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For Science!
Mar. 5th, 2011 11:49 amThe University of Sussex's C60 society does these demonstrations. Mainly for schools, but other people are allowed to come. I wanted to go. Took new geeky friend. It was great to see the prof and a group of able assistants wearing the traditional chemical stained labcoats
The professor burst a balloon full of butane. Bang! Doesn't really describe it. BOOM is getting there but really it was a BOOM!!! And that wasn't even the loudest sound we heard all evening.
Essentially the presentation was on "Oxidation", which of course is all about loss of electrons. Yeah. Actually it was about making things glow and go bang and boom. Sodium in water. We did get the demonstration of a tiny piece of sodium and hear it fizz. But it was a big auditorium and not very interesting. So the prof got a much larger piece. It went bang, fizzle and we had sparks and flames. "Well, I'm rather disappointed" said the prof, so he grabbed another large piece. Pop! It sent a lovely pattern of sparks into the air.
The performance ended with a rendition of the 1812 Overture and balloons full of something that goes bang.
We should really have more of this sort of thing. The presenter clearly knew his stuff when it came to chemicals. It's the sort of stuff that actually gets kids interested in Science! We really should be encouraging more of this sort of thing.
The professor burst a balloon full of butane. Bang! Doesn't really describe it. BOOM is getting there but really it was a BOOM!!! And that wasn't even the loudest sound we heard all evening.
Essentially the presentation was on "Oxidation", which of course is all about loss of electrons. Yeah. Actually it was about making things glow and go bang and boom. Sodium in water. We did get the demonstration of a tiny piece of sodium and hear it fizz. But it was a big auditorium and not very interesting. So the prof got a much larger piece. It went bang, fizzle and we had sparks and flames. "Well, I'm rather disappointed" said the prof, so he grabbed another large piece. Pop! It sent a lovely pattern of sparks into the air.
The performance ended with a rendition of the 1812 Overture and balloons full of something that goes bang.
We should really have more of this sort of thing. The presenter clearly knew his stuff when it came to chemicals. It's the sort of stuff that actually gets kids interested in Science! We really should be encouraging more of this sort of thing.
