News from Online: Toying with Chemistry - Journal of Chemical

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News from Online: Toying with Chemistry by Julie Harris and Steven Kehoe

For most children, toys are plainly sources of fun and entertainment, objects that can exercise the imagination or fill up the time in a long summer day. However, with a closer look at those toys, investigation of how they work, and curious minds, common (and not so common) toys can become tools to learn some of the basic and also more in-depth chemistry concepts. Chemistry is all around us—even in the toy box. Silicon Super Ball You could put a quarter into a machine and buy a super ball, or you could impress your friends by making your own. By using the recipe found at http://www.flinnsci.com/Documents/demoPDFs/Chemistry/CF0758.50.pdf you can create your own high-bouncing super ball with a fairly simple procedure of mixing sodium silicate solution with ethanol. Following the experiment is a chemical explanation of what makes a polymer, such as the one you just made.

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A fun “sport” that has become a messy pasttime for some is paintball. But have you ever looked at a paintball closely? The Chemical Institute of Canada’s online article about paintballs briefly discusses specifications in the production of the paintballs and the qualities that these chemists strive to give their products at http://www.cheminst.ca/ncw/articles/ 1994_paintballs_e.html. Memory Metal If your taste in toys sways somewhat to the robotic category, a topic of interest for you might be memory metal. This material, usually a nickel–titanium alloy, can snap back to its original shape even after much bending and contortion. At http://www.jce.divched.org/JCESoft/CCA/CCA2/MAIN/ MEMORYM/CD2R1.HTM, you can discover what happens on a molecular scale with this type of metal. QuickTime clips of the molecular-scale phenomenon should also help reinforce the explanation of memory metal. A video of memory metal in action may be found at http://www.mrsec.wisc.edu/Edetc/ cineplex/NiTi/index.html.

Related Sites Memory metal can be purchased in small quantities for instructional purposes. • Educational Innovations http://www.teachersource.com • Institute for Chemical Education http://ice.chem.wisc.edu/catalogitems/sciencekits.htm

Information about memory metal may be found at these sites. • Shape Memory Alloys and Their Applications http://www.stanford.edu/~richlin1/sma/chem.html • Materials Science and Technology http://depts.washington.edu/matseed/mse_resources/Webpage/; click Case Studies, then select Memory Metals to access information about shape memory alloys on this site.

photo: Scitoys.com

photo: J. J. Jacobsen, J. Harris, S. Kehoe

Lemon-Powered Clock http://familyfun.go.com/parenting/learn/activities/feature/ famf119weirdsci/famf119weirdsci6.html Why use a battery when you can use fruit? This site shows you how to power a simple LCD clock with an electric current generated from the citric acid of a lemon. However, a lemon is not the only possibility for this project. Any electrolytic solution or medium may be used to generate the same effect. Orange juice is just one of the many things that can be used as an alternative to a lemon. An article by Paul Kelter that provides a detailed explanation of how and why this works, along with the minimum materials needed to power a clock, can be found at http://www.jce.divched.org/Journal/Issues/1996/Dec/abs1123.html. The authors of this article constructed a lemon-powered clock from a kit purchased from Kid Surplus at http:// www.kidsurplus.com. The clock has been proven to operate for more than four days on a 33-cent lemon. A video of the clock in action can be found in this issue of JCE Online.W

Paintballs

Figure 1. Lemon clock, built by the authors.

Journal of Chemical Education

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Figure 2. Completed crystal radio.

Vol. 82 No. 10 October 2005

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Reports from Other Journals Science Toys If you are interested in science on a budget, http:// www.scitoys.com provides a number of fun and simple science experiments in the section entitled Science Toys You Can Make with Your Kids.

Crystal Radio A favorite of ours is a crystal radio made from common household materials (http://www.scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/radio/ radio.html#crystal). The instructions are well illustrated and easy to understand so it can be done in your own home. Additional Science Toys Experiments • Room Temperature Liquid Metal Alloy http://www.scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/thermo/ liquid_metal/liquid_metal.html • Film Can Cannon http://www.scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/thermo/ thermo2.html

The Journal of Chemical Education provides instructions for a similar cannon • The Baster Ball Cannon http://www.jce.divched.org/JCEsoft/CCA/CCA5/MAIN/ 1ORGANIC/ORG11/BASTER/THUMBS.HTM

Chemistry in the Toy Store Have you ever wondered why magic ink has the ability to disappear? Or maybe you’ve noticed similarities between bubbles and balloons, both perennial toy favorites, and would like to know exactly how they’re related? Or could it be that you’re a “slime” fan, and all of the oozy, gooey toys you played with as a child such as Silly Putty, Gak, or Slime (pp 5–8 at http://www.chymist.com/Toystore%20part2.pdf ) still have you scratching your head? David Katz has a wonderfully large collection of scientific explanations of your favorite toys, whether you’re into magic crystals, small explosions or memory metal, or maybe even toys that glow (all found at http:// www.chymist.com/Toystore%20part3.pdf ) . Also, if you want

Magic Ink

http://www.flinnsci.com/Documents/demoPDFs/Chemistry/ CF0758.50.pdf

http://www.omsi.edu/visit/chemistry/ module.cfm?UnitCurrentKey=6&ModuleCurrentKey=79

http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/demos/index.html

Paintballs

http://www.chymist.com/Slimebag.pdf

http://www.cheminst.ca/ncw/articles/1994_paintballs_e.html

Snow Globe

Room Temperature Liquid Metal Alloy

http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/demos/index.html Balloons

http://www.scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/thermo/liquid_metal/ liquid_metal.html

http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/FIREBALLOON.html

Toy Submarine

Bubbles


http://www.iit.edu/~smile/ch8828.html http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/SOAPBUBL.html

