Chemistry Experiments from Friendly Chemistry

School started this week. We are studying Chemistry this year. On Monday and Tuesday we did an experiment from Friendly Chemistry, the curriculum we are starting with. I have given you links at the bottom of the page... but for now keep reading.

 Before class I put 7 powers in the containers you see to the left. Each powder was edible and from our kitchen... you know... things like sugar and flour. I chose all white products to make it more challenging.

Each container was labeled with a sticky note and a letter to keep them secret. To make sure I knew what I was doing I made a master list with the answers to what the powders in each container were.

Each powder is looked at, listened to, smelt, felt, and tasted; in it's dry form, first. Some tasted good... the baking powder tasted the worst, my son said.

Friendly Chemistry comes with lab sheets to fill in to record the data from the experiment.

Then each powder is tested. Do NOT taste any of the powders after the liquids are added... especially the iodine as it is poisonous when ingested.

First a little water is added to powder A.

Then it is observed and data is added to the record sheet.

Then white vinegar is added to a little bit of the dry powder, observed and data recorded.

Then we added iodine to the dry powder. The iodine was diluted. I added a couple drops from the tincture of iodine to a baby food jar of water.

Each of the powders is tested with the water, vinegar, and iodine and the results are recorded. Hypotheses are recorded when done each powder, to record what Christopher thought the powder was.

Christopher, writing on the data sheets.

some powders turned milky white

this one turned purple when we added the iodine

this one bubbled when we added the vinegar

this one bubbled and turned purple when we added the iodine

Christopher was able to correctly identify all 7 powders... even the 7th one that I made more challenging by putting pancake mix in the container.

I think he even learned a few things. Iodine identifies foods with starch. Vinegar reacts to the baking soda and baking powder has baking soda in it so it reacts to the vinegar too.. but Baking Soda doesn't turn purple and Baking Powder does because Baking Powder has starch added to it. The pancake mixture also reacted to both as it had flour and baking soda in it.

We are enjoying Friendly Chemistry so far. I can't wait to get started with the Do Wop board next week... it's my favorite part.

Friendly Chemistry -  the authors homepage
Friendly Chemistry at Rainbow Resource
We have the 3rd edition, I bought it used after borrowing a friends copy a few years ago, I am not sure what changes have been made.

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