Experiment #5: Burning an Orange

Experiment #4: Explosive Bubbles

Experiment #4 and 5!

Ok I just finished filming experiments #4 and #5.  I think they worked out really well.  Experiment #4 is called exploding bubbles and I have to give Popular Science the credit for coming up with the experiment.  Experiment #5 is a really easy experiment with a bang.  This one anyone can do with only 3 supplied.  I think it is called burning an orange and I have to credit the youtube video I first saw it on but that will come later when I post my video of it.  Look forward to seeing two new videos coming out soon.

Dear Blank Please Blank

Dear person who invented salt,
What made you decide to combine two deadly poisons and put it on your food?
Sincerely, NaCl.

Experiment #3

Ok guys I am working hard doing some research for experiment #3 but I am trying to get a read on what you want to see.  Please leave comments below or comment on my new polls.  Also please follow me! Then I can know how many people are watching.  Give me some input and I will give you a new experiment.  In the mean time enjoy THIS.

A chemist came home from research and his wife asked "was research productive or reactive?"

Chemistry Interview with Sam

I talked with Samuel Browning for my Interview.  Sam is a freshman Honors college student at UNCG majoring in Chemistry.  The interview is shown below in a question answers format.

Sam what are you doing this summer?
I am doing research with Dr. Oberlies in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UNCG.
What type of research will you be doing for Dr. Oberlies?
I will be testing purified compounds for anti-fungal properties.  The compounds will be used to kill fungi specifically on feet.

What are you most excited about doing your chemistry research?

Winning my noble prize for my ground breaking research as an undergraduate researcher!

Of the chemistry experiments that you have done, which was your favorite?

I did an entertaining experiment for kids in which I turned what appeared to be water into what looked like milk.  I then turned the "milk" into what appear to be grape juice. The kids loved the experiment.

What is your favorite chemistry joke?

“Do you have mole problems if so call Avogadro at 602-1023”

Have you ever had problems with your experiments?

Yes, once I failed a lab because all of my data was wrong.

What is your favorite chemistry quote?

"Chem is try." Because it spells chemistry and jokes about the point of chemistry.

Who is your favorite scientist?

Howard Florey because he was in charge of the lab that discovered penicillin. He spearheaded the research while scraping together funding during WWII.

Sam what is your favorite color?

I do not have a favorite color.

Thanks to Sam for participating in my interview.  Hope you enjoy the interview.  If you have your own interesting or exciting answers to these questions leave them in the comments below.

My Chemistry Lab

Above is a reaction I was running in my hood.  The balloon is filled with argon gas to keep the reaction under a closed atmosphere.  The reaction is in a round bottom flask on a stir plate with a stir bar inside.  The picture on the right shows more of my hood.  The hood creates a air drag up and out of the lab so that the chemicals do not escape the hood.

Below is a glass column filled with silica gel.  The column is used to separate the product reaction out into fractions.  Each fraction can then be individually tested to see what the resulting product is.

Above is the solvent machine.  It is filled with 5 commonly used solvents.  It is a complex machine that can fill a container with the solvent without exposing it to air.

Above is the glove box, this is for highly air sensitive chemicals.  These chemicals will actually grab water out of the air if they are allowed to be exposed to it.
Below is a picture of another hood that has two different vacuum lines set up to run multiple reactions at the same time.

How To: Invisible Ink video

Here it how to do your own Invisible Ink experiment.

If the experiment does not work increase your concentration of Baking soda in the water or try a different grape drink.

Experient #2: Invisible Ink

Want to write a secret message to see if your friends can crack the code and read the message?  This is an easy and quick way to produce invisible ink.  All of the supplies can be found in anyones house.

Obtain: Baking Soda, class of water, piece of paper, and grape juice.

Procedures:  Mix some baking soda into the water, add enough that the water appears cloudy.  Dip your fingers into the class and write out the desired message on the piece of paper.  Allow the paper to dry.  Spill a small amount of grape juice on the paper so that it covers the entire message.  The message text should chance color and you should be able to read the message.  If this does not work try increasing the amount of baking soda in the water.

To see if your friends can crack the code, tell them you left them a note and lead them to only the black piece of paper and a glass of grape juice.  See if they are clever enough to find the hidden message.

Stay tuned for a video demonstration and an explanation of the chemistry involved.

Chemistry Humor

Here are some good old clear chemistry jokes, riddles, facts, and quotes.  Hope you enjoy.

