Redox Reactions

I recently shared some simple experiments using magnets and coins that connect to the 2019 National Chemistry Week (NCW) theme, “Marvelous Metals!”¹ Because coins are familiar items, made of metal, and so very easy to obtain, I think doing experiments with coins is a great idea for NCW 2019!

Three Dimensional Assessments

Did you know there is a simple test you can do to see if an alkaline battery is fresh or dead?^1,2 All you need to do is bounce the bottom of a battery onto a hard, flat surface. If the battery is fresh it won’t bounce very well. If the battery is dead, it will bounce very high. Check it out in the video.³

I was doing some kinetic experiments when I came across the V​itamin C Clock Reaction published in the Journal of Chemical Education¹.

Displacement reactions are an essential way to demonstrate the reactivity series of metals. I have tried many different methods to demonstrate or perform displacement reactions over the years with mixed results regarding one particular metal, aluminium.

I found a version of this demonstration online a couple of years ago. I admit, when I first tried it with my class it was mostly for a crowd pleaser to demonstrate the activity series of metals, but I then became very intrigued by the processes occurring.

I recently gave a public lecture on my campus in which (among other things) I discussed the chemistry of metallic copper, silver, and gold.

Michelle Okroy recently shared some video resources intended to help students learn about stoichiometry.