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

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

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.

Not so Green Up Close: a Peek at a dyed Chicago River Sample

Dean Campbell | Sat, 05/17/2025 - 22:36

Light absorbance and fluorescence were studied for a sample of the Chicago River that had been dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day. The sample had weak green fluorescence, showing that the intense green appearance of the river was in part due to the long path length of light through the water. The ability of the green color to partition into 1-octanol was also explored.

Ion Chip Challenge: A Brain Break for Chemistry Classrooms

Melissa Hemling | Thu, 07/25/2024 - 21:37

The Ion Chip Challenge is an interactive brain break game where students play rock-paper-scissors to exchange electron chips, helping them understand ion formation by addressing common misconceptions about positive and negative charges. This engaging activity combines movement and social interaction, making chemistry concepts more accessible and reinforcing that ions are formed through the transfer of electrons, not protons.