The Compleat Chymical Demonstrator

Learning is a multisensory process, especially in the physical sciences. Students must experience science through active participation, not just by sitting through an instructor monologue. The Compleat Chymical Demonstrator is designed to be a compilation of demonstrations and activities, arranged by topic, for use in the chemistry (and science) classroom.

Click on one of the topics below to go to links that contain demonstrations and activities addressing those specific topics. This material is from Chemical Principles Visualized, a work in progress, by David A. Katz:

These are PDF files and require Acrobat Reader

The Compleat Chymical Demonstrator: About These Files

Reference and background information:

The Art of Effective Demonstrations

The First Day

Science Demonstrations, Experiments, and Resources: A Reference List for Elementary through College Teachers Emphasizing Chemistry with some Physics and Life Science

Common Chemicals and Supplies in and Around Your Home - Includes a table of mass-volume equivalents for selected chemicals.

Scientific Method, Investigations, and Elements:

Hypothesis and Experiment – an introduction to the scientific method

Pouring water between two glasses – an easy interactive activity

The M&M’s Lab – an introduction to graphing

Iron for Breakfast – do you know what’s in your food? With Teacher Notes and a Letter from General Mills responding to an inquiry about the iron in the cereal

An Experiment in Alchemy: Copper to Silver to Gold with an explanation of the process.

Earth Science

The Magnesium Fire Starter

Density, Volume and Heat:

Coke and Diet Coke – a density experiment

Hot and Cold – separate water by density

Conservation of Volume and a Solution to the Problem

Energy of a Peanut – an experiment in calorimetry

Mixtures:

Chalk Chromatography: A Method to Separate a Mixture

Spin Chromatography

Chemical Reactions:

The Chemistry of Color Changing Markers and an Investigation

Chemical Reactions - A Microscale Experiment

Preparation of Zinc Iodide – tracking a chemical change

The Thermite Reaction

Gases and Oxidation:

The Preparation of Oxygen

Oxidation: Does Iron Burn?

Pouring Out a Candle

Gases and Pressure: Experiments with a 140-mL Syringe

How Do We Affect the Quality of Our Atmosphere This version contains teacher notes on the last page

Solids:

Grow an Alum Crystal

Light and Spectra:

The Visual Electromagnetic Spectrum

Build a radio transmitter

Sound Into Light is in preparation

Colored Flames (A safe method with bright colors)

Build a Hand-Held Spectroscope

Build an Overhead Projector Spectroscope

Build an Overhead Projector Polarimeter

Phosphorescence

Red Sunset – “red sky at night…”

Intermolecular Forces:

Decrease in Volume – mixing two polar substances

Increase in Volume – reaction of an acid with a base yields…

Forces of Attraction: Drops of Water on a Coin

Which Will Evaporate First? – visual vapor pressure

Intermolecular Forces

Entropy – order ↔ disorder

Kinetics and Equilibrium:

Colorful Catalysis– observe an activated complex

Visualizing Equilibrium - a chemical equilibrium simulation

Acids and Bases:

Visualizing pH - acids, bases, and pH using red cabbage paper with a student worksheet for classroom use

Conductivity:

Two Safe Student Conductivity Apparatus

Electrochemistry:

Batteries

Build a Microscale Fuel Cell

DNA Isolation – using household products

Non-Intuitive Demos and Activities to Make Students Think

Additional Demonstrations can be found on the Magic Into Science page.