INTERFERENCE-A
CHEMICAL PLAY*
DOROTHY RUDDICK, ELIZABETK WINGBR, AND MARCIA CAHALAN, SENIOR HICKSCHOOL,
KEOKUK, IOWA TIME:Present PLACE: Living room of a home C ~ a ~ ~ c T e(In n s order : of appearance) Atom.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . brother af Molecule Molecule. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .brother of Aium of A tom and Molecule . Vdence. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..sister Ozone.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..small . boy Zinc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . L e d . . . . . . . . . . .: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Barium.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..friends of ~t~~ and &folecule ~ & r .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ... Aluminum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mercury . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ., Radio Announcer, from station KHS
( Atom and Molecule poring over books at a table. Atom yawns and stops studying.)
Atom: "I can't see why I ever took chemistry, anyway. I haven't done a thing but dig ever since school began. Why do I want to know how to write equations and formulas and all that bunk? It's never going to do me any good, if I'm not a chemist." Molecule: "Aw shut up and let a feller study! Nobody made you take it." (Both start studying again. kitchen.)
Suddenly a noise of falling pang is heard from the
Atom: "Sounds like Valence is having her troubles too. Why'd mother ever leave her to get our meals for, anyway? She doesn't know beans about cooking. Why she even thinks water is hotter when it is boiling vigorously than when it is just boiling." Molecule: "Will you stop talking about chemistry?" (Door opens from kitchen and Valence enters. Her hair is mussed and there is flour all over her face. She holds in one hand a pan.)
Valence: "Oh, Atom, just look a t this bread! What is the matter? It's all soggy and flat." Atom: "Well, what do you expect me to know about bread? I'm not the cook, am I?" Valence: "No, but you have to eat it." Molecule: "I don't know much about cooking either, but i t sure looks to me as if that bread didn't rise. Put any baking powder in it?" Valence: "NO-0-0, I don't think so. It only said a teaspoonful and I couldn't find it." Molecule (laughs): "I guess maybe I'd better collect that dollar Mother *Submitted by P. M. Bail, Senior High School, Keokuk, Iowa.
promised you. Didn't you know that baking powder contains two compounds that form carbon dioxide when water is added? When the dough is cooked tbis gas escapes and leaves the bread porous. If you forgot your baking powder, that is the reason the bread is doughy." Valence: "Gee! Where'd you learn all that?" Molecule: "my-chemistry, of course." Valence: "Well, I see where you fellows have a breadless dinner." (Exit looking mournfully a t bread. Bath boys start studying again. A t m upsets the ink bottle on a white napkin.)
Suddenly
Atom: "Oh, golly-look
there! On a clean napkin too! Won't I catch it? Wait 'ti1 I get some soap and water. Maybe I can get some out."
(He exits and returns with the soap and watcr. He works and rubs, but spot doe; not came out.)
think I can get it out. Go see if there isn't some tartaric acid in the cabinet."
Molecule: "Hold on-I
(Atom exits and returns with the materials. Molecule removes the napkin from the table.)
Molecule: "Here, let it soak a few minutes, and it will soon be out." (Alom puts cloth in pan and works.)
Molecule: "Well, it seems as if my chemistry is coming in pretty handy around here." (Enter Valence with an old tin pan containing apples.)
Valence: "Just how do you like apples cooked?" Molecule: "Oh, applesauce! But say, you're not going to cook them in that old tin pan are you?"
Valence: "Sure, why not?" Molecule: "My gosh, girl, don't you know that if you cook anything that contains an acid in a worn tin pan, the hydrogen of the acid will be displaced by the iron under the tin and the iron compound formed doesn't taste good and will discolor the food?" Valence: "Well, what shall I use? An aluminum one?" Molecule: "Yes, although the acid would act on aluminum, the metal is protected by a thin coating of oxide which prevents action, and makes i t safe to use." Valence: "Thanks, Molecule, chemistry is sure getting tbis meal." (Exit Valence. Molecde sits down and starts to work again. Outer door opens and Ozone, a small boy, enters.)
Ozone: "Molecule, can you lend me some knowledge?" Molecule: "Sure-now what do you want?"
VOL. 4, NO.7
INTSRPERENCE-ACHEMICAL PLAY
907
Ozone: "Well, we fellows are trying t o build a camp-fire and, someway, we just can't make it burn."
Molecule: "Well, I suppose you are using green leaves and sticks, aren't you?"
Ozone: "WeU-there aren't so aery many green ones." Molecule: "Ozone, in building a camp-fire always select materials that burn readily or are combustible, such as wood, paper, and coal. Lay the sticks criss-cross so that air can circulate. Heat causes the fuel t o burn, so in starting a fire use materials that have a low kindling temperature-as dry grass or paper. Then your wood and coal will become hot and ignite." Ozone: "Thanks, I guess I won't return that knowled~e." (Exit. Atom stops work. Spot is removed.)
Atom: "It worked great." (He puts napkin on table and starts studying. Door opens and a gang of boysZinc, Lend, Barium, Siluer, Aluminzm. Merczcry-xt~r shouting, Inuzhing, and waving
their caps.)
Zinc: "Come on, you fellows, and go to the show." Atom: "What's on?" Lead: "Iron plays in 'Slow Oxidation.' Boy, it's heavy stuff." Molecule: "No, we can't. Have to study for a chemistry test coming tomorrow. Hang around and we'll go to the second show." ( A t m and Molecule continue studying and the other boys busy themselvesaround the room. Barium picks up evening paper and reads a while.)
Bavium: "Gee! Look'it here-(reads)-'Wealthy man commits suicide by inhaling chlorine.' Chlorine? Chlorine? Why that's the poisonous gas they used in the World War." Lead (throwing pillow a t Barium): "Oh can the chatter! Let's get something on the radio." (Lead walks to the radio and tunes in.)
Voice: "Station KHS. Professor Philip Milo Bail of Keokuk High School will now give us a lecture on 'Purification of Water.' " Lead: "Oh, Bunk! Let's go to the show!" (Whole gang leaves.)
CURTAIN