Memory Metal

Crystals

http://www.jce.divched.org/JCESoft/CCA/CCA2/MAIN/ MEMORYM/CD2R1.HTM

http://www.iit.edu/~smile/ch9410.html

http://www.teachersource.com

http://www.chymist.com/Toystore%20part3.pdf

http://www.stanford.edu/~richlin1/sma/chem.html

Crystal Radio

http://www.scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/radio/radio.html#crystal

http://depts.washington.edu/matseed/mse_resources/ Webpage/

Fireworks

Toy Recipes


http://www.chymist.com/Toy%20Store%20Recipes.pdf Collections of Toys and Experiments

Film Can Cannon

http://www.scitoys.com

http://www.scitoys.com/scitoys/scitoys/thermo/thermo2.html

http://www.chymist.com/toy_store.html

Flubber



http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/HOMEEXPTS.html

Lemon-Powered Clock

http://www.iit.edu/~smile/cheminde.html

http://familyfun.go.com/parenting/learn/activities/feature/ famf119weirdsci/famf119weirdsci6.html

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Access date for all sites June 2005

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World Wide Web Addresses

Silly Putty and Slime


Reports from Other Journals to investigate some of these items for yourself, you can find a list of recipes that show you how to make these toys using common household items (http://www.chymist.com/ Toy%20Store%20Recipes.pdf ). Look into it further at http:// www.chymist.com/toy_store.html .

Thiocyanate is referred to as thiocyanide on this Web site.

Elmhurst College Demonstrations Elmhurst College has compiled the Web site http:// www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/demos/index.html, which has a variety of demonstrations that you can do with materials from home or the grocery store. One of our favorites is a way to make it appear as if it is snowing at any time of the year with a homemade snow globe. This project helps to demonstrate properties of polarity and hydrogen bonding while creating a mock snow globe. Another fun project this site provides is a simple way of making Silly Putty using glue and either borax or sodium borate solid. This activity will help students understand and observe the properties of a polymer while synthesizing their own polymer. Both the snow globe and Silly Putty are listed under the miscellaneous heading on this site.

Shakashiri Home Experiments

• Snow Globe http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/demos/index.html • Silly Putty http://www.elmhurst.edu/~chm/demos/index.html

Experiencing Chemistry The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland has an informative Web site, http://www.omsi.edu/visit/ chemistry/unit.cfm?UnitCurrentKey=6, in which the chemistry of toys is investigated through a few simple experiments. For example, check out Fireworks, an experiment that involves burning various metals to observe the color of the flame produced: • Fireworks http://www.omsi.edu/visit/chemistry/ module.cfm?UnitCurrentKey=6&ModuleCurrentKey=51

By doing this, kids can further understand where the color in fireworks comes from. See also these toys that are examined and experimented with as well; the demos and explanations given are all equally informative. • Flubber http://www.omsi.edu/visit/chemistry/ module.cfm?UnitCurrentKey=6&ModuleCurrentKey=90 • Magic Inks http://www.omsi.edu/visit/chemistry/ module.cfm?UnitCurrentKey=6&ModuleCurrentKey=79

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• Toy Submarines http://www.omsi.edu/visit/chemistry/ module.cfm?UnitCurrentKey=6&ModuleCurrentKey=78

If you’re tired of the conventional way to play with some of your favorite toys, then Professor Bassam Shakashiri has devised some interesting experiments that go beyond the normal convention and look further into some interesting chemical properties of these toys that, on the surface, are not always noticeable. Whether it be the fireproof balloon (http://scifun.chem. wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/FIREBALLOON.html) or floating bubbles (http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/HOMEEXPTS/ SOAPBUBL.html) that catch your attention, it’s sure to be an eye-opening experience when these demonstrations are performed. Catch more of these demos at: http://scifun.chem.wisc.edu/ HOMEEXPTS/HOMEEXPTS.html. Smile Program Chemistry Index The Smile Program Chemistry Index, http:// www.iit.edu/~smile/cheminde.html, provides a wide range of Web sites with experiments divided into the categories of basic tools and principles, atomic and molecular structure, states of matter, types and control of chemical reactions, and the chemistry of elements, compounds, and materials. Many Web sites explore the principle of density in various ways. Under the category, states of matter, a good link called Crystals, explores some of the properties of crystals at http:// www.iit.edu/~smile/ch9410.html. Let’s get Fizzical, http:// www.iit.edu/~smile/ch8828.html, provides a good way to demonstrate the principle of surface tension using soap bubbles. The book, The Unbelievable Bubble, is referenced in the activity. If the book cannot be found in your local library, it may be purchased from http://www. amazon.com or http://www.barnesandnoble.com. W

Supplemental Material

A QuickTime video of the assembly and operation of a lemon-powered clock appears in this issue of JCE Online. Julie Harris and Steven Kehoe are undergraduate chemistry majors at the University of Wisconsin–Madison and student interns with the Journal of Chemical Education; jlharris3@ wisc.edu; [email protected].


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News from Online: Toying with Chemistry - Journal of Chemical

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