Science fair.

[Kermit]

My highschool has a science fair in the end of May this year, leaving me with about five months. See, we already have an idea for the project, me and my partner, but I think we could do better. Any suggestions? I can get most chemicals needed.

[Kermit]

Oh, and it has to deal with chemistry.

[JustStuit]

What's your idea? Usually when you pick something it is what interests you. Maybe we can help modify it or specify or change it from there. We don't really know your interests well so maybe if you talk about those or something.

[Kermit]

Crystals are things that I can make easily and I sorta like them. Maybe something involving them? Like tweaking various environmental factors to see how it affects crystal growth.

[JustStuit]

Hmmm.. sounds interesting. I don't know much about crystals but I'm sure someone else would have an idea.

[AzurePhoenix]

bismuth crystals are the one's that form funky geometric patterns, right?

[JustStuit]

Yea I think so. Here's a site with pic's and how to make them if you're interested.

http://www.theodoregray.com/PeriodicTable/Stories/083.4/

 

And heres a dealership site (expensive) but good pics

http://www.crystalgrowing.com/bismuth/bismuth1.htm

 

They probably won't look like that but I thought it looked cool.

[rakuenso]

make thermite =) or test out the strength of relative oxidizers

[Kermit]

I'd love to make thermite, but after attending this wonderful chemistry demonstration recently, I don't think the judges would like explosively hot aluminum/iron on their faces.

[rakuenso]

umm thats why you do it outside and away from people, thermite's MAX radius is probably 3-4 meters, nothing shot over a meter for me

[Kermit]

I still doubt i'd be able to get permission to do that. Anything less explosive?

[Lance]

You do know there are 3721 threads on this exact same subject, don't you?

[Ferdinand]

My "Genie in a bottle" is always a winner, except it takes 1-3 seconds to run, and about 1 minute to prepare. So, I "ham" it up a bit.

Some people know about "I dream of Jeannie" and I've always been besotted by Barbara Eden. I have always wondered how they do the SFX of the genie coming out of the bottle. I've stumbled on a possible way that I use to introduce fast redox reactions of the non-explosive constricted kind.

 

So, that big puff of "smoke"(actually condensing water vapour) from the "genie's bottle" is spectacular. But you do it twice without your audience being aware that you have two bottles. We use conical flasks; one is a 100 mL one and the other(hidden one tha the students are not aware of) is a 5 L one. Pour about 10 mL of 35% hydrogen peroxide, while you're introducing the genie factor, or you can make it a straight chem lesson. While everyone is focussed on the conical(with safety glasses) sprinkle a small amount of potassium permanganate crystals( 3-5 grains quickly) and stand back. Genie comes out of the bottle. Careful, highly exothermic and if you put in to much grain you'll stain your surfaces as the genie comes out.

 

Now, once your audience has recovered, bring out from underneath your bench the 5 L conical flask. (Big Genie!!!) Pour perhaps 50 -100mL of 35% H2O2 and carefully but quickly drop in perhaps a pea-sized amount of potassium permanganate crystals -but no more...and watch - but don't blink because you may miss it!!! Don't panic about the cloud the shoots out of the top of the conical flask - it's just a concentrated amount of condensing water vapour that I keep hoing will turn into Barbara Eden.

 

A physics Or physical chemistry demo I love to do once a year is to get the atmosphere to crush a 44 gallon drum(or two) in about <0.25 seconds...The shock wave is something to behold! Watching skeptical kids' jaws drop to the ground as it happens is priceless.(Preparation time is excessive!)

[Nezumi]

Do something with alternative energy or perhaps an example of something is current and perhaps has advancements.

 

A good example is a microbial fuel cell along with some type of gastrobot technology. Or simply have the germs eat some garbage and then power a capacitor which releases the energy.