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Chemistry Project Ideas

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Showing 1 - 5 of 28 Project Ideas
Big Pieces or Small Pieces: Which React Faster?
Big Pieces or Small Pieces: Which React Faster?
Difficulty
Time Required Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability Readily available
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety Adult supervision recommended when working with hot water solutions

Some chemical reactions occur explosively fast, others may occur almost imperceptibly s-l-o-w-l-y. This project explores what effect the particle size of the reactants has on the speed of a chemical reaction: production of carbon dioxide gas by an Alka-Seltzer® tablet. Read more
Crime Scene Chemistry: Determine the Identity of an Unknown Chemical Substance
Crime Scene Chemistry: Determine the Identity of an Unknown Chemical Substance
Difficulty
Time Required Average (6-10 days)
Material Availability A kit containing specialty items is needed for this science project. See the Materials section for more details.
Cost Average ($50 - $100)
Safety Wear safety goggles and gloves when working with chemicals.

Picture this situation: An elderly woman is rushed to the hospital complaining of severe abdominal pain, tinnitus, and lethargy. Suspecting a drug interaction, the emergency room doctor starts questioning her. The doctor learns that the woman takes no medicines except aspirin for her arthritis. Since she cannot swallow pills well she takes a powdered form of aspirin which she buys in bulk and keeps in a plastic container in her kitchen next to… Read more
Make Your Own pH Paper
Make Your Own pH Paper
Difficulty
Time Required Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability Lab filter paper can be purchased from the Science Buddies Store.
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety Adult supervision required. Do not mix strong acids and bases.

This is a simple "kitchen chemistry" project about acid/base chemistry. Scientists measure the acidity or alkalinity of a solution using a logarithmic scale called the pH scale. In this project you'll learn about the pH scale, and you'll make your own pH indicator paper using a pH-sensitive dye that you'll extract from red cabbage. You can use your pH paper to measure the acidity/alkalinity of various household solutions. Read more
Paper Chromatography: Is Black Ink Really Black?
Paper Chromatography: Is Black Ink Really Black?
Difficulty
Time Required Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability A few specialty items are needed see the Materials section.
Cost Low ($20 - $50)
Safety No Issues

Have you ever looked at sunlight through a prism? If so, you know that the prism can separate the sunlight into many different colors of light — a rainbow. Like sunlight, chemical mixtures can also be broken into their component parts. One way of doing this is a simple technique called paper chromatography. What do you think you will see if you use paper chromatography to look at the components of black ink? Is black ink just black? … Read more
Plop, Plop, Fizz Fast: The Effect of Temperature on Reaction Time
Plop, Plop, Fizz Fast: The Effect of Temperature on Reaction Time
Difficulty
Time Required Short (2-5 days)
Prerequisites None
Material Availability Readily available
Cost Very Low (under $20)
Safety Adult supervision is recommended when working with hot water solutions.

Alka-Seltzer® tablets fizz furiously when dropped into water. The moment the tablet starts dissolving, a chemical reaction occurs that releases carbon dioxide gas. Can you make Alka-Seltzer® fizz faster or slower by changing the temperature of the water? How big of a difference in the rate of a chemical reaction can temperature make? Read more
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