acid/base

The disappearing rainbow¹ is a wonderful chemistry demonstration previously featured here on ChemEdX.^2-4 In this experiment, a colorless solution of NaOH is poured into a row of flasks, each containing a different acid–base indicator.

Dean Campbell*, Ali Patel, Kathryn Campbell *Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois

The purpose of this article is to show how a microtitration can introduce Honors Chemistry students to titrations.

Josh Kenney, Melissa Hemling, and I just published an article in the October 2024 Journal of Chemical Education. The article describes inquiry-based activities that highlight the chemistry behind “No-Mess” picture-coloring books.¹ Well, it turns out that our timing is impeccable.

In my three decades of teaching, I have found that students understand chemistry much more easily when it is connected to real-world contexts—therefore, I try to drive home the relevance of chemistry by providing examples related to the environment, health and beauty, and the food industry, to name a few.

Phenolphthalein has been used extensively as a pH indicator.¹ Although the compound actually can exhibit multiple color transitions, it is best known for turning from colorless to pink in aqueous solution as the pH is raised above 8.3.¹ The equilibrium associated with this transition is shown in Figure 1.

As educators, we are always looking for ways to make complex concepts more accessible and memorable. In the early 2000s, I attended the Biennial Conference on Chemical Education (BCCE), where I learned about a brilliant brain break activity from renowned chemistry teacher Lee Marek.

Co-Authored by James W. Webb* and Otis Rothenberger* *Department of Chemistry, Illinois State University, Normal, IL 61790

Gentle Reader, forgive me if the title - Connecting Acid-Base and Redox Connections (CABARC) - is redundant, but the connections between acid-base and redox reactions already exist, and it is my hope that we as instructors can parlay these connections into easier, better, and deeper understanding of both topics.