Explore chlorinated hydrocarbons and dipoles with paper and toy models like LEGO, K’Nex, and Lux Blox! Paper models reinforce molecule polarity lessons, with templates and assignments included in the Supporting Information.
Take a walk and explore the chemical winter wonderland of snowflakes...and diamonds!
How do Melissa & Doug’s “Water WOW!” Water Reveal coloring books work? Let's do some experiments to find out!
Use the classic Lava Lamp Lab to make the concept of intermolecular forces more accessible!
Adding dyes to salting out experiments can create a variety of interesting color effects as the dyes differentially dissolve in the aqueous and organic layers. Can this differential solubility of dyes be explained using intermolecular forces as a guide?
Did you figure out how to create a multi-colored mixture? Check out the solution to Chemical Mystery #19: Multi-colored Mixture!
Many of us have molecular kits we only use once a year. Dust them off and find new lessons to use them in!
Infrared technology (FLIR Cameras) can be used to investigate intermolecular forces.
Time for a new chemical mystery! Watch the video below and see if you can use your chemical knowledge to figure out how this experiment is done.
A favorite demonstration is to boil water by lowering the pressure in a bell jar using a vacuum pump. Unfortunately, purchasing a bell jar, vacuum plate, and vacuum pump can run upwards of $1,000 which poses a hardship for many teachers. Here are two simple and inexpensive demonstrations of phase equilibrium and vapor pressure.
