Ahead of Demo Day, we asked teachers what their favourite chemistry demo is. What's yours?
Next Thursday is Demo Day, the day in British Science Week when teachers across the UK pledge to perform science demonstrations to excite and inspire their students.
We asked teachers what their favourite chemistry demo is. What's yours?
Colin from Letchworth, UK, says the screaming jelly baby is his favourite: 'it's spectacular and always grabs students' attention'.
Victoria, a science teacher from Iceland, likes showing precipitation reactions: 'Chemistry isn't always very easy to teach because it can be quite abstract. However the students get really involved when you mix two solutions together and they can see the formation of a solid.'
Declan Fleming is a chemistry teacher in Austria and author of our exhibition chemistry series. He finds it hard to choose his favourite demo, however 'I just love getting out my little custard pot, filling it with acetylene and sending it skywards.'
We met Leah at the ASE annual conference earlier this year. Her favourite demo is the reaction of alkali metals with water. Why? Because it's her students' favourite!
Finally, Peter Banks from The Purcell School, UK, loves the woosh bottle: 'You can really demonstrate the products of combustion very clearly and capture the attention from the woosh, making something memorable. There are also a wide variety of learning outcomes that you can use this for: products of combustion; varying the alcohol chain length; surface area, collision theory and the effect on rates of reaction.'
Looking for ideas for new demonstrations to try? Check out our exhibition chemistry series – spectacular demos to inspire and engage your students.
What's your favourite demo? Pledge your support for Demo Day, join in on Thursday 17 March and celebrate British Science Week.
Top image © iStock
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