Feather and Coin

The coin and feather experiment must rate as one of my favourites, so simple but so effective and with a bit of slight of hand and two identical setups then the magic begins. Why do they fall together in the tube but not outside. Science is Magic.

Making Anhydrous Copper Sulfate

 One trick missed when making anhydrous copper sulfate seems to be repeating the experiment by adding a little water, hydrating the copper sulfate and then repeating the experiment to show how the reaction is repeatedly reversible.

Hydrotrioxides found in the atmosphere, the impact of which needs to be examined.

Organic hydrotrioxides (ROOOH) are known to be strong oxidants used in organic synthesis. It has been speculated that they are formed in the atmosphere through the gas-phase reaction of organic peroxy-radicals (RO2) with hydroxyl radicals (OH). Researchers from the Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research in Leipzig, Germany, have reported the direct observation of ROOOH formation from several atmospherically relevant RO2 radicals. For the OH-initiated degradation of isoprene, global modelling predicts molar hydrotrioxide formation yields of up to 1%, which represents an annual ROOOH formation of about 10 million metric tons. The atmospheric lifetime of ROOOH is estimated to be minutes to hours. Hydrotrioxides represent a previously omitted substance class in the atmosphere, the impact of which needs to be examined.

 

Virtually ready for Maths 2

 The students have all been studying hard over the half term with me preparing for the second Maths paper. We have gone over all the things that  they were unsure about and now they are ready.

Making Vinegar

 Making vinegar from ethanol and an oxidising agent  Potassium dichromate. A great example of an exothermic reaction, and here just using hot water rather refluxing.

The mortar and Pestle

It always feels like real chemistry when you have to get out the mortar and pestle and grind up something to do the experiment

Internal Energy

 

Trying to get over the idea of heat and internal energy in molecules. The students don't seem to grasp the idea of molecules in motion - but the desk is stationary!