water chemistry

The Density Bottle experiment has inspired many colorful variations over the years.^1-6 I recently came across yet another colorful variation that I’d like to discuss.

Dean J. Campbell* *Mund-Lagowski Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois 61625, United States

The chemistry demonstration called the self-carving pumpkin¹ is a blast (no pun intended) to conduct around Halloween. To prepare this experiment, a jack-o-lantern face is carved into a pumpkin, but the eye, nose, and mouth pieces are saved. These pieces are then gently placed back into the holes in the pumpkin.

As cases due to COVID-19 continue to rise, many schools remain locked in virtual learning formats. Consequently, meaningful laboratory work remains a challenge for many.

Time for a new chemical mystery! Watch the video below and see if you can use your chemical knowledge to figure out how this experiment is done.

The June, 2018 issue of the Journal of Chemical Education contains an article tha

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.