Solution to Chemical Mystery #4: The Case of the Misbehaving Balloon
Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 02/17/2015 - 10:05
Check out the solution to Chemical Mystery #4: The Case of the Misbehaving Balloon!
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Chemical Mystery #4: The Case of the Misbehaving Balloon
Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 02/03/2015 - 11:19
Conducting experiments with liquid nitrogen experiments is a sure-fire way to energize many chemistry lessons. Check out the Misbehaving Balloon demo!
Liquid Nitrogen, Gas Laws and Rocket Science
Tom Kuntzleman | Fri, 01/09/2015 - 13:58
The “bucket launch” is a fantastic experiment you can do if you have access to liquid nitrogen. Depending upon conditions, we have observed the bucket to launch anywhere from 80 to 160 feet high. See the video.
A Chemist Celebrates the International Year of Light
Tom Kuntzleman | Thu, 01/08/2015 - 13:43
Happy New Year! Did you know that 2015 is the International Year of Light (IYL)? IYL is a “global initiative adopted by the United Nations to raise awareness of how optical technologies promote sustainable development and provide solutions to worldwide challenges in energy, education, agriculture, communications and health1”. IYL is sponsored by several organizations with interests in science and science education, including the European Physical Society, the Institute of Physics, the American Physical Society, and the American Institute of Physics. You can find several lesson plans, videos and other educational resources on the IYL website2.
Observing a Chemical Reaction (NGSS Modified)
Dan Meyers | Fri, 12/12/2014 - 11:34
This is a Chemical Reactions lab that I modified to meet NGSS guidelines.
A Simple, yet Dramatic Chemistry Experiment with Ping Pong Balls
Tom Kuntzleman | Sat, 12/06/2014 - 19:40
Cellulose nitrate (also known as nitrocellulose or guncotton) is a very flammable substance that is formed by reacting cellulose (also known as dietary fiber) with a mixture of concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids:
The Mystery of Matter: Search for the Elements
Erica Jacobsen | Sun, 11/23/2014 - 17:06
TV and movie screens today offer us a desperate fight against crazy-fast zombies, a peek into celebrities’ lives where truth is often stranger than fiction, million-dollar game shows, and more. Can portraits of science compete?
Stoichiometry is Easy
David Licata | Sun, 11/16/2014 - 20:30
This article describes a three week lesson plan for teaching stoichiometry using an algorithmic method. Two labs (one designed as a laboratory quiz) several cooperative learning exercises, student worksheets and guided instructional frameworks (forcing students to develop good habits in writing measures and doing problem solving) are included. The highlight of the lessons is the "chemistry carol" (based on Felix Mendelssohn's music for "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing") in which students recite a five-step algorithm for completing stoichiometry problems.
Writing Conversion Factors
David Licata | Sat, 11/15/2014 - 23:01
This worksheet is intended to be used as a "Guided Instructional Activity" (GIA). Students read a statement that gives a either a conversion factor or a pair of related measures and then write the information as two equivalent fractions ("conversion factors") and as an equality. In each representation, students are directed to give the numeral of the measure, unit, and identity of the chemical.
Mole Conversion Guided Instructional Activities
David Licata | Fri, 11/07/2014 - 23:37
The three "Guided Instructional Activities" in this activity are three cooperative learning pieces in which students are guided through the process of converting from one unit to moles (or moles to a unit) by the method of "unit analysis" (dimensional analysis). Students alternate steps in the process and evaluate the success of each step.