The Amazing Drinking Bird

December 1, 2009

Tami O'Connor, Educational Innovationsby Tami O’Connor

Invented in 1945 by Miles Sullivan, the “drinking bird” has been a favorite of science teachers in every classroom from kindergarten through college. This amazing device is made of two glass bulbs (one representing the head and the other representing the body) joined by a glass tube (representing the neck).  Between the two bulbs, attached to the glass tube, is a metal fulcrum upon which the bird pivots.  The air has been removed from this closed device, and the bottom ball is filled with a colored liquid that has a high vapor pressure (methylene chloride). The rest of the bird’s body and head is filled with the vapor form of methylene chloride.

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1 Comment | Chemistry, College level, Elementary level, energy, experiments, High School level, Middle School level, Physics | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Chemistry of Ultraviolet Detecting Beads with Video

November 13, 2009

Ron Perkins, Educational Innovationsby: Ron Perkins

Ultraviolet detecting beads contain pigments that change color when exposed to ultraviolet light from the sun or certain other UV sources. The electromagnetic radiation needed to affect change is between 360 and 300 nm in wavelength. This includes the high-energy part of UV Type A (400-320 nm) and the low energy part of UV Type B (320-280 nm). Long wave fluorescent type black lights work well; incandescent black lights and UV-C lamps will not change the color of the beads.

The dye molecules consist of two large, planar, conjugated systems that are orthogonal to one another. No resonance occurs between two orthogonal parts of a molecule. Imagine two planes at right angles to one another, connected by a carbon atom. When high energy UV light excites the central carbon atom, the two smaller planar conjugated parts form one large conjugated planar molecule. Read the rest of this entry »

5 Comments | Chemistry, energy, High School level | Tagged: , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Goldenrod Paper

October 1, 2009

Ron Perkins, Educational Innovationsby: Ron Perkins

Color changing goldenrod paper has been exciting students of all ages for decades to the wonders of chemistry! Imagine the enthusiasm of the first student or teacher who spilled a few drops of ammonia on a piece of yellow paper and observed it turn bright red! One can only image them exclaiming: “Super, Wow, Neat!!!”

Place the paper in a solution of household baking soda and the paper turns red; immerse it in vinegar and the red turns back to yellow! This goldenrod paper is colored with a dye that is an acid/base indicator: red in base and yellow in acid. The paper is similar to litmus paper that is blue in base and red in acid. Read the rest of this entry »

5 Comments | Chemistry, College level, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Heat-Sensitive Paper

September 11, 2009

Ron Perkins, Educational Innovationsby: Ron Perkins

A short time ago I received the following inquiry regarding our Heat-Sensitive Paper. One of the joys of being the president of Educational Innovations is having the opportunity to answer questions like this.

Q: What chemical coats your Heat-Sensitive Paper that makes it change color? My chemistry class wants to know the chemistry of what is happening on our heat-sensitive periodic tables. Can you pleaseHeat Sensitive Periodic Tables help us?

A: Some of the characteristics of our heat-sensitive periodic tables are easy to understand and some more challenging. The inks used provide color at lower temperatures and are colorless at higher temperatures. The change over temperature is called the “critical temperature.” Adding heat to the paper causes the paper to loose its color, an “endothermic” reaction. The reverse, going from colorless to colored, is an “exothermic” reaction and returns the heat.

To manufacture this paper, long rolls of white paper are unwound, coated on one side, dried, cut, and finally stacked into reams. Read the rest of this entry »

5 Comments | Chemistry, College level, Elementary level, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

Back to School Experiments with Sodium Polyacrylate

September 8, 2009

Tami O'Connor, Educational Innovationsby: Tami O’Connor

Though I am no longer in a traditional classroom, the end of each August still fills me with that feeling of eager anticipation and yes, even a bit of anxiety…. Then I remember, I’m not going to be facing a room filled with bright new faces nor will I need to develop the plethora of creative lesson ideas necessary to engage and stimulate young minds. But still, I enjoy sharing some of the school experiments that my students and I enjoyed.

One school activity I used to teach the scientific method required the use of an old favorite; Sodium Polyacrylate. This is the chemical powder found in disposable baby diapers. I would start my lesson with a 3 Cup Monty game in which I used 3 opaque cups that were identical in every way except that two of the cups were empty and in the third I placed about 3 tablespoons of the water lock powder.

My shtick started with me talking about the importance of observation skills. I would explain the necessity of having a keen eye. Shortly after my speech I would pour about 1/2 of a cup of water into one of the empty cups. While encouraging my students to carefully watch the cup with the water in it, I would move the cups around fairly slowly, knowing they would be able to follow the water filled cup easily, until the three cups ended in a line across my desk. Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment | Chemistry, Elementary level, experiments, High School level, Middle School level | Tagged: , , , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Tami O'Connor

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