Experiments
Fun and educational chemistry experiments
Chemistry Experiments
Hands-on experiments demonstrating fundamental chemistry principles. Each experiment includes materials with specific proportions, step-by-step procedures, the underlying science, and historical context.
Quick Experiments (5-15 minutes)
- Citric Acid Volcano - Classic acid-base fizzing reaction
- Invisible Ink - Heat-revealed secret messages
- Dissolution Thermochemistry - Measure and rank exothermic and endothermic dissolving
- Slime - Cross-linked polymer
- Limewater CO₂ Test - Detect CO₂ in breath
- CO₂ Density Demo - Pour invisible gas
- Copper Reduction - Metal displacement reaction
- Milk of Magnesia Rainbow - Neutralization with color change
- Halide Precipitation - Identify chloride, bromide, iodide by precipitate color
- Cobalt Invisible Ink - Reversible heat-activated hidden messages
Medium Experiments (15-60 minutes)
- The pH Landscape - Map the full acid-base spectrum with natural indicators and buffering
- Blue Bottle Reaction - Reversible redox with oxygen
- Traffic Light Reaction - Multi-color stepwise redox
- Stoplight Reaction - Indigo carmine cycles through four colors with each shake
- Flame Tests - Metal ion identification by light emission
- Water Electrolysis - Split water into H₂ and O₂
- Spherification - Molecular gastronomy liquid spheres
- Prussian Blue - Synthesize the first synthetic pigment
- Silver Mirror - Deposit metallic silver on glass
- Chemical Garden - Silicate crystal growths
- Hot Ice - Supersaturated sodium acetate
- Water Softening - Remove hardness and compare soap lather
- Cobalt Humidity Indicator - Color-changing moisture-sensitive paper
- Hard Water Titration - Measure water hardness with EDTA
- Fractional Crystallization - Separate two salts by solubility
- The Many Colors of Copper - Eight compounds, eight colors — from brick-red metal to vivid green malachite
- The Many Colors of Iron - Seven iron compounds — from grey metal to blue-black ink and orange rust
- Titanium Anodizing - Dial in precise interference colors with voltage
- Iron Gall Ink - Make the ink of Leonardo and the Magna Carta
- Iodine Clock - Sudden color change times the depletion of vitamin C
- The Many Colors of Permanganate - Four oxidation states, four colors — purple, green, brown, colorless
Longer Projects (1+ hours)
- Ferrofluid Synthesis - Precipitate magnetite nanoparticles and suspend them in oil
- Indigo Vat Dyeing - Redox vat dyeing with natural indigo
- Yeast Fermentation - Anaerobic respiration and CO₂ production
- Ethylene and Fruit Ripening - Plant hormone effects on ripening