combustion of methanol in yogurt container using Tesla coil to ignite. How engines work.
plasma globe & electricity. Use globe to light fluorescent bulb. Electricity takes path of least resistance.
dehydration of sugar with sulfuric acid. Emperical vs molecular formula (C-H2O vs. C6H12O6)
superconductivity & the Meissner effect. Use video camera & video projector to display image of magnet hovering & spinning above superconducting ceramic
Geiger counter demo: show Fiestaware, pitchblend, Americium
show radioactive Vaseline glass
show dosiometer & other cold war nuclear artifacts
electroplating zinc onto copper (galvanizing)
balloon in vacuum pump to show Boyle's Law. Also, marshmellow & shaving cream
balloon in liquid nitrogen to show Charles's Law
bimetallic strip in liquid nitrogen to show thermal contraction
show how suction cups work - science doesn't suck
Gay-Lussac's gas law demo with absolute zero apparatus
gas density: use bunsen burner to make a "hot air balloon" out of a partially deflated mylar helium balloon
gas density: vapor ramp- pour hexane fumes down a long metallic V-shaped ramp to candle at bottom
water barometer: place a gigantic test tube over a burning candle in a bowl filled w/ water. As the candle goes out, the pressure inside the test tube drops, and atmospheric pressure pushes the water inside the test tube.
fire rings: squirt acetone circles onto table & ignite. The hot air in center of circle rises, causing atmospheric pressure to rush in, flattening out the circle of fire.
boil small amount of water in soda can, and invert can upside down in cold water. Atmospheric pressure will crush the can due to the low pressure formed inside when the steam condenses.
fire syringe: ignite a piece of tissue by increasing the pressure inside a heavy walled syinge
gas effusion: show the effects of 3 gas filled balloons over time: He, air, and SF6. The SF6 balloon gets larger.
gas diffusion: in long plastic tube, place NH3 at one end, HCl at other end, & see where the smoke ring appears
Graham's Law / voice demo: show effects of He vs SF6 on voice
boil water in a vacuum pump.
boil water in Florence flask, remove from heat, cork, invert, and place ice on bottom. Water will begin to boil again
dry towel: place dry paper towel in 250 mL beaker. Invert, and dunk inside 1000 mL beaker filled with water. Since gases take up space, the towel will stay dry.
dry ice bubble shower: use dry ice to generate CO2 through bent PVC pipe with bubble solution on one end
show how dry ice makes metal "scream" through high frequency vibrations
create oxygen by the decomposition of PbO2, collect by water displacement, use data to calculate "R".
place dry ice in 1000 mL grad cyl. filled with tap water & universal indicator. When CO2 and H2O react, they form carbonic acid, casuing a color change.
beforehand, pressurize an empty 2-L soda bottle w/ liquid nitrogen. Pass it around & have students hypothesize how the bottle became pressureized
place CO2 and CH4 in liquid nitrogen to show how the triple point phase diagram can predict phase changes.
show difference between polar vs. non-polar & "like dissolves like" by mixing water, mineral oil, iodine, & green food coloring
show hydrogen bonding of water to paper by letting water "wick" up a paper towel & out a beaker
ghost crystals: sodium polyacrylate in water (index of refraction = that of water)
demonstrate how to use a volumetric flask & show all the different sizes
shine laser through glass tank filled w/ smoke to show why not to use high beams in fog (Tyndall effect)
use a conductivity tester to show differences between strong, weak, and non electrolytes
show various examples of precipitation reactions to demonstrate solubility & double replacement
turn "water into wine" using phenolphthalein to demo acid/base properties
react a quarter in nitric acid to show properties of strong acids
rainbow tube- universial pH indicator in a tube w/ HCl in one end, NaOH in the other
pink tornado- acidified phenolphthalein solution in beaker on magnetic stirrer. Add 1 drop of NaOH
demonstrate how to use a buret to perform a titration
acetlyene gas lantern
combustion rate of alcohols: methanol vs ethanol vs propanol vs butanol
biodegradable packing peanuts (starch vs stryofoam)
holy balloons (polymers have holes)
super absorbant polymers (sodium polyacrylamide)
polyurathane foam mushroom: a co-polymer
flaming ping-pong ball: high flammability of celluloid plastic
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