Presented by Kavita Gupta, Instructor AP Chemistry, Science DC

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Halloween Chemistry

• Presented by Kavita Gupta, Instructor AP
  Chemistry, Science DC
• Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, CA

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MV Chemistry Website urlhttp//web.fuhsd.org/kavi
ta_gupta

• This sessions power point is available on the
  above website.
• Presenters email
• Kavita_gupta_at_fuhsd.org

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Monta Vista High School21840, McClellan Road,
Cupertino, CAwww.montavista.schoolloop.com
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Halloween Chemistry Rationale

• Halloween Chemistry combines learning of
  Chemistry with fun and helps students gain better
  understanding of Chemistry while arising their
  curiosity.

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Halloween Chemistry at AP Chemistry Level

• There are three components of Halloween
  Chemistry Presentation at AP Level
• Halloween Demos by the teacher (15 mins)
• Halloween Costume Presentations by the students
  (35 mins)

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Halloween Chemistry

• Part I Teacher Demos

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Halloween Demos by the teacher

• Flaming Pumpkin with Colored Fires
• Desks on Fire
• Fire-Breathing

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Flaming Pumpkin with Colored Fire
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Materials Large Pumpkin, Calcium Acetate
Trihydrate (20g), Ethanol (enough to make a
slurry) Nitrates of Calcium, Strontium, Barium
and Copper (II) Methodology Make a slurry of
Calcium Acetate Trihydrate by mixing enough
alcohol in it. Put this slurry in a carved and
cleaned pumpkin. Light the pumpkin on fire using
a lighter. You may do this demo outside of the
fume hood. Now add one spatula full of each of
the salts one by one to see that flame test
colors. Student Assessment/Review Students will
identify the cation in the salt based on the
flame test color.
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Chemistry behind this demo Flame Test Colors
Ca2? Red, Ba Ion? Pale Green, Cupric Ion?
Blue-green, Strontium Ion? Brick Red Review of
Bohrs Model and release of energy with electron
transition Disposal Pumpkin left overs can be
put in regular trash after completing
combustion. Safety Precautions Please wear
goggles while performing this demo and put the
container of alcohol away from the open flame.
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Cupric Ion Flame Test Color in its Full Glory
Strontium Ions Flame Color
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Desk on Fire Demo
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• Materials Calcium Acetate Trihydrate (20g),
  Ethanol (enough to make a slurry), match
• Methodology
• Mix the ethanol in Calcium Acetate Trihydrate to
  make a slurry.
• Using a glass rod or a spatula, write whatever
  you desire on the desk.
• Make sure that the letters are touching each
  other for a continuous fire.
• Now light the fire at any letter. The whole
  lettering will light up.

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Chemistry Behind the Reaction Combustion of
Hydrocarbons CxHyOz O2? CO2 H2O
Heat C2H5OH O2?CO2 H2O Heat Disposal
After combustion of alcohol, ashes can be
disposed off in regular trash. Safety
Precautions Please wear goggles and keep
container of alcohol away from demo area.
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Fire-Breathing
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• Materials Burner, Corn Starch, lighter
• Methodology You might need to practice it
  before doing this demo in front of the class!
• Set a burner on a table and light it.
• Take two spoonfuls (or as much as your mouth can
  hold) of corn starch in your mouth. Blow out this
• corn starch in burner flame with force. It is
  pretty spectacular!

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Disposal Wipe table with a wet paper
towel. Rinse your mouth to get rid of excess corn
starch. Chemistry Behind the Reaction Reaction
Rates and Surface Area Safety Precautions 1. Do
NOT inhale corn starch. Take a deep breath and
while you have the corn Starch in your mouth, try
not to inhale it. 2. Try this demo couple of
times before performing in front of students.
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PART II Students Halloween Costumes

• Some Costume Topics/Descriptions

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Some Videos on Halloween Chemistry

• MVHS AP Chemistry Students 2010-2012

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Ionic Bonding
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The Gold diggers
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Helium Atom
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TNT
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Like a Chemist
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Arrghon (Argon)
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AgCl Precipitation
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Halloween Chemistry at 10th Grade Level

• Chemistry and Chemistry Honors

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Halloween Demos by Teacher

• Oozing pumpkin
• Genie coming out of the bottle

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Oozing Pumpkin

• Materials
• Baking Soda, Vinegar, Red Food Coloring, Dish
  Soap
• Procedure
• Carve out a pumpkin.
• Add vinegar (enough to fill it just below first
  carving), food coloring (few drops) and soap (2
  tea spoons).
• At the time of demo, add baking soda and red
  froth is going to come out of pumpkin
• Put a big dish under the pumpkin to catch the
  spill.
• Pumpkin can be used through different classes, by
  refilling the material.
• Dispose in trash at the end of demo.

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Genie in The Bottle (From Flinn)
Materials H202 (30), Mn02 (catalyst), 2 L soda
bottle, thread

• Procedure
• Make a pouch of about 1 spatula full of Mn02 in a
  tissue paper and tie it with a thread.
• Fill an empty 2L soda bottle with H202 and hang
  in the MnO2 pouch in there, making sure that
  thread is caught in the bottle cap so pouch does
  not fall into the bottle unless cap is unscrewed
• At the time of demo, unscrew the cap. The pouch
  will fall inside H202 starting a spectacular
  reaction
• Disposal
• In trash, after all H202 has been decomposed.

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PART II Students Halloween Costumes

• Some Costume Topics/Descriptions

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Student Costumes

• The costumes ranged from Mentadent Toothpaste
  costume (for Fluoride), Cow ( for Ca), Salt
  shaker ( for Sodium), Glow in the dark costume (
  for phosphorus), Battery ( for Nickel), Statue
  of Liberty ( for copper by), Skeleton (for Ca),
  Glow-in-the-dark clothing (Phosphorus), double
  replacement reactions (NaOH HCl) and Heisenberg.

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Phosphorus (Glow in the Dark), Graphite (Pencils-
Allotrope of Carbon) and Calcium (skeleton)
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Double Replacement Reaction Metathesis
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Beryllium Fluoride and Magnesium
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Double Replacement
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Heisenberg
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Thank you for your time!