This blog post includes short descriptions of demonstrations and props that Dean Campbell has used while teaching his collegiate General Chemistry I course.
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.
Using guided inquiry learning to identify patterns and trends in the Quantum Mechanical Models of elements.
This post focuses on the virtual chemistry laboratory activities created for students pursuing a bachelor of science degree in Primary Teacher Education at the University of Bologna.
The classic classroom or lab activity using coin flips to illustrate the first order kinetics of radioactive decay is connected to the tragedy of radiation exposure of workers at facilities using radium-containing luminescent paint. Some of the chemistry related to the contamination of these “radium girls” is explored, with connections being made to the Principles of Green Chemistry and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Chemical Reactions is a topic that unites a number of skills from formula writing, balancing equations, predicting products and solubility to name a few. Our presenter, Sarah English, will explore the phenomenon of burning steel wool in a chemical reactions storyline and show how this topic provides a seamless transition into future concepts such as oxidation and reduction chemistry, organic chemistry and stoichiometry. Register for this (FREE) hour long Zoom meeting to be held January 13th, 2022, at 8pm EST.
Gas Laws are an essential and easily accessible area of chemistry to understand. They can be an excellent foothold into the inner workings of chemistry. On December 9th, 2021, Daniel Radoff shared his unit covering gas laws in this ChemBasics Talk. You can view a recording of his presentation and access materials he has suggested.
There are some simple ways to break chemical bonds with microscale techniques.
Check out this citizen science inspired review of anthocyanin extractions that can be attempted at home
Natural food dyes are being sold online and in stores that can be used as acid-base indicators. These dyes open up a host of possibilities for at-home and in-class. For example, these food dyes can be used as indicators in the quantitative titration of the Mg(OH)2 in milk of magnesia.
