Chemistry

How strong is your antiseptic? Hydrogen peroxide is a common drugstore chemical. As students look in the far reaches of their medicine cabinets at home, they are likely to find old bottles of hydrogen peroxide that have long since passed their prime....

Study the process of corrosion and the activity series of metals with this colorful laboratory activity. Students will first place several iron nails in a bed of agar. Then, they will subject each nail to different conditions, such as surrounding the...

Electrolysis of water is a popular chemistry demonstration. It is also becoming a popular hands-on lab for students. Microscale electrolysis of water is safe from electric shock since only a 9-volt battery is used. The students will decompose water i...

Mimic the everyday process of electroplating with this easy-to-perform lab. Students apply a thin, decorative, and protective layer of copper onto a metal key. Students investigate the mass changes that occur as the two electrodes-the key and the cop...

Redox reactions are important not just in chemistry but also in biology and human nutrition. Help your students build vital connections between the sciences with this laboratory kit exploring the reactions of iron(II) and iron(III) compounds with oxi...

Rust is expensive! The cost of iron corrosion-for equipment maintenance, repair, and replacement-tops $300 billion per year in the United States alone! What kinds of conditions or treatments will reduce or prevent the corrosion of iron? In this guide...

Beautiful silver chemistry "mirrors" real-life applications of oxidation and reduction! Students create microscale silvered culture tubes by reacting silver-ammonia complex ions with dextrose. Dextrose is a reducing sugar—it reduces silver ...

Holiday fun-combine chemistry and art to design a holiday ornament! Ideal for use on the day before a holiday break, this laboratory kit reinforces redox concepts, while students think they are just having fun! Students will start with a simple piece...

Redox, single replacement, metal reactivity, halogen reactivity! Students will gain an understanding of each of these concepts as they perform the laboratory activities in this kit. Reactions between various metals and metallic ion solutions to deter...

Why do single replacement reactions occur in one direction only, with a more active metal always replacing the ion of a less active metal? A ranking of metals based on their relative reactivity and ease of oxidation is called an activity series. In t...

Beautiful chemistry! Create stunning silver ornaments to demonstrate a practical application of a classic redox reaction. Simply mix dextrose, a reducing sugar, with a basic solution containing silver-ammonia complex ions in a glass ornament ball, sw...

The activity of zinc, copper, lead, magnesium and silver are tested. Small amounts of chemicals and metals produce less waste while still producing good results. The students will actually see more reactive metals going into solution while less react...

Arouse student curiosity. Allow students to design and do their own experiments. Irwin Talesnick's famous orange juice clock is guaranteed to get your students thinking! How does the clock work? How long will the clock run on orange juice? Can you us...