Chemistry

Demonstration Ideas

• COSI's "Chemistry for Museums: A Manual of Chemistry Demonstrations"
• Sciencenter "Chemsations!" demonstration show
• Hubert Alyea, 1955: "Atomic energy, weapon for peace" 1955
• Hubert Alyea, 1985: "Lucky Accidents, Great Discoveries and the Prepared Mind" 
• Flinn "Teaching Chemistry eLearning Video Series" -- Sample Episodes
• Kentchemistry's Chemical Demonstration Videos

Equipment Ideas

• Dropping bottles and microchemistry well-plates
• Narrow tank for demos
• Microscale gas generation
• Guidebook to Constructing Inexpensive Science Teaching Equipment, Volume 2: Chemistry

Lab Management

• Setting Up the (OMSI Chemistry) Lab
• OMSI's Chemistry Lab-in-a-Box

Other Resources

• CHEMStudy archive with films, books, teacher's guide, and teacher training films

Buying Chemicals

For each chemical cataloged in howtosmile at least one retailer is noted. The link provided in howtosmile.org is usually to the smallest quantity of a chemical offered by the retailer. To minimize chemical waste, the American Chemical Society (ACS) advises that "for many reasons, less is not only better; it is less risky and less expensive."

Read the ACS publication "Less is Better."

Retailers might have multiple variations of the same chemical. Make sure you are buying the right amount, the right quality (cheaper is often fine), and the exact chemical you want. (For example, is the chemical supposed to be anhydrous/without water? Should it be in solid form, or in solution?)

(Note: One of the retailers, Flinn Scientific, sells only to educational institutions.)

Storing Chemicals

All chemicals in the howtosmile.org website are catalogued according to the Flinn Storage System. Some chemicals are also cataloged with the Stanford Storage Group System. This system is a convenient approach to chemical storage when space and the size of the chemical inventory are limited. Since the system works with only two shelves (plus additional shelves for more hazardous substances), it can be used in many situations.

• Stanford Storage Group System PDF
• Recommended Stanford Storage Groups for common chemicals
• NIOSH "School Chemistry Laboratory Safety Guide" (PDF also available)

Disposing of Chemicals

Anyone who undertakes an activity or experiment involving chemicals is responsible for properly disposing of chemical waste. The following resources provide information that will help you choose an appropriate disposal method. As always, be sure you are informed of federal, state, local, and district regulations before you dispose of any chemical.

• Chemistry Demonstration Aids That You Can Build! by Mattson et al. provides a simple chemical disposal chart.
• Chemical Laboratory Safety and Security: A Guide to Prudent Chemical Management, published by the National Academies of Science, is free and provides a detailed description of chemical disposal in Appendix J.2 and Chapter 11.
• The Flinn Scientific Catalog/Reference Manual includes a substantial chemical disposal system, and the Flinn disposal code is included for each chemical cataloged in howtosmileorg. The free Flinn catalog is only available to educational institutions.
• Flinn Scientific’s website provides FAQs and more information about disposal options.
• Check into your local hazardous waste disposal day to see if chemical waste will be accepted.

References

Chemical information and images are taken from the Flinn and Oxford MSDS, the Flinn catalog, and Wikipedia. The List of commonly available chemicals from Wikipedia and the Acid-Base Indicators at General Chemistry Online! provided additional information.