Possible Activities for Elementary Classroom Visit
| 1. | Tape/Static Charge Demo | ||||
| Need: | Scotch tape | ||||
| Demo: | Place
tape on edge of bench and rip up to demonstrate effect of how objects with
like charges interact with each other. Place the two pieces of tape
together, rub to remove charge, then rip apart to demonstrate effect of
objects that have opposite charges. This is a great one
to have the kids try themselves! Explain. |
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| 2. |
Chemiluminescent Reaction |
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| Need: |
500 mL
solution A (you must prepare
your own) Funnel with tubing Gauze Waste container |
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| Demo: | Mix
together varying quantities. Pour into funnel and through tubing. Soak some in gauze, rub together. Pour
solutions back and forth. Explain. |
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| 3. | Liquid Nitrogen demos | ||||
| Need: |
Liquid
Nitrogen |
Bananas, nails, wood
Pringles can Racquetball |
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| Demo: | Discuss
liquid nitrogen, dip flower into liquid nitrogen and crush, place rubber
hose into liquid nitrogen, smash rubber hose or
racquetball, use banana as
hammer, put liquid nitrogen in covered Pringles can and
wait until it shoots off. Explain. |
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| 4. | Acid-Base Chemistry | ||||
| Need: |
Vinegar
(acid) Household ammonia (base) Water (neutral) Beakers |
Red
cabbage Filter/strainer Blender or hotplate with beaker |
Other household chemicals (salt, 7-Up, lemon juice, window cleaner, baking soda, rubbing alcohol, etc) |
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| Demo: | Cut
off chunk of red cabbage. Blend
with or heat in water. Pour
cabbage juice into several beakers. Add
vinegar to one, ammonia to a second, and nothing to a third. What is the color of the neutral (no acid or base), color of the
acid, color of the base? Test
other household chemicals to see whether they are an acidic, basic, or
neutral. Explain. |
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| 5. | Magic Signs | ||||
| Need: | Signs
painted with phenolphthalein (formerly found in Ex-Lax and other
laxatives). Spray bottle of window cleaner (that contains ammonia!). Paper towels or spray over sink Cotton swabs |
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| Demo: | Spray
signs with window cleaner over paper towels, sink or
garbage can. (You can let students make signs using phenolphthalein and
cotton swabs.) Ask
for explanations from students. Perfect
follow-up to activity #4 above. Explain. |
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| 6. | Iodine Clock Reaction | ||||
| Need: | 6
beakers with 50 mL of solution A (note: you must prepare your own solutions),
stirring rods 6 beakers with 50 mL of solution B (this solution must be prepared fairly fresh) |
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| Demo: | Pour
1 beaker of sol A into sol B at 5 sec intervals. Count 1 chemistry, 2
chemistry, 3 chemistry, etc. Several other methods of
presentation -- could show the effect of increasing the temperature or
decreasing the temperature on the reaction rate. Could also show the effect
of concentration by diluting samples and mixing. Explain. |
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| 7. | Styrofoam Peanuts in Acetone | ||||
| Need: |
Styrofoam
peanuts Waste container (collect all acetone waste) |
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| Demo: |
Show that cornstarch peanuts dissolve in water but
styrofoam peanuts do not. Put as many styrofoam peanuts into some acetone as possible. Play with it.
Pour off
acetone into another beaker. Pour
dissolved peanuts onto a transparency or paper towel
and watch as plastic reforms. Explain. |
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| 8. | Invisible Chemicals (Gases) Demo | ||||
| Need: | 2 test tubes each of CO2 , O2 , H2 | ||||
| Demo: | Select
a student from class to examine the test tubes. What's in there?
Test
each gas with a glowing or flaming splint. Explain. |
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| 9. | Making Gluep | ||||
| Need: |
Elmer's glue Borax Water |
Food coloring Paper or plastic cups Craft sticks Ziploc bags |
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| Demo: |
Prepare a 50%(v/v) mixture of Elmer's glue in water.
Prepare a 4%(m/m) mixture of Borax in water. Mix together approximately equal amounts
of the Elmer's glue solution with the Borax solution into a small cup. Add a
drop of food coloring. Mix thoroughly with a craft stick. Store in a plastic
bag. |
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| 10. | Others you have seen: Other activities may be allowed. If there is some other activity you would like to carry out, it will require the instructor's approval. Activities involving flammable liquids, balloons, or even moderate hazards will not be allowed. |
Sign up for your activities before leaving lab today.
Revised September 13, 2016. TLJ