The ChemEd Trading Post

States of Matter Files

• Investigating Solubility & Precipitation  A Word document, author Matt Arthur, describing an activity using the dissolution of lead nitrate and potassium iodide, followed by the growth of beautiful crystals of lead iodide. Suggestions are also made for similar activities using less toxic materials.
• Liquid N₂ Demos (2003)  A PDF file by James Benigna describing how to safely handle liquid nitrogen and too many demonstrations to list here.
• The States of Matter (2003)  Six files, a mixture of PDF, RTF and Word files, author Don Borgerding, the files describe an oxygen lab, properties of liquids and demos for teaching the states of matter.
• Ice-Cream with a Twist  A Word document, author Michelle M. Duke, describing an activity using liquid nitrogen to make ice-cream.
• Ice Cream Colligative Properties  Five Word documents in a ZIP file, author Bettyann Howson, the five files describe the ice cream lab with and without calculations the other documents help students gain familiarity with the concepts required to understand the colligative properties of matter.
• Mini Labs (2003)  The RTF file, author Kathleen Kitzmann describes 7 minilabs that can be used in carousel type lab for the gas laws, includes teacher notes.
• Solubility Equilibrium Demonstration (2003)  A RTF file by author Kathleen Kitzmann describing the effects of adding HCl(aq) and NH₃(aq) to freshly prepared Zn(OH)₂ and Mg(OH)₂, includes teacher notes.
• AP Chemistry (2003)  Five RTF files, zipped, author Landorf, decribing student activies for qualitative analysis and binary mixtures with teacher notes and hints.
• Clue Words for AP Chemistry Reactions (2003)  A RTF file author Long.
• Microscale Gas Techniques - Generating Gases  and  Microscale Gas Techniques - Thermal Method  Both are Word documents, author Bruce Mattson, both use diagrams to illustrate how to use syringes to generate and perform chemical reactions with gases.
• Getting Started with Microscale Gas Chemistry (2003)  A Word document by Bruce and Sue Mattson, and Michael Anderson describing the advantages of using microscale and instructions for experiments with syringes and how to care for the syringes.
• Glass Blowing (2003)  A PDF document presented by Sandlin, authors Michael Wheeler and Christine Roeger - Arizona Stae University that describes safety, materials and techniques used in glass blowing.
• Integrating Chemistry and Technology with Materials Science  Four PDF documents in a ZIP file, author Kathleen Shanks, the four files describe resources for materials science and demonstrations with "memory metal" and paramagnetism/ferromagnetism.
• Its A Gas  A Word document, author Alan Slater, describing ideas for micro demonstrations and labs for teaching concepts related to gases, references are given for details.
• Using Meteorology Examples to Teach Chemical Principles  A Word document, author Bruce G. Smith, Good pedagogical practice indicates that the more connections students can make about a specific concept, the more likely the students are to internalize the concept. Further, the closer those connections are to the students' personal experiences the more apt they are to apply the concept. Weather is an everyday experience. In over 25 years of teaching chemistry and meteorology, I have found many examples of good chemistry in my weather lessons. This has made my chemistry teaching more effective and allowed me to dispel misconceptions students have about how the atmosphere works. Here are a few examples that I have used.
• Desktop Chemistry (2003)  A zip file containing 7 PDF & RTF documents, author Dianne Veith, describing student activities for electrolytes, elements, and solutions.
• Pressure Demos (2005)  A "pdf" file describing and illustrating how to make and introduce 7 pressure demos"
• Gas Law Application  A PowerPoint file, author John Eix, in which the gas laws are used to explain relief or orographic rainfall.