Student Activity: Drops on a Penny

This activity illustrates the effect of intermolecular forces on surface tension of a liquid. Students attempt to place drops of various types of liquids on the face of a penny (or any available coin). The substances with stronger intermolecular forces have greater...

Teacher Demo/Student Activity: Potato Osmosis

Osmosis is the process by which the concentrations of two solutions, separated by a selectively permeable membrane, equalize by the movement of a solvent such as water. This demonstration shows that the ability of plant cells to absorb water is decreased by heating....

Teacher Demo: Hot Ice

Heat transfers in physical and chemical reactions have many practical applications. Exothermic reactions release heat to the surroundings, resulting in an increase in surrounding temperature. Endothermic reactions require heat from the surroundings, resulting in a...

Teacher Demo: From Gums to Bums

This demonstration uses food and a series of containers and additives to model the process of mechanical and chemical digestion in the human (mammalian) digestive system. The demonstration begins with actual food items and ends with a paste closely resembling fecal...
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