Natural Fiber Welding: Demonstrating Green Chemistry in Action

Dean Campbell | Mon, 10/10/2022 - 09:00

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The theme to the 2022 National Chemistry Week, observed October 16-22, is “Fabulous Fibers: The Chemistry of Fabrics”. A visit to Natural Fiber Welding, Inc. in Peoria, IL, revealed how that company is using ionic liquids to solvent weld cellulose fibers together to produce more durable yarn which can then be made into more durable fabric. The production method and “greenness” of the product is discussed, from the cellulose itself to the recycling of the solution used in the welding process. Macroscopic demonstrations of the fiber solvent welding process are also described.

The Chemistry of Lightning

Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 09/20/2022 - 09:42

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Learn a bit about the chemical reactions that occur during a lightning strike, and how you can demonstrate these reactions in your classroom.

Effect of Temperature on the Whoosh Bottle

Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 07/05/2022 - 13:45

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.