Chemical Mystery #8: Go Blue!
Tom Kuntzleman | Fri, 11/04/2016 - 13:36
Addition of a white solid to a green solution causes the solution to separate into some truly beautiful colors...
Demonstrations
Expanding My Use of Model Kits in the Chemistry Classroom
Lowell Thomson | Wed, 11/02/2016 - 09:05
In this blog post, I'll discuss how I've expanded my use of model kits within my chemistry class to help explore a variety of topics with my students.
Attempts to Detect Cocaine on Money: A Great Exploration for National Chemistry Week 2016
Tom Kuntzleman | Mon, 09/05/2016 - 06:44
Is it possible to use materials found in high school chemistry labs to extract and subsequently detect cocaine on dollar bills? Let me know what you think after reading this blog post!
Solution to Chemical Mystery #7: Curious Cans
Tom Kuntzleman | Wed, 07/13/2016 - 16:43
In Chemical Mystery #7, a can of Coca-Cola was observed to sink in one container of water and yet float in another! This trick made use of the fact that the density of water changes with temperature.
Chemical Mystery #7: Curious Cans
Tom Kuntzleman | Wed, 07/06/2016 - 14:11
Q: Does an unopened can of soda pop float or sink in water?
A: It depends!
See if you can figure out what is happening in this twist on the classic floating-and-sinking soda can experiment.
Solution to Chemical Mystery #6: The Case of the Collapsing Can
Tom Kuntzleman | Sun, 06/05/2016 - 17:12
Solution to Chemical Mystery #6 is presented. Also, concepts related to the chemical can crush demo are briefly discussed.
Especially JCE: April 2016
Erica Jacobsen | Wed, 04/13/2016 - 18:48
In a dramatic movie trailer voice: “The Boiling Point. Gone without a trace. Or were they? The scene… a mystery. Had they disappeared? Been broken up into unrecognizable pieces? Can our hero find the answer? Or will it be too late?”
The Art of the Chemical Demonstration
Michael Morgan | Wed, 03/09/2016 - 11:43
One of my favorite things to talk about with my colleagues is the use of lecture demonstrations in teaching. There seems to be a push in my district to stop using chemicals whenever possible and get to computer simulations and video in place of wet chemistry. I don’t think they are thrilled with me since I can’t envision ever taking the chemistry out of chemistry.
Using Chemistry to Find that Silver Lining
Tom Kuntzleman | Thu, 03/03/2016 - 08:29
The chemistry of silver and the process in which silver becomes tarnished is explored. Take a new look at an old JCE Classroom Activity.
Capturing the Beauty of Chemistry with an iPad
Lowell Thomson | Mon, 02/22/2016 - 16:38
In my IB Chemistry class, my seniors were finishing up independent investigations for their Internal Assessment a few weeks ago when something cool happened. One of my students was using silver nitrate and potassium chromate for a titration. This is notable to the story here because the endpoint is marked by the formation of silver chromate as a precipitate, with a deep reddish color. I overhead the student showing his reaction to another student, with both of them commenting on the cool colors involved.