Every year Gordon College hosts an event called
the Scottie Faire where all the student-run clubs and organizations
around campus can display what it is they do and recruit new members. The ACS table displayed a poster created last year which depicts just some of the activities that go on in this student chapter of the ACS; which includes attending guest lectures, tutoring, and Chemistry on the Quad to name a few.
It was manned by President Justin Andrews with help from
Vice-President Sarah McCarron and Dalton Kinnard.
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| Sarah McCarron in the red and Dalton Kinnard in the white lab coat |
But by far the our most effective
method of drawing interest is through chemistry demonstrations. This
year we exhibited two different experiments.
Because of the Faire's medieval theme,
we decided on a demonstration related to the 'mystic art of alchemy'
(from which early chemistry derives its roots). In 1982, the U.S.
Mint changed the chemical composition from 95% copper and 5% zinc to
95% zinc and 5% copper by weight (new pennies are nothing more than
copper plated zinc. The melting point of the zinc alloy is 419.5 C,
well below that of a propane torch. By comparison, copper melts above
1000 C. So, when placed under a flame, the inner zinc alloy melts
while the outer casing remains intact. The pennies can be dropped and
the casing broken and the zinc alloy (silver) contrasts with the
copper (brownish). It is fun and people get to keep the melted
pennies. Plus, it feels a bit like alchemy.
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| Pres. Justin looking very excited about making pennies explode |
Elephant toothpaste is an experiment
done all over the country in the by teachers, professors and
professional chemical demonstrators. It is a simple chemical
reaction: Potassium iodide and hydrogen peroxide are mixed (in the
presence of soap to create bubbles) and the result is a rising tower
of soap suds water and iodine. Kids love the demonstration because we
tell them it is what elephants use to brush their teeth (elephants
have big mouths and big teeth after all, so they must need a lot of
toothpaste). We do this demonstration because college kids like it
too and because we get a chance to tell onlookers that this is the
kind of demonstration that we do a lot when visiting classrooms.
From all accounts exploding pennies and
elephant toothpaste worked! Our first meeting was attended by many
freshman, more than a few of them outside the chemistry major. This
looks like the beginning of a great year for the ACS!
A special thanks to Pres. Justin
Andrews who wrote the explanations for the experiments.
(source:
http://www.usmint.gov/about_the_mint/fun_facts/?action=fun_facts2)
