Demonstrations

Contact Amanda Holton at ajholton.uci@gmail.com with any questions, concerns, or comments.

Fill out the form below to let us know which demo and when you want to use it:

Notification of use of Demonstrations.

If you have any requests for demos not shown here, or demos on particular topics to be set up please fill out the form below. These were mostly designed to be, quick, simple and educational so that there is minimal clean up, minimal safety hazards, and efficient use of in class time while highlighting one or two topics that often need clarification. However we can certainly set up more complicated and time consuming demos if there is an interest in using them.

Request for New Demonstrations.

 

Chem 1A

Chapter 2: The Quantum-Mechanical Model of the Atom

Atomic emission: Demonstration of emission spectra of various  metal ions. 

Atomic emission in a Pickle: Demonstration of emission spectra using a glowing pickle. 

Kinetics and Chemiluminescence: Can be done here has well if you want to discuss chemical reactions as an energy source for exciting electrons.

Double Split Experiment: Coming Soon:With items the students can do at home!

Black Body Radiation:

 

Chapter 5

VSEPR Workshop: Model kit, worksheet and slides with animations for doing a VSEPR workshop with the students. The students will need to bring toothpicks and candy to follow along with the making of the molecules.

Chapter 7

Electrolysis of water:  Could be done here if you want to play up the ratio of hydrogen and oxygen products. 

Chem 1B

Chapter 9

(2 Options) Boiling water in a Paper Cup, or Preventing a balloon from popping: Heat Capacity of water: Coming Soon: Showing how water in a cup or balloon will absorb the heat, allowing the paper cup not to char on the hot plate, and a balloon not to pop in response to a match.

An Endothermic Reaction: Coming Soon: Mixing Barium Hydroxide and Ammonium Chloride to freeze a reaction flask to wood.

Coffee Cup Calorimetry: Coming Soon: Heat of Neutralization

Coffee Cup Calorimetry: Coming Soon:Heat Capacity of a Metal

Chapter 10

Gas Laws: Simplistic demonstration of gas laws. 

Crushing Cans with Gas Laws: A demonstration of gas laws. Using temperature differences to crush a can. 

Chapter 11

Intermolecular forces: Using milk, water and detergent to visualize intermolecular forces. 

Intermolecular forces of mixing: Coming Soon:Using isopropyl alcohol and water show how the volume of a solution is not additive. Use to discuss intermolecular interactions and solution formation.

Boiling water at room temperature: Water can be boiled at room temperature inside a syringe by decreasing the pressure.

 

Chem 1C

Chapter 14

Kinetics and Chemiluminescence: Using liquid nitrogen, and hot water to show the temperature dependence of the chemical reaction that occurs in a glowstick. 

Chapter 15

    Visible color change caused by the equilibrium of NO2 and N2O4. Coming Soon:

Chapter 16

Strength vs Concentration: Demonstration of the differences between strong vs weak, and concentrated vs dilute. Created to stop the misconception of strong acids always having lower pHs than weak acids without regard for concentration. 

Witches Brew: Demonstration of CO2 acting as an acid, also possible discussion on indicators.

Acid-Neutralizing Capacity of Lake Beds: Coming Soon: Using granite and marble chips to show acid base properties of common lake bed material. Teaches acid base properties of salts as well as explaining why some lakes are more affected by acid rain than others. Can also include a discussion of using Calcium Carbonate (lime) to reverse the effects of acid rain in lakes. 

Chapter 17

Precipitation of copper (II) hydroxide: Demonstration of the precipitation of an insoluble compound from two solutions

Reducing pH change with buffers: Demonstration of the limited change in pH caused by the presence of a buffer. Opportunity for discussion of pH of household items, buffers, blood buffers and the lack of effect of acidic food on our body’s pH. 

Chapter 19

Reversible Blue Flask:  Demonstration of a reversible redox reaction, also a possible discussion or reminder on indicators (they will not have had oxidation reactions if you do this in the acid base chapters though).

Electrolysis of water:  Demonstration of the electrolysis of water. Two options. A) Simple electrolysis using NaCl as the electrolyte. B) Electrolysis using sodium sulfate as the electrolyte and bromothymol blue to visualize pH change at anode and cathode.