St. Francis Xavier University
National Chemistry Week Report

On Wednesday 16 November, Dr’s David Bunbury and Truis Smith-Palmer, and Lab Supervisor Toni Pomeroy, took a car-load of chemistry demonstrations to the Museum of  Industry in New Glascow, NS.  Grade 4-6 classes were bussed in from surrounding schools to ‘shows’ starting at 9am and 10.45 am.  Each show was divided into sections: gases (canon, generation and properties of  CO₂, popping a film canister,  liquid nitrogen and balloons and flowers)  polymers (miming polymerization, making glurch, talking about diapers) and  reactions (instant light, burning of money and lycopodium powder).  Where suitable, the chemistry of each demonstration was explained.

At the end of each show, we asked questions and rewarded the students for their answers with our chemistry week souvenirs. Books of further demonstrations were also given to the teachers. The students really enjoyed the demonstrations and were full of questions.

On Wednesday 30 October, we substituted our regular Chemistry Department seminar with a similar show – with of course, explanations at a more advanced level.  We included smashing a ‘hand’ frozen in liquid nitrogen and wiping off the ‘blood’. We had lots of fun and generated lots of discussion.

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