Can Alkaline Water Change Body pH?
Tom Kuntzleman | Mon, 05/09/2022 - 08:13
Can Alkaline Water Change the pH of your body? We use chemistry to put this claim to the test!
hands-on learning
Exploring The “Two-Faced” Thionin Reaction
Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 04/19/2022 - 11:44
The "Two-Faced" thionin reaction involves causing a purple solution to fade to colorless by shining light on the solution. I wondered if it could be demonstrated the color of light that caused this transition.
Is Chocolate Cake an Acid-Base Indicator? Testing a Student Claim
Josh Kenney | Mon, 02/28/2022 - 10:21
Recently, Josh Kenney took time from his regular scheduled chemistry curriculum to investigate a student's claim that chocolate cake was an acid-base indicator.
Understanding Chemistry through Microscale Practical Work - Great Resource
Chad Husting | Fri, 02/18/2022 - 13:37
Looking for a great resource for using microscale practices in chemistry class?
Expanding on Self-Inflating Balloons: Activities Involving Moles, Gas Laws, and Thermochemistry
Dean Campbell | Thu, 02/10/2022 - 08:42
Balloons that inflate using carbon dioxide produced from the reaction of citric acid and sodium hydrogen carbonate can be used to demonstrate a number of aspects of chemistry. Gas laws were used with the balloons to illustrate limiting reactants, molar mass of gases, and rockets. The endothermic reaction in the balloon was visualized with an infrared camera, and the Green Chemistry aspects of these balloons were considered.
Solution to Chemical Mystery #19: Multi-colored Mixture
Tom Kuntzleman | Sun, 02/06/2022 - 13:22
Did you figure out how to create a multi-colored mixture? Check out the solution to Chemical Mystery #19: Multi-colored Mixture!
Simple Distillation
Chad Husting | Mon, 01/24/2022 - 19:07
This is a simple small-scale distillation that can be used several different ways.
Microscale Plan to Break Bonds
Chad Husting | Wed, 12/15/2021 - 18:58
There are some simple ways to break chemical bonds with microscale techniques.
Food Dyes as Acid-Base Indicators
Tom Kuntzleman | Sun, 11/28/2021 - 10:51
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.
Does Alka-Seltzer Tell the Truth? A lab activity with a video pre-lab assigment
Josh Kenney | Mon, 11/15/2021 - 08:55
The lab activity shared here is a simple experiment where students use stoichiometric principles to experimentally determine the amount of sodium bicarbonate in an Alka-Seltzer tablet. Novice students tend to find stoichiometric calculations difficult, so practicing the calculations on a pre-lab assignment boosts their confidence and ultimately leads to more successful labs. The Asynchronous Video Pre-Lab Assignment shared here demonstrates the procedure and the calculations required in the experiment.