Begin with Jib-Jab Video of Teachers (Monster Mash)

Halloween Chemistry Demonstrations

Begin with Jib-Jab video of teachers (Monster Mash)

1)  SLIME (Creature from the Black Lagoon or Nickelodeon slime video clip)

a.  Mix 1 gallon ahead of time and run through funnel into black cauldron (ring stand)

b.  Show chemistry with (1 liter)PVA & borax small scale using squirt bottles & wooden stick

c.  Roll slime on ground

d.  Mix four colors of borax (using food coloring) and put in squirt bottles.

e.  Have Ziploc bags available after school to pick up slime.

f.  Give recipe using Elmers glue/ water (50:50) and 4% borax cross-linking agent

g.  Store PVA in Cheer laundry dispensing jugs – easy to measure.

2)  DRY ICE (Video of Scooby Doo)

a.  Use glove to pick up dry ice and ask “solid à gas” (sublimation)

b.  Add to 1000 mL grad. cylinder + universal indicator to see color change

(add solid NaOH to increase pH à purple color). Carbon dioxide dissolves in water to yield carbonic acid. This lowers pH.

c.  Add soap to trap bubbles and pop bubbles. Try to light bubbles.

d.  Add chunk to 1000 mL round bottom flask & extinguish candles by pouring into measuring cup and then on top of candles.

e.  Vibrate on desk surface to show molecular vibrations from warming up.

f.  Add to orange Kool-Aid in drink pitcher to carbonate and cool. Allow student to drink witches brew using small cups. Need to buy 6 containers of Kool-Aid. Mix in orange Rubbermaid container.

g.  Add crushed dry ice to balloon using funnel and allow to inflate. Pass around room.

h.  Pass around small piece to play ‘hot potato’

i.  Show Hypoxia – low oxygen for mountain climbers (student inhales CO2 gas). Student exhales air in lungs and puts head in red cooler and inhales carbon dioxide. Low oxygen increases heart rate and may see stars.

3)  BUFFER TABS

a.  Add universal indicator to 1000 mL flask of water and pour out a rainbow.

b.  Add 5 mL of buffer to different clear cups.

c.  Put all glasses on a lunch tray for easy set-up and removal.

4)  CALCIUM CARBIDE

a.  Water in clear cup and carbide. Ignite multiple times until carbon is produced.

b.  Vaudeville – lime light and miners lamp. (show photo of miners cap)

c.  Confine reaction in green 2-liter bottle (Frankenstein drawing and googly eyes) and rubber stopper. Two screws will be the electrodes. Show video clip of Frankenstein coming to life (Mike rip video?)

d.  Show video of Roller accident and PowerPoint pictures.

e.  Use hearing protection and ignite (activation energy) with Tesla coil after 75 seconds.

f.  Light fluorescent light while holding Tesla coil.

5)  METHANE BUBBLES

a.  Soap, water and glycerin in large clear plastic container.

b.  Bubble methane gas and trap. Float up and ignite in mid-air.

c.  Light methane bubble off of hand.

d.  Wet hand to keep skin from burning. High specific heat of water keeps hand from burning. Cover heat sensors with Styrofoam cups.

6)  FLAME TEST

a.  Light Bunsen burner and squirt salts of lithium (red), sodium (orange), potassium (lavender/lilac), iron (sparkles), copper (green). Shows atoms electrons becoming excited and falling to ground state and emitting characteristic colors. Atom structure.

b.  Mix colors by squirting two colors simultaneously.

c.  Sprinkle iron filings over burner to show sparkler effect.

d.  Quiz – sprinkle table salt (solid) over flame to produce yellow color flame.

7)  LYCOPODIUM POWDER

a.  Lycopodium powder over flame – flare up flame.

b.  Lycopodium powder on top of water to show hydrophobic nature. Place finger in water and remove finger remains dry.

c.  Use bicyle pump to make flame out of pumpkin carved earlier.

8)  NYLON

a.  Spiderweb. Polymer. May need to show using document camera on side table.

9)  HYDROGEN PEROXIDE

a.  Catalytic decomposition using saturated KI solution. Add 1 teaspoon of concentrated detergent to evaporating dish inside plastic pumpkin. Add 50 mL of 30% H2O2 and gently mix. Carefully, add 30 mL of KI solution. Solution should be 1 g KI/1 mL water.

b.  Wear lab jacket to keep clothes clean. Iodine will stain floor and can be cleaned up with a solution of sodium thiosulfate. It also stains shoes and clothes.

c.  30% H2O2 is very dangerous and all safety precautions should be used. This means latex gloves, safety glasses.

10)  LUMINOL

a.  Alien blood (wear alien mask) pour through spiral condenser.

b.  Mix 2000 mL of each 1 day before show to keep fresh.

11)  HAND CRANK Generator

12)  EXPLODING PUMPKINS

a.  Add water to disposable cup.

b.  Pour 3% hydrogen peroxide inside flesh of pumpkin to generate extra oxygen from peroxidase decomposing peroxide.

c.  Add 7-10 pieces of carbide and wait 90 seconds for ignition.

d.  Wear ear protection, leather glove and safety glasses before igniting.

Night before set-up lights, flags and materials on desk. Decorate door and desk with Caution Tape.

Purchase:

WALMART: 6 pumpkins & have students bring in pumpkins to explode
6 bottles of orange Kool-Aid for witches brew
mini-swimming pool to hold mess
large balloons
may need 6 bottle of 3% hydrogen peroxide
be sure to have good piezoelectric starters
FLINN: Universal indicator (1 L)
medium test tubes
500 mL of 30% H2O2
luminal reagents
Potassium iodide salt

Materials to Look for

Roller accident video clip
Jib-Jab video
Ear protection , safety glasses
leather gloves (3 sets)
rubber mallet and hammer
squegee’s to clean tables
funnel
Tesla coil
rubber stoppers for 2-liter bottle
balloons
4 – green 2-liter bottles
CAUTION and DANGER tape
orange Rubbermaid cooler for drinks
Heavy garbage bags and a clean large cart to dispose of old pumpkins

Chemicals to mix ahead of time.

Mix 4000 mL of PVA monomer. Mix 2000 mL for funnel.
mix 1000 mL of borax + water, Add to 4 squirt bottles with food coloring for cross linking agent.

Pick up ¾ block of dry ice from ISU night before Halloween show & bring big Styrofoam cooler.

Buffer tabs – mix 500 mL of each buffer in Erlenmeyer flask

Bring from Home

Pumpkin lights & streaming down lights
Halloween flags of Frankenstein & Haunted House
Halloween masks
Halloween music (CD, tape and/or internet)
plastic cup lid to clean out inside of pumpkins

Knife to carve pumpkins (John Bergmann)

Clean-Up

Gift card for Dan (custodian) $20
sodium thiosulfate to clean up iodine stains

Halloween Demo Day 2007

CH4 Bubbles

Light in different area of room

Slime

Dry Ice

- in water

- hydroplane on desk

- graduated cylinder with indicator33

Universal Indicator with Buffers (Rainbow cups)

Dry buffers ahead of time – 1 week early

CO2 Kool Aid (Intermission)

CO2 extinguish candle flame

Flame Tests

Iron filings and lycopodium powder

CaC2 Pop Bottle

Pumpkins

Wear leather gloves. DO NOT light pumpkin through hole in back. Piezoelectric starter must be inside pumpkin.

Picture to show DO and DON’T!

Equations on board explaining chemistry.

Luminol

Foaming pumpkin – 30% H2O2

FANS in room for smoke detectors