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The General Chemistry Demo Lab

Introduction

I started developing this page when I was a professor of chemistry at the University of Kentucky. I haven't had much chance to expand it in recent years, but it's still a good resource. Each demo here includes:
• A background and introduction
• A QuickTime video of the demonstration
• Interactive 3D molecular models you can manipulate on-screen (if applicable).
• An explanation of the chemistry behind the demo
• Additional information that goes beyond the scope of most freshman level textbooks.
• Information on the demonstration setup (as needed or appropriate).

For best results, you must have Apple's QuickTime 4 plug-in or higher and MDL's Chime plug-in [not available for Mac OS X, sorry...be sure to complain to MDL about this] installed in your web browser. These are both free.

Current Demos

	Surface tension. In this demonstration, sulfur floats when sprinkled onto water. When a surfactant (a drop of soap) is added, this reduces the surface tension and the sulfur quickly settles to the bottom of the container.
	Pressure and Volume Effects on Equilibrium. As an equilibrium gas mixture is compressed and expanded in a syringe, we see QC and Le Chatelier's Principle at work!
	Reaction of magnesium metal with carbon dioxide. Magnesium burns more intensely when exposed to carbon dioxide, in this case, inside a block of it! Who knew that thermodynamics, free energy and activation energy could be so exciting?
	The thermite reaction. Rust and aluminum powder react to give molten globs or iron. Everything for the pyromaniac who also wants to know more about thermodynamics, free energy and oxidation-reduction reactions.
	Fun with liquid nitrogen. Experience the joys of frozen objects at -196 °C. In this clip, an apple and a banana are exposed to liquid nitrogen and then mistreated. We're sure there are some chemical principles to be explained here, but this one is really just fun.

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This page was last updated Friday, March 27, 2015 and has been visited 75852 times since July 12, 2000.
This document and associated figures are copyright 19990-2024 by Rob Toreki. All rights reserved.