EDUCATION
Chicago's Science Museum Adds Chemistry Exhibit chemistry exhibit we could do." After considering various alternatives, the museum settled on the Everyday Chemistry theme. The aim, Ucko says, is to "let the public know the basic principles of chemistry and how these principles relate to their lives." Although not without flaws, the 2400-sq-ft exhibit generally achieves Ward Worthy, C&EN Chicago that aim. In the stairwell leading to Science education for the public is the exhibit, the first thing a visitor a laudable goal, and one that's diffi- sees is a helical representation of cult to achieve. One institution that's the periodic table, made of shiny had more success than most along metal plates suspended by cables, that line is Chicago's Museum of reaching four stories from basement Science & Industry. With about 4 to rooftop skylight. million visitors annually, the museOccupying a large part of the exum is the most popular of its kind hibit proper is the "wall of elein the U.S. and also Chicago's most ments." All the elements from 1 to popular tourist attraction. 92 are arranged in numerical order, The museum tries to have some- with the name, a brief description, thing for everyone. Lately, though, and a pure sample of each element. chemistry has been in the spot- G e t t i n g some of those samples light—primarily because of a brand- turned out to be one of the more new exhibit on "Everyday Chemistry." Typical of the museum's approach to science, it aims to be entertaining as well as educational. There are no "Do Not Touch" signs. On the contrary, visitors are encouraged to interact with the displays. The new exhibit even offers do-ityourself chemistry experiments. The chemistry exhibit was made possible by a $1 million grant from the Regenstein Foundation. (The foundation is named for Joseph Regenstein Sr., t h e f o u n d e r of Velsicol Chemical, and his wife Helen.) Of that amount, $750,000 was d e s i g n a t e d for design a n d construction. In addition, the foundation provides $25,000 a year for 10 years for operation and maintenance of the exhibit. According to chemist David A. Ucko, the museum's science director, the foundation's charge to the mu- A helix-shaped periodic table (top) greets visitors to chemistry exhibit; seum was simple: "Do the best technology exhibit (bottom) examines impact of new developments on society
Aimed at teaching public basic principles of chemistry, exhibit features numerous video displays, several do-it-yourself experiments
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difficult parts of the project, Ucko notes. In a d d i t i o n to t h e p u r e samples, there are, when possible, samples of products that contain each element and with which the visitor is likely to be familiar. Gallium, for instance, is represented by a pocket calculator with its light-emitting diode display, and phosphorus by—what else?—a box of Rosebud matches.
Another display offers an examination of the "chemical breakfast," where visitors, by pushing appropriate buttons, get a rundown on the various chemicals that make up their eggs, bacon, coffee, and such. A video display tries to explain molecular orbitals, with modest success. Another video display is more successful. Based on interactive videodisc technology developed by
In the Grainger Hall of Basic Science, visitors can learn about states of matter (above) and atomic spectra (below, right). Hands-on experiments, like this one involving electrochemical cells (below, left), highlight new chemistry exhibit
David W. Brooks of the University of Nebraska, it simulates chemistry experiments of varying degrees of complexity. For example, a visitor can, by pushing the right buttons, "perform" a number of tests and thus deduce the composition of an unknown solution. The main attractions of the exhibit, however, are the "real" experiments designed by chemists Bassam Z. Shakhashiri and Rodney Schreiner at the University of Wisconsin. Viewers, again by pushing the right buttons, carry out the experiments themselves, while accompanying explanations tell what's going on and what it means. In one experiment, for example, they mix sulfuric acid and sodium hydroxide. They can notice that the temperatures in the two solution bottles remain constant, while the mercury goes up about 10 °C in the reaction flask. They can even feel the side of the flask, which becomes noticeably warm. But not uncomfortably h o t safety is paramount. One experiment allows the visitor to carry out a typical acid-base titration. I n s t r u m e n t a t i o n keeps track of amounts added and the pH of the solution being titrated; an indicator changes color when the e n d p o i n t is reached. In another experiment, water is electrolyzed. The hydrogen and oxygen are collected, then recombined, and finally ignited by a spark to give a satisfying bang. Still other experiments demonstrate photochemical bleaching, the working of an electrochemical cell, the properties of polymers, and the behavior of immiscible liquids of different densities (different colors, too, to make things more obvious). The piece de resistance is a chemiluminescence experiment, in which 3-aminophthalhydrazide and hydrogen peroxide are mixed. However, that experiment shows the pitfalls as well as the potential of the sophisticated, microprocessor-controlled approach. Ideally, the two components flow, separately, into two compartments. At the appropriate moment, the lights go off, the two components flow together into and down a coiled tube, giving off an eerie blue light as they mix. It elicits oohs and ahs, when it August 27, 1984 C&EN
