Acid Base

When introducing acid-base theory, the concept of indicators and their pH color changes is usually discussed. To illustrate some color transitions to students, a classroom demonstration has been devised based on a memorable scene from Disney’s 1964 movie Mary Poppins.

Co-authors: Rachel Barnard*, Samantha Cass, and Ryan Sweeder (*: corresponding author) Lyman Briggs College, Michigan State University

Recently as I was mowing my lawn, I noticed that some of the florets on white clover have a slight pink or purple color (Figure 1). Because anthocyanins often impart red, blue, and purple color to plants, fruits, and flowers,^1,2 I wondered if these tiny pink florets in white clover contained anthocyanins.

After teaching the concepts and calculations for acid and base strength, concentration, percent ionization, and pH I noticed many of my students were struggling to make meaningful connections between these calculations.

Molecular kits are a large investment for a chemistry classroom and often they only get used once a year during a VSEPR activity. My students love to play with molecular kits as it reminds them of building with LEGOS.

If you know me, you know that I love the Diet Coke and Mentos reaction. It’s so simple to carry out, but yields incredible results! Just drop a few Mentos candies into a bottle of a carbonated beverage and watch the magic take place! See video 1.

“I just wanted to reach out and update you on my life,” the email began. As a high school teacher, I love receiving emails starting with a line like this. It is exciting to learn where my former students are in their life’s journey. Last month I opened an email starting with this line. My mind raced with the possibilities.

 *Thomas Manning and **Aurora Pérez Gramatges recently asked the publisher of their book, Computer Based Projects For a Chemistry Curriculum, to provide educators open access to the resource. Bentham Science has agreed and the eBook will be open access through June 30, 2020.

Berries are red, berries are blue…I’ve got a berry surprise for you! DESCRIPTION: I observe a red to blue color change when I rinse my bowl after eating frozen blueberries. Sounds like an acid-base reaction, doesn’t it? Read on to learn about the blueberry surprise!

Another school year has come and gone, and summertime is upon us! Soon we’ll all be enjoying cookouts, summer conferences (ChemEd 2019, anyone?), swimming at the beach, and fireworks on the Fourth of July.