Chemistry Science Experiments (165 results)

There’s nothing like your favorite comfort food after a long day, right? Maybe it’s beef stew or a really great salad, or many people’s favorite, macaroni and cheese. The sauce has got to be just the right texture, though, or your noodles are either swimming in the sauce, or just one big glob! So how can you get just the right texture? Get ready to invite some friends over to taste-test. With this science activity, you can be a scientist, a cook and a crowd pleaser all at the… Read more

A solution consists of a solute dissolved in a solvent. A solution is saturated when no additional solute will dissolve in it. Can a saturated solution of sodium chloride dissolve any Epsom salts? Can a saturated solution of Epsom salts dissolve any sodium chloride? How does solubility vary with temperature? How does solubility vary with the surface area of the solute? Design experiments to find out! (Gardner, 1999, 16-17, Stretton, 2004) Read more

Some plastics undergo an unusual transition, from a hard, glassy state to a soft, rubbery state, with increased temperature. For this project, you should do background research on the effects of temperature on different types of plastics. Make sure that you understand the difference between thermosetting and thermoplastic polymers. You should also look for information on the glass transition temperature (Tg) for different plastics. Pure polyvinyl acetate has a Tg of 28 C (about… Read more

Have you ever wondered about the materials that your clothes are made out of?  The clothes you wear are made of fibers that come from many different sources.  Some fabrics are made from natural fibers, and some from manufactured or totally synthetic fibers.  In this activity, you’ll explore how well different fiber types are dyed using fiber-reactive dye.  Aren’t you just dye-ing to find out which fabric works best? Read more

Do you remember the last time you baked cookies, bread or cake?  Did your baked good turn out perfectly? Or was it a bit too flat, or perhaps rubbery and tough, or maybe with clumps of dry ingredients? The problem might have been in how you mixed the dough, or with the type of flour you used.  In this science activity, you will knead, stretch and punch some pretty remarkable doughs and discover what provides structure and elasticity to your baked goods. Next time you prepare dough for… Read more