Seeding A Crystal A seed crystal is dropped into an unstable supersaturated solution of sodium acetate.
Levitron Physics The Levitron spins and surfs on magnetic waves! Pass your hand above, underneath, and around the top. It will continue to spin and float only touching air! The LEVITRON floats free in space, supported only by the repelling magnetic force produced by permanent magnets.
Liquid Nitrogen Explosion Liquid nitrogen explodes a soda bottle in just a few seconds. Enough to send a bucket a few hundred feet into the air.
Vacuum Chamber Project #4 Freezing while Boiling @ Room Temperature
This can actually happen. It seems unnatural, but the laws of physics don't lie. Liquids require heat to boil, and if the conditions are right one liquid can be boiled in order to freeze a second. Under a vacuum, the water in an acetone/water mixture can freeze while the acetone boils. Watch the video and see for yourself.
Genie In A Bottle This Demonstration shows the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide.
Disappearing Cup Styrofoam is a polymer and when brought into contact with acetone the polymer breaks down into its monomers. This demonstration show the process of depolymerization. It looks pretty cool.
Plasma from Grapes
DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME it can ruin your microwave or burn down your house. Now you are going to see why it is dangerous to put grapes in the microwave.
Electrocution Of A Pickle Starring Jim Cramer
The Electric Pickle chemistry demonstration is a way for students to see how excited electrons will emit light when they fall back to the ground state. Since pickles are soaked in salt, Na+ and Cl- ions are present. Thus pickle will conduct electricity. The Na+ when excited will emit an orange yellow color when the electrons fall to the ground state. If I were a Physics teacher I could use the demonstration to show resistance in an electricity unit. Alas, I do not teach Physics.
Bond Energy
A difficult concept for many students to understand is the energy involved in breaking and forming bonds. A hydrate is a substance that has water bonded to it. In order to dehydrate you must add energy (endothermic) to break the bond to water. When hydrating you are forming a bond to water and will release energy (exothermic). This visual demonstration reinforces the concept.
Hydrate Video Lab
This experiment is intended to introduce students to hydrated compounds. These compounds have water molecules coordinated in their chemical structures. Examples CuSO4*5H2O, BaCl2*2H2O, and NaC2H3O2*3H2O.
Notice each formula has a "*" between the compound's formula and the number of water molecules that are coordinated in the structure. the "*" represents a weak chemical bond known as a hydration bond. This bond is usually easily broken by heating the compound.
Indoor Hydrogen Bomb (out takes) The picture may look like a mushroom cloud, but it is actually a can filled with hydrogen.
