Summer Experiments

[joml88]

School is almost up for me. I'm a sophomore in high school, by the way. I took my first chemistry class the last half of the year and loved it. My teacher was great. She knew so much about chemistry and knew how to impart it perfectly. Now, my question is I want to continue to explore chemistry over the summer. What should I do? That is what cool experiments do you know that can be done with easily attainable supplies(i.e. local hardware store) at my house? Also, what are some of the best sites to learn chemistry off of?

Thanks.

[weasel54849]

Hey I would be interested in something like that too. I love doing experiments at home.

[YT2095]

if you have a good search on here, you`ll find MANY such questions the same and with answers

you may wish to look at my Light Bulb Challenge and Battery challenges, I have 2 new challenges to present shortly also, you`ll find some of these quite fun! )

[budullewraagh]

fun stuff to do with chem? i'm a sophomore too, and i am finishing a chem class soon.

 

i'm going to a local lab supplies store tomorrow to get beakers, flasks, test tubes etc. this summer i'll be experimenting with various reactions in solutions and ionic substances. fun stuff.

[admiral_ju00]

fun stuff to do with chem? i'm a sophomore too' date=' and i am finishing a chem class soon.

 

i'm going to a local lab supplies store tomorrow to get beakers, flasks, test tubes etc. this summer i'll be experimenting with various reactions in solutions and ionic substances. fun stuff.[/quote']

 

try not to explode anything and take proper safety precautions

[YT2095]

what do YOU consider "Fun" though?

personaly I like the experimental side and learning things from it, but what sort of things are you after here, I don`t know how much you know, what chems you have what area of interest etc...

it`s a bit of an impossible question to answer really

[joml88]

Well I wouldn't say that I have a whole lot of experience in chemistry since I started the class in January or so(I was on block schedule i.e. double the time each day). We have covered so far basic molecular structure, gas laws, phases of matter and their properties, solutions, acids, bases, titration, pH(and pOH), and thats about it so far. In the last two week of school we will cover basic organic chemistry. Oh yeah, we also went over nuclear chemistry very briefly. I can't say that I am interested in one area more than another being that I am such a low level of chemistry. Nevertheless I would have to say that nuclear chemistry fascinates me the most. This said I would think that nuclear chem. is probably the hardest of the subjects I have learned to do at home.

[budullewraagh]

i would advise you not to attempt any nuclear chemistry.

[joml88]

Yeah, I wasn't planning on it. I was just saying what my fav. field was.

[YT2095]

yeah, you could get busted big time for that )

although you just wait untill I post my NEXT challenge (anything goes!) )

anyway, despite that, why don`t you take up the battery/LED challenge? ok so at face value it may seem a little trivial or boring, but once you get the sucker lit, you`ll be taking bets as to how long it`ll stay lit etc... with your mates or family, it`s just a bit of fun, maybe you can re-invent the lightbulb or make a solar cooker (not chem but still good for a laff!).

maybe you can get some clear perspex or glass and make large crystal crops to put in it?

or maybe make a photochemical electicity generator? maybe make your own rocket engines and fly them or make a car to put them in and have races?

fuel air cannons to launch sock bundles over a feild (furthest distance wins), dude you`re limited by your OWN imagination only

[DeoxyriboNucleicAcid]

perhaps a classic electroplating experiment may be performed. I was able to plate w/ zinc and copper (with the help of YT, I must add.) Infact, I did not need to buy any chemicals, I was able to do it mainly with vinegar (whoch was what my electrolyte was based on.) If you are interested, I do have a mini-lab writeup that I can post for you, with procedures, results, etc.