Below are the most likely experiments for our chemistry classes this school year (2019-20). They are not in order and there may be changes depending on the skill levels of the students. There will be 10 classes of 90 minutes in each session (Fall, Winter, and Spring).
- Batteries: Experiment with chemicals and metals to create a battery that produces the highest voltage and the highest current for the longest time.
- Bismuth Crystals: Investigating how crystals grow with different cooling rates or different seed crystal shapes.
- Burn Money: Developing mixtures of chemicals that will produce bright flames without burning the money.
- Flash Paper: Investigating ways to make flash paper burn faster and with different colors.
- Calcium Carbide: Investigating ways to predict the noise level created by the rapidly expanding gas created in an acetylene/ oxygen reaction.
- Calories in Food: Investigating ways to most efficiently capture the heat produced when burning sugar-based foods.
- Candle-in-a-Jar: Investigating ways to get the greatest amount of suction from candles burning inside a sealed jar.
- Catalysts: Experimenting with ‘elephant toothpaste’ catalysts to get the greatest height of foam fountain.
- Density Column: Investigating ways to create the greatest number of layers and colors in a liquid density column.
- Distillation: Investigating ways to get the fastest separation of alcohol from water without blowing up the apparatus.
- DNA Extraction: Experimenting with DNA extraction to find the best fruit and technique to maximize the amount of DNA produced.
- Dry Ice: Investigating ways to make the most reliable and longest lasting hovercraft powered by dry ice.
- Exploding Bubbles: Experimenting with ways to most efficiently produce hydrogen and oxygen gas and then using that knowledge to launch small rockets.
- Exploding Film Cans: Determining the exact ratio of butane and oxygen to create the greatest distance and bang from your film can rocket.
- Flame Tests: Investigating the best way to create the brightest colors from burning different powders in a flame tornado.
- Flash Powders: Determining the greatest explosion hazard from common household powders.
- Gas Masks: Experimenting with gas mask designs to find which ones will most effectively eliminate the smell of stink bombs.
- Glass Blowing: Investigating the effects of propane and acetylene torches on the reshaping of quartz glass, silica glass, and Pyrex glass.
- Glow Sticks: Experimenting with the chemicals in glow sticks to see how they are affected by temperature and to see if we can discover what the chemicals are.
- Glue: Experiment with several quick-setting glues to see which ones are strongest.
- Helium and Liquid Nitrogen: Discover what happens when helium is used to pressurize a liquid nitrogen Dewar in an attempt to push the liquid nitrogen out into a foam cup.
- Hot, Cold, and Fizzy: Experimenting with pH indicators and common chemicals to find way to get the highest heat, the lowest coldness, and the fastest burst time for the plastic bags.
- Hydrogen Power: Experiment with fuel cells to optimize the amount of electricity they produce.
- Jelly Jam Jar Jet: Investigate ways to produce the longest-lasting pulse jet by experimenting with fuels and heat control without breaking the jelly jar.
- Launch Film Cans with CO2: Discover the best reaction that produces carbon dioxide quickly enough to blast a film can across the lab.
- Liquid Nitrogen: Investigate what happens to all sorts of materials when they are exposed to quick freezing at -320 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Smelting Iron: Investigate the best proportions of iron oxide and aluminum powder to create pure iron the most efficiently.
- Sodium and Magnesium: Develop a safe method to cause sodium metal to burn when exposed to water and then develop a way to burn magnesium and extinguish it safely.
- Spontaneous Combustion: Experiment with ways to make fire with an oxidizer that involves safe chemicals.
- Strong Acids and Bases: Experiment with sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, and sodium hydroxide to discover their hazards and then learn how to neutralize them completely.
- Super-cooled Liquids: Experiment with liquids that can nearly instantly freeze as you watch them to find a way to reliably set them up to show family and friends.
- Titrations: Learn how to determine the concentration of an acid with a base and a chemical that changes color at an exact concentration.
- Water-Repelling Chemicals: Experiment with chemicals that can coat cloth so that chocolate syrup, mustard, or soda will simply bounce off and not stick at all.