Physics

In this Chemical Mystery, a metal sphere is heated until it glows orange-hot, and then it is placed in some water. Watch what happens next:

For a few years now, I have been using a simple laboratory experiment that allows students to calculate the wavelength of various colors of light. I use the activity near the beginning of the semester, when students are first learning about measurement, unit conversions, and significant figures.

In preparation for the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) or individual states variations of the standards, there has been much professional development offered around the country to support teachers.

It looks as though I’ve discovered that density bottles can be used to explore differences between heterogeneous and homogeneous mixtures!

The theme for National Chemistry Week (NCW) this year is Chemistry Rocks!¹ During NCW, which this year will be held October 22 – 28, many chemical educators will be focusing on the chemistry of rocks and minerals. To prepare for NCW, I’ve been in the lab conducting tests on the chemical and physical properties of various geological samples.

In Chemical Mystery #10, plastic straws are observed to “magically” change color when waved in the air. Check it out in the video below:

It's almost time for the Fouth of July here in the United States of America. In honor of my country, I'd like to share the following chemical mystery, which involves the colors red, white, and blue: just like the American flag! Check out the video below, and see if you can't solve the mystery of the colors appearing "out of the blue"!

I first saw the Diet Coke and Mentos experiment during a science fair at an elementary school in 2005, and I was instantly hooked! To perform this experiment, Mentos candies are dropped into a bottle of carbonated beverage; Diet Coke tends to be the beverage of choice. In the video below you can see this experiment play out in slow motion.

In Chemical Mystery #9, a 5-gallon bucket is launched into the air using the energy released during gas explosions. These explosions result from gas pressure buildup inside a sealed 2 L soda pop bottle. Two slightly different methods of launching the bucket are used, and one works better than the other. Why does one method work better than the other?