Halloween chemistry

Cackle with delight over these spooktacular Halloween-themed experiments and activities

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Magical experiments and demonstrations

Demonstrations from Exhibition Chemistry

A conical flash with white gas escaping from it (the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide)

The genie in the bottle

Demonstrating the catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide

Green/blue flame in a conical flask

Dancing flames

An experiment with an eerie green flame which really provides a wow factor

Series of four glass beakers, each containing a different coloured solution

Oscillating magic?

Wow them with a colour change reaction

Magic beakers water wine chemical change

Magic beakers

Declan Fleming shows you how to capture your students’ imaginations with spectacular demonstrations

Costumes, creepy crawlies and corrosives

Clue up on the chemistry behind these spooky subjects

A man working on a silicone mask for a film in a special effects workshop

What are Halloween costume masks made from?

Find out about the creative chemistry behind costume masks

Venomous arthropods as comic book heroes

Minibeasts with chemical superpowers

Discover how insect and arachnid defence mechanisms are being used for new medicines and technologies

A firefly flying at night with its abdomen glowing

How do fireflies produce light?

Find out how fireflies and other creatures use bioluminescence

Batman's the Joker with a burned corpse

What’s the strongest acid in the world?

Delve into the highly corrosive world of superacids

Blood, slime and food

Try these investigations involving some Halloween favourites

Blood

image - exhibition chemistry main

Decomposing hydrogen peroxide with blood

Mixing hydrogen peroxide with blood to produce a foam explosive

Screenshots of the chemistry of iron teacher notes and student sheets and a carbon monoxide molecule

The chemistry of iron | 16–18 years

Practice questions give context to transition metal chemistry and equilibria using the examples of haemoglobin and iron 

Slime

A photograph of students sitting around a table and wearing protective gloves while making slime in plastic pots

PVA polymer slime

In association with

In this fun class experiment student will make slime by adding borax solution to PVA. Includes kit list and safety instructions.

Preview of Quicksand resource PowerPoint presentation slides, student workbook, teacher and technician notes

Quicksand investigation | 14–16 years

Discover the properties of non-Newtonian fluids and how these could help you escape from quicksand