pH | Chemical Education Xchange

Ramping Up the Disappearing Rainbow with the Assassin’s Water Bottle

Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 09/16/2025 - 09:44

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What happens when chemistry and illusion collide? In The Disappearing Rainbow, a simple acid–base demonstration transforms into a spellbinding performance. With a single pour, colorless liquids bloom into a vibrant rainbow—then vanish in an instant. Now, with the arrival of the “Assassin’s water bottle,” this classic demo gets a modern twist that makes the magic easier (and cleaner) than ever.

Seashell Chemistry

Tom Kuntzleman | Thu, 06/01/2023 - 14:15

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Placing dry ice in limewater is a great demonstration to accompany discussions on a variety of chemical topics, including the impact of ocean acidification on marine organisms that depend upon the formation of CaCO₃.

Acids & Bases Interactive Notebook

Nora Walsh | Mon, 05/15/2023 - 13:14

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Nora Walsh outlines the interactive notebook pages she uses for her unit on Acids and Bases. All of the documents and foldables are available for download.

Making Natural Acid Base Indicators

Ariel Serkin | Wed, 04/05/2023 - 10:22

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Ariel Serkin shares an activity she has explored using natural acid base indicators with her food chemistry elective students.

How do antacids work? Titration of an Antacid

Michael Garoutte | Wed, 10/05/2022 - 07:08

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Heartburn is a very common ailment. Many people rely on antacids such as Tums^®, Rolaids^®, or Milk of Magnesia to settle their stomachs, but have you ever wondered how those antacids work?

The Chemistry of Lightning

Tom Kuntzleman | Tue, 09/20/2022 - 09:42

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Learn a bit about the chemical reactions that occur during a lightning strike, and how you can demonstrate these reactions in your classroom.

Can Alkaline Water Change Body pH?

Tom Kuntzleman | Mon, 05/09/2022 - 08:13

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Can Alkaline Water Change the pH of your body? We use chemistry to put this claim to the test!

Solution to Chemical Mystery #19: Multi-colored Mixture

Tom Kuntzleman | Sun, 02/06/2022 - 13:22

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Did you figure out how to create a multi-colored mixture? Check out the solution to Chemical Mystery #19: Multi-colored Mixture!

Food Dyes as Acid-Base Indicators

Tom Kuntzleman | Sun, 11/28/2021 - 10:51

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Natural food dyes are being sold online and in stores that can be used as acid-base indicators. These dyes open up a host of possibilities for at-home and in-class. For example, these food dyes can be used as indicators in the quantitative titration of the Mg(OH)₂ in milk of magnesia.

Recreating the Mary Poppins Colored Medicine Scene with Acid-Base Indicators

Nick Thomas | Mon, 09/27/2021 - 13:21

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When introducing acid-base theory, the concept of indicators and their pH color changes is usually discussed. To illustrate some color transitions to students, a classroom demonstration has been devised based on a memorable scene from Disney’s 1964 movie Mary Poppins.