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Education works. It worked perfectly, on one of three recent visits to the exhibit. On the other two visits, unfortunately, it behaved more like that infamous automatic coffee vending machine that puts out sugar, cream, coffee, and cup—in that order. Everything was out of synchronization, and little or no chemiluminescence could be seen. One must add, to be fair, that the exhibit is still brand new and going through a shakedown period. That particular problem likely will be solved. Ucko points out that every effort is made to use the best materials and techniques. Nevertheless, the machinery is complicated. It's hard to keep everything in order all the time, even though one person works full-time to maintain the exhibit. Minor complaints aside, the exhibit does a good job of making chemistry interesting as well as understandable, and a little less threatening to the uninitiated. Ucko says almost all the comments he has heard about the exhibit are favorable, and that other museums also have expressed interest. "People are surprised that we do actual chemical experiments," he notes, adding that expansion is already planned, with further support from the Regenstein Foundation. The Everyday Chemistry exhibit isn't the only new development at the museum. Just across the hall is the Grainger Hall of Basic Science, which opened last year. Chemistry also is represented there, along with the other natural sciences, but the emphasis is more on fundamental concepts, on scientific method, and on developing a "spirit of inquiry." As with the chemistry exhibit, many of the displays invite visitor participation. Also, live demonstrations on various scientific topics are presented frequently during the day. Just downstairs from the chemistry exhibit is another, "Technology: Chance or Choice?" That exhibit, also quite new, examines the impacts on society of such scientific and technological developments as nuclear power, the birth control pill, pesticides, and automation, among others. The museum also presents a wide range of exploration programs for different groups, including pre20
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"Wall of elements" shows them in pure form and in practical applications schoolers, older children, families, and teachers. The programs encompass classes, field trips, workshops, and other activities. Last month, for just one example, there were three chemistry classes for seventh and eighth graders: "Chemistry of Water," "Chemistry in the Medicine Chest," and "Chemistry in the Back Yard." This year also marks the first year
of full operation for the museum's new Science Education Center. According to museum director Victor J. Danilov, the center includes a new children's science library, a staff and teacher reference library, laboratories for independent research by students, a scientific materials loan center, and facilities to support programs for improving the teaching of science. •
SCIENCE
Beilstein to be available on line The Beilstein Handbook of Organic Chemistry, now in its 103rd year, is entering the electronic age. A project is well under way to commit the information it contains to a database that can be accessed directly from remote terminals. "Our data bank, called Beilstein Online and due to be ready by early 1987, will complement Chemical Abstracts Service's CAS Online facility," notes Clemens Jochum, who is leading the project as head of the electronic data processing department at the Beilstein Institute in Frankfurt, West Germany. "Moreover, a user will be able to search both databases by the command language format of the STN (Scientific/ Technical Network) system, and retrieve information using the Messenger language, both of which have been developed by CAS." Jochum
will discuss the project at the American Chemical Society national meeting in Philadelphia this week. The existing 290 volumes of Beilstein, as the handbook is usually called, describe corroborated details of some 1.5 million organic chemical compounds drawn from the primary literature that appeared between 1830 and 1959. The upcoming fifth supplementary series covering 1960 through 1979, the first book of which has just appeared, will contain data on about 3 million compounds. Each entry in the data bank will cover one specific compound following the format of the book version. Up to 400 different parameters of verified physical characteristics will be listed, about 300 of which will be numerically retrievable pieces of data. The parameters are subdivided into structural data, pre-
