The Chemistry Show

Theme Ideas

A Christmas Chemistry Show: Is it Magic or Science? (<-- chosen for Dec 2016)

Lights and Chemistry.

Solid, Liquids, and Gases...oh my.

Michael Faraday's Science Exploration (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Institution_Christmas_Lectures)

Show Details

The Chemistry Show_2016

Other Shows

Illinois State University - Chemistry Show

Otis Rothenberger and James Webb

started in ~1984

recently performed at the 50th Chemistry Departement Anniversary Celebration, Oct 22, 2016

(Telling a story...as a kid we use to play around with chemistry. My Dad (Otis) was a chemistry professor and he always had some tricks up his sleeve...)

• CaC + 2 H2O --> C2H2 + Ca(OH)2

-Demo: initially in 600 mL beaker with water and some soap...trapped gas ignited! Otis told how his Dad would spit on the ground and then drop some "magic" powder (CaC2) on the spit and lite it. Otic said his Dad got the "powder" from the Army surplus store.

-Demo: Added CaC2 to a "taped up shampoo bottle" with a syroform cup on top...there was a small hole in the base of the bottle where a "flame" could initiate the reaction. THIS WAS EXTREMELY LOUD!!! Also a plexiglass shield was in place between the bottle and the audience.

• Color Changing reactions

-1 - 1L of "water" was poured into... (the "stop light" demonstration)

clear glass #1...it turns from clear to red (phenolphthalein)

clear glass #2...it turned yellow (pH indicator)

clear glass #3...it turned blue (WHAT not green...we must have messed something up...they come back later in the show to make green using universal indicator).

• Disappearing water

-pour a cup of water into a syroform (opaque) cup and then invert over an audience member...then show that the audience that there is a large "plug" of polyacrylamide (?) in cup...not magic.

-pour a cup of water into a clear cup (containing cross-linked polyacrylamide)...get "snow"

• Genie in the bottle

-H2O2 + KI --> H2O + other...and heat...steam.

This demo was done in a 1000 mL opaque round bottle flask. The KI in a "package" was suspended by a string so that when the cork was removed from the bottle the KI fell, initiated the rxn, then steam. They used 30% H2O2.

• Oscillating Rxn

• dropped a 9V batttery into a starch/I2 solution and then it turned dark blue...this was also done using H2O2 as well making the connection between chemicals and electricity.

• Luminol Rxn

• Carbon Foot Print

-had a pink solution...burned a butane lighter in the bottle for 10 sec...covered and shook...color disappeared.

• String in a Box"

-This was done to discuss/demonstrate how chemistry/scienctist develop theories...

https://www.flinnsci.com/media/621107/91438.pdf

Demo Ideas

Magic Jug

Requires Six clear glasses and a clear jug.

A jug of Ammonium Iron 3 sulfate

Glass one - Potassium thiocyanate

Glass two - Barium chloride

Glass three - Potassium ferrocyanide

Glass four - Tannic Acid

Glass five - L-tartaric acid

Glass six - Sodium bisulfite

Traffic Light Reaction

Two beakers of water.

Glucose in the larger (~700 ml warm water)

NaOH in the smaller (~250 ml cold water)

Indigo carmine in the larger beaker (turns blue)

Combine the two beakers and get green for a moment, then red, orange, yellow.

Addition of oxygen will turn the reaction back to red.

Links

Chemical Curiosities Surprising Science and Dramatic Demonstrations

The Magic of Chemistry - with Andrew Szydlo

The Science of Fireworks!

Explosive Science

Blaze of Steel: Explosive Chemistry - with Andrew Szydlo

The Science of Pyrotechnic Effects – with Matthew Tosh