It's a long, long, weekend; perfect for going outside and doing a few loud, messy experiments. Cooking-intensive holidays always remind me how much fun it is to do a bit of chemistry, especially when it comes to food.
If you watched the video that I posted on Thanksgiving, you've probably been itching to try one of these experiments yourself.
Some chemistry experiments are better in the spring, especially if you're using peeps, but experiments with candy and soda pop can happen anytime.
If you'd like to give these sorts of experiments a try, the Disgruntled Chemist posted a truly wonderful article a while back, describing the explosive properties of several different kinds of soda products when combined with minty items like Mentos or peppermint gum. The results are way more impressive than the classic experiment of watching people chew wintergreen Lifesavers in a dark room!
Hey readers! What are your favorite experiments to do at home? I enjoy explosive combinations of candy and pop, what kinds of home chemistry experiments do you like to do?
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It i amazing how these types of experiments are witnessed by students and they come to class witha desire to learn why it happens and want to peplicate the experiment themself. Explosions/eruptions are great to keep a class of students interested all year long.
Agreed rich. When I was teaching, it was especially true with high school students, so i always tried to have a cool demo at least once a month. I know there have been a bunch of books written on the topic of teaching science, but that is my two-second fix to keep them interested, especially in a difficult subject like organic chemistry