Chemistry Demonstrations
This list of resources provides a range of spectacular demonstrations for Key Stage Three and Key Stage Four chemistry lessons. From simply mixing two chemicals to produce a beautiful or surprising effect, to the more ambitious and dramatic ...., these demonstrations have been designed to provide the wow factor for students.
Visit the practical work page to access all resources and lists focussing on practical work in secondary science: www.nationalstemcentre.org.uk/sciencepracticals
Indicators in Chemistry
A magical demonstration where it appears that pouring a jug of water into different glasses produces a range of different drinks. It is a great way to introduce a lesson on pH indicators at Key Stage Three and will hold students spellbound.
Magnesium Sandwich
This demonstration will take a lot of preparation but the results are beautiful and will always be remembered. It shows carbon dioxide acting as an oxidant.
Glowsticks
A visually impressive demonstration to show luminescence and rates of reaction. The demonstration is simple to carry out with readily available reagents.
Olympic Ring Colours demonstration
There are a number of exciting chemistry demonstrations described on this website, including the Olympic Rings and the Blue Bottle demonstration.
For this one, you fill seemingly empty glasses, arranged like the Olympic Rings, with "water". Once the clear liquid is added to the glasses, the colors of the Olympic Rings will appear.
Pulsing Reaction
Show students a stunning and spectacular reaction by mixing three colourless solutions in this simple demonstration of autocatalysis, where a liquid magically changed from clear to coloured and back again repeatedly,
Banging Chemistry: Fast and Furious *suitable for home teaching*
The demonstrations in this Teachers TV video are carried out by Dr Kay Stephenson from the Royal Society of Chemistry and Simon Quinnell of the National Science Learning Centre. They have been chosen to highlight various aspects of chemistry, such as rates of reaction and energy changes. Included are some helpful tips on how to carry out the demonstrations safely and successfully in the classsroom. This video is ideal for non-chemistry specialists and NQTs
Demonstrating Chemistry: Fireworks in the Classroom
This video shows how to use the chemistry of fireworks to demonstrate combustion basics, oxidation and oxidising agents, displacement reactions, flame colours and generating thrust. Particular attention is paid to explaining the risks and safety precautions.
Demonstrating Chemistry: KS4 Science
This video shows a teacher having a training session with CLEAPPS in order to demonstrate four redox reactions safely and effectively into her Key Stage Four lessons. The 'screaming jelly baby' demonstration is spectacular when carried out correctly.
Demonstrating Chemistry: Top of the Flops
Expert chemists from the Royal Society of Chemistry and CLEAPSS demonstrate what happens when some demonstrations don't go according to plan and explain why this happens. They also give some alternative approaches to classic experiments.
Problems associated with cracking hydrocarbons, white phosphorus, making chlorine gas, and making copper sulphate crystals are demonstrated, and the experts give some top tips to make school science experiments a success.
Demonstrating Chemistry: Exciting Elements
This video shows how to carry out exciting demonstrations of the reactivity of elements in group one of the periodic table. Bob Worley from CLEAPPS explains the risks and safety procedures so that these demonstrations can be carried out more confidently. As well as the reactions of alkaline metals with water, burning sodium in chlorine, burning calcium in air, the reduction of copper oxide using magnesium powder and the reaction of sulphur with both iron and zinc are also demonstrated.
Dry Ice - Sublimation
This is a dramatic demonstration using dry ice and can be used to show how carbon dioxide is denser than air, how a gas occupies much more volume than a solid, and how dry ice sublimes - turning directly from a solid to a gas without becoming a liquid, and the formation of water vapour.
About.com Chemistry
More chemistry demonstrations from About.com chemistry
Dry Ice Demonstration
This is a simple and visually impressive demonstration which can be used at Key Stage Three to illustrate the properties of solids, liquids and gases or acids and alkalis.
Conservation of Mass
This is a Teachers TV video which shows three short experiments which allow students to explore the concept of the conservation of mass. The three activities can be carried out in one lesson and are suitable for Year Seven students.
Dry Ice Exploding Bottles
This explosive demonstration shows how gas takes up more volume than a solid, using the sublimation of carbon dioxide.
Lycodium Powder
To demonstrate the effect of surface area on rates of reaction at Key Stage Four, this spectular reaction produces a large, bright fireball which won't fail to impress.
Hydrogen Rockets
This explosive demonstration illustrates how rockets work by reacting hydrogen and air. It can be used at Key Stage Three to demonstrate forces and Newton's third law, that every action has an equal and opposite reaction.
Learn Chemistry
The Royal Society of Chemistry website provides a wide range of information on demonstrations and experiments.