The optimist sees the glass half full.

The pessimist sees the glass half empty.

The chemist see the glass completely full, half in the liquid state and half in the vapor state.

If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the precipitate.  Henry J Tillman.

Q: What did the bartender say when oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur, sodium, and phosphorous walked into his bar?

A: OH SNaP!

The only letter that does not appear on the periodic table is J.

A neutron walks into a bar. He asks the bartender, "How much for a beer?" The bartender offers him a warm smile and says, "For you, no charge".

My personal favor chemistry joke is, drum roll please...

I got this powdered water - now I do not know what to add. Steven Write.

This is all I have for now.  Hope you have enjoyed the chemistry humor.  If you have chemistry jokes of your own leave a comment below.

Coke and Mentos Video

Here is my attempt at the Coke and Mentos Experiment.  

The geyser was not as large as I had anticipated it being but that is because I was late moving the paper funnel away from the top.  Keep this in mind when you try the experiment.

Chemistry in the News

Here is an awesome news story about a suspected terror plot that got foiled.  The suspect, who was training as a chemical engineer, was trying to obtain large quantities of chemicals to create a bomb.  The FBI was notified by Carolina Biological Supply when the order took place and the FBI soon showed up at the suspects home.  In the interview Dempsey Hyatt is asked questions about the chemicals used and how they are formed into a bomb.  Dempsey is a research scientist who works with me in my lab.  He has worked with flash explosives before which makes him an expert in the field.  Check out the Video and read the story by clicking here or the link below.

http://www.digtriad.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=163089

Chemistry Research

To take a first hand look at the Chemistry Research I am conducting under Dr. Croatt's advising at UNCG check out our group website by clicking here.  You can read about the different areas of Chemistry in which we are doing research.  You can also find out about paid opportunities to do your own research through the University.  Hope you enjoy the website.

Behind the Scenes: Coke and Mentos

Why did the Diet Coke create a geyser when the Mentos was added?  There are a couple of reasons.  First Diet Coke like other sodas is carbonated, which means it contains compressed CO2 in the liquid.  The CO2 is what creates the bubbles in your soda and the hissing noise when you open the cap of a bottle.  The noise is created by the CO2 expanding out of the liquid back into a gas.  When you shake up a soda and open it quickly, it bubbles up and can over flow because the CO2 is being released from the liquid.  The reason Diet Coke is the best soda for this experiment is because it has high levels of CO2 compressed in the liquid.  The second reason the geyser is created is through a process call nucleation that takes place on the surface of the Mentos.  Nucleation means that there are wholes into the surface of the Mentos that increasing the surface area.  When the Mentos is dropped into the CO2 rich liquid the CO2 forms a gas in all of the nucleation sites.  This increases the amount of gas that is formed and all this gas rushes out of the bottle in a geyser.

Popular Science

If you like the information posted on this blog you may also like to check out Popular Science's website by clicking Here. If this link does not work you can copy the link posted below. Popular Science is filled with information about science, technology, gadgets and more. If you know of other cool science websites or magazines leave a comment below. Check it out!

http://www.popsci.com/science

How To: Coke and Mentos.

How to create your own Coke and Mentos experiment.
Individuals may find that tweaking of instruct ons and amounts may lead to best results.

Obtain: 1 pack of Mentos, 1 piece of paper, and a 2 liter bottle of Diet Coke.

Procedures: Move outside into a clear space, unwrap the Mentos and lay them on the piece of paper. Role the paper around the Mentos to create a straight funnel. Ensure that the round end of the paper will fit inside the mouth of the bottle. Uncap the bottle and hold the paper with the Mentos inside above the opening without allowing them to fall in. Now push the Mentos out of the paper down into the bottle and run. Stand back and enjoy the geyser.
Be sure to clean up and throw all trash away!

So what caused the geyser, is there chemistry involved? Stay tuned for a detailed description of the science involved in the Coke and Mentos experiment.

All advice and instructions given on this blog are not the sole property of the creator nor is the creator responsible for any damage or harm done by these experiments. Please always abide by the most strenuous safety regulations and procedures and have fun.

Coke and Mentos Video

The Fun Begins.

My current favorite example of having fun with Chemistry.  Hopefully through this blog I and you will find other examples of having fun with Chemistry.  The Chemistry of this experiment, and a description of how to do this experiment will be posted later.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM

Day One

Hello Blogger,
Hope you are excited to read about Chemistry!